Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension tests whether you can extract meaning from a passage and support every answer with evidence from the text itself. Questions ask for the main idea, specific details, inferences, the writer's purpose or tone, the meaning of a word in context, and the order of events.
Main idea and details
The main idea is the single statement that covers the whole passage; details support it. A useful check: if a choice is true but covers only one paragraph, it is a detail, not the main idea. For detail questions, find the line and read the sentence before and after it, because the answer often depends on what comes next.
Inference
An inference is a conclusion the text implies but does not state. It must be supported by evidence, not by what is usually true in life. Reject extreme choices containing always, never, all, or only unless the passage says so.
Purpose, tone, and vocabulary in context
Purpose is why the writer wrote: to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. Tone is the writer's attitude, shown by word choice. For a vocabulary question, substitute each option into the sentence and check whether the surrounding sentences still make sense; the dictionary meaning is often not the answer.
Worked example
'Despite the broken pump, the villagers filled their containers at the stream and carried them up the hill before dawn.' Question: What does this sentence suggest about the villagers? A. They had no containers. B. They were determined to get water. C. They repaired the pump. D. They disliked the stream. Reasoning: The pump is broken, so C is wrong; containers are mentioned, so A is wrong; the stream is used without complaint, so D is unsupported. Carrying water uphill before dawn shows effort, so B is the supported inference.
Traps
Choosing an answer that repeats words from the passage without answering the question; ignoring words such as NOT and EXCEPT; confusing the writer's opinion with a stated fact; and answering from memory rather than from the text.