Reading Comprehension Skills

Skill : MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS

Almost every reading passage will have a multiple-choice question about the main idea of a passage. Such
a question may be worded in a variety of ways; you may, for example, be asked to identify the topic,
subject, title, primary idea, or main idea. It is relatively easy to find the main ideas by studying the topic
sentences, which are most probably found at the beginning of each paragraph. If a passage consists of only
one paragraph, you should study the beginning of that paragraph to determine the main idea.

Example 1: The passage:

Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts, by the
name of James Naismith. Because of terrible weather in winter, his physical education students were
indoors rather than outdoors. They really did not like the idea of boring, repetitive exercises and preferred
the excitement and challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on
a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team members involved, and that did not
allow the tackling and physical contact of American style football.
The question:
What is the topic of this passage?
A. The life of James Naismith B. The history of sports
C. Physical education and exercise D. The origin of basketball

The first sentence of this passage states that basketball was invented, so the invention of basketball is
probably the topic. A quick check of the rest of the sentences in the passage confirms that the topic is, in
fact, the beginnings of the sport of basketball. Now you should check each of the answers to determine
which one comes closest to the topic that you have determined. Answer A. mentions James Naismith but
not basketball, so it is not the topic. Answer B. is too general; it mentions sports but does not mention
basketball. Answer C. is also too general; it mentions physical education but does not mention basketball.
The best answer is therefore answer D.: the origin of basketball means that the way that basketball was
invented is going to be discussed.
If a passage consists of more than one paragraph, you should study the beginning of each paragraph to
determine the main idea. In a passage with more than one paragraph, you should be sure to read the first
sentence of each paragraph to determine the subject, topic, title, or main idea.

Example 2: (THPTQG 2015)

Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is
closely associated with poverty. It can result from high population density, or from low amounts of resources,
or from both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a certain number
of people can be supported on a given area of land, and that numberdepends on how much food and other
resources the land can provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming,
gardening, herding, hunting,and gathering, even large areas of land can support only small numbers of people
because these labor-intensive subsistence activities produce only small amounts of food.
Question: Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A. High Birth Rate and its Consequences B. Overpopulation: A Cause of Poverty
C. Overpopulation: A Worldwide Problem D. Poverty in Developing Countries
 The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about main idea questions.

MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS

What is the topic of the passage?
What is the subject of the passage?
What is the main idea of the passage?
HOW TO IDENTIFY What is the author's main point in the passage?
THE QUESTION With what is the author primarily concerned?
Which of the following would be the best title?
Which of the following statements best summarize
the main idea of the passage?
The answer to this type of question can generally
WHERE TO FIND THE
be determined by looking at the first sentence of
ANSWER
each paragraph.
1. Read the first line of each paragraph.
2. Look for a common theme or idea in the first
lines.
3. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of the
HOW TO ANSWER
passage to check that you have really found
THE QUESTION
the topic sentence(s).
4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and
choose the best answer from the remaining
choices.

SKILL : STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in the passage rather than the passage as a
whole. The answers to these questions are generally given in order in the passage, and the correct
answer is often a restatement of what is given in the passage this means that the correct answer often
expresses the same idea as what is written in the passage, but the words are not exactly the same.

STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

According to the passage….

HOW TO
It is stated in the passage....
IDENTIFY THE
The passage indicates/shows/points out / illustrates/ depicts that….
QUESTION
Which of the following is TRUE…..?

WHERE TO
FIND THE The answers to the questions are found in order in the passage.
ANSWER

1. Choose a key word in the question.

HOW TO 2. Skim in the appropriate part for the key word or idea.
ANSWER THE 3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
QUESTION 4. Eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best
answer from the remaining choices.

Strategy 1: Using Original Information

Example : ( Đề thi minh họa THPT QG 2019)

 Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, said it is inevitable that universities
will move to computers as handwriting deteriorates in the coming years. "We have to accept the reality.
Handwriting has now become an optional, not a necessary, partof education. There simply isn't the same
time in the curriculum for learning elegant, beautiful handwriting. Life is so quick now. Everybody
writes as if they were a doctor writing a prescription," he said. "Handwriting is not necessary for great
thought, great English, or great intelligence. Some of our finest wordsmiths today write using laptops,
and we have to fight to preserve what is really important, such as the use of great English or great
sentence structures."

