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English · Unit 1

Reading and Thinking Skills: MDCAT Notes and MCQs

Scanning & skimming

  • Skim to get the main idea (title, first and last sentences of paragraphs). Scan to locate specific facts — names, numbers, dates, keywords from the question.
  • In MCQs, read the question first, then scan the passage for keywords and their synonyms.

Meaning from context

Use clues around an unfamiliar word: definition ("…is, that is, means"), synonym ("or", commas), antonym/contrast ("but, unlike, however"), example ("such as") and general sense.

Figurative language

DeviceMeaningExample
SimileComparison using like/asAs brave as a lion
MetaphorDirect comparison without like/asTime is a thief
PersonificationHuman qualities to non-human thingsThe wind whispered
HyperboleDeliberate exaggerationI've told you a million times
AlliterationRepetition of initial consonant soundsPeter Piper picked…
OnomatopoeiaWord imitating a soundBuzz, hiss, crash
OxymoronContradictory words togetherDeafening silence
ImageryLanguage appealing to the five sensesThe crisp, cold, pine-scented air
IronyOpposite of what is expected/saidA fire station burns down
PMDC learning outcomes for this unit
  • Reading and thinking: 1.1 Scan to answer short questions
  • Reading and thinking: 1.2 Deduce the meanings from the context
  • Reading and thinking: 1.3 Analyze how a writer/poet uses language to appeal to the senses through figurative language

Reading and Thinking Skills MCQs with answers

Practise and track your score →
Q1
'The classroom was a zoo.' This sentence contains a:
AHyperbole
BMetaphor
CSimile
DPersonification
Show answer
Answer: B (Metaphor). A direct comparison without 'like' or 'as' is a metaphor.
Q2
'The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.' The figure of speech is:
ASimile
BOxymoron
CAlliteration
DPersonification
Show answer
Answer: D (Personification). Stars are given the human action of dancing.
Q3
'Deafening silence' is an example of:
AHyperbole
BOxymoron
COnomatopoeia
DMetaphor
Show answer
Answer: B (Oxymoron). Two contradictory terms are placed together.
Q4
'The bees buzzed in the garden.' The word 'buzzed' is an example of:
AOnomatopoeia
BMetonymy
CSimile
DIrony
Show answer
Answer: A (Onomatopoeia). The word imitates the sound it describes.
Q5
'Despite his affluence, he lived in a tiny house and drove an old car.' The word 'affluence' most nearly means:
APoverty
BWealth
CIllness
DFame
Show answer
Answer: B (Wealth). 'Despite' signals contrast with modest living, so affluence = wealth.
Q6
'She was as cool as a cucumber during the exam.' This is a:
AMetaphor
BSimile
CPun
DPersonification
Show answer
Answer: B (Simile). Comparison using 'as … as' is a simile.
Formal and Lexical Aspects of Language →