Piensa en verbos: ¿el texto explica, argumenta, describe, compara o cuestiona?
Para una frase subrayada, mira qué hay antes y después: ¿introduce, da un ejemplo, contrasta?
Estrategia paso a paso
Resume cada frase en 3–4 palabras; la estructura aparece sola.
Cada parte de la opción correcta debe ser cierta. Si una parte falla, descártala.
Trampas habituales
Opciones que mencionan un detalle real del texto pero no su propósito general.
Verbos demasiado fuertes (“demostrar”, “refutar”) cuando el texto solo sugiere.
Ejemplo resuelto
Una frase que empieza con “For example” suele ilustrar la afirmación anterior; una que empieza con “However” suele matizarla o contradecirla.
Preguntas de ejemplo
Intenta responder antes de abrir la solución. Las preguntas están en el idioma del examen.
Pregunta 1
Dificultad fácil≈ 1 min
The following text is from a poem.
The kettle sings its morning tune, The clock ticks in the hall; I set two cups upon the cloth, Without a thought at all. I fill the one and leave the one Beside your empty chair, And though I know you will not come, I keep it waiting there.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
AA. To describe the objects in the speaker’s kitchen in precise detail
BB. To explain why the speaker no longer enjoys drinking tea in the morning
CC. To convey the speaker’s sense of loss through a familiar daily routine
DD. To contrast the speaker’s lively mornings with the quiet of the evenings
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: C. To convey the speaker’s sense of loss through a familiar daily routine
Explicación
Out of long habit (“Without a thought at all”), the speaker still sets out two cups but fills only one, leaving the other beside “your empty chair” for someone who “will not come.” The ordinary morning routine is the means by which the poem conveys the speaker’s sense of loss.
The kettle, clock, and cups are mentioned, but only briefly and to show the routine, not to describe the kitchen in detail. Nothing suggests that the speaker dislikes tea. The poem describes only the morning; there is no contrast with the evening.
Pregunta 2
Dificultad media≈ 1 min
When a midsize city raised its bus fares by 10 percent, the number of riders fell by only about 3 percent. Economist Sofía Reyes notes that this kind of response is common: in many cities, a large share of bus riders have no other affordable way to get to work, so they keep riding even when fares rise. For that reason, Reyes argues, fare increases usually bring in more money for transit agencies in the short term, even though they reduce ridership slightly.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
AA. To present an explanation for why a fare increase led to only a small drop in ridership
BB. To argue that cities should raise bus fares in order to pay for new routes and more frequent service
CC. To describe how bus riders in one city protested an increase in fares
DD. To compare the costs of commuting by car with the costs of commuting by bus
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: A. To present an explanation for why a fare increase led to only a small drop in ridership
Explicación
The text reports a small drop in riders after a fare increase and then gives Reyes’s explanation (many riders have no affordable alternative) and its consequence for transit revenue. Its main purpose is to explain why ridership fell so little.
Reyes explains what fare increases usually do; she does not recommend raising fares or mention new routes. No protest is described. Driving costs are never discussed.
Pregunta 3
Dificultad difícil≈ 1 min
The following text is from a short story set in the nineteenth century. A young clerk has just received a letter offering him a position in a distant city.
Thomas read the letter twice, then folded it carefully and placed it inside his coat. All afternoon he copied figures into the ledger as if nothing had changed, and when Mr. Hale passed his desk and asked whether the morning post had brought anything of interest, Thomas said that it had not. Only on the walk home, as the lamps along the river were lit one by one, did he take the letter out again and stand reading it until the light was gone.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
AA. It reveals that Thomas has already decided to turn down the position.
BB. It shows that Thomas suspects Mr. Hale of having read his private letter earlier in the day without his permission.
CC. It indicates that Thomas has misunderstood what the letter offers him.
DD. It suggests that Thomas is not yet ready to share or act on the news the letter contains.
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: D. It suggests that Thomas is not yet ready to share or act on the news the letter contains.
Explicación
Thomas hides the letter, works “as if nothing had changed,” and tells Mr. Hale the post brought nothing of interest, yet later he stands rereading the letter until dark. His denial shows he is keeping the news to himself while he absorbs it, not yet ready to share it or act on it.
His long rereading of the letter suggests he is still considering the offer, not that he has refused it. Nothing indicates he suspects Mr. Hale of anything; Mr. Hale’s question is casual. The text says he read the letter twice and gives no sign he misunderstood it.