Reading Between the Lines
AdvancedDetails come straight from the text; inferences come from clues plus logic. Always find your evidence.
- Detail questions: the answer is written in the text — just find it
- Inference questions: the answer is not written; you need clues + logic
- Always support an inference with evidence: because the text says…
文體小知識：Read between the lines.
§Text Passage
1Lisa woke up early on Saturday morning. She looked out the window and saw that the sky was grey. Raindrops hit the glass, one after another. She sighed deeply, because she had planned a picnic with her friends at the park for two weeks. Everything was ready: sandwiches in the fridge, a new picnic mat and her favourite orange juice. Her mother promised to drive her to the park at eleven.
2She took out her umbrella from the cupboard and put her phone in her pocket. Just then, the phone rang. It was her friend Jenny. 'The picnic is cancelled. The weather is too bad, and the rain will not stop until tonight,' Jenny said sadly. Lisa nodded slowly, although her friend could not see her. She looked at the sandwiches and the picnic mat by the door.
3Then Jenny had an idea. 'Why don't we have the picnic at your home instead? We can sit on the mat in your living room and watch the rain outside!' Lisa laughed for the first time that morning. She moved the small table, warmed the sandwiches and waited by the door. Sometimes plans change, but a good day does not have to. The rain outside did not matter any more.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Lisa woke up early on Saturday morning.
星期六早上，Lisa 很早就醒了。
She looked out the window and saw that the sky was grey.
她看向窗外，看見天空灰濛濛。
Raindrops hit the glass, one after another.
雨點一滴一滴地打在玻璃上。
She sighed deeply, because she had planned a picnic with her friends at the park for two weeks.
她深深地嘆了口氣，因為她和朋友計劃了兩個星期的公園野餐。
Everything was ready: sandwiches in the fridge, a new picnic mat and her favourite orange juice.
所有東西都準備齊全：雪櫃裡面有三文治、一張新野餐墊同她最喜歡的橙汁。
Her mother promised to drive her to the park at eleven.
媽媽答應了十一點載她去公園。
She took out her umbrella from the cupboard and put her phone in her pocket.
她由櫃裡面拿了把傘，再將電話放進褲袋。
Just then, the phone rang.
就在那時，電話響了。
It was her friend Jenny.
是她朋友 Jenny 打來。
'The picnic is cancelled. The weather is too bad, and the rain will not stop until tonight,' Jenny said sadly.
Jenny 傷心地說：「野餐取消。天氣太差，這場雨要到今晚才停。」
Lisa nodded slowly, although her friend could not see her.
Lisa 慢慢地點頭，雖然朋友看不到她。
She looked at the sandwiches and the picnic mat by the door.
她看著擺在門邊的三文治同野餐墊。
Then Jenny had an idea.
接著 Jenny 想到一個主意。
'Why don't we have the picnic at your home instead? We can sit on the mat in your living room and watch the rain outside!'
「不如改在你家野餐？我們可以坐在客廳的墊上，一路看著外面下雨！」
Lisa laughed for the first time that morning.
Lisa 那天早上第一次笑了出來。
She moved the small table, warmed the sandwiches and waited by the door.
她搬開了那張小桌，加熱那些三文治，再在門邊等朋友來。
Sometimes plans change, but a good day does not have to.
有時計劃會變，但美好的一天卻不必跟著改變。
The rain outside did not matter any more.
外面下不下雨，已經不重要。
1Summary 重點摘要
Details come straight from the text; inferences come from clues plus logic. Always find your evidence.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Read between the lines.
Not directly said.
Writer's feeling.
How writer feels.
Use evidence to guess.
Words in text.
Implicit.
Hidden meaning.
3Step by step Steps
- Find cluesClues are written in the text: The sky was grey. Raindrops hit the glass, one after another — weather and actions are both clues.
- Think whyAsk why the writer wrote it: She sighed deeply, because she had planned a picnic… for two weeks — the sigh plus the build-up tells you she is heartbroken.
- ConcludeUse clues to conclude: How does Lisa feel? The word 'disappointed' never appears, but the clues tell you.
- Detail vs inferenceDetail questions are scanned out: What was her plan? → a picnic at the park. Inference questions need clues plus logic.
- Emotion cluesActions reveal feelings: sighed deeply = disappointment; laughed for the first time that morning = joy returns. Follow what characters do.
- Evidence formatA full answer carries proof: Lisa feels disappointed because the text says she sighed deeply when she saw the rain.
- Infer as you readPause each paragraph and ask why it is there. All the preparation in P1 (sandwiches, picnic mat, orange juice) exists to make the cancellation hurt more — set-up is a clue.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Infer from Lisa's picnic passage: why did Lisa sigh, and why did the rain not matter any more at the end?
- Step 1: Find the clues — She sighed deeply, she had planned a picnic for two weeks and everything was ready.
- Step 2: Clues + common sense → inference: she had looked forward to it, so the rain made her disappointed.
- Step 3: Support every inference with evidence — because the text says she had planned it for two weeks.
- Step 4: Infer the ending — Jenny suggested a picnic at home, and Lisa laughed for the first time that morning.
- Step 5: Check your inference against the text; never go beyond the evidence.
- Answer: Lisa sighed because she had planned her picnic for two weeks and everything was ready — the sandwiches, the mat and the juice — but the heavy rain cancelled it. At the end, the rain did not matter any more because Jenny suggested having the picnic at home: they could sit on the mat in the living room and watch the rain outside, and Lisa laughed for the first time that morning. Every inference here is backed by evidence from the text — that is what makes a good inference answer.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What does infer mean?
Q2What is tone?
Q3What is evidence?
Q4What is subtext?
Q5What is implicit?
Q6What is the weather?
Q7How does Lisa feel?
Q8What was her plan?
8Recap Recap
- Detail questions: the answer is written in the text — just find it
- Inference questions: the answer is not written; you need clues + logic
- Always support an inference with evidence: because the text says…
- Emotion clues help: sighed deeply and laughed for the first time show feelings
- Main idea: Sometimes plans change, but a good day does not have to.