In reading comprehension, recognizing words from the text in an answer is usually a bad sign
You read the passage, spot an answer that uses the exact same terms. You pick it, confident. Wrong. In the TCF Canada, wrong answers are designed to catch your eye. They are called distractors.
The trap
Distractors copy words from the text. The correct answer rephrases using synonyms.
This is the leading cause of errors on B2 and C1 level questions.
Key points
- Answers that copy the text word for word are almost always wrong.
- The correct answer tests your ability to understand meaning, not to spot words.
- Ignoring logical connectors (however, therefore, on the other hand) makes it worse.
Why this trap works so well
Your brain seeks the easy path. When it recognizes identical words between the text and an answer, it validates automatically. It is a mental shortcut. TCF designers know this and deliberately place these false matches in the choices.
How to beat the distractors
Before choosing, rephrase the text's answer in your own words. Then look for the choice that matches your rephrasing, not the one that looks like the text. Our reading comprehension tests include this exact type of distractor to train your reflex.
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