Tema 2 · Reading Comprehension

Skimming, scanning, inferencia, vocabulario por contexto y true/false/justification — el formato exacto que aparece en la PEvAU andaluza.

1. Skimming vs scanning

Skimming — lectura rápida superficial para captar la idea general.
  • Lee título, subtítulos y primera frase de cada párrafo.
  • Identifica el tema principal en menos de 1 minuto.
  • Útil antes de las preguntas específicas para ubicarte.
Scanning — búsqueda rápida de información concreta.
  • Localiza nombres propios, fechas, cifras.
  • No leas todo el texto: salta hasta encontrar la pista.
  • Útil para true/false y preguntas con cita específica.

2. Inferring meaning from context

Pasos para inferir
  1. Identifica la palabra desconocida.
  2. Examina el contexto inmediato: ¿qué función tiene en la frase?
  3. Busca pistas: sinónimos cercanos, ejemplos, conectores (in other words, that is to say).
  4. Comprueba si tu hipótesis encaja con el sentido global.
Tipos de pistas (clues)
  • Definition: «Anaerobic bacteria, that is, bacteria that live without oxygen…»
  • Synonym: «The protagonist was reluctant, hesitant about the decision.»
  • Antonym: «Some are gregarious; others, however, prefer solitude.»
  • Example: «Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons…»
  • Cause/Effect: «Because of the drought, the rivers ran dry.»

3. True/False/Justification

Formato PEvAU Te dan una afirmación y debes decir True o False justificando con una cita literal del texto. Sin cita correcta, la pregunta vale 0 puntos aunque la marca True/False sea correcta.
Estrategia
  1. Busca la palabra clave de la afirmación en el texto (scanning).
  2. Lee la frase completa donde aparece — ¿coincide o se contradice con la afirmación?
  3. Copia literalmente la frase del texto que lo prueba.
  4. No infieras: si el texto no lo dice explícitamente, la respuesta no se puede justificar.

4. Multiple choice & complete the sentence

Multiple choice Cuatro opciones, una correcta. Las opciones suelen incluir:
  • la respuesta correcta;
  • una opción parcialmente correcta (atención);
  • una opción del campo semántico, pero ajena al texto;
  • una opción claramente errónea (descartable rápido).
Completar enunciado Te dan una frase incompleta sobre el texto. Tu tarea es completarla con tus propias palabras (sin citar literalmente) y mostrando comprensión, no copia.

5. Vocabulary in context

Pregunta típica «Find a synonym/antonym/word that means … in the text.» Te dan una palabra del texto y debes localizarla o sustituirla por un sinónimo.
Tipos frecuentes en PEvAU
  • Sinónimo formal: start → commence, get → obtain, show → reveal.
  • Antónimo: increase ↔ decrease, shrink ↔ grow.
  • Phrasal verb equivalent: tolerate → put up with, investigate → look into.
  • Idiom: once in a blue moon → very rarely.

6. Question types (mapping)

Identifica el tipo y aplica la estrategia
  • What does the writer suggest about X? → inferencia, no busques cita literal.
  • According to the text, X is … → cita literal, scanning.
  • Find a word that means … → vocabulario por contexto.
  • Why does the author mention X? → función retórica, lee el párrafo donde aparece.
  • True or False, justify with a quote. → comprobación literal + cita exacta.

7. Common errors

1. Justificar True/False con paráfrasis: la PEvAU exige cita literal.
2. Inferir en preguntas que solo piden información explícita.
3. Copiar frases enteras en preguntas que piden tus palabras.
4. Traducir el texto en lugar de comprenderlo: pierdes tiempo.
5. Confundir actually ("in fact") con "actualmente" (currently). False friend clásico.

Problemas resueltos paso a paso

PEvAU — Inferring meaning from context 2025OrientacionesMedio

Text: «Despite the city's growing wealth, the disparity between rich and poor continued to widen. Many low-income families struggled to afford basic necessities such as housing and food.»
Find a synonym for 'disparity' in the text.
1
Synonym (gap / income / wealth / necessity).
2
Antonym of 'widen' (narrow / open / widen / extend).
Ver solución completa
disparity = gap, inequality, difference. El antónimo de widen es narrow (estrechar). El texto contrasta crecimiento de riqueza con desigualdad creciente.

PEvAU — True/False with justification 2024OrientacionesAlta

Text: «The teenagers' use of social media has reached unprecedented levels. According to a recent study, 70% of adolescents spend over four hours daily on their phones, with negative effects on sleep and concentration.»
Statement: «Less than half of adolescents spend over four hours on their phones daily.» True or False?
1
Answer (true / false).
2
Word from the text that justifies it (70% / 50% / adolescents / phones).
Ver solución completa
La afirmación es False. Justificación literal: «70% of adolescents spend over four hours daily on their phones». 70 % > 50 %, por tanto la mayoría — no la minoría — supera las 4 horas diarias.

