eng8-R4· Reading· ~15 min

Reading: Change-makers

Read articles and profiles about people who make a difference.

In this topic, you will read three short texts about people and campaigns that help others. For each text, you will answer questions that test your understanding of the main idea, specific details, word meanings, and simple inferences. Use the information in the passage to choose the best answer — never guess based on what you already know.

Key terms

main idea — the most important point or message of a text
detail — a specific piece of information stated in the text
inference — a conclusion you reach by thinking about evidence in the text
skim — to read a text quickly to understand the general topic
scan — to look through a text quickly to find a specific word or fact
context — the words and sentences around an unknown word that help explain it
Reading Comprehension Question Types
Question TypeWhat It TestsStrategy
Main ideaUnderstanding the overall messageRead the first and last sentences carefully.
DetailFinding specific informationScan the text for key words from the question.
ReferenceUnderstanding what words refer toLook at the sentence before the pronoun.
Vocabulary in contextMeaning of a word as used in the textRead the sentences around the word.

Four common question types and how to approach each one.

✎How to Answer a Main Idea Question
  1. 1Step 1: Read the passage quickly to understand the general topic.
  2. 2Step 2: Ask yourself: 'What is the author trying to tell me?'
  3. 3Step 3: Look at the choices. Cross out any that are too specific or not mentioned in the text.
  4. 4Step 4: Choose the answer that covers the whole text, not just one small part.
🚫Common mistake

Choosing an answer just because it uses words from the text. Distractors often reuse the same words but change the meaning.

💡Note

When you see an unknown word, read the sentences before and after it. The context often gives clues about the meaning.

⚠️Caution

Never use outside knowledge to answer. Every correct answer must come from the passage itself.

Rules

  1. 1Read the whole passage once before looking at the questions.
  2. 2For main-idea questions, ask yourself: 'What is the text mostly about?'
  3. 3For detail questions, scan the text for key words from the question.
  4. 4For vocabulary questions, read the sentences around the word to guess its meaning.
  5. 5For reference questions, look at the sentence before the pronoun.
  6. 6All answers can be found in the passage — do not use outside knowledge.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed