Foreign exchange emails

1. 1

   Read the question stem carefullyBefore looking at the answer options, read the question itself slowly. Ask: what exactly is this question asking me to find? Underline or circle the key content words (not 'the', 'a', 'is' — the words that carry meaning).

2. 2

   Identify the keywords in the question from the question stem, pick out 2-4 keywords that will help locate the relevant part of the passage. These are usually nouns (topics, names, places) and sometimes verbs (actions being asked about). Write these keywords in the space provided at the margin.

3. 3

   Scan the passage for those keywords or synonyms. Go back to the text and look for the exact keywords OR words with similar meaning (synonyms/paraphrases). Exam questions rarely repeat the passage word-for-word, so students need to recognise reworded ideas, not just exact matches.

4. 4

   Underline verbs, adjectives, and nouns in the relevant text sectionOnce the matching section of the passage is found, underline the important verbs (what is happening/being done), adjectives (how something is described), and nouns (who/what is involved). This breaks the sentence into its core meaning and strips away distracting detail.

5. 5

   Compare the underlined words to each answer optionGo through options A, B, C, D one at a time. For each, check whether it matches the verbs/adjectives/nouns identified in the text — same meaning, not just similar-sounding words. Eliminate options that contradict the text or add information not stated.

6. 6

   Select the answer with the closest word-for-word logic matchChoose the option where the meaning (not just vocabulary) lines up with what was underlined in step 4. If two options seem close, re-check the adjectives and verbs specifically, since exam distractors often change just one of these to make an option wrong.

STEP 1 → 🔍 Find the KEYWORDS

Look at the question carefully.

Ask yourself:

What information am I looking for?

Underline/circle the important words.

STEP 2 → 🧩 Find the WORD TYPES

Look at the question and identify:

🔵 VERBS — What is happening?
🟢 NOUNS — What/who are we looking for?
🟠 ADJECTIVES — What kind/type?

STEP 3 → 🏷️ Label the information

Use these codes:

Code      Meaning

❌          Confirmed NOT a point

❓          Possibly a point — check carefully

P             Problem point

M            Method point

Check and transfer answers

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