The comprehension part of the test presents 2 chanllenges. First, understanding the passage – which means the words and phrases in which it is written and the content itself. Second, understanding the questions. Not much about the first part can be done if your level of English doesn’t reach the level of the language used. But if you’re erasonably proficient, the following tips will help you with the second part.

Q 1. Why a comprehension test? Comprehension questions measure your ability to
[1] read with understanding, insight and discrimination

[2] analyze a written passage from several perspectives

[3] recognize explicitly stated elements in the passage

[4] recognize assumptions underlying statements or arguments

[5] understand implications of those statements or arguments.

Q 2. What is it?

The passage presents a sustained discussion of a particular topic. These are the opinions of the author. The author of the passage may be presenting opinions of other people, but still it is his choice to present those opinions. The passages are drawn from different subject matter areas, including humanities, social sciences, biological sciences physical sciences.

Q 3. What should I do?
Read it once quickly for a global understanding. What is the topic discussed in the passage? Then read it a second time for a review. Keep these in mind when you read the passage a second time.
[1] The function of a word in relation to a larger segment of the passage

[2] The relationships among the various ideas in the passage

[3] The relationship of the author to the topic or to the audience. (What is the author’s opinion on the matter?)

Q 4. What kind of passages can I expect? Thee are five types of reading comprehension questions.
[1] The main point of the passage. What is the argument about?

[2] Information explicitly stated in the passage. What is the one aspect of vegetarianism that the author thinks is the most cruel?

[3] Information or ideas implied or suggested by the author. (Meat-eaters cause environmental damage.)

[4] Applications of the author’s ideas to other situations. (Does the author agree that vegetarianism cannot be practised everywhere?) Identification of situations or processes related to those described in the passage.

[5] Author’s logic, reasoning, or persuasive techniques. (Quotes, questions to the readers, examples, statistics)

Next we will discuss ways to tackle the passage and the questions.