Reading

Comprehension
Rusdi Noor Rosa
Overview
Academic Reading Skills
Reading to find information
effectively scanning text for key facts and important information
increasing reading fluency and rate
Basic comprehension
understanding the general topic or main idea, major points,
important facts and details, vocabulary in context, and pronoun
references making inferences about what is implied in a passage
Reading to learn
recognizing the organization and purpose of a passage
understanding relationships between ideas
organizing information into a category chart or a summary in
order to recall major points and important details
inferring how ideas throughout the passage connect
Format
5 passages
Up to 12 questions per passage
55 minutes
Topics:
Science and Technology (40%)
North American History, Government, Geography, Culture (20%)
Art (15%)
Social Science (10%)
Biography (15%)
All passages are classified into three basic categories:
Exposition (provides an explanation of a topic)
Argumentation (presents point of view about topic)
Historical
 The Questions

The Questions

1. Ideas 2. Details 3. Vocabulary

Main Idea Stated Idea Synonymy
(Main) Topic o Explicitly Stated Reference
(Main) Purpose o Implicitly Stated
(Main) Information Unstated Idea
Transition
10% 50% 40%
Strategy

Look at the QUESTIONS

earlier (not the text!!)
Find the KEY WORD(S) of
the questions.
Ideas
Key words:
What is the topic/title/main information/main
idea/main purpose/main point of the passage?
The text tells us/mainly discusses .....
With what is the author primarily concerned?
How to get the answer:
Read the first sentence of the paragraph or each of
the paragraph.
Focus on the nouns used in those sentences.
Scan the frequent word used in the paragraph(s).
Choose the option which shares similar ideas with the
sentence(s) in the text.
The answer sometimes contains a synonym.
 Examples
The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society, or to
draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping. For as long as
merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities
have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their
5 neighbors as to the time of day. The value of this tradition is today more
apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of
time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the massive daily transfers of
goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very
fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. In modern society we must make more time for our neighbors.
B. The traditions of society are timeless.
C. An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth
functioning of society.
D. Society judges people by the times at which they conduct certain
activities.
 Examples
Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen is continuously fed
into biological circulation. In this process, certain algae and bacteria
convert nitrogen into ammonia (NH3). This newly created ammonia is
then for the most part absorbed by plants.
5 The opposite process of denitrification returns nitrogen to the air.
During the process of denitrification, bacteria cause some of the
nitrates from the soil to convert into gaseous nitrogen or nitrous oxide
(N2O). In this gaseous form, the nitrogen returns to the atmosphere.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Process of Nitrogen Fixation
B. Two Nitrogen Processes
C. The Return of Nitrogen to the Air
D. The Effect of Nitrogen on Plant Life
Details
Explicitly Stated Details:
Recalling
The use of synonyms
Containing the information which is discussed and
mentioned in the text
How to answer:
Search for the key word of the question.
Skim and scan for the key word (or a related idea) in
order in the passage. Sometimes, the word in the text
is synonymous to the key word of the question.
Carefully read the sentence(s) in the text that
contain(s) the key word.
Choose the option which shares similar ideas with the
sentence(s) in the text.
 Examples
John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United
States from 1825 to 1829, is today recognized for his masterful
statesmanship and diplomacy. He dedicated his life to public service,
both in the presidency and in the various other political offices that he
5 held. Throughout his political career he demonstrated his unswerving
belief in freedom of speech, the antislavery cause, and the right of
Americans to be free from European and Asian domination.

To what did John Quincy Adams devote his life?

