60-second revision
- Glance at the questions first, then read the passage, so you know what to look for.
- A main-idea answer covers the whole passage; an option that fits only one sentence is too narrow.
- Inference answers must follow from the text; do not add outside knowledge.
- Options with extreme words (always, never, only, all) are usually wrong.
- Vocabulary-in-context questions test the meaning in this passage, not the word's most common meaning.
- Tone words to know: critical, admiring, neutral, sarcastic, optimistic, nostalgic, apprehensive.
- Every correct answer can be supported by a line in the passage; find that line before you mark.
Question types
| Type | What it asks | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea / central theme | What is the passage mostly about? | Look at the first and last sentences; the answer must cover the whole passage. |
| Detail | According to the passage, what / why / who? | Scan for the key word and read the sentence around it. |
| Inference | What can be inferred / what does the author imply? | Choose what must be true based on the text, not what might be true. |
| Vocabulary in context | The word X most nearly means | Replace the word with each option and re-read the sentence. |
| Purpose | Why does the author mention X? | Ask what point the example supports. |
| Tone / attitude | The author's attitude is | Look for judging words (praise, blame, irony). |
| Title | Which title suits the passage? | Pick the one that matches the main idea, neither too broad nor too narrow. |
A reading routine
- Read the questions (not the options) to know what to hunt for.
- Read the passage once at a steady pace. After each paragraph, name its point in three or four words.
- Answer detail questions first; they are quickest and the lines are easy to find.
- Then answer main idea, tone and title questions with the whole passage in mind.
- For every answer, point to the line that supports it. No line, no answer.
Wrong-option patterns
| Pattern | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Too broad | covers far more than the passage discusses |
| Too narrow | true, but only about one detail |
| Distorted | uses the passage's words but changes the meaning |
| Out of scope | sounds sensible but the passage never says it |
| Extreme | always, never, only, all, completely |
| Opposite | reverses what the passage states |
Tone vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| critical | finding fault |
| admiring / laudatory | praising |
| neutral / objective | presenting facts without taking sides |
| sarcastic / ironic | saying the opposite of what is meant, to mock |
| optimistic / pessimistic | hopeful / expecting the worst |
| nostalgic | longing for the past |
| apprehensive | worried about what may happen |
| didactic | intended to teach a lesson |
Practice walk-through (fresh)
Passage: 'Libraries in small towns are quietly changing. Besides lending books, many now run free computer classes and help job seekers fill online forms. A librarian in one such town says visitors have tripled since the classes began.'
Main idea: small-town libraries are taking on new roles. 'Libraries lend books' is too narrow; 'all libraries have tripled their visitors' is extreme and distorted (one librarian, one town). Inference: the new services have drawn more people in. Tone: approving or positive, not critical.
Time and practice
SSC passages are usually short and carry five questions; bank passages are longer and may carry eight to ten, including vocabulary questions. Leave the passage for last if it is long and the other English questions are quicker. Daily practice with one editorial or feature article, summarising each paragraph in a line, builds the reading speed that RC rewards.
When two options seem right, return to the passage and compare them word by word with the text. The correct one restates the passage; the wrong one usually adds a word such as all, only or never, or shifts the subject.
Test yourself: 10 questions, 45 s each
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