Reading Comprehension
What is tested
Reading Comprehension asks for main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, and the author's purpose. Passages may describe naval operations, science, or service policy.
Core rules
- Read the question stem first, then locate the sentence that answers it.
- Main idea must cover the whole passage, not one vivid detail.
- Inference must be forced by the text; outside knowledge is not evidence.
- For vocabulary, substitute each choice into the sentence and test the surrounding logic.
- Watch contrast words: however, although, except, and 但 (but).
Worked example
Passage: 'A navy's mine countermeasure force rarely receives the attention given to destroyers. Yet without it, a single moored mine can close a harbor for days. The force therefore trains constantly, even in peacetime.' Question: What is the main idea? Answer: Mine countermeasure forces are strategically important despite low visibility. 'Trains constantly' supports the idea but is a detail; 'destroyers get attention' is a contrast, not the thesis.
Traps that cost marks
Choosing a true statement that is too narrow; importing facts not in the passage; and selecting extreme wording such as 'always' or 'proves'. The correct answer is usually a restrained paraphrase of the passage's own logic.