Reading: stories, inference and purpose
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| clue | clue |
| character/ˈkærɪktə/ | character |
| plot/plɒt/ | plot |
| inference/ˈɪnfərəns/ | A conclusion drawn from evidence or reasoning rather than directly observed. |
Nobody writes "Mia was nervous"
- A story says: "Mia checked her bag for the third time and looked at the clock again." The writer never says nervous, but you know.
- Stories in TOEFL Junior Reading ask you to notice clues 线索 like these.
"Mia checked her bag for the third time and looked at the clock again." How does Mia feel?
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Checking again and again and watching the clock show nerves.
Stories in the Reading section
- Some passages are short stories about students, families and friends. Questions ask about characters 人物, events, feelings and the best title.
- Follow the plot 情节: what happens first, what the problem is, and how it ends.
What should you follow while reading a story?
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Follow the plot.
Read the story
- Read this original story once, then use it for the questions in this lesson.
The Lost Map
Ana had planned the class hike for two weeks. On Saturday morning she counted the students at the park gate: twelve, plus Mr Ortiz and her cousin Ben, who had come to help. Then she opened her backpack and froze. The trail map was not there.
"We can use the map on my phone," said Ben. But the park had no signal, and the screen showed only a grey square. Ana's face turned red. She looked at the twelve students, who were already eating their snacks.
Mr Ortiz smiled. "Let's ask at the visitor centre," he said. The ranger there gave them a paper map and showed them a shorter path to the lake. "It's the best view in the park," she added.
At the lake, the students took photos and cheered. On the way back, Ana walked at the front, holding the map with both hands. She did not let go of it once.
How many students did Ana count at the gate?
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"Twelve, plus Mr Ortiz and her cousin Ben."
What is the problem in the story?
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"The trail map was not there."
What does the ranger do?
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She gives a paper map and shows a shorter path to the lake.
Who is Ben?
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"Her cousin Ben, who had come to help."
Feelings from actions and words
- Writers show feelings: she smiled, he shook his head, her hands were shaking, he pushed his lunch away.
- Choose the feeling that the clue supports. Laughed and called her sister right away → happy or excited, not worried.
"Leo looked at the empty seat where his best friend used to sit and pushed his lunch away." How does Leo feel? → sad / lonely. Clues: the empty seat (his friend is gone) and not wanting to eat.
When Ana cannot find the map, how does she feel?
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She "froze" and "her face turned red" while looking at the students who depend on her.
Which clues show Ana was worried? Choose all that apply.
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Freezing and turning red are Ana's own reactions. The snacks and the ranger are not about her feelings.
"Ana's face turned red." This shows that Ana felt
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A red face here shows embarrassment about the missing map.
How do the students feel at the lake?
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They took photos and cheered.
"Leo looked at the empty seat where his best friend used to sit and pushed his lunch away." How does Leo feel?
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His friend is gone and he does not want to eat.
Why does a character do something?
- Why…? questions ask for a reason. The reason is usually a few lines before or after the action. Read both sides.
- Making an inference 推断 means using clues to reach an answer the text does not say directly. It must still come from the text.
"When the coach read the team list, Ravi stared at the floor and walked out without a word." What can you infer? → Ravi was probably not chosen and feels disappointed.
Why does Ben's idea not work?
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The park had no signal, so the screen showed only a grey square.
Why does Ana hold the map with both hands on the way back?
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After losing the first map, she holds the new one tightly and "did not let go of it once".
"When the coach read the team list, Ravi stared at the floor and walked out without a word." What can you infer?
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His actions after hearing the list suggest disappointment.
An inference can use your own ideas even if the text gives no clue.
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An inference must still come from clues in the text.
NOT and EXCEPT questions
- "All of the following are true EXCEPT…" Three options are in the story; one is not.
- Find each option in the text and cross it out. The one you cannot find (or that the text contradicts) is the answer.
In the story or not?
Answer EXCEPT and NOT questions accurately
All of the following people go on the hike EXCEPT
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The ranger works at the visitor centre and gives them a map; she does not go on the hike.
In an EXCEPT question, the answer is the option that is true in the story.
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Three options are true; the answer is the one that is not.
The best title for a story
- The best title names the main event or problem of the whole story, not one small scene.
- Check your choice: would someone who read only the title know what the story is mostly about?
What is the best title for the story?
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The story is about the problem (no map) and how the hike still succeeds.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a feeling from your own life instead of the one the text shows.
- In EXCEPT questions, choosing the first true option you find. You want the one that is not true.
Mia's bag, by the way, contained her ticket all along. It usually does.
Put the events of the story in order.
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Problem, failed idea, solution, happy ending.
You should choose the feeling you would have in that situation, even if the text shows a different one.
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Choose the feeling the text shows.
Recap
- Follow who does what, and the problem and ending.
- Feelings come from actions and words; reasons sit near the action.
- EXCEPT: cross out the three true options.
Official sources
- Checked on 15 November 2026: Reading Comprehension sample questions (ETS), which include a story, and the Test Taker Handbook (ETS, PDF). The stories here are original.