Reading and Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 2
Reading and Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 2 is a second worked set of general non-fiction comprehension for 13+ Common Entrance, covering informational text types such as newspaper reports, factual magazine articles, biographies and travel writing.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Before reading in detail, note the text type and its likely purpose: is it to inform, to instruct, to entertain, or a mixture, and who is the intended audience?
- Use headings, subheadings, captions and any bold words or bullet points as signposts to locate information quickly, since informational texts are often designed to be scanned rather than read start to finish.
- For 'find and copy' or retrieval questions, locate the exact word or short phrase in the text rather than paraphrasing, unless the question specifically asks for your own words.
- For inference questions, base your answer only on evidence actually in the text, quoting or referring to the specific detail that supports the inference you are making.
- For vocabulary-in-context questions, use the surrounding sentence to work out the meaning, since an unfamiliar word can usually be defined from how it is used.
- For summary questions, select only the most important points, put them in your own words, and keep to any word limit or number of points given.
- When comparing two short non-fiction texts, choose a small number of points of comparison, such as purpose, tone, or level of detail, and address both texts under each point rather than describing them separately.
Worked example
This is an extract from a factual magazine article about mountain rescue teams: 'Volunteers on the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team train year-round, in all weather, because a call can come at any hour. Last winter alone, the team was called out forty-three times, often in conditions that grounded the region's air ambulance.' Explain what this extract tells the reader about the demands of being a mountain rescue volunteer, using evidence from the text.
- Identify the first piece of evidence: 'train year-round, in all weather', which shows the training is constant and not limited to good conditions.
- Draw an inference from it: volunteers must be physically prepared for extreme and unpredictable conditions at any time of year.
- Identify the second piece of evidence: 'called out forty-three times' in one winter, 'often in conditions that grounded the region's air ambulance'.
- Draw an inference from it: the number of call-outs shows the role is frequently demanding, and conditions can be so severe that even a professional air ambulance cannot fly, meaning volunteers may face greater danger than other emergency services.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1What do the letters PAF stand for when analysing a non-fiction text?Show answer
Answer: Purpose, Audience and Form.
Q2A magazine article about volcanoes is broken into sections titled 'How volcanoes form', 'Famous eruptions' and 'Living near a volcano'. What are these called, and what is their purpose?Show answer
Answer: Subheadings - they signpost the content of each section so a reader can scan the article and find information quickly.
Q3In a report, a word is defined as follows: 'The expedition team faced constant attrition - illness, injury and exhaustion wore down their numbers day by day.' What does 'attrition' mean here?Show answer
Answer: A gradual wearing down or reduction in numbers over time, as shown by the following clause about illness, injury and exhaustion.
Q4A biography states that a person 'left school at fourteen to support her family, and by twenty-one had opened her own shop.' What can a reader infer about this person's character from these facts?Show answer
Answer: That she was hardworking, determined and ambitious, since she took on responsibility young and had achieved something significant by a young age.
Q5A travel article is written for a general newspaper audience rather than for expert climbers. How might its vocabulary and level of detail differ from a specialist mountaineering magazine?Show answer
Answer: It would likely use simpler, more everyday vocabulary and explain any technical terms, with less detailed technical information than a magazine written for expert climbers.
Q6You are asked to summarise a paragraph in one sentence. What is the biggest risk to avoid?Show answer
Answer: Including too much detail, or copying phrases directly from the text, instead of using your own words to capture only the main point.
Q7A newspaper report about a school's new library states: 'The library, funded entirely by a single anonymous donation, opened its doors last Tuesday.' What retrieval detail answers the question, how was the library funded?Show answer
Answer: By a single anonymous donation.
Q8Give one feature, other than headings, that a factual magazine article might use to help organise information for the reader.Show answer
Answer: For example, captions under photographs, bullet-point lists, bold key words, or a fact box or sidebar.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Read this extract from a factual article about the honeybee: 'A single worker bee will produce only about one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime, yet a strong hive can produce over 45 kilograms of surplus honey in a good year.' Explain what this comparison tells the reader about how honeybee colonies work.
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This is an extract from a newspaper report about a new bridge: 'The bridge, which took engineers six years to design and build, replaces a ferry crossing that once ran for over a century. Local resident Grace Adeyemi, aged eighty-two, was given the honour of cutting the ribbon, having crossed the old ferry as a child.' (a) Give one fact about the bridge's construction, using a detail from the text. (b) Explain why the writer might have chosen to include the detail about Grace Adeyemi.
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Text A, from a company brochure: 'Our tours are the adventure of a lifetime, taking you deeper into the rainforest than any other operator dares to go.' Text B, from a factual guidebook: 'Rainforest tours typically last three to five days and require a moderate level of fitness; most operators provide guides and basic equipment.' Compare how these two texts present rainforest tours, referring to both purpose and language.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the reading and comprehension: non-fiction set 2 worksheet pack - 7 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 6 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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