FREE LESSON · Reading Foundations
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The answer is already in the passage. Your job is to find the sentence that proves it.
Every reading question is a small treasure hunt. The question gives you clues, and the passage hides the proof. Read the question first. Pick out its clue words. Then scan the passage for them, and find the one sentence that holds the answer.
A keyword is a clue word in the question. It points to where the answer is. Names, places, dates and words like 'first', 'mainly' or 'according to the passage' are all keywords. For 'Why did Mara turn back at the river?', the keywords are Mara, turn back and river.
Keywords save time. In the test, you only have a minute or two for each question. If you read the whole passage again every time, you'll run out of time. Scanning for keywords finds the proof sentence in seconds.
Here's the method. Find the keywords in the question. Scan for them, or words that mean the same. Read the sentence you land on, plus the ones just before and after. Then check each option against that sentence.
Writers often swap the question's word for a close one. 'Frightened' in the question might be 'her hands shook' in the passage. So look for the meaning, not just the exact word.
The trap is an option that copies a word from the passage but says something the passage doesn't. The familiar word feels safe. So always ask: does the sentence support this option, or does the option just borrow the word?
A good answer sounds like this: 'The passage says …, which proves …'. Point to the sentence you found. Then say how it answers the question. For an even better answer, say why the trap is wrong.
Keyword
a word in the question that points to where the answer lives.Underline keywords before you read so your search has a target.Scan
moving your eyes quickly to find one word, without reading every line.Scanning for keywords finds the proof sentence in seconds.Synonym swap
when the passage uses a close word instead of the question's exact word.The evidence may say 'her hands shook' when the question says 'frightened'.Borrowed-word trap
an option that copies a word from the passage but says something the passage doesn't.A familiar word feels safe. Check the sentence around it before you choose.Evidence
the sentence in the passage that proves the answer.Read around your keyword, because the answer often sits just beside it.The moveUse the clue words to find the sentence about the beams. Cross out the paint option, because paint was only an idea for a repair.
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Watch how to solve it, one step at a time.
Read the passage and the question, then follow the steps. You'll see the answer, the trap, and what to do next time.
Full passage: the keyword leads to the proof
Question: According to the passage, why did the council finally close the old footbridge?The Footbridge
For sixty years the timber footbridge carried walkers across Miller's Creek. Tourists photographed it; local children dared each other to run across when the water ran high. The council repainted it every spring, and most people assumed it would stand forever.
Then, after a wet winter, an engineer was sent to inspect the supports. She found that the main beams beneath the walkway had rotted from the inside, where the damp had settled and never dried. From above, the bridge still looked sturdy and freshly painted.
The council did not want to lose a landmark. They considered new railings and brighter paint. But the engineer's report was clear: the rot in the support beams meant the bridge could give way under a crowd. That winter, the council closed it, and crews began to plan a replacement.
Work out what kind of answer you need.
The question asks why the council closed the footbridge. 'According to the passage' means the answer is written in the text. I don't have to guess it.
My keywords are council, close and footbridge. So I'll scan for the part where the bridge is closed, and look for the reason.
Follow the steps from the clue words to the answer.
Go from the keyword to the answer.
See why a tempting answer is wrong.
Common wrong answer: the council closed the bridge because it needed brighter paint and new railings.
Why it tempts you: 'paint' and 'railings' are in the passage. So the option feels familiar.
Why it's wrong: it borrows words. The council only thought about paint and railings as a way to keep the bridge. They weren't the reason it closed. The passage gives the reason plainly: the rotted beams could give way under a crowd.
Fix: check what the borrowed words do in the passage. Here, they're an idea for a repair, not the reason.
Say the answer and the shortest proof.
The council closed the footbridge because the engineer found the main beams had rotted from the inside. Her report says 'the rot in the support beams meant the bridge could give way under a crowd'. So it wasn't safe, even though it looked 'sturdy and freshly painted' from above.
What to remember for questions like this.
The method: keyword, read around it, then check the option does the job the question asks.
On a new question, don't choose an option just because its words are in the passage. Check those words do the job the question asks.
What to do on your next question.
| In this question | Next time | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Scanned from 'closed' to the sentence with the reason. | Pick two or three keywords, scan, then read the sentences next to your match. | The answer is often next to the keyword. |
| Chose the rotted beams as the reason. | Match the question word (who, what, when, where or why) to the proof. | A true detail isn't enough if it answers a different question. |
| Rejected paint and railings as borrowed words. | For any familiar-word option, ask what those words do in the passage. | Borrowed words can feel right but answer a different question. |
compare
The difference between spotting a familiar word and finding the proof.
Both readers saw the same passage. One picks the option with a familiar word. The other scans to the proof sentence. Markers reward the second.
The whole response
Word-match guess
The school stopped using the shed because it needed a new door and a brighter colour, which the passage mentions.
Proven answer
Termites had eaten the posts, so the roof could fall in. That's why the school stopped using it.
guide
Do one small reader move before independent practice.
Look back at the worked passage. Now name the keywords, find the proof sentence, and watch for the borrowed-word trap.
According to the passage, what did the engineer find beneath the walkway? Pick the answer. Then name your keywords and give the proof.
Want feedback on your own answer? Get started to practise with instant marking.
The Closed Lookout
On Friday, the council closed the hilltop lookout. A notice at the gate mentioned loose stones beside the eastern path. Some visitors assumed the closure was caused by the forecast rain, but the ranger explained that a section of the path had shifted after heavy rain the previous week. The viewing platform itself was sound. Workers would secure the path over the weekend and inspect it again on Monday. Several walkers stayed below the gate to photograph the valley. The lookout would reopen only after the path passed that inspection. The café at the bottom of the hill remained open throughout the repairs.
Question: Why did the council close the lookout?
The Closed Lookout
On Friday, the council closed the hilltop lookout. A notice at the gate mentioned loose stones beside the eastern path. Some visitors assumed the closure was caused by the forecast rain, but the ranger explained that a section of the path had shifted after heavy rain the previous week. The viewing platform itself was sound. Workers would secure the path over the weekend and inspect it again on Monday. Several walkers stayed below the gate to photograph the valley. The lookout would reopen only after the path passed that inspection. The café at the bottom of the hill remained open throughout the repairs.
Question: Which words should you scan for to answer when the lookout can reopen?
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