Reading Strategies

Questions taken from CEE The purpose of the writing is to _____. 75. Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage? 76. The passage mainly deals with _____. 66. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance? 68. What happened to George and Richard in the end? 70. Which of the following is true according to the passage? Main idea\ Best title Facts and Details

72. The expression to give the thief a piece of their mind can be understood as ________________ 79. What can be concluded from the passage? Literal Comprehension Text-based Inferential Comprehension

Common question forms in reading A: Main Idea/Best Title B: Facts and Details C: Literal Comprehension D: Text-based Inferential Comprehension

Main idea\ Best Title Question forms: What s the main idea of the passage? /What s the best title for the passage? Which of the following best expresses\ summarizes the main idea of the passage? The author s purpose in writing the passage is to _____________. The passage mainly deals with/ discusses __________________

General strategy: Find the topic sentence. 1 Asian countries continue to find better ways to solve their pollution problems. Singapore introduced a Corrective Work Order campaign. C.W.O. requires those people who like to throw waste materials in a public place to do public service. They must clean beaches, parks and housing developments. As a result, rubbish has decreased. Thailand uses fear to control throwing away rubbish. A rich Thai woman designed magic eyes to encourage people to protect the surroundings. The eyes were put up in schools and on every street corner. Certainly the most expensive plan is Japans large vacuum( ). This vacuum will operate along Osakas dirtiest road. The vacuum sucks up the air and makes it clean. The passage mainly discusses______________________________ A. Air pollution in Asia B. Asian plans for fighting against pollution C. How to solve the problem of air pollution D. How to make the air clean

(2) In the film Annie Hall, Diane Keaton and Woody Allen have just met and they want to impress each other. While they are talking, their inner thoughts appear in sub-title on the screen. Listen to me--- what a jerk. He probably thinks Im stupid. Thoughts like these kill a conversation. So dont try to impress other people. Just relax and be yourself. The best title for this passage is ______________. A. An interesting film. B. Relax and be yourself. C. Talk with strangers. D. How to impress other people.

(3) To carry out a successful office move, its important to form a project team as early as possible before the move, and at least twelve months in advance. Its also essential to contact the British Association of Removers and ask for a list of commercial specialists who will advise on packing, security and other important topics. Then youll need to appoint a move organizer, or employ a freelance expert from a firm such as Move Plan. Youll also need to pick a time when closing down your IT department will cause the fewest problems to the business. Finally, make a list of all the furniture, equipment and paperwork. Which of the following is the main idea of the passage? A: The reasons why we should ask experts for help. B: The importance of making a move plan. C :The necessity to contact the British Association of Removers. D: The advice on how to move an office.

General strategy for Main idea or Best title: Find the topic sentence At the beginning of the passage. At the end of the passage. Summarize it according to the structure of the passage

Facts and Details Question forms: According to the passage, who/ what/ which/ when/ where / why / how/ how many/how much/ how long/ how soon/ how often ……, etc.? (wh + h questions) According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE/ NOT TRUE? According to the passage, which of the following is NOT MENTIONED? All of the following are true EXCEPT _________________________.

At Tim Hortons, we value our customers safety above anything else. So, whether your lid is leaking or not, in the interest of your safety, we are requesting that you bring your mug to your nearest Tim Hortons, where they will exchange the lid for a new lid that fits safely. The new lids will be available from February1, Please do not use your mug until you exchange the lid. Heres what you do: Please do not use your mug until you have exchanged the lid for a new one. New lids will be available from February1, Return your travel mug to a Tim Hortons store. Your lid will be exchanged for a new lid. If you prefer to return the entire mug, bring it back at any time for a full repayment.

General strategy: Find relevant sentences in the passage and compare them with the statements in the question.

Literal Comprehension Question forms: The underlined word … probably means \ could best be replaced by _________. What does the underlined word … refer to\mean? The word … is closest in meaning to __________. General strategy: Make full use of the context clues

(1) Carbon monoxide (CO) is a noxious gas which can cause death. A. nice B. delicious C. beneficial D. poisonous (2) Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother, in contrast, is quite humble and modest. A. superior B. proudC. modest D. particular (3) Doctors recommended that everyone exercise every day, particularly those who spend many hours doing sedentary activities like reading, typing or sewing. A. secondary B. slow C. sitting D. busy (4) Peter was not frugal since he spent money so freely. A. luxurious B. generous C. economical D. pessimistic Explanation\ Definition Comparison\ Contrast Example Cause and effect

General strategy: Make full use of the context clues Possible clues: Explanation\ Definition Comparison\ Contrast Example Cause and effect ……

Text-based Inferential Comprehension Question forms: It can be inferred/ learned/ concluded from the passage that _________. The passage implies that _________. What can be inferred/ learned /concluded from the passage? General strategy: ??? Text-based Inferential 1.Your inference should be based on the passage. 2.The information should be inferred, instead of being directly stated or wrongly stated or unmentioned.

General strategy: Exclude what is stated directly or wrongly stated or not mentioned and put yourself into the writers shoes. The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as distant parent phenomenon, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for Empty Nest Syndrome. From the paragraph, we can infer that ______________ A. the situations in the developed and developing countries are different B. children will become independent as soon as they go abroad C. the aged parents are not fully prepared for Empty Nest Syndrome D. Empty Nest Syndrome has arrived unexpectedly in the writers society. Directly stated Not mentioned Wrongly stated

Common question forms and reading strategies A: Main Idea/Best Title B: Facts and Details C: Literal Comprehension D: Text-based Inferential Comprehension Find the topic sentence Find relevant sentences in the passage and compare them with the statements in the question. Make full use of the context clues Exclude what is stated directly or wrongly stated or not mentioned and put yourself into the writer s shoes

1. We can infer form the first paragraph that________________________ In recent years, more and more people have been paying for things with credit cards. There are now 565 million credit cards worldwide, but it doesnt stop there. A. More and more people are using credit cards to pay for things. B. Cards are popular now. C. Most cards are made of paper. D. More credit cards will be produced. Directly stated Wrongly stated Not mentioned

Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage? Debit cards ( )are being issued by banks, and store cards are being offered by many department stores and supermarkets. Bills and coins are gradually being replaced by plastic money. In many countries, phone cards have been introduced for people to use in paying phones. In addition, cards made of paper are being replaced by plastic ones by many organizations and clubs. For example, if you belong to a sports club, your membership card may well be made of plastic. How safe is the plastic used to make these cards, though? Until now, most cards have been made from a plastic called PVC. While PVC is being produced, harmful chemicals are released onto the atmosphere. One of the most dangerous chemicals that is released is dioxin, which is known to cause cancer in humans.

The underlined word biodegradable means ___________________________. A further problem is that, when a PVC card is thrown away, it is not biodegradable, which means that it does not break down and cannot be recycled. Obviously, recycling reduces pollution of the environment. A. able to be changed back to a harmless natural state B. not able to be broken down C. not able to be produced D. able to be released

Which of the following best expresses the main idea? A. Credit cards: popular and convenient. B. Plastic: useful but harmful. C. Plastic cards: popular but harmful. D. Cards: popular and convenient. STRUCTURE: Paragraph 1-2 the popularity of plastic cards Paragraph 3-4 the harm of plastic in plastic cards Paragraph 5 a possible solution

Assignment 1. Review the strategies learned in class. 2. Read two passages ( exercise book: p96 17\18 )and consolidate the strategies. Requirements: 1. Analyze the question forms in the passages. 2. Try to apply the strategies learned in class.