A. Improving his personal life
B. Serving the public
C. Increasing his fortune
D. Working on his private business
Details
Implicitly Stated Details:
Inference, requiring comprehension
Containing the information which is not mentioned but
discussed in the text
Characteristics:
Implied, inferred, probably, possibly, likely
How to answer:
Search for the key word of the question.
Skim and scan for the key word (or a related idea) in order
in the passage. Sometimes, the word in the text is
synonymous to the key word of the question.
Carefully and comprehensively read the sentence(s) in the
text that contain(s) the key word.
Try to draw your understanding about the sentence
because you will not find the answers written in the text.
 Examples
The Hawaiian language is a melodious language in which all words are derived
from an alphabet of only twelve letters, the five vowels a, e, I, o, u and the seven
consonants h, k, l, m, n, p, w. Each syllable in the language ends in a vowel, and
two consonants never appear together, so vowels have a much higher
5 frequency in the Hawaiian language than they do in English.
This musical-sounding language can be heard regularly by visitors to the
islands. Most Hawaiian speak English, but it is quite common to hear English
that is liberally spiced with words and expressions from the traditional
language of the culture. A visitor may be greeted with the expression aloha and
10 may be referred to as a malihini because he is a newcomer to the island. The
visitor may attend an outside luau where everyone eats too much and be
invited afterwards to dance the hula.
Which of the following is probably NOT a Hawaiian word?
A. mahalo
B. mahimahi
C. meklea
D. moana
 Examples
The Hawaiian language is a melodious language in which all words are derived
from an alphabet of only twelve letters, the five vowels a, e, I, o, u and the seven
consonants h, k, l, m, n, p, w. Each syllable in the language ends in a vowel, and
two consonants never appear together, so vowels have a much higher
5 frequency in the Hawaiian language than they do in English.
This musical-sounding language can be heard regularly by visitors to the
islands. Most Hawaiian speak English, but it is quite common to hear English
that is liberally spiced with words and expressions from the traditional
language of the culture. A visitor may be greeted with the expression aloha and
10 may be referred to as a malihini because he is a newcomer to the island. The
visitor may attend an outside luau where everyone eats too much and be
invited afterwards to dance the hula.
It is implied that a luau is ...
A. a dance
B. a feast
C. a concert
D. a language
Details
Unstated Details:
Containing the information which is not mentioned
and not discussed in the text
Characteristics:
NOT discussed, NOT mentioned, NOT stated, NOT true
... true EXCEPT ...
How to answer:
Search for the key word of the question.
Skim and scan for the key word (or a related idea) in
order in the passage. Sometimes, the word in the text
is synonymous to the key word of the question.
Carefully read the sentence(s) in the text that
contain(s) the key word.
Find out the details which are not discussed in the
text.
 Examples
Blood plasma is a clear, almost colorless liquid. It consists of blood from
which the red and white blood cells have been removed. It is often used
in transfusions because a patient generally needs the plasma portion of
the blood more than the other components.
5 Plasma differs in several important ways from whole blood. First of all,
plasma can be mixed for all donors and does not have to be from the
right blood group, as whole blood does. In addition, plasma can be
dried and stored, while whole blood cannot.
1. All of the following are true about blood 2. Which of the following is NOT
plasma EXCEPT that stated about whole blood?
A. it is a deeply colored liquid A. It is different from plasma.
B. blood cells have been taken out of it B. It cannot be dried.
C. patients are often transfused with it C. It is impossible to keep it in
D. it is generally more important to the storage for a long time.
patient than other parts of whole D. It is a clear, colorless liquid.
blood
 Examples
While the bald eagle is one national symbol of the United States, it is not the
only one. Uncle Sam, a bearded gentleman costumed in the red, white, and blue
stars and stripes of the nation's flag, is another well-known national symbol.
According to legend, this character is based on Samuel Wilson, the owner of a
5 meat-packing business in Troy, New York. During the War of 1812, Sam
Wilson's company was granted a government contract to supply meat to the
nation's soldiers; this meat was supplied to the army in barrels stamped with
the initials U.S., which stood for United States. However, the country was at
that time relatively young, and the initials U.S. were not commonly used. Many
10 people questioned what the initials represented, and the standard reply
became "Uncle Sam," for the owner of the barrels. It is now generally accepted
that the figure of Uncle Sam is based on Samuel Wilson, and the U.S. Congress
has made it official by adopting a resolution naming Samuel Wilson as the