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Cambridge University’s move away from handwriting has already set an unprecedented example for other
schools tofollow.
B. Sarah Pearsall acknowledged handwriting as an art form to be preserved among the current generation of
students at Cambridge University.
C. Sir Anthony Seldon claimed that learning to use great English was more important than learning to
write by hand beautifully.
D. Most of the tutors at Cambridge are skeptical of the university's decision regarding handwritten exams

Strategy 2: Synonyms

Example 1: (TSDH 2010)

In the West, cartoons are used chiefly to make people laugh. The important feature of all these cartoons is the
joke and the element of surprise which is contained. Even though it is very funny, a good cartoon is always
based on close observation of a particular feature of life and usually has a serious purpose.

Question: Which of the following is TRUE about Western cartoons?

A. Originality, freshness, and astonishment. B. Humour, unexpectedness, and criticism.
C. Enjoyment, liveliness, and carefulness. D. Seriousness, propaganda, and attractiveness.

Example 2: (TSDH 2011)

Learning means acquiring knowledge or developing the ability to perform new behaviors. It is common to
think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the
classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives.
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to manipulate
toys, food, and other objects. When they enter school, children learn basic academic subjects such as
reading, writing, and mathematics. They also continue to learn a great deal outside the classroom. They
learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished.

Question : According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about what children are not usually
taught outside the classroom?
A. literacy and calculation B. life skills
C. interpersonal communication D. right from wrong

Strategy 3: Changing Parts of Speech

Example: (TSDH 2011)

Learning means acquiring knowledge or developing the ability to perform new behaviors. It is
common to think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs
outside the classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives.

Question : According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about learning in broad view
comprised of?
A. Acquisition of social and behavioural skills
B. Knowledge acquisition and ability development
C. Acquisition of academic knowledge
D. Knowledge acquisition outside the classroom

Strategy 4: Information Order

Example 1: (THPT QG 2018)

Like a résumé, the letter of application is a sample of your work and an opportunity to demonstrate
your skills and personality. If is written with flair and understanding and prepared with professional
care, it is likely to be very effective. While the résumé must be factual, objective, and brief, the letter is
your chance to interpret and expand. It should state how your background relates to the
specific job, and it should emphasise your strongest and most relevant characteristics.

Question: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about a letter of application?
A. It should express the applicant's dissatisfaction with his/her former employer.
B. It should refer to the applicant's reasons for leaving his/her previous job.
C. It should be written very briefly, but in a formal style.
D. It should expand and interpret the information contained in the applicant's résumé

Example 2. (TSDH 2009)

To generate electricity, huge turbines or generators must be turned. In Australia they use coal and water to
drive this machinery. When dams are built, falling water is used to drive the turbines without polluting the
atmosphere with smoke from coal. Atomic power is used in several countries but there is always the fear of
an accident.

Question: Which is TRUE about the main forms of power used to generate electricity in Australia are……..
A. water and coal B. wind and gas C. sunlight and wind power D. atomic power and water

Strategy 5: Applying Calculation

Example 1: (TSDH 2009)

Scenes of factory interiors account for only about one-third of Modern Times, but they contain some
of the most pointed social commentary as well as the most comic situations. No one who has seen the film
can ever forget Chaplin vainly trying to keep pace with the fast-moving conveyor belt, almost losing his
mind in the process. Another popular scene involves an automatic feeding machine brought to the assembly
line so that workers need not interrupt their labor to eat.

Question : According to the author, about two-thirds of Modern Times ______.

A. is rather discouraging B. entertains the audience most
C. is more critical than the rest D. was shot outside a factory

Example 2: (THPT QG 2016)

Most deaths in tropical cyclones are caused by storm surge. This is a rise in sea level, sometimes seven
meters or more, caused by the storm pushing against the ocean’s surface. Storm surge was to blame for
the flooding of New Orleans in 2005. The storm surge of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 in Myanmar pushed
seawater nearly four meters deep some 40 kilometers inland, resulting in many deaths.

