Reading Comprehension
0
Your friends before your foes.
Reading Strategy
Questions 5–11 refer to
the following story.
Questions
12–20 are about the following passage.
How to answer reading comprehension?
Reading Skills are a perennial topic for
standardized tests. Nursing Entrance Test generally have a reading
comprehension component as do most College Entrance Exams. Some tests, like the Nelson Denny, is primarily reading comprehension. Before
entering University or Nursing School, the institution wants to make sure that
you will be able to handle reading technical material and
textbooks. Most High School Tests have reading comprehension components as this
is a critical skill required for graduation.
At first sight,
reading comprehension tests look challenging especially if you are given
long essays to answer only two to three questions. While reading, you
might notice your attention wandering, or you may feel sleepy. Do not be
discouraged because there are various tactics and long range strategies that
make comprehending even long, boring essays easier.
Your friends before your foes.
It is always best to tackle essays or passages with familiar
subjects rather than those with unfamiliar ones. This approach applies the same
logic as tackling easy questions before hard ones. Skip passages that do not
interest you and leave them for later when there is more time.
Don’t
use ‘special’ reading techniques.
This is not the time for speed-reading or anything like
that – just plain ordinary reading – not too slow and not too fast.
Read through the entire passage and
the questions before you do anything.
Many students try reading the questions first and then
looking for answers in the passage thinking this approach is more efficient.
What these students do not realize is that it is often hard to navigate in
unfamiliar roads. If you do not familiarize yourself with the passage first,
looking for answers become not only time consuming but also dangerous because
you might miss the context of the answer you are looking for. If you read
the questions first you will only confuse yourself and lose valuable time.
Familiarize yourself with reading comprehension questions.
If you are familiar with the common types of reading
questions, you are able to take note of important parts of the passage, saving
time.
• Main Idea– Questions
that ask for the central thought or significance of the passage.
• Specific Details – Questions that asks for explicitly stated ideas.
• Specific Details – Questions that asks for explicitly stated ideas.
• Drawing Inferences –
Questions that ask for a statement’s intended meaning.
• Tone or Attitude – Questions that test your ability to sense the emotional state of the author.
• Tone or Attitude – Questions that test your ability to sense the emotional state of the author.
• Context Meaning –
Questions that ask for the meaning of a word depending on the context.
• Technique –
Questions that ask for the method of organization or the writing style of the
author.
Read.
Read. Read.
The best preparation for reading comprehension tests is
always to read, read and read. If you are not used to reading lengthy
passages, you will probably lose concentration. Increase your attention
span by making a habit out of reading.
Reading Comprehension tests become less daunting when you have trained
yourself to read and understand fast. Always remember that it is easier to
understand passages you are interested in. Do not read through passages
hastily. Make mental notes of ideas that you think might be asked.
Reading Strategy
When facing the reading comprehension section of a standardized test, you
need a strategy to be successful. You want to keep several steps in mind:
• First, make a note of the time and the number of sections.
Time your work accordingly. Typically, four to five minutes
per section is sufficient. Second, read the directions for each selection
thoroughly before beginning (and listen well to any additional verbal instructions,
as they will often clarify obscure or confusing written guidelines). You must know exactly how to do what you’re
about to do!
• Now you’re ready
to begin reading the selection.
Read the passage carefully, noting significant
characters or events on a scratch sheet of paper or underlining on the test
sheet. Many students find making a basic list in the margins helpful. Quickly
jot down or underline one-word summaries of characters, notable happenings,
numbers, or key ideas. This will help you better retain information and focus
wandering thoughts. Remember, however, that your main goal in doing this is to
find the information that answers the questions. Even if you find the passage
interesting, remember your goal and work fast but stay on track.
• Now read the question and all the
choices.
Now you have read the passage, have a general idea of
the main ideas, and have marked the important points. Read the question and all
the choices. Never choose an answer without reading them all! Questions
are often designed to confuse – stay focused and clear. Usually the answer
choices will focus on one or two facts or inferences from the passage.
Keep these clear in your mind.
•
Search for the answer.
With a very general idea of what the different choices are,
go back to the passage and scan for the relevant information. Watch for big
words, unusual or unique words. These make your job easier as you can scan the
text for the particular word.
• Mark the Answer.
Now you have the key information the question is looking
for. Go back to the question, quickly scan the choices and mark the correct
one. Understand and practice the different types of standardized reading
comprehension tests. See the list above for the different types.
Typically, there will be several questions dealing with facts from the
selection, a couple more inference questions dealing with logical consequences
of those facts, and periodically an application-oriented question surfaces
to force you to make connections with what you already know.
Some students prefer to answer the questions as listed, and feel
classifying the question and then ordering is wasting precious time. Other
students prefer to answer the different types of questions in order of how easy
or difficult they are.
Reading Question :
Questions 1–4 are about the following announcement.
Student Volunteers Needed!
On Saturday, December 12th, from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M.,
Carverton Middle School will be holding a music festival in the school
gymnasium. The special event will feature a variety of
professional musicians and singers.
Task
|
Time
|
Date
|
Make posters
|
1 P.M.–4 P.M.
|
December 5th
|
Set up gym
|
11 A.M.–4 P.M.
|
December 11th
|
Help performers
|
9 A.M.–4 P.M.
|
December 12th
|
Welcome guests
|
10 A.M.–2 P.M.
|
December 12th
|
Clean up gym
|
4 P.M.–7 P.M.
|
December 12th
|
Interested students should speak with Ms. Braxton, the music
teacher. Students who would like to help at the festival must have written
permission from a parent or guardian.
1. What time will the festival begin?
A.
10 A.M.
B.
11 A.M.
C.
