Reading Comprehension (Short Passages)
What short-passage reading tests
Short notices, emails, posters, timetables, and menus check whether you can find exact information quickly and identify the main point. Nara's paper uses everyday school and community situations, so the vocabulary stays within junior high school range while the wording in answer choices is often paraphrased.
Core rules
- Read the question stem first; then scan for the keyword or its synonym.
- Separate main idea from detail: a title or first sentence often states the purpose.
- Watch reference words: it, this, they, there. Trace them to the previous noun.
- For true/false or 'which is correct' items, verify each option against one line of the text.
- Note exceptions and conditions: 'except Sunday', 'students only', 'must be returned by Friday'.
Worked example
Notice: 'The second-floor study room will be closed on Thursday for cleaning. Books may be returned at the first-floor counter.' Question: Where can books be returned on Thursday? Reasoning: The closure applies only to the study room, not the whole library. 'May be returned' tells you the first-floor counter is available. The correct answer is the first-floor counter. 'The library is closed' is a trap because it overgeneralizes from 'study room'.
Traps that cost marks
Matching a word in the passage to the same word in an option without checking meaning; ignoring a time limit or condition; confusing 'closed for cleaning' with 'no books due'; and choosing a true statement that does not answer the question. Always ask whether the option answers the exact question asked.