Reading Comprehension: Longer Passages and Information Retrieval (長文読解・情報検索)
What this domain tests
Longer-passage questions test main idea, paragraph function, detail, and inference. Information-retrieval questions combine two or more short texts, tables, or notices, and ask you to choose the option that satisfies several conditions. The Japanese terms are 長文読解 and 情報検索.
Core rules and concepts
- Map the passage before answering: number the paragraphs and label each one's job (example, problem, solution, conclusion).
- Use connectives as signposts: however marks a turn, for example introduces support, therefore introduces a conclusion.
- For detail questions, locate the paragraph named by the question, then compare the option word by word with the text.
- For retrieval tasks, list the conditions in the question and tick each one against every option.
- Do not assume two sources agree. Compare dates, prices, places, and who is eligible.
Worked example
Kenta wants a club that meets after school on Wednesdays and does not require payment. Notice A: Photography Club, Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., 500 yen per month. Notice B: Reading Club, Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m., free.
Reasoning: Both meet on Wednesday after school. Condition two eliminates A because of the monthly fee. B satisfies both conditions, so the answer is the Reading Club. Matching only the day would produce the wrong answer.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing an option that meets one condition but fails another.
- Missing a 'not' question: 'Which club does Kenta NOT choose?'
- Confusing a one-time fee with a monthly fee, or 'free today' with 'free every week.'
- Treating a chart label as the answer without checking the question's unit.
Exam habit
For retrieval, write A, B, C in the margin and mark ○ or × for each condition. This prevents partial matches.