Tips and Tricks: Reading Comprehension | SSC CGL Tier 2 - Study Material, Online Tests, Previous Year PDF Download

Types of Reading Comprehension

1. Referential

In this form of comprehension, the interpretation of details such as word meanings, writing context, event sequences, story characters, and factual information is explicitly expressed. Readers can readily locate information and ideas explicitly mentioned in the text. If the answer to a question can be directly identified in the passage, it falls under the category of a referential question.

Example:
Autumn is the season that falls between summer and winter. There are many changes that occur at the beginning of the season. Days become shorter, leaves turn red, yellow, and orange. Sunlight is very essential for trees to keep their leaves green. Animals start storing their food to last through the long winter months.

Question:
Autumn occurs between summer and which another season? Here, the answer is directly given in the passage.

2. Inferential 

In this category of comprehension, the reader must discern the true meaning conveyed in the text. Inferential comprehension demands that readers integrate ideas, interpret and assess information, recognize tone and voice, and make conclusions. If the answer cannot be directly identified in the passage, it falls into the realm of an inferential question.

Example:
Autumn is the season that falls between summer and winter. There are many changes that occur at the beginning of the season. Days become shorter, leaves turn red, yellow, and orange. Sunlight is very essential for trees to keep their leaves green. Animals start storing their food to last through the long winter months.

Question:
What is the main purpose of the passage? Here, the reader has to draw a conclusion according to his understanding.

Some of the most asked Reading Comprehension questions

There are some repeated questions asked in almost every reading comprehension passage such as:

• What is the author’s purpose for writing the passage?
• Summarize the main idea of the passage.
• Draw a conclusion

Therefore, readers should develop a habit of understanding these repeated questions thoroughly which will help them in understanding the entire passage quickly.

Tips and Tricks and Shortcuts for Reading Comprehension

What is WPM (Word per Minute): 
It is a metric that gauges the number of words processed in a minute, frequently applied to assess both typing and reading speed. The typical reading speed for adult readers falls within the range of 200 to 300 words per minute. This factor holds significant importance when tackling reading comprehension.

How to increase WPM: 
When a reader gazes at a word or a set of words in the course of reading a passage, it is termed a "fixation." The subsequent movement of the eyes to read the following word or group of words is referred to as a "saccade." A fixation serves as the point between two saccades and is typically repeated once or twice to grasp the meaning of the phrase. The cumulative count of these fixations, saccades, and pauses for comprehension adds up, resulting in an average reading speed of 200 to 300 words per minute.

1. Role of Eye Span using eye span for quick reading

"Eye-span" refers to the quantity of letters or symbols a reader can absorb in a single fixation. Expanding your eye span can be achieved most effortlessly by ceasing to focus on individual words and instead observing groups or chunks of words. Reading more words in a single fixation or pause enhances the reader's reading proficiency, enabling them to complete reading materials more rapidly.

2. Side Effects of Lip Reading
Lip reading involves interpreting text solely through observing lip movements without vocalizing the words. This practice imposes restrictions on reading speed, as the eye span is confined to the specific word being read. Additionally, proficient readers may unconsciously move their lips while reading, inadvertently decelerating their reading pace. 

3. Side Effects of Underlining/ Using Fingers
The act of underlining or employing fingers as guides during reading can impede the reading process. While using fingers may create an illusion of reading speed, it actually constrains the pace. This limitation occurs because the reader's eyes focus solely on the word being pointed to by the finger, potentially hindering the ability to make connections and draw conclusions in the text.

4. Sign Post Words
In school, students received instruction emphasizing the significance of text elements such as titles, character names, and opening lines. Beyond these basics, there are additional text features often labeled as "signposts" that enhance students' comprehension of literary texts. Words like "but" and "and" function as signposts, guiding the progression of sentences. These linguistic cues serve as alerts for readers to focus on the content and grasp the importance conveyed by the signal.

5. Segmenting with Sub- Headings (like – intro, background, causes, conclusion)
To comprehend the passage effectively, it is essential for the reader to recognize the elements of reading comprehension, which unveil the fundamental structure and organization of the text. Nearly every passage adheres to a similar principle. Hence, it is crucial to grasp the passage's structure, tone, and central theme. Swiftly identifying these fundamental components will facilitate a prompt and accurate response to questions related to the passage.

Tips according to the length of the paragraph

1. Tips for Very Long Passages

• Cultivate a practice of exploring diverse articles to enhance comprehension of various writers' tones, attitudes, and writing styles.
• Employ the "bottom-up" approach by first reading the questions, providing the reader with a clear focus when navigating the passage and saving time.
• When faced with a lengthy passage, selectively read only the sections relevant to the posed questions.
• Instead of memorizing every detail, focus on grasping the author's main points while reading the passage.
• Enhance reading speed by practicing with different exam papers or online mock tests.
• Actively engage with the passage from the beginning, noting essential details and questioning each passage based on inference.

2. Tips for Short Passages

• Short reading comprehension passages typically consist of one or two paragraphs.
• These passages lend themselves to easy and quick reading.
• Readers are encouraged to adopt a deliberate pace while simultaneously identifying key details.
• Following the reading, refer back to the questions and locate the lines in the passage that align with the posed questions.

3. Tips for Medium Length Passages

• Begin by reading two to three lines from each paragraph to swiftly grasp the paragraph's conclusion and essence.
• While reading, make a conscious effort to take note of significant information by recalling key words.
• Streamline the passage by eliminating extraneous words, phrases, and sentences to facilitate answering questions with similar options.
• Enhance vocabulary by tackling comprehensions from diverse knowledge domains such as Science, Arts, Literature, Politics, Economics, and Current Affairs.

Example:

Read the passage and answer the questions on the basis of the same:

A fact that draws our attention is that, according to his position in life, an extravagant man is either admired or loathed. A successful business man does nothing to increase his popularity by being prudent with his money. A person who is wealthy is expected to lead a luxurious life and to be lavish with his hospitality. If he is not so, he is considered mean, and his reputation in business may even suffer in consequence. The paradox remains that he had not been careful with his money in the first place; he would never have achieved his present wealth.

Among the low income group, a different set of values exists. The young clerk, who makes his wife a present of a new dress when he has not paid his house rent, is condemned as extravagant. Carefulness with money to the point of meanness is applauded as a virtue. Nothing in his life is considered more worthy than paying his bills. The ideal wife for such a man separates her housekeeping money into joyless little piles – so much for rent, for food, for the children’s shoes, she is able to face the milkman with equanimity every month satisfied with her economizing ways, and never knows the guilt of buying something she can’t really afford.

As for myself, I fall neither of these categories. If I have money to spare I can be extravagant, but when, as is usually the case, I am hard up and then I am the meanest man imaginable.

Q1: Choose an appropriate title for the above passage:
(a) Profligacy plays its part in the lives of both rich and poor.
(b) Miserable lives of the poor.
(c) Profligacy – A cause for poverty.
(d) Profligacy is appreciated.
Ans: (c)

Q2: As per the text, “A wealthy and successful businessman…
(a) Has been into profligacy.
(b) Is popular by wasting time.
(c) Shall not worry about popularity.
(d) Is likely to have a lavish standard of living. 
Ans: (d)

Q3: “Lavish with hospitality” – what is the meaning of this?
(a) Precise in spending merely on strangers as well as guests.
(b) Can’t serve relatives and friends.
(c) Miserliness in dealing with relatives.
(d) A sense of profligacy in treating guests.
Ans: (d)

Q4: “Equanimity” word in the concluding paragraph means:
(a) Embarrassment.
(b) Composure.
(c) Ambiguous.
(d) Doubtful.
Ans: (b)