Reading Comprehension (Reading for Test/ Exam)

Reading Comprehension

Reading for Test/ Exam

• Main Idea Questions

• Stated Detail Questions

​Created by Fajar Aminullah

Main idea questions

One of the most frequently asked questions in a Reading Comprehension Test is about the main idea of the passage. There is usually one of these questions for each reading passage.

The main idea is the most important idea in the passage or what the passage is about. The main idea of a paragraph, essay, story, or article is what the author is mainly writing about.

• What is the topic of the passage?

• What is the subject of the passage?

• What is the main idea of the passage?

• What is the author’s main point in the passage?

• Which of the following would be the best title?

Examples of Questions

How to find the main idea

1. Read the first line (sentence) of each paragraph

2. Skim and look for key information (ideas) in the sentences

3. Find common ideas (words) among the paragraph and draw a conclusion

4. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of the passage to check that you really have found the topic sentence(s)

5. Look at the A,B,C,D options. A correct answer is usually more general than the supporting

details

6. Avoid specific options

​ Bacteria are extremely small living things. While we measure our own sizes in inches or centimeters, bacterial size is measured in microns. One micron is a thousandth of a millimeter a pinhead is about a millimeter across. Rod shaped bacteria are usually from two to tour microns long, while rounded ones are generally one micron in diameter Thus if you enlarged a founded bacterium a thousand times, it would be just about the size of a pinhead. An adult human magnified by the same amount would be over a mile (1.6 kilometers) tall.

Even with an ordinary microscope, you must look closely to see bacteria. Using a magnification of 100 times, one finds that bacteria are barely visible as tiny rods or dots. One cannot make out anything of their structure. Using special stains, one can see that some bacteria have attached to them wavy - looking "hairs" called flagella. Others have only one flagellum. The flagella rotate, pushing the bacteria though the water. Many bacteria lack flagella and cannot move about by their own power while others can glide along over surfaces by some little understood mechanism.

From the bacterial point of view, the world is a very different place from what it is to humans. To a bacterium water is as thick as molasses is to us. Bacteria are so small that they are influenced by the movements of the chemical molecules around them. Bacteria under the microscope, even those with no flagella, often bounce about in the water. This is because they collide with the water molecules and are pushed this way and that. Molecules move so rapidly that within a tenth of a second the molecules around a bacterium have all been replaced by new ones even bacteria without flagella are thus constantly exposed to a changing environment.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?

• How bacteria contribute to disease

• How bacteria reproduce

• The various functions of bacteria

• The characteristics of bacteria

​ Bacteria are extremely small living things. While we measure our own sizes in inches or centimeters, bacterial size is measured in microns. One micron is a thousandth of a millimeter a pinhead is about a millimeter across. Rod shaped bacteria are usually from two to tour microns long, while rounded ones are generally one micron in diameter. Thus if you enlarged a founded bacterium a thousand times, it would be just about the size of a pinhead. An adult human magnified by the same amount would be over a mile (1.6 kilometers) tall.

Even with an ordinary microscope, you must look closely to see bacteria. Using a magnification of 100 times, one finds that bacteria are barely visible as tiny rods or dots. One cannot make out anything of their structure. Using special stains, one can see that some bacteria have attached to them wavy - looking "hairs" called flagella. Others have only one flagellum. The flagella rotate, pushing the bacteria though the water. Many bacteria lack flagella and cannot move about by their own power while others can glide along over surfaces by some little understood mechanism.

From the bacterial point of view, the world is a very different place from what it is to humans. To a bacterium water is as thick as molasses is to us. Bacteria are so small that they are influenced by the movements of the chemical molecules around them. Bacteria under the microscope, even those with no flagella, often bounce about in the water. This is because they collide with the water molecules and are pushed this way and that. Molecules move so rapidly that within a tenth of a second the molecules around a bacterium have all been replaced by new ones even bacteria without flagella are thus constantly exposed to a changing environment.

Step 1. Skim the passage and focus on the first line of each paragraph. In this sample, look at the coloured words.

