Explicit Information
Retrieval
Master the skill of finding answers stated directly in the text: the most common question type on the ISEE Reading Comprehension section.
What Is Explicit Information?
Explicit information is anything the author writes directly in the passage. You can point to it with your finger and say, "There it is." No guessing, no reading between the lines: the answer is right there in the text.
Why This Skill Matters
Recognizing Explicit Detail Questions
Explicit detail questions use very specific language. Watch for signal phrases that tell you the answer is in the passage:
The Golden Rule
Explicit vs. Implicit
| Explicit | Implicit (Inference) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the answer? | Stated directly in the text | Not stated: you figure it out |
| Can you highlight it? | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Typical question signal | "According to the passage..." | "The author implies..." |
| Strategy | Locate and match | Read clues, then reason |
The 4-Step Method
Worked Example: Level 1
Worked Example: Level 2
Tricky part: The passage says it was "accidental." A wrong answer might say Fleming planned the experiment. The correct choice will restate "accidental observation" using words like "an unexpected event" or "chance".
Worked Example: Level 3
The trap: Many students pick "to blend in" because it is a common belief. But the passage explicitly says the primary reason is communication. Always trust the text over your own knowledge.
Watch for Paraphrase Traps
The ISEE rarely copies the passage word-for-word. Instead, the correct answer paraphrases the original sentence. You need to match the meaning, not the exact words.
Keyword Scanning Strategy
You do not need to re-read the entire passage for every question. Instead, scan for keywords that will lead you to the right spot.
Always Check the Surrounding Sentences
Once you find the keyword, read the sentence before and after it too. Sometimes the answer spans two sentences, or a nearby sentence changes the meaning.
Eliminate Before You Choose
When you are stuck between two choices, use the elimination checklist. Cross out any choice that fails even one of these tests:
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Quick Reference Summary
| Element | What to Do | What to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Question stem | Identify keywords first | Jumping straight to the passage |
| Passage scan | Find the keyword sentence | Re-reading the whole passage |
| Context | Read the sentence before and after | Reading only the keyword sentence |
| Answer choice | Pick the restatement | Picking the word-for-word copy or twisted version |
| Elimination | Cross out extreme, unsupported, or twisted choices | Guessing without eliminating |
Question 1 of 5
"The Arctic fox is one of the few animals that can survive temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. Its thick, multilayered fur provides exceptional insulation, and its compact body shape minimizes heat loss."
According to the passage, what helps the Arctic fox survive extreme cold?
Question 2 of 5
"Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She received the award in 1903 for her research on radioactivity, sharing it with her husband Pierre and physicist Henri Becquerel."
The author states that Marie Curie's Nobel Prize was:
Question 3 of 5
"Unlike most spiders, the jumping spider does not build a web to catch its prey. Instead, it relies on its excellent vision to stalk insects and then leaps onto them from a distance of up to 50 times its own body length."
According to the passage, how does the jumping spider catch its prey?
Question 4 of 5
"The Great Wall of China was not built all at once. Construction began during the 7th century BC and continued for more than two thousand years. Many different dynasties contributed to the wall, each adding sections to protect against various northern invaders."
Which of the following is stated in the passage about the Great Wall?
Question 5 of 5
"Honeybees communicate the location of food sources through a behavior known as the waggle dance. A bee returning to the hive performs a figure-eight movement; the angle of the dance indicates the direction relative to the sun, while the duration of the waggle indicates the distance to the food."
According to the passage, what does the duration of the waggle indicate?