ISEE Upper Level Reading Comprehension

A comprehensive guide to mastering reading comprehension skills for the ISEE Upper Level exam.

Understanding Passage TypesMain Idea and Supporting DetailsInference and Drawing Conclusions
Author’s Purpose and ToneVocabulary in ContextAnalyzing Structure and Organization
Applying Comprehension in SchoolComprehension Beyond the ClassroomPreparing for Group Discussions
Active Reading TechniquesTime Management on Test DayElimination and Guessing Strategies
Understanding Passag...Main Idea and Suppor...Inference and Drawin...Author’s Purpose and...Vocabulary in Contex...Analyzing Structure ...Applying Comprehensi...Comprehension Beyond...Preparing for Group ...Active Reading Techn...Time Management on T...Elimination and Gues...
Advanced Topics

Analyzing Structure and Organization

Seeing How Passages Are Built

Every passage has an underlying structure, like building blocks put together for a reason. Common structures include cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and chronological order.

Why Structure Matters

Recognizing the organization helps you follow the author's flow and answer questions more accurately.

Types of Text Structures

  • Cause and Effect: Shows how one event leads to another.
  • Compare and Contrast: Points out similarities and differences.
  • Problem and Solution: Presents a problem and explains how it was solved.
  • Chronological Order: Events are told in the order they happened.

How to Spot Structure

  • Look for signal words: "because," "however," "first," "finally."
  • Ask: "What is the author doing in each paragraph?"

Practical Steps

  1. Map the passage: jot down the main idea of each paragraph.
  2. Identify the structure and how it helps understanding.

Examples

  • A passage that explains why pollution happens and then describes its effects uses a cause and effect structure.

  • A story that describes two different schools and how they are alike and different uses compare and contrast.

In a Nutshell

Understand how passages are organized to make reading easier and answering questions faster.

Next
Applying Comprehension in School