ISEE Lower Level Reading Comprehension

Learn how to understand, analyze, and answer questions about reading passages for the ISEE Lower Level exam.

Finding the Main IdeaUnderstanding DetailsFiguring Out Vocabulary in Context
Making InferencesUnderstanding Author’s PurposeComparing and Contrasting Information
Applying Reading Comprehension to Everyday LifeUsing Context Clues in Daily ConversationsRecognizing Main Ideas in Media
Read the Questions FirstEliminate Wrong AnswersCheck Your Answers
Finding the Main Ide...Understanding Detail...Figuring Out Vocabul...Making InferencesUnderstanding Author...Comparing and Contra...Applying Reading Com...Using Context Clues ...Recognizing Main Ide...Read the Questions F...Eliminate Wrong Answ...Check Your Answers
Advanced Topics

Comparing and Contrasting Information

What Does it Mean to Compare and Contrast?

Comparing means finding how things are alike. Contrasting means spotting how things are different.

How to Compare and Contrast

  • Look for signal words: 'Both', 'like', 'similarly' for comparisons; 'however', 'but', 'unlike' for contrasts.
  • Make a Venn diagram to organize similarities and differences.

Why Do This?

Comparing and contrasting helps you understand characters, places, or ideas better.

Try It Yourself

Next time you read, see how two characters react to a problem. Are they the same or different?

Examples

  • Two animals in a passage both live in the forest, but one is a bird and the other is a mammal.

  • A story might show two friends: one is very brave, while the other is careful and cautious.

In a Nutshell

Comparing and contrasting shows how things are alike and different in a passage.

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Applying Reading Comprehension to Everyday Life