Page 1 · Introduction
Reading comprehension: a strategy
Reading questions aren't really testing whether you can read — they're testing whether you read carefully and answer using the text, not your own guesses. That's a skill you can learn.
This module gives you a clear method and then builds up from simple "find it in the text" questions to tricky inference questions where the answer is implied rather than stated.
The golden ruleThe answer is always in the passage. If you can't point to the words that prove your answer, it's probably wrong.
💡We'll go step by step from easy to challenging. By the end you'll handle inference questions — the ones that catch most students out.
On the real testWhere this appearsThis is the Reading section of the NSW Selective test (25% of your mark, from 2025), which now also includes a vocabulary component. The strategy here applies to every reading question you'll meet.
Page 2 · The method
How to attack a reading question
Step 1 — Read the passage once, calmly
Get the overall meaning. Don't rush — a careful first read saves time later.
Step 2 — Read the question carefully
Notice exactly what it asks. "Which is NOT true?" is very different from "Which is true?"
Step 3 — Go back and find the proof
Return to the passage and find the words that support your answer. Never answer from memory alone.
✅The biggest mistake students make is answering from what they think they remember. Always go back and check the words.
Page 3 · The question types
Four kinds of question
1. Fact-finding
The answer is stated directly. "What colour was the door?" Just locate it.
2. Vocabulary in context
"What does the word gleaming mean here?" Use the surrounding sentence for clues.
3. Inference
The answer is implied, not stated. "How did the boy probably feel?" You work it out from the clues.
4. Main idea
"What is this passage mostly about?" Look at the whole, not one detail.
Page 4 · Vocabulary in context
Working out words from clues
You don't need to already know every word. The sentence around it usually tells you the meaning.
Passage
The old bridge was
precarious — it swayed with every step, and several planks were missing. Mia held the rope tightly and moved slowly, afraid it might collapse.
What does precarious most likely mean here?
Clues: it swayed, planks missing, she was afraid it might collapse. So it means unsafe or unsteady.
Unsafe / unsteady
💡Cover the hard word and ask: "from the rest of the sentence, what would fit here?" Your answer is usually very close to the real meaning.
Page 5 · Inference
Reading between the lines
Inference means working out something the writer shows but doesn't directly say. The proof is still in the text — just indirect.
Passage
Sam checked his watch for the third time and tapped his foot. The train was already ten minutes late, and his interview started in fifteen. He kept glancing down the empty track.
How is Sam most likely feeling?
Clues: checking his watch repeatedly, tapping his foot, train late, interview soon. These show worry, not calm.
Anxious / worried
KeyThe passage never says "Sam was anxious" — you infer it from what he does. Always base your inference on specific clues in the text.
Page 6 · Common traps
Traps to avoid
The "true but not the answer" trap
An option can be true in real life but not stated in the passage. Only what the text supports counts.
The "almost right" trap
One word makes an option wrong. "Always" when the text said "sometimes". Read every word of every option.
The "your own opinion" trap
What you think doesn't matter — only what the passage says. Answer as the text, not as yourself.
✅Before choosing, ask: "can I point to the words that prove this?" If not, look again.
Page 7 · Practice
Level 1 · Easy
Fact-finding
Passage
The little red lighthouse stood at the edge of the harbour. Every night, its lamp turned slowly, sending a beam far out to sea. Fishermen used its light to steer safely home through the dark.
Tap an answer to check.
1. What colour was the lighthouse?
The text says "the little red lighthouse". Fact-finding — it's stated directly.
2. Who used the lighthouse's light?
A Sailors on cruise ships
B Pilots
C Fishermen
D Swimmers
"Fishermen used its light to steer safely home." Straight from the text.
3. When did the lamp turn?
A Every night
B Every morning
C Once a week
D Only in storms
"Every night, its lamp turned slowly." Stated directly.
🎉Fact-finding is about locating, not remembering. Now let's use clues for meaning.
Page 8 · Practice
Level 2 · Medium
Vocabulary in context
Passage
The hikers were
weary after climbing all day. Their legs ached, and they longed to sit down. When they finally saw the cabin, they let out a tired cheer and stumbled the last few steps.
1. What does weary most likely mean?
A Excited
B Very tired
C Hungry
D Lost
Clues: legs ached, longed to sit, stumbled, "tired cheer". Weary means very tired.
2. How did the hikers feel when they saw the cabin?
A Disappointed
B Frightened
C Relieved
D Bored
They "let out a tired cheer" — a sign of relief after a long, hard climb.
3. The word longed in the passage means…
A Wanted very much
B Refused
C Forgot
D Measured
"Longed to sit down" after aching legs means they wanted it very much.
💪Notice you worked out the meanings without a dictionary — just from the clues around each word. That's the skill.
Page 9 · Practice
Level 3 · Hard
Inference
Passage
Priya opened her school bag and her face fell. She searched every pocket twice, then looked back down the street she had walked. Her project — three weeks of work — was due first period. She remembered setting it by the front door that morning so she wouldn't forget it.
1. What has most likely happened?
A Priya finished her project early
B Priya left her project at home
C Priya's project was stolen
D Priya forgot she had a project
Clues: face fell, searched twice, set it by the door so she "wouldn't forget it" — yet it's not in her bag. She inferably left it at home.
2. How is Priya most likely feeling?
A Proud
B Amused
C Dismayed
D Relaxed
"Her face fell" and the frantic searching show dismay — the passage shows it without saying it.
3. Why did Priya set the project by the front door?
A So she would remember to take it
B Because it was too heavy
C To show her parents
D Because the bag was full
The text says she set it there "so she wouldn't forget it". Stated — but easy to miss if you rush.
💡Inference feels like guessing, but it isn't — every answer here is backed by specific clues. Point to the clue each time.
Page 10 · Challenge
Level 4 · Challenge
Main idea & deep inference
Passage
For years, people believed the tiny island had no fresh water, so no one settled there. Then a young scientist noticed that a certain tree on the island only grows where water lies underground. She dug beneath the trees and found a hidden spring. Within a decade, a small village had grown around it.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A How to dig a well
B Why islands are hard to live on
C How careful observation led to a discovery
D The life cycle of a tree
The whole passage builds to one idea: noticing the tree's clue led to finding water and a village. That's the main idea — not any single detail.
2. Why did no one settle on the island for years?
A People believed there was no fresh water
B It was too far away
C The trees were dangerous
D It was always cold
"People believed the tiny island had no fresh water, so no one settled there." The belief — not the fact — kept them away.
3. What can we infer made the scientist's discovery possible?
A Luck alone
B Expensive equipment
C Help from villagers
D Noticing a clue others had ignored
She "noticed that a certain tree only grows where water lies underground" — the discovery came from careful observation, not luck or gear. That's a deep inference from the whole passage.
🌟Main-idea and deep-inference questions are the hardest in the Reading section. Handling them calmly puts you among the strongest readers.
Complete
Wonderful reading!
You've completed the Reading Comprehension module.
You've learned the three-step method, all four question types, the common traps, and worked from fact-finding up to main-idea and inference. Remember the golden rule — the answer is always in the passage, so point to the proof every time.