Check the question before translating everything
Look for the text type, people, times, conditions and exceptions. A number alone may mislead you when the text also says “by the previous day”, “if it rains” or “ten minutes before closing”.
A routine for one reading
- Use the title to predict who is writing to whom.
- Read the Japanese and note dates, times and connecting expressions.
- Answer the five questions and find each supporting sentence.
- Open the translation and vocabulary when needed. At review, close the translation and find the evidence again.
Read numbers with their conditions
図書館は日曜日も五時まで開いています。ただし、勉強室は四時五十分までに出てください。 The library closes at five, but someone asked when to leave the study room must answer four fifty. Point to both 勉強室 and 四時五十分, rather than choosing the first time you see.
Use bicycle rental, the weekend class and the study room for application conditions; camera help and the parcel for people and favours; the café, festival and trip email for changes; cooking and the reading club for longer noun descriptions.
After a mistake, note whether you missed a word, a paraphrase or an exception. Explain the reason briefly in your own language, then reread the Japanese evidence. These are fictional learning texts, not official exam questions or real business notices. You can return to shorter N5 readings or combine reading and grammar in the course.