Step 2. Determine key information of the coloured sentences to find out the author’s point of view toward the topic. Key information of the sentences above might be:

Paragraph 1 : Bacteria; small living things (bacteria’s size)

Paragraph 2 : Microscope; the way to look at bacteria

Paragraph 3 : Bacteria; the difference between bacteria and human when looking at something

Step 3. After that, find out commonalities among these three paragraphs. Based on this information, we could infer that the paragraphs have something in common, they are talking about bacteria. Especially, they focus on discussing the bacteria’s size.

Step 4. Now, let’s look at the options. Remember a correct answer tends to be more general than the supporting details.

A is incorrect because the passage does not how bacteria interacts with diseases.

B is incorrect because there is no information regarding bacteria’s reproduction system.

C is incorrect because the passage does not specifically talk about the function of the bacteria

D is correct because all paragraph discuss bacteria and its characteristics, which is small.

​Explanation:

Multiple Choice

Anna has a new bike. It is a shiny blue color. She rides her bike to school every day. Anna loves her new bike very much.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Anna goes to school with bicycle

• Anna has a new bike

Multiple Choice

Susie threw the Frisbee for Pete. The Frisbee landed in a tall tree. It was stuck in the branches. Pete barked and barked. Then a gust of wind blew the Frisbee loose. Pete finally caught the Frisbee. He stopped barking and started wagging his tail instead.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Pete is excited to play fetch with his toy

• Pete barks at squirrel in the tree

Let's try a bit more difficult questions

Multiple Choice

There are more than 350 different kinds of sharks. Some are as long as a fire truck. Some are so small

you could hold one in your hand. Some sharks have dull teeth. Others have teeth so sharp they can

take a bite out of a turtle's shell. Did you know that some sharks even live in rivers? While other sharks

hide on the ocean bottom camouflaging themselves so they can catch fish. There are even some sharks

that glow in the dark! Many people don't know how diverse the species of sharks are.

The main idea of this article is:

• There are a lot of different types of sharks.

• There are many different places a shark lives. They live in both rivers and oceans.

• Sharks have different ways of eating and protecting themselves.

• People don't know that much about the shark species.

Multiple Choice

Something strange is happening to frogs. Many are growing extra legs, and some aren't

growing legs at all. Some frogs grow legs that are deformed. That means they aren't the right

shape. When the frogs grow their legs sometimes they split into two. Some scientists have

found frogs with up to 9 legs. They think that fertilizer is changing the way the frogs develop

or grow. What results are some very odd-looking frogs. What would be the best title for this section?:

• DOUBLE TROUBLE

• STOP FERTILIZING!

• FREAKY FROGS

• A 9 LEGGED WONDER

Stated Detail questions

Detail question asks about explicit facts and details given in the passage. They often contain one of the WH question words: who, what, when, where why how many, and so on. To answer detail questions, you have to locate and identify the information that the question asks about.

• According to the passage, why ....

• According to the author, what ....

• It is stated in the passage that ....

• The passage indicates that ....

• The passage states that ....

• Which of the following is true ....?

Examples of Questions

How to find the ANSWER to detail question

1. Focus on one or two key words as you read the stem of each question.

2. Scan the passage looking for the key words.

3. If the key words do not occur in the passage, you should find the synonyms.

4. When you find the key words in the passage, carefully read the sentences

in which they occur.

5. REMEMBER! Do not try to read every word of the passage. Read only a

sentence or a paragraph which key words or their synonyms are stated.

6. While you are reading the sentence(s) or the paragraph, you should check

and eliminate the options which are wrong.

Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures. Some of

these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with

the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen,

manipulated, measured, and weighed. The word “anatomy” comes from a

Greek root that means “to cut apart.” Human anatomy was first studied by

observing the exterior of the body and observing the wounds of soldiers and

other injuries. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect bodies of the dead

to augment their knowledge. When a body is dissected, its structures are cut

apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to

one another. Dissection is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and

in pathology labs.

​Which of the following is true about human anatomy?

A. The word “anatomy” is derived from a French root that means “cut”

B. The observation of soldiers’ wounds were originally used to study human anatomy

C. Human and animal bodies were dissected in labs to understand human anatomy

D. The smaller structures of the human body need to be observed with a telescope

Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures. Some of

these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with

the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen,

manipulated, measured, and weighed. The word “anatomy” comes from a

Greek root that means “to cut apart.” Human anatomy was first studied by

observing the exterior of the body and observing the wounds of soldiers and

other injuries. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect bodies of the dead

to augment their knowledge. When a body is dissected, its structures are cut

apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to

one another. Dissection is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and

in pathology labs.

