eng8-R2· Reading· ~15 min

Reading: Nature & Homes

Read news about weather and an article about an unusual home.

When you do a reading task, first skim the text to understand the main idea — what the whole text is about. Then read the questions and scan the text for specific details such as names, numbers, or facts. For vocabulary questions, use the words and sentences around the unknown word to guess its meaning. Finally, always check that your answer is fully supported by the text, not by your own outside knowledge.

Key terms

main idea — The most important point or message of a text — what the whole passage is about.
detail — A specific piece of information that is stated directly in the text, such as a name, number, or fact.
inference — A conclusion you reach by combining clues from the text with your own reasoning — something the text suggests but does not say directly.
skim — To read a text quickly to get the general idea without stopping at every word.
scan — To look through a text quickly to find specific information, such as a date or a name.
vocabulary in context — Understanding a word's meaning by looking at the words and sentences around it rather than using a dictionary.
Reading Strategies for Different Question Types
StrategyWhat It IsWhen to Use It
SkimmingReading quickly for the main idea without stopping at every wordBefore answering main-idea questions
ScanningLooking through the text for specific words, numbers, or namesBefore answering detail questions
Careful readingReading every word slowly and thinking about the meaningBefore answering inference and vocabulary questions

Match your reading strategy to the type of question you are answering.

✎How to Answer a Main-Idea Question
  1. 1Step 1: Skim the text: Read the first and last sentences quickly. They often contain the main idea. Do not stop at unknown words.
  2. 2Step 2: Ask yourself: What is this whole text about? Try to say it in one short sentence.
  3. 3Step 3: Check the choices: Cross out any choice that is too narrow (only about one small detail) or too broad (about a bigger topic than the text). The correct choice covers the whole passage.
🚫Common mistake

Do not choose an answer just because it contains words that appear in the text. Distractors often use the same words but mean something different. Always check that the full meaning matches the passage.

💡Note

For vocabulary-in-context questions, read the sentence with the word AND the sentences before and after it. The context gives you clues about the meaning.

⚠️Caution

If a question asks about the main idea, do not pick an answer that is mentioned in only one small part of the text. The main idea covers the whole passage.

Rules

  1. 1Read the questions before you read the passage carefully — this tells you what to look for.
  2. 2Skim the text first to understand the main idea; do not stop at unknown words.
  3. 3For detail questions, scan the text to find the exact sentence that contains the answer.
  4. 4For vocabulary questions, look at the context — the words and sentences around the unknown word.
  5. 5When a question asks about a pronoun (he, she, it, they), look at the previous sentence to find what it refers to.
  6. 6Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong before choosing the best one.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed