These ten questions use passages written for this site. They cover paragraph purpose, headings, examples and claims, contrast connectors and summaries, ordered from easier to harder. They are not past-paper questions and do not show an exam layout.
Cover the answer, decide on your own, then open it. Write a reason for each choice, because the reason is what shows whether the skill is secure.
Questions
1. Purpose (easier). “Our neighbourhood park has two new benches. They face the pond, so visitors can watch the ducks.” What is the purpose of the second sentence?
- A. to give a reason for where the benches are placed
- B. to complain about the benches
- C. to explain how to feed ducks
Show answer
A. The word so shows a result or reason. The benches face the pond, which lets visitors watch the ducks. Nothing is a complaint, and feeding ducks is not mentioned.
2. Heading. “Some schools now start lessons at 8:30 instead of 7:30. Teachers report that pupils arrive calmer, and fewer are late. Parents say mornings at home are less rushed.” Choose the heading that fits: A. “Why school buses are late”, B. “A later start to the school day”, C. “Breakfast at home”.
Show answer
B. It covers the change, the teachers’ reports and the parents’ comments. A is not stated, and C is a detail that only hints at home mornings.
3. Example or claim. “Small habits add up. A pupil who reads ten pages a night finishes twelve books a year.” Which is the claim?
Show answer
“Small habits add up.” It is general. The second sentence is an example with a specific pupil, ten pages and twelve books. 10 × 365 = 3,650 pages, about twelve books of 300 pages, which checks the example.
4. Connector. “Although the exam was difficult, most pupils finished on time.” What is the main point?
Show answer
Most pupils finished on time. Although admits the difficulty but the main clause carries the stronger point.
5. Purpose. “Some people prefer to study in silence. Others find quiet music helps them focus.” What is the purpose of the paragraph?
- A. to recommend silence
- B. to compare two study habits
- C. to explain how music is made
Show answer
B. Some people and Others set two habits side by side. The writer recommends neither.
6. Heading (harder). “Plastic bags take centuries to break down. Turtles mistake them for jellyfish, and whales have been found with bags in their stomachs. Several supermarkets now charge for bags, and sales of reusable bags have risen.” Which heading covers the whole text: A. “Turtles and jellyfish”, B. “The problem with plastic bags and one response to it”, C. “Reusable bags”.
Show answer
B. The text has a problem (paragraph one and two sentences) and a response (the charge). A is one detail, and C covers only the last sentence.
7. Connector (harder). “Most people think that a long holiday is the ideal way to rest. In fact, the survey found that short breaks during the week left people less tired. However, the researcher admits that the survey was small.” Which statement is closest to the writer’s view?
- A. Long holidays are the ideal way to rest.
- B. Short breaks may help people rest more, though the evidence is limited.
- C. Surveys are never useful.
Show answer
B. In fact introduces the finding that goes against the common belief, and However adds a limit. A is the belief being challenged. C goes far beyond the text.
8. Example or claim (harder). “Volunteering teaches teamwork. On Saturday, Hana’s group cleared a riverbank in three hours after each member took one section. For this reason the school now asks every class to volunteer once a term.” Identify the claim, the example and the conclusion.
Show answer
Claim: “Volunteering teaches teamwork.” Example: Hana’s group clearing the riverbank, with a day, a number and a person. Conclusion: the school now asks every class to volunteer, introduced by For this reason.
9. Summary selection. Passage: “A local bakery sells bread made with flour ground at a mill two streets away. The owner, Mrs Yusuf, says this keeps prices steady and the bread fresh. Customers also enjoy watching the bread being baked through the shop window.” Task: Summarise why the bakery uses a nearby mill in one sentence.
Show answer
One possible answer: Using a nearby mill keeps the bakery’s prices steady and its bread fresh. The name Mrs Yusuf and the shop window are side details. The last sentence is not a reason for using the mill, so it is left out.
10. Summary and mistake-spotting. A student writes: “A local bakery sells bread made with flour ground at a mill two streets away.” Explain in two short points why this is a weak answer to question 9.
Show answer
First, it is copied almost word for word from the passage. Second, it gives the fact but not the reason (steady prices and fresh bread), which is what the task asked for. A fix: restate the reasons in your own structure, as in question 9.
If you got these wrong
| Error pattern | Questions | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Named the topic instead of the job of the paragraph | 1, 5 | Identify a paragraph purpose |
| Chose a heading that was too narrow or too broad | 2, 6 | Choose a heading from its whole meaning |
| Picked the example as the main point | 3, 8 | Distinguish an example from the main claim |
| Missed the turn after a connector | 4, 7 | Follow a contrast signalled by a connector |
| Copied the passage or kept side details | 9, 10 | Summarise a short passage in learner-owned language |
What to do next
Start a record of the question number, the error pattern and the lesson that explains it. The mistake log and retest queue keeps that record on your own device, and the summary selection and paraphrase studio gives more passages to work with. Retest a missed type a few days later with a different passage, because getting it right once after seeing the answer shows less than getting it right on a fresh text.
Return to the reading for main ideas module for the study order. A teacher in online one-to-one English as a Second Language tuition can go through a set like this with you and focus on the reasoning behind each choice.