Question: What is true about the storm surge of Cyclone Nargis?

A. It took a very high death toll. B. It caused flooding in New Orleans in 2005.
C. It occurred in Myanmar in 2005. D. It pushed seawater 4 kilometers inland.

Example 3: (TSDH 2011)

The issue of equality for women in British society first attracted national attention in the early 20th
century, when the suffragettes won for women the right to vote. In the 1960s feminism became the subject
of intense debate when the women’s liberation movement encouraged women to reject their traditional
supporting role and to demand equal status and equal rights with men in areas such as employment and pay.

In the US the movement that is often called the “first wave of feminism” began in the mid 1800s.
Susan B. Anthony worked for the right to vote, Margaret Sanger wanted to provide women with the means
of contraception so that they could decide whether or not to have children, and Elizabeth Blackwell, who
had to fight for the chance to become a doctor, wanted women to have greater opportunities to study. Many
feminists were interested in other social issues.

Question: Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The US movement of feminism became the most popular in the late 20th century.
B. The women’s liberation movement in the world first began in Britain.
C. The movement of feminism began in the US earlier than in Britain.
D. The British government passed laws to support women in the early 20th century

Example 4: (THPT QG 2017)

Tropical rainforests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an unsustainable rate. Some
scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical forests were being destroyed at a rate of
approximately 28 hectares a minute, or about 14 million hectares each year – an area about the size
of the state of Wisconsin. This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately 16
million hectares were destroyed each year, largely due to a reported decline of deforestation in the
Amazon River Basin in the early 1990s.

Question: According to paragraph 1, which of the following about the rate of rainforest destruction is
TRUE?
A. It was greater in the early 1990s than in the 1980s.
B. It was the same in the early 1990s as in the 1980s.
C. It was greater in the 1980s than in the early 1990s.
D. It kept increasing from the 1980s to the 1990s

SKILL : FIND "UNSTATED" DETAILS

You will sometimes be asked in the reading section to find an answer that is not stated or not
mentioned or not true in the passage. This type of question really means that three of the answers are
stated, mentioned, or true in the passage, while one answer is not.

“UNSTATED” DETAIL QUESTIONS

HOW TO Which of the following is not stated...?
IDENTIFY THE Which of the following is not mentioned...?
QUESTION Which of the following is not discussed…?
 Which of the following are true except....?
WHERE TO The answers to these questions are found in order in the
FIND THE passage.
ANSWER
1. Choose a key word in the question.
2. Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the key word
(or related idea).
HOW TO 3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea
ANSWER THE carefully.
QUESTION 4. Look for answers that are definitely true according to the
passage Eliminate those answers.
5. Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the
passage.

Strategy 1: Elimination

Example 1: ( Đề thi minh họa THPT QG 2019)

1. Visitors to London are struck by the proud splendour and glamour of one of the world's oldest capitals,
admiring iconic sites like Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Buckingham Palace. However, visitors
seeking a glimpse into the city's everyday life should not miss Portobello Market, which is the most-visited
market in London. This vibrant market has been featured in a number of films, documentaries and
bestselling books, the most famous being the film "Notting Hill" starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts,
which brought Portobello Market to the attention of audiences all over the world.

Question: According to the passage, Portobello Market has been featured in all of the following EXCEPT__
A. films B. documentaries C. books D. songs
Example 2:

During a 1991 fish kill, which was blamed on Pfiesteria on North Carolina’s Neuse River, nearly one billion
fish died and bulldozers had to be brought in to clear the remains from the river. Of course, such events can
have a devastating effect on commercially important fish, but that is just one way that Pfiesteria causes
problems. The toxins it emits affect human skin in much the same way as they affect fish skin. Additionally,
fisherman and others who have spent time near Pfiesteria blooms report that the toxins seem to get into the air,
where once inhaled they affect the nervous system, causing severe headaches, blurred vision, nausea,
breathing difficulty, short-term memory loss and even cognitive impairment.

