Reading skills

In the exam you do not read every word slowly. You change your speed to fit your goal.

Skim first, then scan

• First skim 略读 the text. Read it fast to get the gist 大意 — the general idea. Look at the title, the first line of each paragraph 段落, and any pictures.
• Then scan 扫读 to find one piece of information. Move your eyes quickly down the page. Do not read every word. Stop when you see what you need.
• Use scanning for facts like names, numbers, dates, times and places.

Skim sweeps over everything for the gist; scan jumps straight to one fact

A departure board is a real text you scan: you do not read every line — you jump straight to the one flight time or gate you need

Match the question to the text

• Read the question first. Decide what kind of answer it wants: a name? a number? a reason?
• Predict 预测 the answer before you look. This helps your eyes find it faster.
• Find the part of the text that talks about the same idea. The answer is usually there.

Write short, exact answers

• Here you write a single word or a short phrase 短语, not a full sentence.
• Copy the exact word from the text when you can.
• Answer only what the question asks. Extra words can lose the mark.

A long text is not just a list of facts. The ideas link to each other, and you must follow how.

Multiple matching

• In a multiple matching 多项匹配 task you read several short texts, or several parts of one text.
• Each question describes an idea. You choose the text or part that matches it.
• The words in the question are usually different from the words in the text. Look for the same meaning, not the same words. This is called a paraphrase 改写.

Signal words

• Writers use small words to show how ideas connect. These are signal words 信号词.
• Some show addition 递进 (also, in addition, as well as). Some show contrast 对比 (but, however, although). Some show cause and effect 因果 (because, so, as a result).
• When you notice these words, you can see how the writer's ideas fit together.

The three signal-word families and what they do to ideas

Sometimes you must take the main points out of a text and write them in a short form.

Note-making

• In a note-making 做笔记 task you complete notes under headings.
• Write short notes, not full sentences. A word or a short phrase is enough.
• Choose only the points that fit the heading. Leave out examples and extra detail.

Summary skills

• A summary 概括 gives only the most important ideas, in fewer words.
• Find the key points. Ignore examples, repetition 重复 and small details.
• Use your own words where you can. Do not copy whole sentences.

A summary keeps only the key points, in your own words

Some answers are not written directly in the text. You must work them out. This is called inference 推断.

Implied meaning

• Sometimes the writer implies 暗示 something without saying it openly. The meaning is there, but it is hidden.
• Read the words around the idea. Ask: what does the writer want me to understand here?

The writer's attitude

• The writer's attitude 态度 is how they feel about the topic — for example, excited, worried, or unsure.
• You find the attitude in the writer's word choice 用词. Strong or emotional words show feelings.
• In a multiple-choice 选择题 question about attitude, read all the options. Choose the one that fits the whole text, not just one line.

Unfamiliar words

• You will meet words you do not know. Do not stop.
• Use the context 语境 — the words around it — to guess the meaning of the new word.

• Read the question before the text. Underline the key word: a name? a number? a reason?
• Answers usually come in the same order as the text, so do not hunt backwards for question 1.
• Copy the exact word from the text when you can; a changed word can lose the mark.
• Check how many answers the question wants: "Give TWO reasons" needs two, not one.
• In multiple matching, the text never repeats the question's words. Hunt for the same idea said differently.
• Never leave an empty line. A guess can win a mark; a blank never can.