Unseen Passage Class 4 to Class 10
The students are required to have a thorough study and understanding of the given comprehension passage which may consist of one or more than one paragraphs. The main purpose of this activity is to test the reading ability of the students and their intellectual skills.
Board – Central Board of Secondary Education
Class – CBSE Class 4 to Class 10
Subject – English Reading Skills – Unseen Passage
Types of Passages: There are two types of passages which help to testify the reading skills of the students during their examination. They are:
- Factual Passage: A factual passage contains 300 to 350 words. It is a detailed description in which some information is added along with a detailed description of physical attributes. A good factual passage describes the reader to compare or contrast the relevant information regarding facts, data, etc. A student learns to get a comprehensive view of the subject and he discusses to improve his mental ability. There are instructive, descriptive and reporting passages in it.
The questions are asked on the factual passage in the following way:
In examination, 8 very short answer type questions of one mark each are asked on the basis of factual passage.
- Discursive Passage: A discursive passage contains a text which is either argumentative or interpretative or persuasive in nature. They may also include opinions or feedback. The students are able to come to a conclusion through their reasoning power rather than intuition. They discuss the subject to reach a balanced and objective approach.
The questions are asked on the discursive passage in the following way:
Discursive passage carries 12 marks in the examination. They include 4 short answer type questions of 2 marks each which bear the questions to test inference, evaluation and analysis and 4 very short answer type questions of one mark each which are based to test vocabulary including meanings, synonyms, antonyms, etc of the words given in the passage.
Tips for solving comprehension passages:
- Read the passage thoroughly. The reading should be quick.
- Focus on the relevant details and underline them with a pen or a pencil.
- Read the questions carefully and go back to the passage to find the answers.
- The answers are generally in a logical sequence.
- Try to write the answer in your own words.
- To find answer to the vocabulary based questions like synonyms etc., replace the word with the meaning. If you find that it is the same in meaning, the answer is correct.
- To find the correct option in Multiple Choice Questions, go through all the options. Re-read the passage and then tick the correct option.
Unseen Passage| Steps for Complete Comprehension
• Skim once as rapidly as possible to determine the main idea before you look at the questions. Don’t worry about words you don’t know at this stage.
• Underline the words that you do not understand to facilitate a complete understanding of the passage. This will enable you to solve the vocabulary questions quicker.
• Look through questions carefully. You are advised to keep to the order in which the questions appear in the test paper. Read intensively the portion relevant to the answers.
• Concentrate on the vocabulary items and puzzle out the meaning of any words you don’t know from the context.
• Most passages require at least two readings.
• Before writing the answer, check the questions again to be sure you’ve really understood them.
• You must write complete sentences as answers.
• Answers must be relevant and to the point. If the question is for one mark given one point. If it is for two marks give at least two points unless specified differently in the paper.
Steps to Follow In Skimming for the Main Ideas:
Read the title of the passage / poem carefully. Determine what clues it gives you as to what the passage / poem is about.
Watch for key words like ’causes, ”results, ”effects, ‘etc. Do not overlook signal words such as those suggesting controversy (e.g., ‘versus, ”pros and cons’), which indicate that the author is planning to present but sides of an argument.
Concentrate on the main ideas and ignore the details.
Unseen Passage | How to Approach Comprehension Questions
1. The ‘why’ question
In the ‘why’ question you are required to give reasons, provide explanations and give evidence for an answer. It is essential therefore, to look out for word that show cause, effect and purpose in order to arrive at the answer. These words are:
(i) Cause word; Cause words signal the cause or reason for an event or an action. These include:
- Because
- due to
- as
- since
- owing to
- on account of
- In that
- Resulting from
- for that reason
- on the grounds that
(ii) Effect words; effect words signal the result of an event or an action. These include:
Consequently so as a result resulting in therefore
With the effect of
- Consequently
- so
- as a result
- resulting in
- there fore
- With the effect of
(iii) Purpose words ; purpose words indicate the reason for an event or an action. These include :
For so that so as to in order that for the purpose of
In order to
- For
- so that
- so as to
- in order that
- for
- the purpose of
- In Order to
2. The inference question
In the inference question you are required to make a deduction or draw a conclusion based on the information given in the passage. Since these are not straightforward questions, it is essential therefore, to read between the lines for clues or hidden meanings. This can be done by understanding certain key words and phrases. At times, you can draw an inference only after reading the entire poem / passage.
3. The rephrasing question :
At times you are required to explain a word/phrase in your own words or substitute a word/phrase in the passage without altering its meaning. To do so it is essential to understand the word/phrase in its context. So it is essential to read carefully what comes before and after it/
4. Vocabulary :
When you react passage or a poem, you will come across words that are unfamiliar. However, you don’t need to look up the meaning of every new word or expression that you come across. When you have finished reading the passage, try to understand the overall meaning of the passage. Try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words/ expressions from the context. For this you need to look for clues in the text itself.