How do you answer comprehension questions?

Answer 1

Slow yourself down when you read. No matter how pressured you feel, read each sentence, pausing at each comma and period. At the end of a few sentences to a paragraph, close your eyes. Tell yourself what you just read-- not word for word, just the gist of it. Open your eyes and re-read it. Do you still agree with what you thought you read before?

Reading comprehension is about more than just knowing the words. In fact, you can even see words you do not know--but still comprehend what you read.

Here are three examples, from simple to more complex:

1. See Jane with the ball? Jane threw the ball to Dick. Dick caught the ball. Dick threw the ball back to Jane. Jane did not catch it. The ball rolled away.

Comprehension - Two friends named Dick and Jane are throwing a ball to each other. Dick caught the ball, but Jane did not.

2. Jane was very excited! Her old childhood friend, Dick, was visiting his grandparents. A month ago, Dick had called Jane to tell her about his plans. He asked her if she would like to see a movie, and Jane said, "Yes!" They had not seen each other for three years, when Dick's family moved away. But Jane was certain Dick would be the same caring friend she knew from before.

Comprehension: Dick and Jane had not seen each other for three years because his family moved out of town. Before Dick returned to visit his grandparents, he called and asked Jane to go to the movies. Jane was very excited by this.

3. "This is Richard," said the deep voice on the telephone.

"Richard? Richard who?" Jane asked, rather rudely.

The voice softened; "Your old friend, Dick," he said.

"Dick! Is it really you?"

"Yes, I've come back home."

"It's been what-- twenty years--?"

"No, more like 24 years," he interrupted her.

"Well, my goodness! I often wondered about you over the years! But I didn't know where you moved after I last saw you. You sort of, disappeared from the face of the earth."

"I'd love to change that. I'm right down the street at Hadley's Drug Store. Would you like to share a Root Beer Float?"

Though Jane heard herself say, "I'd love to!", she nervously looked in the mirror as they hung up the phone. She hadn't seen her childhood friend since she was barely a teenager. Now, she was a grown woman, 35 years old, divorced, with three children. As she reached for her car keys, she wondered how Dick--Richard---might have changed over the years.

Comprehension - Dick and Jane were childhood friends. Dick's family had moved away. He came back once as a young teenager to see his grandparents, and saw Jane then, too. Now, 24 years later, Richard had returned. Jane agreed to meet Richard at Hadley's Drug Store for a Root Beer Float. Jane was excited--but nervous to see him, unsure if they could accept how each other had changed.

Comprehension means understanding what you have read so you can accurately retell the highlights in your own words, without changing the meaning of what you read.