1 P.M.
D.
2 P.M.
2.
In line 3, the word feature is
closest in meaning to _______.
A.
look
B.
keep
C.
include
D.
entertain
3.
What job will be done the day before
the festival begins?
A.
Making posters
B.
Setting up the gym
C.
Cleaning up the gym
D.
Helping the performers
4.
Who is told to talk to Ms. Braxton?
A.
Parents
B.
Students
C.
Teachers
D.
Performers
Questions 5–11 refer to
the following story.
"Did you see that?" Joe said to his friend Bill.
"You're a great shooter!"
Bill caught the basketball and bounced it before throwing it
again. The ball flew into the net.
"Bill, you never miss!" Joe said admiringly.
"Unless I'm in a real game," Bill complained.
"Then I miss all the time."
Joe knew that Bill was right. Bill performed much
better when he was having fun with Joe in the school yard than he did when he
was playing for the school team in front of a large crowd.
"Maybe you just need to practice more," Joe
suggested.
"But I practice all the time with you!" Bill
objected.
He shook his head. "I just can't play well when people
are watching me."
"You play well when I'm watching," Joe pointed
out.
"That's because I've known you since we were five years
old," Bill said with a smile.
"I'm just not comfortable playing when other people are
around."
Joe nodded and understood, but he also had an idea.
The next day Joe and Bill met in the school yard again to
practice. After a few minutes, Joe excused himself.
"Practice without me," Joe said to his friend.
"I'll be back in a minute."
Joe hurried through the school building, gathering together
whomever he could find—two students, a math teacher, two secretaries, and a
janitor. When Joe explained why he needed them, everyone was happy to help.
Joe reminded the group to stay quiet as they all went toward
the school's basketball court. As Joe had hoped, Bill was still practicing
basketball. He made five baskets in a row without noticing the silent people standing
behind him.
"Hey, Bill!" Joe called out finally.
Bill turned. A look of surprise came over his face.
"I just wanted to show you that you could play well with
people watching you," Joe said.
"Now you'll have nothing to worry about for the next
game!"
5.
What would be the best title for the
story?
A.
Joe Joins the Team
B.
Practice Makes Perfect
C.
Bill Wins the Big Game
D.
Bill's Basketball Problem
6.
In line 8, the word performed is
closest in meaning to _______.
A.
acted
B.
played
C.
moved
D.
changed
7.
Why is Bill upset?
A.
He plays better in practice than he
does during games.
B.
The school yard is not a good place
to practice.
C.
Joe watches him too closely when he
plays.
D.
His team loses too many games.
8.
Why does Bill play well when Joe is
watching him?
A.
He is comfortable with Joe.
B.
Joe tells him how to play better.
C.
He does not know that Joe is there.
D.
He wants to prove to Joe that he is
a good player.
9.
Why does Joe decide to gather a
group of people?
A.
Because he wants more players for
his team
B.
Because he wants to help Bill feel
less nervous
C.
Because he wants to show them his
talent
D.
Because he wants more people to see
the next game
10.
At the end of the story, all of the
following people watch Bill practice EXCEPT _______.
A.
Joe
B.
a janitor
C.
a math teacher
D.
the basketball coach
11.
Why does the group have to be quiet
when they go to the basketball court?
A.
Because Joe is telling Bill what to
do
B.
Because they do not want Bill to
know they were there
C.
Because Bill likes to practice alone
D.
Because the group needs to listen to
Joe’s instructions
Questions
12–20 are about the following passage.
When another old cave is discovered in the south of France,
it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are
so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them.
However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in
1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of
scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people
hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds
and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far
outnumbering all other animals.
Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a
monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves
to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces
that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux
complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive
action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away.
Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged
the images inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural
light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and
are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to
tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.
12.
Which title best summarizes the main
idea of the passage?
A.
Wild Animals in Art
B.
Hidden Prehistoric Paintings
C.
Exploring Caves Respectfully
D.
Determining the Age of French Caves
13.
In line 4, the words pays
heed to are closest in meaning to _______.
A.
discovers
B.
watches
C.
notices
D.
buys
14.
Based on the passage, what is
probably true about the south of France?
A.
It is home to rare animals.
B.
It has a large number of caves.
C.
It is known for horse-racing events.
D.
It has attracted many famous
artists.
15.
According to the passage, which
animals appear most often on the cave walls?
A.
Birds
B.
Bison
C.
Horses
D.
Wild cats
16.
In line 10, the word depict is
closest in meaning to _______.
A.
show
B.
hunt
C.
count
D.
draw
17.
Why was painting inside the Lascaux
complex a difficult task?
A.
It was completely dark inside.
B.
The caves were full of wild animals.
C.
Painting materials were hard to
find.
D.
Many painting spaces were difficult
to reach.
18.
In line 14, the word They refers
to _______.
A.
walls
B.
artists
C.
animals
D.
materials
19.
According to the passage, all of the
following have caused damage to the paintings EXCEPT _______.
A.
temperature changes
B.
air movement
C.
water
D.
light
20.
What does the passage say happened
at the Lascaux caves in 1963?
A.
Visitors were prohibited from
entering.
B.
A new lighting system was installed.
C.
Another part was discovered.
D.
A new entrance was created.
Answer Key For Reading Comprehension
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. D
11. B
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. C
16. A
17. D
18. B
19. D
20. A
Sources :
https://www.test-preparation.ca/tips-for-reading-comprehension-questions/
https://www.ets.org/toefl_junior/prepare/standard_sample_questions/reading_comprehension
https://www.ets.org/toefl_junior/prepare/standard_sample_questions/answer_key_reading_comprehension
By : Leonita Anggraeni