Question : According to the paragraph 2, what will NOT happen if one breathes the toxic air?
A. vomiting B. visual impairments
C. circulatory difficulty D.terrible headaches

Strategy 2: Extreme Words

Question 1 : Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? (THPTQG 2015)
A. The center of a growing storm is known as its eye.
B. The direction and strength of tropical cyclones are difficult to forecast.
C. Tropical cyclones are often given beautiful names.
D. Tropical cyclone predictions depend entirely on computer assistance.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? (THPTQG 2015)
A. The curriculum that the SAgE project designs is fundamental in nature.
B. The SAgE project alone will offer students sufficient jobs in urban agriculture.
C. ATE helps to improve the skills of technicians in the nation’s major industries.
D. Resilient food systems can be attributed to sustainable agricultural practices.
Question 3: Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage? (TSDH 2009)
A. Reading aloud was more common in the past than it is today.
B. Not all printed mass media was appropriate for reading aloud.
C. The decline of reading aloud was wholly due to its distracting effect.
D. The change in reading habits was partly due to the social, cultural and technological changes.
Question 4: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? (TSDH 2011)
A. There is now no sex discrimination in Britain and in the US.
B. Many American women still face the problem of household chores.
C. An American woman once had to fight for the chance to become a doctor.
D. British women now have much better employment opportunities.
Question 5: Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? (TSDH 2012)
A.Psychologists studying memory are concerned with the brain’s storage of knowledge.
B.Psychologists are all interested in memory as much as behaviours.
C.Psychologists studying learning are interested in human behaviours.
D.Psychologists studying memory are concerned with how the stored knowledge is used.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? (TSDH 2013)
A. Critics believe the way globalization operates should be changed.
B. Hardly anyone disapproves of globalization in its entirety.
C. Some Asian countries had strong state-led economic strategies.
D. The anti-globalization movement was set up to end globalization.
Question 7: Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? (TSDH 2014)
A. The electric light was invented in the 19th century. B. The sun obviously determined our daily routines.
C. The electric light has changed our daily cycle of sleep.
D. Our social life has no influence on our hours of sleep

Strategy 3: Background Knowledge

Question 1: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true? (THPT QG 2017)
A. Few scientists agree that global warming is looming.
B. Global climate naturally changes over time.
C. Changes in climate are not easy to be documented.
D. Some scientists are not sure that global warming has begun.
Question 2: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the tradition of tooth
giving in the West?
A. Children give money to the Tooth Fairy.
B. Children put their lost teeth under their pillows.
C. Children hope to get money or gifts from the Tooth Fairy.
D. Lost teeth are traditionally given to an angel or fairy.
Question 3: Which of the following statements is NOT supported in the passage?
A. Many pollutants deposited in the oceans finally become part of the global food chain.
B. It is apparent that the oceans have been polluted for a long time.
C. Industrial wastes and agricultural run-off are blamed for the degradation of the oceans.
D. The oceans in the past were more contaminated than they are now.
Question 4: All of the following are measures to reduce the number of cars coming into town each day in
the US and/or Britain EXCEPT______. (TSDH 2012)
A. traffic lanes for car pooling B. free car parks in the city centre
C. park-and-ride schemes D. car pooling/sharing
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT true about the London commuter belt?
A. It is home to some wealthy business people. B. It is like “bedroom communities” in the US.
C. It is in central London. D. It surrounds London.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?(TSDH 2013)
A. Some materials are more conductive than others.
B. Graphite is a common solid substance that can conduct electricity.
C. Salt can conduct electricity when it is molten or dissolved.
D. Pure water is much more conductive than most water we encounter every day
Centuries ago, man discovered that removing moisture from food helped to preserve it, and that the easiest
way to do this was to expose the food to sun and wind. In this way the North American Indians produced
pemmican (dried meat ground into powder and made into cakes), the Scandinavians made stockfish and the
Arabs dried dates and apricots.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Liquids are not dried in the same way as fruits and vegetables.
B. Dried foods have several advantages over canned or frozen foods.
C. Fruit is usually dried by being laid out on trays in the sun.
D. People in India began to use drying methods centuries ago.

