VSTEP READING
TRUONG VAN ANH
SAIGON UNIVERSITY

When given a test on reading comprehension,
students should comply with the following
steps:
- Reading the questions. Đọc câu hỏi
- Identifying the questions. Nhận diện câu hỏi
- Scanning or skimming for the answers. Đọc
lướt để tìm ý chi tiết hay tìm ý chính.
- Verifying and answering. Xác minh và trả lời.

Skill 1: Main idea questions
Usually a reading passage has a multiple-choice
question about the main idea of the passage. Such a
question may be worded in a variety of ways;
students are, for example, asked to identify the
topic, subject, title, primary idea, main point, main
idea or best summary. It is relatively easy to find
the main ideas by studying the topic sentences,
which are most probably found at the beginning of
a passage. The title is often the main idea if it is
given. If a passage has only one paragraph, students
should study the beginning of that paragraph to
determine the main idea.

+ Looking for the answers: Students may find the
answers in
- The titles
- The first sentences
- The first paragraphs
+ Verifying and answering:
- Skimming through the passage to verify the main
idea.
- Answering: The answer is found in the title, the
idea in the first sentence or in the first paragraph.
- Choices: Students select the choice similar to the
title/the idea in the first sentence.

Skill 2: Vocabulary (in context)
(Từ vựng trong văn cảnh)
+ Identifying the questions: Nhận diện câu hỏi
Students should identify vocabulary questions by
means of the key words: Meaning, mean, replace,
stand for, synonym, closest in meaning.
+ Looking for the answers: Tìm câu trả lời
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the key
word. (Đọc lướt từ trên xuống để tìm từ khóa)
- Read the sentence in which the key word exists, the
previous sentence and the following one (The scale is
three sentences). (Đọc câu có từ khóa/câu đi
trước/câu đi sau)

+ Verifying and answering:
- Scanning through the passage to verify the idea.
- Answering: The explanation can be found in the
scale of three sentences surrounding the key
word.
+ Choices: Students select the choice similar to the
explanation in the scale of three sentences
surrounding the key word. (1 phương án giống
với nghĩa trong phạm vi 3 câu sẽ được chọn)

Skill 3: Reference questions
(Câu hỏi sở chỉ)
+ Identifying the questions: Students can identify
reference questions by means of the key words: (it,
its, they, them, their, her, him, this, that, one, ones,
the problem, the question, etc.) refer, substitute.
+ Looking for the answers: To find the answer, students
should
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the
pronoun. Đọc lướt từ trên xuống tìm đại từ.
- Read the previous sentence. Đọc phần/câu trước đại
từ để tìm câu trả lời.

+ Verifying and answering:
- Students should read the previous sentence
carefully and find out what the pronoun
indicates (thing or person, singular or plural,
etc.)
- Choose the word or phrase that is equivalent
to the pronoun. Chọn phương án giống với
phần/câu trước đại từ.

Skill 4: Stated detail questions
(Câu hỏi về chi tiết có nêu trong bài)
+ Identifying the questions:
Students should identify stated detail
questions by means of the following words:
State, indicate, discuss, according to, mention,
true and important words (where, what, who,
when, etc.).

+ Looking for the answers: students should:
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the
key word. Đọc lướt từ trên xuống để tìm từ khóa.
- Read the sentence in which the key word exists.
Đọc câu có từ khóa.
+ Verifying and answering:
- Scanning through the passage to verify the idea.
- Answering: Student may find the answers from the
idea in the sentence in which the key word exists.
+ Choices: Students select the choice similar to the
idea in the sentence in which the key word exists.
Chọn phương án nào giống ý với câu có từ khóa.

Skill 5: Unstated detail questions (Negative
questions) (Ý không có nêu ra trong bài)
+ Identifying the questions:
Students should identify unstated detail
questions by means of the following words: Not
stated, not indicated, not discussed, not
mentioned, not true, false, except.
+ Looking for the answers: To find the answer,
students should
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the
key word. Đọc lướt từ trên xuống để tìm từ khóa.
- Read the sentence in which the key word exists.

+ Verifying and answering:
- Scanning through the passage to verify the
idea.
- Answering: Students should select the choice
not similar to the idea in the sentence in
which the key word exists. (Do not choose the
three similar/true choices) Chọn ý sai, không
chọn 3 ý đúng/tương đương.

Skill 6: Implied detail questions
Inferences (Suy diễn)
+ Identifying the questions:
Students should identify main idea questions by
means of the key words: Implied, inferred, likely,
probably, not directly stated, concluded,
determined.
+ Looking for the answers: To find the answer,
students should
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the
key word. Đọc lướt từ trên xuống để tìm từ khóa.
- Read the sentence in which the key word exists.

+ Verifying and answering:
- Scanning through the passage to verify the
idea.
- Answering: Students should take the
inference of the idea in the sentence in which
the key word exists.
+ Choices: The choice is the inference of the
idea in the sentence in which the key word
exists. Chọn ý suy ra từ câu có từ khóa. Ý này
sẽ tương đương với 1 trong 4 phương án.

Skill 7: Rhetorical Purposes
(Mục đích của bài)
+ Identifying the questions: Why does the
author/writer mention/discuss … the author/writer
mention … to … (key word)
+ Looking for the answers: To find the answer,
students should
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for the
key word. Đọc từ trên xuống để tìm từ khóa.
- Read the sentence in which the key word exists.
Đọc câu có từ khóa.

+ Verifying and answering:
- Scan in order from the top to the bottom for
the key word.
- Read the sentence in which the key word
exists or the sentences which are around it.
(Đọc câu trước và sau từ khóa)
- Draw a conclusion on the purpose of the
highlighted information (key word). (Rút ra
ý/mục đích của bài)

Skill 8: Sentence Insertion
(Điền câu vào đúng chỗ)
+ Identifying the questions: Where would the
following sentence best fit?
+ Looking for the answers: To find the answer,
students should
- Read the given sentence carefully to understand
its message. Đọc nắm ý câu
- Look at the four squares in the passage. Read the
context surrounding them. Đọc câu trước và sau ô
- Choose the square that is most related to the
sentence. Chọn ô liên quan đến ý câu.

Good luck!