What Paper 2 Reading is: Paper 2 is the receptive-skills paper (Listening + Reading), worth 50% of your SL grade. The Reading section has 3 written texts (articles, blogs, interviews… based on the themes), worth about 40 marks (around 1 hour). It's marked objectively against an answer key, and — unlike listening — the text stays in front of you, so you can re-read it.
- la comprensión lectora
- reading comprehension
- el texto
- the text (article, blog, interview…)
- opción múltiple
- multiple choice
- verdadero/falso + justificar
- true/false + justify with the text
- vocabulario en contexto
- vocabulary in context (what a word means here)
- las palabras de referencia
- reference words (e.g. «lo», «esto» — what do they point to?)
The answer is in the text: In Reading the answer is always somewhere in the text — your job is to locate it, not to recall it. You never need outside knowledge, and because the text stays visible you can always go back and check.
The reading section at a glance: Here is everything the Reading section asks of you on one page: how many texts, how many marks, how long, and the question types you'll meet. Notice the one big advantage — you can re-read.
| Aspecto | Comprensión lectora (NM/SL) |
|---|---|
| Qué evalúa | entender textos escritos |
| Textos | 3, basados en los temas |
| Marcas | unas 40 |
| Duración | alrededor de una hora |
| ¿Puedes releer? | sí, el texto está delante de ti |
| Tipos de pregunta | opción múltiple · V/F + justificar · vocabulario en contexto · rellenar huecos · emparejar · completar frases · palabras de referencia · respuesta corta |
Re-reading is your advantage: Unlike Listening — where the audio plays and is gone — in Reading the text never disappears. If you're unsure, go back to the exact line. There is no reason to answer from memory.
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A reliable reading routine: Don't read word-by-word from the start and hope. Use a routine: get the gist, read the question, then scan the text for the line that answers it. Because you can re-read, this is fast and reliable.
Find the answer in the text — 5 steps
1
Skim
Read the whole text once for the general idea. Don't stop on every unknown word.
2
Read the question
Read the question carefully and underline its key words (who? what? when?).
3
Scan
Run your eyes over the text for those key words or their synonyms — where is this answered?
4
Locate
Find the exact line that proves the answer. Re-read it — the text is still in front of you.
5
Answer
Answer from the text. Where asked to use your own words, paraphrase that line rather than copy it whole.
Skim → Read Q → Scan → Locate → Answer
Question before text-hunting: Always read the question before you go hunting in the text. It tells you exactly what one detail to look for — so you scan with a purpose instead of re-reading everything.
This is how Paper 2 Reading works: Here is a short text — the kind Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. The text stays in front of you, so you don't memorise it: you locate the answer. Read it once for the gist (tap Ver traducción if you get stuck), then we'll take one question through the routine together.
Una biblioteca nueva: El instituto Santa Clara ha abierto una biblioteca nueva en el centro de la ciudad. Está abierta de lunes a sábado, desde las nueve de la mañana hasta las ocho de la tarde. Además de libros, ofrece ordenadores gratuitos y una sala de estudio silenciosa.
Para usar la biblioteca hay que tener un carné. Los estudiantes del instituto lo consiguen gratis; los demás vecinos pagan cinco euros al año. La directora explica que el objetivo es que toda la comunidad lea más y que los jóvenes tengan un lugar tranquilo para hacer los deberes.
- abrir / ha abierto
- to open / has opened
- el carné
- the (membership) card
- gratis / gratuito
- free (of charge)
- los vecinos
- the (local) residents / neighbours
- el objetivo
- the aim / goal
Finding the answer
Una pregunta, paso a paso
- Read the question — «Según el texto, ¿cuánto pagan los vecinos que no son estudiantes del instituto para usar la biblioteca?»
- Locate the line. Scan for «pagan» / «euros»: «los demás vecinos pagan cinco euros al año.»
- Answer — Pagan cinco euros al año.
Locate, don't recall: For a «según el texto» (according to the text) question, find the exact line that proves your answer and re-read it — never answer from memory or general knowledge.
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Where marks are lost: Most Reading marks are lost not to hard Spanish but to careless technique: answering from memory, falling for a word that merely looks familiar, or copying a whole paragraph instead of the part that answers the question. Compare the two columns.
Buenas prácticas
- Locate the exact line that proves your answer.
- Use the text's own evidence (the words are right there).
- Answer the precise question that was asked.
- Watch for paraphrase and synonyms — the answer may not use the same words.
Errores típicos
- Answer from memory or guess without checking the text.
- Rely on a word that merely looks familiar (a false friend or a distractor).
- Copy a whole paragraph instead of the relevant part.
- Match only identical words and miss the synonym that holds the answer.
Beware the look-alike word: Wrong options are often built from a word that appears in the text but doesn't answer the question. Always check the whole line in context — a single familiar word is not proof.