Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
JLPT N2 reading practice: separate the author’s position from an example
Outline a passage by claim, example and qualification, then check whether an answer overstates the author’s conclusion.
Give each paragraph a job
Summarise what a paragraph does, not only what it mentions. It may introduce a question, describe a case, challenge an assumption or state a conclusion. Several paragraphs can discuss the same subject while serving different roles.
Write the role in a few words beside the text. This keeps a vivid anecdote from replacing the argument in your memory. Return to the actual wording before deciding whether an answer is supported.
A positive example may support a qualified conclusion
Original passage: 電子書籍は持ち運びに便利だ。私も旅行ではよく利用する。ただし、図を詳しく見比べる本では、紙の方が使いやすいこともある。大切なのは、読む目的に合わせて選ぶことだ。
The writer uses electronic books while travelling but concludes that the reading purpose should guide the choice. “Electronic books are always better” ignores the qualification. “The writer never uses paper” adds a claim the passage does not make.
Check strong words against the text
Words such as always, only and everyone can make an option stronger than the passage. Look for the actual scope: sometimes, in this setting or for this purpose. A statement can be relevant yet still overstate the author’s position.
Do not reject an option solely because it is strongly worded. If the passage supports that scope, it may fit. The work is comparison with evidence, not applying a shortcut to particular vocabulary.
Review by explaining a rejected answer
Choose one tempting wrong option and identify the exact unsupported addition. Then state a version the passage would support. This reveals whether the error involved scope, a reversed relationship or the role of an example.
On the next passage, write your own one-sentence account before reading the options. It need not duplicate the final wording; it should preserve the writer’s main relationship and any important qualification.
Try it yourself
For the electronic-book passage, which conclusion fits: choose by purpose, or replace all paper books?
Show the answer and explanation
Choose by purpose.
The final sentence states that principle, and the qualification about comparing diagrams rules out the universal replacement claim.