Strategy 4: The Wrong Tone

Example 1: (TSDH 2013)

New surveys suggest that the technological tools we use to make our lives easier are killing our leisure
time. We are working longer hours, taking fewer and shorter vacations (and when we do go away, we take
our cell phones, PDAs, and laptops along). And, we are more stressed than ever as increased use of e-mail,
voice mail, cell phones, and the Internet is destroying any idea of privacy and leisure.

Question: Which of the following is NOT true about technological tools, according to new surveys?
A. They bring more leisure to our life. B. They make our life more stressful.
C. They are being increasingly used. D. They are used even during vacations

SKILL: IDENTIFY THE TONE OF THE PASSAGE

Tone questions ask you to identify the writer’s attitude or emotion. Is the writer’s feeling toward the
subject positive, negative, or neutral? Does the writer give his own opinion, or does he objectively present
the opinions of others?

Strategy

Before you read the answer-choices, decide whether the writer’s tone is positive, negative, or neutral.
However, if you did not get a feel for the writer’s attitude on the first reading, check the adjectives that he
chooses. Adjectives and, to a lesser extent, adverbs express our feelings toward subjects.
The majority of the passages on the entrance exam are factual passages presented without any emotion; the
tone of this type of passage could be simply informative, explanatory, or factual. Sometimes, however, the
author shows some emotion, and you must be able to recognize that emotion to answer a question about
tone correctly. If the author is being funny, then the tone might be humorous; if the author is making fun of
something, the tone might be sarcastic; if the author feels strongly that something is right or wrong, the
tone might be impassioned.
Example 1: (THPT QG 2016)

The SAgE project focuses on the environmental, socioeconomic, political and cultural issues related to
sustainable food systems within Puget Sound watersheds through student and community education and
research, and technological innovation. The curriculum offers courses that cover such issues as agricultural
ecology, urban food systems, food politics and ethics, soil science, sustainable food production and
technology, the integration of food and forests, and career opportunities.
“We’ve created a curriculum that is fundamental in nature, addressing the principles of sustainable
agriculture and what a food system is – how it functions both locally and globally,” Niebler says. “These
courses are challenging, robust and inspirational. One of the really wonderful things about them is that we
offer service learning opportunities, where students volunteer a portion of their time to working with local
partner organizations. They can do a research project, or a service learning option. The ideal would be to
prompt students into careers that involve sustainable practices in an urban agriculture setting.”

Question : Which of the following best describes the author’s tone in the passage?
A. Skeptical B. Provocative C. Supportive D. Satirical

Example 2: (THPT QG 2017)

Humans are bringing about another global-scale change in the atmosphere: the increase in what are called
greenhouse gases. Like glass in a greenhouse, these gases admit the Sun's light but tend to reflect back
downward the heat that is radiated from the ground below, trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. This
process is known as the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is the most significant of these gases – there is 25
percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than there was a century ago, the result of our burning
coal and fuels derived from oil. Methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs are greenhouse gases as well.
Scientists predict that increases in these gases in the atmosphere will make the Earth a warmer place. They
expect a global rise in average temperature somewhere between 1.0 and 3.5 degrees Celsius in the next
century. Average temperatures have in fact been rising and the years from 1987 to 1997 were the warmest
years on record. Some scientists are reluctant to say that global warming has actually begun because climate
naturally varies from year to year and decade to decade, and it takes many years of records to be sure of a
fundamental change. There is little disagreement, though, that global warming is looming.
Global warming will have different effects in different regions. A warmed world is expected to have more
extreme weather, with more rain during wet periods, longer droughts, and more powerful storms. Although
the effects of future climate changes are unknown, some predict that exaggerated weather conditions may
translate into better agricultural yields in areas such as the western United States, where temperature and
rainfall are expected to increase, while dramatic decreases in rainfall may lead to severe droughts and
plunging agricultural yields in parts of Africa, for example.
Warmer temperatures are expected to partially melt the polar ice caps, leading to a projected sea level rise of
50 centimeters by the year 2050. A sea level rise of this magnitude would flood coastal cities, force people to
abandon low-lying islands, and completely inundate coastal wetlands. Diseases like malaria, which at present
are primarily found in the tropics, may become more common in the regions of the globe between the tropics
and the polar regions, called the temperate zones. For many of the world's plant species, and for animal
species that are not easily able to shift their territories as their habitat grows warmer, climate change may
bring extinction.

