Approaching the Unseen Passage

Approaching the Unseen Passage

An unseen passage rewards a plan, not panic. Use a three-read method so that the limited exam time works for you.

Read 1 — Skim for the gist. Skimming means moving your eyes quickly over the whole passage to grab its overall idea without stopping on every word. Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph and let the rest flow past. In under a minute you should be able to say, "This passage is about ___, and the writer's main point is ___." That single sentence is your anchor for everything that follows.

Read the questions next. Before your careful read, glance at the questions. This tells your brain what to hunt for, so the second read is purposeful rather than aimless.

Read 2 — Read closely and mark. Now read properly, underlining key terms, names, numbers, dates and any word that signals the writer's opinion (fortunately, surprisingly, however, clearly). These signal words reveal tone — the writer's attitude (approving, critical, neutral, ironic, hopeful). Tone questions are answered from such cues, not from your own feelings about the topic.

Read 3 — Scan for answers. Scanning means searching the text for a specific detail — a figure, a name, a cause. For a short-answer question, locate the exact line, then answer in your own words wherever possible, in complete sentences.

Answering objective questions (MCQ, true/false, fill-in). The answer is always traceable to the text. Eliminate options that are factually contradicted or that are true in the real world but not stated in the passage — a classic trap. For true/false, a statement is false if even one part of it conflicts with the text.

Answering short-answer questions. Answer only what is asked, briefly and precisely. Lift the idea from the passage but rephrase it; do not copy long stretches. Quote only when the wording itself is the point. …