Reading · Key ideas & details
Locating Information & Supporting Details
Reading-time estimate excludes practice. Take the time you need.
Start here: your learning goal
Find relevant information using text features and reference tools.
Read the explanations, try the quick checks, then take the lesson quiz to see what to review next.
Choose the Right Retrieval Tool
| Need | Best first tool |
|---|---|
| chapter or major section | table of contents |
| discussions of a named topic across a book | index |
| definition of a specialized term | glossary |
| explanation in the current section | headings/subheadings |
| map symbol or chart color | legend/key |
| note tied to a marker | footnote/endnote |
| exact phrase in a digital document | Find/search |
Contents follows document order. An index is alphabetical and gives topic pages, sometimes with cross-references. A glossary defines terms as the document uses them. Formatting can signal hierarchy or warnings, but bold text is not universally a definition.
Targeted Search
Search one or two distinctive concepts, not a broad word or an entire question. If needed, try a synonym or word stem. Then read the whole sentence and nearby qualification; confirm negatives, dates, units, and scope.
Check the question’s target, search distinctive terms, and reread nearby qualifications before selecting an answer.
Missing Information
Do not fill gaps with common knowledge. A trail notice that gives closures, hours, and bicycle rules cannot answer the trail's distance unless distance is stated.
Apply the skill: read the directory
| Service | Room | Walk-in hours |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 102 | 9–12 |
| Equipment loans | 115 | 12–4 |
| Transcript collection | 208 | 10–2 |
| Tutoring | 210 | 1–5 |
Note: Equipment returns go to the box outside Room 115 at any time the building is open; borrowing equipment requires the desk to be open.
Apply the same evidence: another decision
Quick Reference
- Contents = structure; index = topic locations; glossary = definitions.
- Search distinctive concepts, then inspect context and qualifiers.
- Use legends, notes, headings, and typography according to their document-specific function.
- Name missing information precisely rather than guessing.
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