inspiration for Uncle Sam.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Uncle Sams appearance?
A. He wears facial hair
B. There is some blue in his clothing
C. He is bald
D. His clothes have stripes in them
Transitions
Characteristics:
... preceding the passage
... following the passage
How to answer:
Preceding:
Read the first sentence of the text
Following:
Read the last sentence of the text
 Examples
When a strong earthquake occurs on the ocean floor rather than on
land, a tremendous force is exerted on the seawater and one or more
large, destructive waves called tsunamis can be formed. Tsunamis are
commonly called tidal waves in the United States, but this is really an
5 inappropriate name in that the cause of the tsunami is an underground
earthquake rather than the ocean's tides.
Far from land, a tsunami can move through the wide open vastness of
the ocean at a speed of 600 miles (900 kilometers) per hour and often
can travel tremendous distances without losing height and strength.
10 When a tsunami reaches shallow coastal water, it can reach a height of
100 feet (30 meters) or more and can cause tremendous flooding and
damage to coastal areas.
The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses ...
A. tsunamis in various parts of the world
B. the negative effects of tsunamis
C. land-based earthquakes
D. the effect of tides on tsunamis
 Examples
When a strong earthquake occurs on the ocean floor rather than on
land, a tremendous force is exerted on the seawater and one or more
large, destructive waves called tsunamis can be formed. Tsunamis are
commonly called tidal waves in the United States, but this is really an
5 inappropriate name in that the cause of the tsunami is an underground
earthquake rather than the ocean's tides.
Far from land, a tsunami can move through the wide open vastness of
the ocean at a speed of 600 miles (900 kilometers) per hour and often
can travel tremendous distances without losing height and strength.
10 When a tsunami reaches shallow coastal water, it can reach a height of
100 feet (30 meters) or more and can cause tremendous flooding and
damage to coastal areas.
Which of the following is most likely the topic of the paragraph
following the passage?
A. The causes of tsunamis
B. The destructive effects of tsunamis on the coast
C. The differences between tsunamis and tidal waves
D. The distances covered by tsunamis
 Examples
While the bald eagle is one national symbol of the United States, it is not the
only one. Uncle Sam, a bearded gentleman costumed in the red, white, and blue
stars and stripes of the nation's flag, is another well-known national symbol.
According to legend, this character is based on Samuel Wilson, the owner of a
5 meat-packing business in Troy, New York. During the War of 1812, Sam
Wilson's company was granted a government contract to supply meat to the
nation's soldiers; this meat was supplied to the army in barrels stamped with
the initials U.S., which stood for United States. However, the country was at
that time relatively young, and the initials U.S. were not commonly used. Many
10 people questioned what the initials represented, and the standard reply
became "Uncle Sam," for the owner of the barrels. It is now generally accepted
that the figure of Uncle Sam is based on Samuel Wilson, and the U.S. Congress
has made it official by adopting a resolution naming Samuel Wilson as the
inspiration for Uncle Sam.
The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses ...
A. the War of 1812
B. the bald eagle, which symbolizes the United States
C. Sam Wilson's meatpacking company
D. The costume worn Uncle Sam
Reference
Characteristics:
Pronoun
The word it in line 4 refers to ...
How to answer:
Look for nouns that come before the pronoun
Read the part of the passage before the noun
carefully
The pronoun they plural nouns
(persons/things)
 Examples
The full moon that occurs nearest the equinox of the Sun has become
known as the Harvest Moon. It is a bright moon which allows farmers
to work late into the night for several nights; they can work when the
moon is at its brightest to bring in the fall harvest. The Harvest Moon of
course occurs at different times of the year in the Northern and
5
Southern Hemispheres. In the northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon
occurs in September at the time of the autumnal equinox. In the
Southern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon occurs in March at the time of
the vernal equinox.
1. The pronoun it in line 2 refers 2. The pronoun they in line 3
to ... refers to ...
A. The equinox A. Farmers
B. The Sun B. Nights
C. The Harvest Moon C. Times of the year
D. The night D. Northern and Southern
Hemispheres
Vocabulary
Characteristics:
The word ... in line ... is closest in meaning to ...
The word ... in line ... means ...
How to answer:
Context clues
Word part
Context Clues
Finding the relationship between the difficult/
unknown word and the context of such word
in the text
Kinds:
Definition
Example
Cause
Contrast
Inference
Definition Clues
means, is, refers to, can be
Definition defined as, is/are
Clues called/known
commas, parentheses, and
dashes

