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Reading Test (Part 1)
The probable format of IBT
This section consists of 3 passages of 600 to700 words each, and followed by a number of
questions in about 1 hour. The questions may ask about: vocabulary, pronoun reference,
simplify meaning of sentences, where sentences can be inserted, find factual information,
negative facts, inferences, infer rhetorical purpose, select summary information, complete
schematic table. The following strategies can help you in the Reading section.
Strategies for Reading Test
1. Be familiar with the directions
2. Dismiss the directions as soon as they come up.
3. Do not worry if a reading passage is on a topic that is not familiar to you.
4. Do not spend too much time reading the passages.
5. Skim each passage to determine the main idea and overall organization of ideas in the
passage.
6. Look at each question to determine what type of question it is. The type of question
tells you how to proceed to answer the question.
7. Choose the best answer to each question.
8. Do not spend too much time on a question you are completely unsure of.
9. Monitor the time carefully on the title bar of the computer screen.
10. Guess to complete the section before time is up. Points are not subtracted for
incorrect answers.
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1. Vocabulary Questions
For vocabulary questions, the targeted word will be highlighted in the passage. Find the
highlighted word, and read the context around it.
Example:
Questions: The Moho
1. The word “draw” in paragraph 2 The dividing line between the Earth’s mantle and
could best be replaced by: crust is called the Moho, which is short for
A. sketch Mohorovicic discontinuity and is named after the
B. full scientist who discovered it. …………
C. draft Using the reflection of seismic waves at thousands
D. make of different locations, scientists have been able to
draw some interesting conclusions about the Moho.
2. The phrase “to a considerable First of all, the crust is very thin, averaging only about
degree” in paragraph 2 is closest 15 to 20 kilometers in thickness, compared with tens
in meaning to: of thousands of kilometers in width. In addition, the
A. grandly Moho varies to a considerable degree in depth and
B. significantly deepest below the highest mountain ranges and
C. geometrically swallower below regions with lower surface
D. considerately elevations. …
Penjelasan dan Jawaban
Dalam menjawab pertanyaan ini, pertama tama yang harus anda cari adalah kata benda apa
yang mengikuti kata ‘draw’ itu. Kata draw diikuti oleh kata benda ‘conclusions’ lalu cari apa
kolokasi/kata sanding dari kata ‘conclusions’ itu seperti halnya kata ‘menanak’ dalam Bahasa
Indonesia, kolokasinya adalah ‘nasi’. Draw conclusion = make conclusion. Dengan demikian
maka anda akan menemukan jawaban pertanyaan no 1 yaitu D. Make.
The Moho varies ‘to a considerable degree’ in depth, menunjukkan Moho memiliki besaran
tingkat variasi kedalaman yang bagaimana? Apakah grandly = dengan megah? Apakah
significantly = secara signifikan? Apakah geometrically = secara geometris? Apakah
considerately = penuh pertimbangan? Considerable degree berarti tingkatan yang besar,
maka jawabannya mudah ditebak yaitu B. Significantly.
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2. Reference questions
For reference questions, the targeted word will be highlighted in the passage. Find the
targeted word, and read the context preceding the highlighted word.
Example:
Question: The Formation of Tornadoes
1. The word “it” in paragraph 1
refers to: A tornado is created when warm, moist air rises
A. way from the ground and comes into contact with a mass
B. water of colder air at the bottom of a thundercloud. The
C. sink rising air pushes against the colder air, and the
D. drain rotation of the earth causes the air to spin, in much
2. The word “that” in paragraph 2 the same way that water in a sink spins as it goes
refers to down a drain.
A. Pressure The pressure at the center of a tornado is much
B. center lower than that in the air surrounding the tornado.
C. tornado The low pressure creates a funnel in the middle of the
D. air tornado, …
Penjelasan dan Jawaban
Jawaban atas pertanyaan ini pasti ada di bagian depan kata yang ditanyakan karena kata
yang ditanyakan adalah kata ganti dari kata yang sudah disebutkan sebelumnya. Cobalah
ganti kata yang ditanyakan (it) itu dengan salah satu pilihan kalian dengan menambahkan
kata ‘the’ seperti ini: . . . in much the same way that water in a sink spins as the (way or water
or sink or drain) goes down a drain.
Apakah cocok dan kalimatnya nyambung? Kalau iya berarti pilihan anda benar. Jawaban atas
pertanyaan no 1 adalah B Water. Demikian juga dengan no 2, sehingga anda akan
menemukan jawabannya A. Pressure.
3. Simplify Meaning of Sentences Questions
For simplify meaning questions, the targeted sentence will be highlighted in the passage.
Read the highlighted sentence carefully. It may also be helpful to find out the main idea of
the highlighted sentence.
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Example:
Question No. 1: The Great Red Spot
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential
information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? One distinctive feature of
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or the planet Jupiter is the
leave out essential information. Great Red Spot, a massive
A. The density of the Great Red Spot is much higher than oval of swirling reddish‐
that of the Earth, brown clouds. Were Earth to
B. If the diameter of the Great Red Spot were doubled, it be juxtaposed with the
would equal that of the Earth, Great red Spot, our planet
C. By placing the Earth next to the Great Red Spot, one would be dwarfed in
could see that the Earth has a much smaller diameter, comparison, with a diameter
D. Because the Earth is close to the Great Red Spot , Earth less than half that of the
is influenced by its huge size, Great Red Spot. The spot’s
clouds, most likely tinted
Question No. 2: red as a result of the
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential phosphorus that they
information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? contain, circulate in a
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or counterclockwise direction.
leave out essential information. The outer winds require six
A. The earth’s outer winds move a distance equal to the Earth days to complete the
circumstance of the Great Red Spot, circumference of the Great
B. The outer winds of the Great Red Spot move more Red Spot, a length of time
quickly than do those on Earth, indicative of vastness of the
C. The winds moving across the Great Red Spot finally Great Red Spot.
change direction every six Earth days,
D. The fact that the winds take so long to move the Great
Red Spot proves how big it is.
Penjelasan dan Jawaban
Anda diminta untuk menyederhanakan arti/makna dari kalimat yang diberi warna dengan
memilih 1 dari 4 kalimat di sebelah kiri. Mungkin ada beberapa kata yang tidak anda ketahui
artinya karena memang ada beberapa kata yang jarang digunakan, tetapi jangan mudah
menyerah. Cara menentukan pilihan adalah dengan mencoba memahami inti dari kalimat
tersebut. Kalau anda bisa memahami mana yang lebih besar Great Red Spot apa planet kita,
maka anda sudah menemukan jawaban atas pertanyaan No. 1 yaitu C dan No. 2 kalau anda
memahami beberapa kali lipat lamanya angin mengelilingi Great red Spot dibandingkan
dengan mengelilingi bumi maka anda sudah bisa menjawab pertanyaan No. 2 yaitu D.
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