Competitive English Reading Comprehension Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a question asks for the 'AUTHOR'S PURPOSE', you should identify:
- The author's nationality
- Why the author wrote the passage — to inform, persuade, or entertain (Correct answer)
- The author's favorite topic
- The year the passage was written
Correct answer: Why the author wrote the passage — to inform, persuade, or entertain
Author's purpose refers to the reason the author wrote the piece: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to describe.
Question 2: A 'FACT' in a passage is best described as:
- Something that the author believes
- A statement that can be verified and proven true (Correct answer)
- An opinion shared by many people
- A prediction about the future
Correct answer: A statement that can be verified and proven true
A fact is a statement that can be verified or proven to be true, unlike an opinion which reflects a personal view.
Question 3: What does 'PASSAGE STRUCTURE' refer to?
- The font and size of the text
- The way the passage is organized — cause-effect, compare-contrast, etc. (Correct answer)
- The number of sentences per paragraph
- The author's writing speed
Correct answer: The way the passage is organized — cause-effect, compare-contrast, etc.
Passage structure refers to how information is organized, such as chronologically, by cause and effect, or by comparison.
Question 4: In comprehension tests, 'VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT' questions ask you to:
- List all words you don't understand
- Determine the meaning of a word based on how it is used in the passage (Correct answer)
- Translate the word into another language
- Identify the most common word in the passage
Correct answer: Determine the meaning of a word based on how it is used in the passage
Vocabulary in context questions require you to determine a word's meaning based on how it is used in the surrounding text.
Question 5: What is an 'IMPLICIT' piece of information in a passage?
- Information stated directly in the text
- Information that is suggested but not directly stated (Correct answer)
- A heading or title in the passage
- A definition provided by the author
Correct answer: Information that is suggested but not directly stated
Implicit information is implied or suggested by the text rather than being directly and explicitly stated.
Question 6: When answering 'DETAIL' questions in comprehension, you should:
- Use only your prior knowledge
- Return to the passage and find the specific fact mentioned (Correct answer)
- Give your personal opinion
- Focus on the passage title
Correct answer: Return to the passage and find the specific fact mentioned
Detail questions require you to locate specific information stated in the passage, so always refer back to the text.
Competitive English Reading Comprehension Skills 2
When a question asks for the 'AUTHOR'S PURPOSE', you should identify: