Reading Comprehension
ICSE Class 7 · English · Chapter 1
What this chapter covers
- What reading comprehension means
- Reading an unseen prose passage
- Inference and personal response
- Vocabulary in context
- Unseen poems
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Key points
- Reading comprehension is the skill of fully understanding a text: its facts, its hidden meanings and its words.
- An unseen passage tests a reading method, not memory: skim, read the questions, read closely, then answer and check.
- Textual evidence from the passage must support every answer you give.
- An inference is a conclusion drawn from clues in the text; answer with "I think … because the passage says …".
- A personal response states your own view with reasons from the passage; disagreeing is fine if you explain why.
- Context clues of definition, example, contrast and mood reveal the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- A synonym has the same or nearly the same meaning; an antonym has the opposite meaning.
- An analogy pairs two word pairs that share the same link; name the link before you choose.
- In an unseen poem, read for meaning, then for language, then for feeling; explain the effect of every device you name.
- Tone is the speaker's attitude; mood is the reader's feeling.
- A summary is short, objective and in your own words, keeping the central idea and the main points only.
Questions answered
Why had the library been closed?
The library had been closed for repairs during the summer.
Give two changes Meera found when the library reopened.
The wooden shelves had been replaced by bright blue ones, and there was a new cushioned corner for younger children. (The new atlases are also correct.)
What can you infer about Meera's feelings towards the library from the second sentence?
She loved the library and had been eager for it to reopen, because she was the first person through the door.
What do "She sighed, then shrugged" suggest about Meera?
The sigh shows she was disappointed that her series was gone, and the shrug shows she quickly accepted it and was willing to try something new.
Find a word in the passage that is an antonym of "dull".
"bright" (also "shining").
Complete the analogy: library : books :: garage : ______
cars, because a library is a place that holds books, just as a garage is a place that holds cars.
What is the difference between tone and mood?
Tone is the speaker's or writer's attitude towards the subject; mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader.
Name the figure of speech in "The kettle sang a cheerful song on the stove" and explain it.
It is personification, because singing a cheerful song is a human action given to a kettle. It makes the kitchen seem warm and happy.