Question. Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?
A. Sarcastic B. Informative C. Ironic D. Argumentative

Example 3: (TSCDDH 2010)

Experts in climatology and other scientists are becoming extremely concerned about the changes to our
climate which are taking place. Admittedly, climate changes have occurred on our planet before. For example,
there have been several ice ages or glacial periods.
These climatic changes, however, were different from the modern ones in that they occurred gradually and, as
far as we know, naturally. The changes currently being monitored are said to be the result not of natural
causes, but of human activity. Furthermore, the rate of change is becoming alarmingly rapid……….
It was also suggested that more forests should be planted to create so-called sinks to absorb
greenhouse gases. At least part of the problem of rapid climate change has been caused by too drastic
deforestation.
Sadly, the targets are not being met. Even more sadly, global warnings about climate changes are
often still being regarded as scaremongering.

Question: What is probably the writer’s attitude toward global warming?

A. Positive B. Pessimistic C. Neutral D. Optimistic

Example 4:

In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in "women's" fields: cosmetics and clothing, for
example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software
business. It was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with degrees in math and
engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her first product was software that let weekly newspapers
keep tabs on their newspaper carriers-and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under the bed to
hold the company's cash. After she succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright
computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began
to grow. It now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.

Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in
the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by
men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is
changing; there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.

Question : The author’s attitude about the future of women in business is ________ .
A. skeptical B. optimistic C. frustrated D. negative

SKILL: DETERMINE THE PURPOSE OF THE PASSAGE

These questions require more than just English skills. They require critical thinking. You have to ask
yourself, what is the function of the information that the author included? Your job is to try to determine why
the author included this information by referring to the main idea and the organization of details in the
passage. For example, if the main idea is that George Washington’s early life greatly influenced his later
career and if the details give a history of his early life, the author’s purpose could be to show how George
Washington’s early life influenced his later career. However, the answer to a purpose question is often
considerably more general than the main idea. A more general author’s purpose for the main idea about
George Washington would be to demonstrate the influence of early experiences on later life ( without any
mention of George Washington).

A purpose question is often phrased like the following:

Why does the author mention (X) ?

The author mentions (X) in order to…..
The author includes the information of (X) in order to……
The author uses (X) as an example of…….
The author mentions (X) for which of the following reasons?
The author does (X) in order to……
What is the author’s purpose in mentioning…….
You will also see answers that contain phrases like the following:

to show/to illustrate/ to examplify/ to describe/ to depict/ to outline

to account for/to explain / to clarify
to support/to refute/to oppose / to prove
to criticize/to question
to contrast/to compare
to provide/ to supplement

In order to get your answer, there are important steps to follow:

1. Read the question carefully and understand what you are being asked
2. Find the highlighted words or the key words in the passage
3. Go back to the beginning of the paragraph. Quickly read it to determine the purpose of the paragraph. Pay
special attention to the first sentence of the paragraph: there is often a clue found there. After you do this, it
will be easier to determine the purpose of the highlighted words, because they will fit into the author’s
purpose for the paragraph.
4. Look for TRANSITION WORDS. These often are a HUGE CLUE to why the author included certain
information.
5. Consider the big picture of the paragraph. Usually the question is related to the big picture of what the
paragraph is trying to present. Remember: often there is a clue in the FIRST sentence of the paragraph.
6. Use the process of elimination. Answers are often incorrect if they are too extreme (words like none, never,
forever, always, etc.), if they do not fit into the big picture of the paragraph, if they are off-topic, if they are
not mentioned, or if they are untrue according to information in the paragraph. The answer can also be too
general. Lastly, the answer should be eliminated if it has the wrong tone. If the tone of the passage is positive,
eliminate negative answers. If the tone is negative, eliminate positive answers.

