eng7-R4· Reading· ~15 min

Reading: Life in the Future

Read articles about future life, technology and films.

In this topic, you will read three short texts about life in the future. Each text is followed by four questions that test different reading skills: finding the main idea, locating specific details, making simple inferences, and understanding words from context. Read each text carefully, then answer the questions using only the information in the text.

Key terms

main idea — The most important point or message of a whole text — what the text is mostly about.
detail — A small, specific piece of information that is stated directly in the text.
inference — An idea you understand from clues in the text, even though it is not said directly.
context — The words and sentences around an unknown word that help you guess its meaning.
skim — To read a text quickly to understand the general topic, without reading every word.
scan — To look through a text quickly to find one specific piece of information, like a name or number.
Types of Reading Questions
Question TypeWhat It TestsExample Question
Main IdeaThe most important point of the whole textWhat is the text mostly about?
DetailA specific fact stated in the textWhat can Helpo say to help you remember?
Vocabulary in ContextThe meaning of a word as it is used in the passageIn the text, what does the word 'bright' mean?
InferenceAn idea you can understand from clues in the textWhat can we understand about the writer?

Four common question types you will see in reading comprehension tasks.

✎How to Answer a Main Idea Question
  1. 1Step 1: Read the full text once without stopping. Try to understand the general topic.
  2. 2Step 2: Ask yourself: 'What is this text mostly about?' Answer in one short sentence.
  3. 3Step 3: Read all four answer choices. Cross out any choice that is only about one small part of the text.
  4. 4Step 4: Choose the answer that covers the whole text. The main idea is never just one small detail.
🚫Common mistake

Don't choose an answer just because it uses words from the text. Wrong answers often repeat words from the passage to trick you. Always check that the full meaning matches.

⚠️Caution

Main idea questions ask about the WHOLE text. If an answer is true for only one sentence, it is probably not the main idea.

💡Note

When you see a new word, stop and read the sentence before it and the sentence after it. The words around it can help you understand the meaning.

Rules

  1. 1First, skim the text quickly to get the general idea. Do not worry about new words.
  2. 2Read each question before you look at the answer choices. Think of your own answer first.
  3. 3For vocabulary questions, look at the words around the unknown word — they give you clues.
  4. 4Cross out answers that you know are wrong. This makes it easier to find the right one.
  5. 5When you finish, check that your answer matches what the text actually says, not what you think outside of it.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed