PROCEDURES FOR A READING PASSAGE

PROCEDURES FOR A READING PASSAGE 

1. Scroll through the reading passage to determine the main idea and the overall organization of ideas in the passage. You do not need to understand every detail in each passage to answer the question correctly. It is therefore a waste of time to read the passage with the intent of understanding every single detail before you try to answer the questions. When you have finished scrolling quickly through the passage, click on Proceed to begin the first question.

2. As a question comes up on the screen, look at the language skill that is being tested. The language skill tell you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers. 

• For a main idea questions, look at the first line of each paragraph. 
• For click-on-a-paragraph questions, look at the first line of each paragraph.
• For directly and indirectly answered detail questions, choose a key word in the question, and skim for that key word (or a related idea) in order in the passage. 
• For pronoun questions, the pronoun will be highlighted in the passage.
• For transition questions, look at the beginning or the end of the passage. 
• For vocabulary questions, the vocabulary will be highlighted in the passage. 
• For click-on-a-sentence questions, the paragraph where the answer can be found is given in the question.
• For tone, purpose, and course questions, look at the first line of each paragraph.
• For insertion questions, look at the context before and after each insertion box.

3. Read the part of the passage that contains the answer carefully. The answer will probably be in a very predictable place in the passage. 

4. Choose the best answer to each question. You can choose the best answer according to what is given in the appropriate section of the passage, or you can eliminate definitely wrong answers and select your best guess. 

5. Click on the answer on the computer screen when you have selected an answer. You may still change your mind at this point and click on a different answer. You may also return later to a question within the same reading passage (although it can be time consuming to click back through too many questions).


(from : Reading 4 . page: 367-368. Mulawarman University)