Reading Comprehension
What to master
Questions test main idea, supporting detail, inference, author's purpose and tone, vocabulary in context, and logical structure such as cause/effect or compare/contrast. Read for the passage's argument and organization, not just isolated facts.
Traps to expect
- True but irrelevant: a choice may be factually supported yet fail to answer the specific question.
- Extreme language: words like always, never, only, and must often signal a wrong inference.
- Copy-paste wording: an answer that repeats passage language may be a distractor; correct answers often paraphrase.
- Outside knowledge: do not use facts not stated or implied by the passage.
- Inference versus detail: an inference must follow logically from the text, not merely be plausible.
Worked example
Suppose a passage says a city added bike lanes and later saw more cyclists, but also notes that gas prices rose during the same period. A question asks what can be inferred about the increase in cyclists. The best answer acknowledges that multiple factors may contribute; it does not claim bike lanes were the sole cause. Eliminate choices that assert a single definite cause.
Rule of thumb
For each choice, ask: Where in the passage is this supported, and does it answer the question asked? Predict the answer before looking at the options. For main-idea questions, prefer the choice covering the whole passage rather than one paragraph. For vocabulary, substitute each option into the sentence and check the surrounding context.