Directions: In this section, you have two short passages. After each passage, you will find some items based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the items based on it and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and the opinion of the author only. Magda: Good morning, Mrs. smiles. It's wet, isn't it? Mrs. Smiles: Yes, it is, isn't it? How are you today? All right? You haven't been studying too hard, have you? You look a bit pale. Magda: I don't, do I? Well, I haven't been out much lately. I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks, have we? Mrs. Smiles: No, I don't think we have, Let's see, you'll be going back home next month, won't you? Magda: Oh no, I'm not going back yet. My sister's coming over first. Mrs. Smiles: Oh, is she? You're looking forward to that, I expect. How long is it since you saw her? Magda: Nearly a year now. Yes, I am looking forward to it very much. Mrs. Smiles: She's coming over here to study? Magda: Yes, that's right. I shan't go back home until she's settled down. I don't think I ought to, ought I? Mrs. Smiles: Well, no, she's younger than you are, is she? Magda: Yes she's only eighteen.
Magda had not been out much lately because:
the weather had been unpleasant
Understanding Why Magda Stayed Indoors
The question asks us to find out why Magda had not been going out much recently, based on the conversation with Mrs. Smiles. To answer this, we need to carefully read Magda's lines in the passage and identify the reason she gives for staying home.
Analyzing the Conversation
Let's look at the relevant part of the dialogue:
- Mrs. Smiles: ... You haven't been studying too hard, have you? You look a bit pale.
- Magda: I don't, do I? Well, I haven't been out much lately. I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks, have we?
In this exchange, Mrs. Smiles observes that Magda looks pale and suggests she might be studying too hard. Magda confirms she hasn't been out much lately and immediately follows this statement with her reason: "I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks".
Evaluating the Options
Now let's examine the given options in light of Magda's statement:
- Option 1: she had not been keeping well
The passage mentions Magda looks pale, which Mrs. Smiles points out. However, Magda doesn't say she is unwell. She attributes her appearance and lack of going out to the weather.
- Option 2: she was busy with her studies
Mrs. Smiles asks if she's been studying too hard, but Magda's response focuses on not being out and the weather. She doesn't confirm that studies are the reason she stayed inside.
- Option 3: the weather had been unpleasant
Magda explicitly states, "I haven't been out much lately. I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks". This directly links her staying indoors to the bad weather.
- Option 4: her sister had come over to stay
The passage mentions that Magda's sister is coming, but not until "next month". So, the sister has not yet arrived and is not the reason for Magda's recent lack of outdoor activity.
Conclusion
Based on Magda's own words in the passage, the reason she had not been out much lately is clearly because the weather was unpleasant ("I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks").
| Reason Magda Gives | Related Passage Text | Matches Option? |
|---|---|---|
| Disliking the weather / Wet weather for weeks | "I don't like this weather a bit. Why, we haven't had a dry day for weeks..." | Yes, Option 3 |
Revision Table: Understanding Reading Comprehension
| Skill | Description | How it Applies Here |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying Main Idea / Reason | Finding the core point or cause stated by a character. | Pinpointing Magda's stated reason for staying indoors. |
| Drawing Inferences vs. Stated Facts | Distinguishing between what is directly said and what might be implied. | Magda directly states the weather as the reason. Mrs. Smiles' suggestion about studies is an inference, not stated by Magda as the cause. |
| Eliminating Distractors | Discarding options that are not supported by the text or contradict it. | Options 1, 2, and 4 are not supported by Magda's statements about why she stayed in. |
Additional Information: Analyzing Dialogue in Passages
Dialogue in a passage provides direct insight into the characters' thoughts, feelings, and actions. When answering questions based on dialogue, it's important to:
- Pay close attention to who is speaking.
- Note what each speaker says, especially when giving reasons or explanations.
- Look for direct statements that answer the question being asked.
- Be cautious of assumptions or information that is only mentioned by another character but not confirmed by the person the question is about.
In this passage, Magda's direct response about the weather is the most reliable source for answering the question about why she hasn't been out.
Similar Questions
"The egg trick was ruined," This means that:
According to the Quick Man, the conjurer:
The author believes that the Quick Man was really:
The conjuror extracted seventeen eggs from the hat of:
Mrs. Smiles says, "You're looking forward to that." This means, Magda was ______ her sister's arrival.
Magda's sister was coming to:
Mrs. Smiles and Magda are:
Which one of the following does not belong to the biotic community?
The nature of the biotic community largely depends on :
1. Biotic components
2. Abiotic components
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which of the following is not an abiotic factor?
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
What is the meaning of ‘intrigued’?
What are ice shelves?
What are icebergs?
When the iceberg turns upside down, it appears ________.
The use of science in its simple form has helped man to ____________
