This lesson is about how to answer global meaning questions in the Reading section of the test.
What does this type of question look like?
Which one of these statements best sums up the passage?
- The reasons for migration have changed significantly.
- Migration is caused by a combination of many factors.
- Governments have the most influence on migration.
- Migration is best explained in terms of personal choices.
How would you approach this question? Discuss it with your partner.
What do I have to write in the answer sheet?
Write the letter of the statement which most closely corresponds to the overall meaning of the passage.
What am I being tested on?
You are being tested on your ability to understand the general meaning of the whole passage. This is different from all other question types which concentrate on details and specific sections within the passage. This is a more difficult reading technique so this question often comes at the end of the reading, at question 40, but it may also appear in earlier passages. There will only be one question of this type.
How should I approach this question?
- As this question usually comes last in the question section for a passage, you will already have skimmed and scanned over most of the passage in order to answer the other questions. You may not need to read the passage again to answer the question, and you may not have time to do so anyway.
- Carefully read all the statements. Consider which ones are incorrect and so could be rejected.
- Some statements may be incorrect because they contradict information given in the passage. Others may be incorrect because they only represent part of the information given in the passage, not all of it. They are partial.
- Note if some statements contradict others. For example, in the question above, C. says that governments have ‘most’ influence in migration, while D. says that it is ‘best’ explained by personal choice. These are both superlatives, so at least one of them must be incorrect.