Here is an example for you to try:

There is an almost universal belief in the manifestations of the spirit of the dead. These manifestations are
called ghosts. They are thought to be the soul or spirit of a person who has died. The idea of ghosts as hopeful
evidence of life after death goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, where it was commonly believed that death
was merely a transition to another existence. Descriptions vary, but ghosts are often described as translucent
or only partially visible. Although they are no longer living, the ghosts often appear almost identical to the
person who has died, even wearing the same style of clothes. Recent polls show that 45% of Americans
believe in ghosts. Furthermore, nearly 18% of Americans have said they have felt or seen the presence of a
ghost which they report as a feeling of uneasiness, a sudden chill, or sounds that cannot be accounted for.
However, some researchers, such as Michael Persinger of Laurentian University have speculated that changes
in tectonic stresses in the Earth's crust or solar activity could stimulate the brain's temporal lobes and produce
many of the experiences associated with the feeling of a ghost’s presence.

Question: Why does the author mention the views of Michael Persinger?
A. To indicate that there is no real evidence for the existence of ghosts
B. To present evidence in favor of the existence of tectonic stresses and solar activity
C. To indicate that there is an alternative theory to sensing a ghost’s presence
D. To emphasize that researchers are interested in investigating ghosts further

The first answer is too extreme. The author is not saying there is NO evidence for ghosts. The second is off
topic. The main topic is ghosts, not tectonic stress or solar activity. The third answer is correct. An alternative
theory is being presented. The last isn’t correct because there is no mention of researchers’ interest in the
future.
Example 1: (TSDH 2012)
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to manipulate toys,
food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their
environments. They learn how to interact with their parents, siblings, friends, and other people important to
their world. When they enter school, children learn basic academic subjects such as reading, writing, and
mathematics. They also continue to learn a great deal outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are
likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for interacting with other
children. After they finish school, people must learn to adapt to the many major changes that affect their
lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job.

Question: Getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job are mentioned in paragraph 2 as
examples of ______.
A. the situations in which people cannot teach themselves
B. the areas of learning which affect people’s lives
C. the changes to which people have to orient themselves
D. the ways people’s lives are influenced by education

Example 2: (TSDH 2010)

It’s often said that we learn things at the wrong time. University students frequently do the minimum of work
because they’re crazy about a good social life instead. Children often scream before their piano practice
because it’s so boring. They have to be given gold stars and medals to be persuaded to swim, or have to be
bribed to take exams. But the story is different when you’re older. Over the years, I’ve done my share of adult
learning. At 30, I went to a college and did courses in History and English. It was an amazing experience. For
starters, I was paying, so there was no reason to be late – I was the one frowning and drumming my fingers if
the tutor was late, not the other way round. Indeed, if I could persuade him to linger for an extra five minutes,
it was a bonus, not a nuisance. I wasn’t frightened to ask questions, and homework was a pleasure not a pain.
When I passed an exam, I had passed it for me and me alone, not for my parents or my teachers. The
satisfaction I got was entirely personal.
Some people fear going back to school because they worry that their brains have got rusty. But the joy is that,
although some parts have rusted up, your brain has learnt all kinds of other things since you were young. It
has learnt to think independently and flexibly and is much better at relating one thing to another. What you
lose in the rust department, you gain in the maturity department.
In some ways, age is a positive plus. For instance, when you’re older, you get less frustrated. Experience has
told you that, if you’re calm and simply do something carefully again and again, eventually you’ll get the
hang of it. The confidence you have in other areas – from being able to drive a car, perhaps – means that if
you can’t, say, build a chair instantly, you don’t, like a child, want to destroy your first pathetic attempts.
Maturity tells you that you will, with application, eventually get there.
I hated piano lessons at school, but I was good at music. And coming back to it, with a teacher who could
explain why certain exercises were useful and with musical concepts that, at the age of ten, I could never
grasp, was magical. Initially, I did feel a bit strange, thumping out a piece that I’d played for my school
exams, with just as little comprehension of what the composer intended as I’d had all those years before. But
soon, complex emotions that I never knew poured out from my fingers, and suddenly I could understand why
practice makes perfect.

Question : What is the writer’s main purpose in the passage?

A. To encourage adult learning. B. To describe adult learning methods.
C. To show how fast adult learning is. D. To explain reasons for learning.