​Which of the following is true about human anatomy?

A. The word “anatomy” is derived from a French root that means “cut”

B. The observation of soldiers’ wounds were originally used to study human anatomy

C. Human and animal bodies were dissected in labs to understand human anatomy

D. The smaller structures of the human body need to be observed with a telescope

Multiple Choice

Ice ages, those periods when ice covered extensive areas of the Earth, are known to have occurred at least six times. Past ice ages can be recognized from rock strata that show evidence of foreign materials deposited by moving walls of ice or melting glaciers. Ice ages can also be recognized from land formations that have been produced from moving walls of ice, such as U-shaped valleys, sculptured landscapes, and polished rock faces.

According to the passage, what happens during an ice age?

• Rock strata are recognized by geologists

• Ice melts six times.

• Ice covers a large portion of the Earth's surface.

• Evidence of foreign materials is found.

Multiple Choice

Ice ages, those periods when ice covered extensive areas of the Earth, are known to have occurred at least six times. Past ice ages can be recognized from rock strata that show evidence of foreign materials deposited by moving walls of ice or melting glaciers. Ice ages can also be recognized from land formations that have been produced from moving walls of ice, such as U-shaped valleys, sculptured landscapes, and polished rock faces.

The passage covers how many different methods of recognizing past ice ages?

• One

• Two

• Three

• Four

NOW WE try different question

Multiple Select

Taking photos can be fun!

You can take photos with a camera. You can also take photos with phones that have cameras. People take photos of different things. They take photos of places outdoors. They take photos of animals. They take photos of other people.

Some photos have only black and white colors. Other photos have different kinds of colors.

What do people take photos of?

People take photos of ...., ...., and .... .

• weather

• place

• time

• animal

• people

Multiple Select

Kim heard a man talking on the TV. He said a

tornado was coming.

“A tornado is a storm,” said Kim’s dad. “It has BIG winds.

“Those winds can hurt trees and houses.

“We will get ready for it,” Dad said.

The family packed blankets. They packed food and water. They went into the basement. They heard the tornado pass by. It made so much noise! It missed their house.

“We are safe,” said Kim.

What did Kim’s family pack to get ready for the tornado?

• water

• basement

• food

• wind

• blanket

Multiple Choice

Many parts of the southwestern United States would become deserts again without the waters of the Colorado River. A systems of thousand miles of canals, hundred miles of tunnels and aqueducts, and numerous dams and

reservoirs bring Colorado River water to the area. The Imperial Valley in southern California is an example of such a place; it is a vast and productive agricultural area that was once a desert. Today, 2000 miles of canals irrigate the fertile land and keep it productive.

1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a way that

Colorado River water gets to the Southwest?

• By truck

• In bottles

• In wells

• Through canals

Multiple Choice

Many parts of the southwestern United States would become deserts again without the waters of the Colorado River. A systems of thousand miles of canals, hundred miles of tunnels and aqueducts, and numerous dams and

reservoirs bring Colorado River water to the area. The Imperial Valley in southern California is an example of such a place; it is a vast and productive agricultural area that was once a desert. Today, 2000 miles of canals irrigate the fertile land and keep it productive.

2. According to the passage, the Imperial Valley...

• Is a desert today

• Is located in Colorado

• Produces a lot of agricultural goods

• Does not require irrigation

Multiple Choice

The invenEon of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to

Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory.

There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmiMer to improve the exisEng Bell

telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to

improve a telegraph repeater. He aMached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the

telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played

back. AZer he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had

a LiMle Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

According to the passage, in what year did the

invenEon of the phonograph occur?

• 1876

• 1877

• 1878

• The arEcle does not say

Multiple Choice

The invenEon of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to

Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory.

There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmiMer to improve the exisEng Bell

telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to

improve a telegraph repeater. He aMached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the

telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played

back. AZer he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had

a LiMle Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

What was Edison working on when

he created the phonograph?

• A telegraph repeater

• A telegraph diaphragm

• A telephone repeater

• A telephone diaphragm