Academic passages: details and NOT questions
Detail and NOT/EXCEPT questions: locate facts quickly, match paraphrases, and eliminate options the passage does mention.
In this lesson you will
- Locate details using key words
- Match paraphrased answers
- Answer NOT/EXCEPT questions by elimination
Learn
Detail questions: According to paragraph 2, what…? Scan for key words from the question, read that part carefully, and choose the option that paraphrases it.
Traps: options using exact passage words with the wrong meaning; options that are true in general but not stated; options that mix two details.
NOT/EXCEPT questions: All of the following are mentioned EXCEPT… Find three options in the passage and eliminate them — the remaining one is the answer.
Stay local: detail questions refer to specific paragraphs — don’t search the whole passage.
Examples
- Passage: “The city’s population tripled between 1850 and 1900.” → Answer: “It grew rapidly in the late 1800s.”
- EXCEPT: passage lists salt, cloth and metal as trade goods → “grain” is the answer.
- Trap: option repeats “population” but says it fell.
Vocabulary
detail
a specific fact
paraphrase
same meaning, different words
eliminate
remove as wrong
except
not including
triple
become three times bigger
In real life
Read the paragraph.
Ancient trade routes across the Sahara connected West African kingdoms with North Africa. Camels, which can travel for days without water, made these long journeys possible. Traders carried gold, ivory and salt, and they exchanged ideas as well as goods: scholars, books and new religious practices moved along the same routes. Oasis towns grew wealthy by providing water, food and rest to passing caravans.
Practice
According to the paragraph, why were camels important?
Lesson quiz
Detail questions usually refer to…
Review
Key points
- Scan, read closely, match paraphrase.
- Watch traps.
- EXCEPT: eliminate the three mentioned.
- Stay local.
What you learned
- ✓ I answer detail questions accurately.
- ✓ I handle NOT/EXCEPT questions.
- ✓ I avoid traps.