3. Reading strategy · Skimming

«You are given a 600-word article on climate change and 5 minutes to capture the main idea.»
1
Best initial strategy (1=read every word, 2=skim title + first sentences, 3=look up every unknown word, 4=translate paragraph by paragraph).
2
Time to spend on skimming (1=15 s, 2=≈60 s, 3=4 min, 4=5 min).

4. Reading strategy · Scanning

«Question: When was the Eiffel Tower built? Article: 2 pages long.»
1
Best strategy (1=read every paragraph, 2=scan for dates/numbers, 3=read conclusion only, 4=translate).
2
First place to look (1=any paragraph, 2=where dates/numbers cluster, 3=title only, 4=author bio).

5. Inference · Definition clue

«Anaerobic bacteria, that is, bacteria that live without oxygen, are common in deep soil.»
1
Meaning of 'anaerobic' (1=living with oxygen, 2=living without oxygen, 3=living in water, 4=living in sunlight).
2
Type of clue (1=synonym, 2=antonym, 3=definition, 4=example).

6. Inference · Synonym clue

«The protagonist was reluctant, hesitant about taking the new job.»
1
Meaning of 'reluctant' (1=eager, 2=hesitant, 3=brave, 4=angry).
2
Type of clue (1=antonym, 2=synonym (parallel), 3=cause/effect, 4=example).

7. Inference · Antonym clue

«Some students are gregarious; others, however, prefer solitude.»
1
Meaning of 'gregarious' (1=lonely, 2=sociable, 3=tired, 4=angry).
2
Signal word for antonym contrast (1=therefore, 2=however, 3=because, 4=for example).

8. Inference · Example clue

«Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits are rich in vitamin C.»
1
Meaning of 'citrus' (1=fruits in general, 2=fruits with strong acidic juice (like oranges), 3=tropical fruits, 4=dried fruits).
2
Type of clue (1=example, 2=cause, 3=antonym, 4=synonym).

9. True/False · Literal vs paraphrased

«The factory has reduced its emissions by 30% since 2020.»
Statement: «The factory has cut its pollution by a third since 2020.»
1
Answer (true / false).
2
How (1=close paraphrase, 30%≈one third, 2=literal copy, 3=contradiction, 4=not mentioned).

10. True/False · Implication trap

«Most students at this school read more than 5 books per year.»
Statement: «All students at this school read more than 5 books per year.»
1
Answer (true / false).
2
Reason (1=most ≠ all, 2=most = all, 3=text doesn't talk about books, 4=text says less than 5).

11. Multiple choice · Author's intention

«The author opens the article with a vivid description of a starving child to underline the urgency of the food crisis.»
1
Author's intent (1=entertain, 2=arouse emotion to support thesis, 3=present neutral data, 4=criticize photography).
2
Rhetorical device (1=appeal to logos, 2=appeal to pathos, 3=appeal to ethos, 4=irony).

12. Vocabulary · Formal synonym

«Find a more formal synonym for 'start' in the text: 'The conference will commence at 10 am.'»
1
Synonym (1=finish, 2=commence, 3=postpone, 4=skip).
2
Register (1=informal, 2=formal/academic, 3=slang, 4=archaic).

13. Vocabulary · Phrasal verb equivalent

«'I cannot tolerate this noise any longer.' Substitute by a phrasal verb.»
1
Phrasal verb (1=put off, 2=put up with, 3=put down, 4=put away).
2
Meaning of 'put off' for comparison (1=tolerate, 2=postpone, 3=remove, 4=arrange).

14. Reading · Complete the sentence

«The author claims that, despite economic growth, ___.» (Text mentions inequality widening.)
1
Best completion (1=poverty has been eliminated, 2=inequality has widened, 3=growth stopped, 4=the economy collapsed).
2
Reasoning (1=infer from negative tone, 2=literal claim in text, 3=author's biography, 4=guess).

15. Reading · Why the author mentions X

«The author cites a 2023 WHO report. Why?»
1
Function (1=fill space, 2=support claim with authority, 3=criticize WHO, 4=summarize a recipe).
2
Type of argument (1=authority, 2=ejemplification, 3=analogy, 4=anecdote).

Test de autoevaluación

1. Best strategy to capture the main idea of a long article quickly:

2. T/F question requires a justification:

3. 'put up with' means:

4. 'Actually' in English usually means:

5. Antonym of 'widen':

Simuladores

🔍 Vocabulary in context

Click on the meaning that best fits the highlighted word in context.

✔ True / False (justification)

Decide whether the statement is true or false. Then identify the supporting words from the text.

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