A reduction in the original selling is called a markdown

price of a product.
Definition Clue Unknown
Context word
 Definition Clues

Lecturer , a person who teaches , must have a lot

university students of knowledge
Unknown Clue Definition Clue Additional
word Context information

Probability the likelihood that is important in the

an event will occur field of statistics.
Unknown Clue Definition Clue Additional
word Context information
Example Clues

such as, like, for instance,

Example
for example, one of which
Clues
e.g., including

Flowers like rose, jasmine, and is very beautiful and

orchid marketable.
Unknown Clue Example Additional
word Context information
Contrast Clues
despite, in spite of
Contrast although, even though
Clues but, however, in contrast,
nevertheless, on the other
hand, on the contrary

Everybody coward; however, he is not afraid of darkness.

calls him as
Additional
Additional Unknown Clue contrast Additional
information
information word information
Context
Cause Clues

because, as, since, now

Cause that
Clues so, therefore, hence
consequently

The discussion is futile because it gives nothing.

Additional Unknown clue reason

information word Context
Inference Clues

Inference
Clues No Specific Clue

Nigerian people like eating farinha

Context Unknown word

Exercise
1. A category is the name of a group of things that have something in
common. When you categorize a list of words, you are telling how all the
words in the list are similar.
The word category means.
2. Hypochondria, excessive worry over ones health, is common among
senior citizens.
The word Hypochondria means
3. There are some games that are usually played in gambling such as cards,
jackpot, rollet, etc.
The word gambling means..
4. Scientists periodically detect supernovae in other galaxies; however, no
supernovae have occurred in the Milky Way (the galaxy that includes the
Earth) since 1604.
The word Milky Way means.
5. When I was a child, I had various pastimes; such as swimming, dancing,
traveling, and playing games.
The word pastimes means.
Exercise
1. This is a skyscraper building; it has twenty floors and it is also
the highest building in this city.
The word skyscraper means.
2. Andy is usually a tidy student but today he looks so dowdy.
The word dowdy means
3. John is famous as braggart at his campus because he likes to
underestimate his friends. He likes to show his father wealth to his
friends. He is also over confident and very proud of himself.
The word braggart means.
4. Because carbon tetrachloride has some dangerous characteristics,
the government revoked permission for the home use of carbon
tetrachloride in 1995.
The word revoked means..
5. Rudi is a rebellion boy, but his brother is punctual.
The word rebellion means..
Word Part

The meaning of the word

Word Part can be guessed by
identifying its part.

Which of the followings is closest in meaning to terrestrial in

line 8?
(A) population (C) ecosystem
(B) land (D) fruit
terr estrial
Word Part
Earth
Word Part
WORD PARTS
Word Part Meaning Examples
ambi both ambiguous, ambidextrous
ante preceding antechamber, antenna, antecedent
circum around circumnavigate, circumstance
contra against contradictory, contrary, contraception
dic say dictate, diction, predict
fore front forecast, forehead, foreskin
hyper over hyperactive, hypersensitive, hyperbole
infra below, beneath infrastructure, infrared, infraterritorial
intra, intro inside intracity, intracellular, introspection
mal bad, wrong malfunction, malnutrition, malpractice
sol alone solemn, solitaire
cept notice perceptible, concept
Word Part
mis, dis, error, mistake, disorganized, unlucky, inactive
un, in, a(b) incorrect
mor death mortality, morgue, mortuary
multi many polygamy, polychromatic, polygon
omni all omniscient, omnipotent, omnivorous
proto first protoorganism, protoplasm, prototype
re again replay, remix, reorganize, regenerate
spec see spectacles, spectator, spectrum
sphere round atmosphere, hemisphere, stratosphere
sub under subway, submarine, subtopic
terr earth territorial, terrain, terrace, terrestrial
trans across transform, transplant, translation
tri three triangular, tricycle, trilogy
vert turn divert, convert
viv life vivid, survive, revive
 Examples
Ring Lardner himself was born into a wealthy, educated, and cultured
family. For the bulk of his career, he worked as a reporter for
newspapers in South Bend, Boston, St. Louis, and Chicago. However, it
is for his short stories of lower middle-class Americans that Ring
5 Lardner is perhaps best known. In these stories, Lardner vividly
creates the language and the ambience of his lower class, often using
the misspelled words, grammatical errors, and incorrect diction that
typified the language of the lower middle class.
1. The word vividly in line 5 is 2. The word misspelled in line
closest in meaning to ... 7 is closest in meaning to ...
A. In a cultured way A. Highly improper
B. In a correct way B. Vulgar
C. In a lifelike way C. Incorrectly written
D. In a brief way D. Slang
Examples
If, however, an elephant survives these disasters, it falls prey to old age
in its mid-sixties. Around this age, the cause of death is attributed to
the loss of the final set of molars.
Which of the following could be used to replace the word survives in
line5?
A. Rises to C. Denies
B. Gives up D. Lives through
Examples
If a human is bitten by a black widow, the spiders poison can cause
severe illness and pain. Black widow bites have occasionally resulted in
death, but it is certainly not the norm for black widow bites to be
mortal.
Which of the following has the same meaning as the word mortal in
line 4?
A. Deadly C. Poisonous
B. Painful D. Sickening
Cardamom is not as widely used as a spice in the United States as it is
in other parts of the world. This fruit of the ginger plant provides oil
that basically has been used solely as a stimulant in American and
English medicines.
The world solely in line 2 could best be replaced by
A. Initially C. Reportedly
B. Only D. Healthfully