ge11-R1· Reading· ~15 min

Reading: People & Society

Read texts about people, work and modern society.

When you read short texts for an exam, first read the title to understand the topic. Then read the text quickly to get the general idea. Before answering questions, go back to the text and find the part that relates to each question. For vocabulary questions, look at the word in its sentence—the words around it often give you clues about its meaning.

Key terms

main idea — the most important point that the writer wants you to understand about the text
detail — a specific piece of information that is directly stated in the text
inference — a conclusion you reach by thinking about clues in the text, even though it is not directly stated
context clues — words and sentences around an unknown word that help you guess its meaning
reference — a word like 'it', 'this', or 'they' that points back to something mentioned earlier in the text
skim — to read a text quickly to get a general sense of what it is about
Common Reading Question Types
Question TypeWhat It TestsHow to Answer
Main ideaUnderstanding the overall messageRead the whole text and ask: what is the writer mainly saying?
DetailFinding specific informationScan the text for the exact fact mentioned in the question
InferenceReading between the linesUse clues from the text to reach a logical conclusion
VocabularyMeaning of a word in contextLook at the sentence and surrounding words for clues

Four common question types in reading comprehension tests

✎How to Find the Main Idea
  1. 1Step 1: Read the title of the passage ('The Rise of Remote Work'). This tells you the topic is about working from home.
  2. 2Step 2: Skim the first and last sentences. The first sentence describes a past situation, and the last mentions a 'hybrid model' as the future. The text is about how work has changed.
  3. 3Step 3: Look at the middle of the text. It discusses both good points (save time) and problems (loneliness).
  4. 4Step 4: Combine these clues: the main idea is that remote work has both advantages and challenges. Choose the answer that best matches this.
🚫Common mistake

A common mistake is reading every word slowly. Instead, skim first for the general idea, then go back for details when answering questions.

💡Note

When a question asks about a pronoun like 'it' or 'this', look at the sentence right before it. The pronoun usually refers to something mentioned there.

⚠️Caution

For vocabulary questions, do not rely on what you already know about a word. Its meaning in the passage may be different. Always check the context.

Rules

  1. 1Read the title first to understand the topic of the passage.
  2. 2Skim the text quickly to get the main idea before looking at the questions.
  3. 3For detail questions, find the exact part of the text that contains the answer.
  4. 4For inference questions, use clues from the text to work out what is not directly stated.
  5. 5For vocabulary questions, look at the words before and after the word you do not know.
  6. 6Read all four answer choices carefully before selecting one.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed