Each question below uses one distractor type. Answer on paper, then read why every wrong option fails.
They practise the four lessons in reading decisions when distractors look plausible. Log slips in the mistake log and paper-error review.
Questions
Question 1. The Form 5 trip to Melaka was cancelled on Monday. The bus company had raised its rates, and the parents’ committee could not agree on extra payment. Why was the trip cancelled?
- A: The parents refused to pay anything
- B: The bus rates rose and parents could not agree on extra payment
- C: The school lost interest in the trip
Answer
B. It restates the passage. A is assumed: the passage says they could not agree, not that they refused everything. C is assumed: nothing mentions interest.
Question 2. Aisha lent Sofia a calculator. She forgot hers at home and needed it for the test. Who forgot a calculator?
- A: Aisha
- B: Sofia
- C: The teacher
Answer
B. Sofia borrowed one because she had none. Aisha is the nearest noun, but she had the calculator to lend. The teacher is not mentioned.
Question 3. The hawker stall closed after the road was widened. Which is correct?
- A: The road was widened because the stall closed
- B: The stall closed after the road was widened
- C: The stall closed before the road works
Answer
B. A reverses the order and cause. C reverses the sequence. Both copy the passage’s words but change the relationship.
Question 4. The shop assistant nodded slowly, sighed, and said the stock would arrive “sometime next week, probably”. What is the assistant’s attitude?
- A: Furious
- B: Uncertain
- C: Delighted
Answer
B. “Sometime”, “probably” and the slow nod show uncertainty. A has no evidence of anger, only a sigh. C has no positive word.
Question 5. The lift was out of order on Tuesday. The teachers carried the boxes up the stairs, so the delivery was late. Which is supported?
- A: Teachers disliked carrying boxes
- B: The delivery was late because the lift was out of order
- C: The boxes were too heavy for the lift
Answer
B. The chain is lift out of order, carried by stairs, late delivery. A is assumed, since no feeling is stated. C is assumed, since weight is not mentioned.
Question 6. “I suppose the new timetable is fine,” wrote Hafiz. “It just means I must leave home earlier.” What is Hafiz’s attitude?
- A: Enthusiastic
- B: Reluctantly accepting
- C: Angry
Answer
B. “I suppose” and “just means” show mild reluctance. A needs positive words, and C needs an outburst. Neither appears.
If you got these wrong
Questions 1 and 5: what the author states versus what you assume. Question 2: pronoun traps. Question 3: answers that copy words but flip the meaning.
Questions 4 and 6: explaining evidence for a writer’s attitude. For a teacher to go through your options, see online one-to-one English tuition.