eng9-R2· Reading· ~15 min

Reading: Science & Technology

Read popular-science and technology texts.

When you read a short text, first skim it quickly to understand what it is about. Then read each question and look back at the passage to find the answer. For main-idea questions, think about the whole text, not just one sentence. For vocabulary questions, use the words around the unknown word to guess its meaning.

Key terms

main idea — the most important point the writer wants to say about the topic
detail — a specific piece of information stated in the text
skim — to read quickly to get a general understanding of the text
scan — to look through a text quickly to find a specific piece of information
inference — a conclusion you reach by thinking about what the text says, even if it is not stated directly
context — the words and sentences around an unknown word that help you understand its meaning
Reading Question Types
Question TypeWhat It TestsExample Question
Main IdeaThe overall message of the passageWhat is the text mainly about?
DetailA specific fact from the passageAccording to the text, how many...?
ReferenceWhat a pronoun like 'it' or 'this' points toWhat does the word 'they' refer to?
Vocabulary in ContextThe meaning of a word as used in the passageThe word '...' most nearly means...
✎Finding the Main Idea
  1. 1Step 1: Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph carefully. Writers often put the main idea there.
  2. 2Step 2: Ask yourself: 'What is the whole text about?' — not just one small detail.
  3. 3Step 3: Check each answer choice against the WHOLE text. Wrong choices are usually too narrow (only one detail) or too broad (goes beyond the text).
🚫Common mistake

Don't choose an answer just because it uses words from the passage. Wrong answers often repeat words from the text but change the meaning. Always check that the WHOLE answer is supported by the text.

💡Note

When a question asks what a word means, look at the sentences around it. The context — the words and ideas before and after — often gives you clues about the meaning.

⚠️Caution

Don't use your own knowledge about a topic to answer. Every correct answer must be based on what the passage says, not on what you already know.

Rules

  1. 1Skim the passage first to get the general topic.
  2. 2Read each question carefully before looking back at the text.
  3. 3For detail questions, find the exact sentence that contains the answer.
  4. 4For reference questions, look at the sentence before the pronoun to find what it points to.
  5. 5For vocabulary questions, read the whole sentence and the sentences around the word.
  6. 6Always choose the answer that is supported by the text — not by your own knowledge.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed