Reading: Locating Evidence, Inferring Carefully, and Judging Arguments
The Reading section rewards evidence-finding, not outside knowledge. Almost every question is answerable from the passage itself, so build the habit of pointing to the sentence that proves your choice before you select an answer.
Core concepts
Distinguish topic from main idea: the topic is what the passage is about (a phrase), while the main idea is the claim the author makes about that topic (a complete sentence). Supporting details are the evidence behind the claim. Inference questions ask for a conclusion that is strongly supported but not directly stated - the correct answer is the smallest step beyond the text, never a leap. Author's purpose (to inform, persuade, explain, or entertain) and tone (the author's attitude, revealed through word choice) appear in nearly every set. Learn to recognize text structures - chronological, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, description - because structure questions ask why a sentence or paragraph is included. Finally, evaluate arguments: separate fact from opinion, identify the claim and its support, and judge whether the evidence is relevant, sufficient, and from a credible source.
Traps
Wrong answers are typically too broad, too narrow, or true in the real world but not stated in the passage. Watch for absolutes (always, never, all, none), for choices that quote the text but answer a different question, and - with paired passages - for answers that credit one author's view to the other.
Rule of thumb
Ask: "Which sentence would I underline to defend this choice?" If no sentence exists, eliminate it.
Worked example: "Although the clinic extended its evening hours, average wait times barely moved, suggesting that staffing levels - not scheduling - drive delays." Topic: clinic wait times. Main idea: staffing, not hours, causes delays. The word suggesting marks an inference rather than a proven fact, so an answer like "extended hours never help patients" is wrong: the passage says barely moved, not never.