ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) Reading Comprehension Syllabus

Reading Comprehension syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Reading Comprehension in ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Passage Types and Genres

   3 topics

   • Nonfiction and Informational Passages
     • Science and nature topics
     • History and social studies topics
   • Literary and Narrative Passages
     • Fiction excerpts and characters
     • Poetry and figurative texts (Upper Level)
   • Humanities and Arts Passages
     • Biography and the arts
     • Persuasive and opinion texts
2. 2

   Main Idea and Purpose

   4 topics

   • Identifying the central idea or theme
   • Determining the author's primary purpose
   • Choosing the best title or summary
   • Distinguishing main idea from supporting detail
3. 3

   Supporting Details and Evidence

   3 topics

   • Locating explicitly stated facts
   • Identifying evidence for a claim
   • Recognizing examples and their function
4. 4

   Inference and Interpretation

   4 topics

   • Drawing logical inferences from text
   • Predicting outcomes and implications
   • Interpreting figurative language and tone
   • Determining the meaning of words in context
5. 5

   Author's Craft and Organization

   3 topics

   • Identifying tone, mood, and attitude
   • Recognizing text structure and organization
   • Understanding point of view and perspective
6. 6

   Reading Test Strategy

   4 topics

   • Active reading and annotation under time limits
   • Mapping passages by paragraph
   • Locating line references efficiently
   • Pacing across multiple passages in the section

Reading Comprehension flashcards for ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination)

20 of 50 cards from the Reading Comprehension deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the central idea (or theme) of a passage?

   The main point or overarching message the whole passage develops; the single idea that all paragraphs and details support.

2. How is a 'theme' different from a 'topic'?

   A topic is what the passage is about (a word/phrase, e.g., 'friendship'); a theme is the full statement or insight the passage makes about that topic (e.g., 'true friendship requires sacrifice').

3. What is the author's primary purpose in a reading passage?

   The main reason the author wrote it, usually summed up by a verb: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to describe, or to explain.

4. Which verbs typically signal an INFORMATIVE/expository purpose?

   To inform, explain, describe, define, illustrate, or report facts without trying to change the reader's opinion.

5. Which verbs signal a PERSUASIVE purpose?

   To persuade, argue, convince, urge, or recommend; the author takes a position and wants the reader to agree or act.

6. On the ISEE, what makes a good answer to a 'best title' question?

   A title that captures the whole passage's main idea, neither too broad (covering more than the passage) nor too narrow (covering only one detail).

7. How do you tell a main idea from a supporting detail?

   The main idea is the general claim the passage proves; supporting details are the specific facts, examples, statistics, or reasons that back it up.

8. What is an explicitly stated fact in a passage?

   Information the text states directly in words, so the answer can be found and pointed to in the passage without interpretation.

9. What is textual evidence for a claim?

   Specific words, sentences, facts, or examples quoted or referenced from the passage that directly support a stated conclusion or argument.

10. What is the function of an example in a passage?

    To illustrate, clarify, or prove a general point by giving a concrete, specific instance of it.

11. What is an inference?

    A logical conclusion drawn from textual clues plus reasoning—something the passage implies but does not state directly.

12. What is the difference between an inference and a direct statement?

    A direct statement is written word-for-word in the text; an inference is reasoned out from evidence in the text and is not stated outright.

13. On a reading test, what makes an inference answer correct rather than a wrong 'guess'?

    It must be supported by specific evidence in the passage; correct inferences stay close to the text and do not rely on outside opinion or extreme leaps.

14. What does it mean to predict an outcome or implication from a passage?

    To use stated information and trends in the text to reason about what would logically happen next or what the information suggests beyond the passage.

15. What is figurative language?

    Language that means something different from its literal wording, used for effect—e.g., metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole.

16. Define a simile and give its signal words.

    A comparison of two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'brave as a lion').

17. Define a metaphor.

    A direct comparison stating one thing IS another, without 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'time is a thief').

18. Define personification.

    Giving human qualities or actions to non-human things or ideas (e.g., 'the wind whispered').

19. Define hyperbole.

    Deliberate, obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect (e.g., 'I've told you a million times').

20. What does 'meaning of a word in context' require you to do?

    Determine which definition fits by using surrounding sentences as clues, rather than choosing the word's most common dictionary meaning.

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