This document provides strategies and techniques for improving reading comprehension skills, with a focus on building vocabulary. It discusses how to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues, word parts, and dictionaries. Some key strategies covered are guessing meanings, using context, and practicing with "nonsense words" inserted into short texts. Exercises are included to help readers apply these skills by guessing meanings from simplified Italian and English passages.
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Original Title
Reading Comprehension - English for Specific Purposes.-Witrianidocx
This document provides strategies and techniques for improving reading comprehension skills, with a focus on building vocabulary. It discusses how to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues, word parts, and dictionaries. Some key strategies covered are guessing meanings, using context, and practicing with "nonsense words" inserted into short texts. Exercises are included to help readers apply these skills by guessing meanings from simplified Italian and English passages.
This document provides strategies and techniques for improving reading comprehension skills, with a focus on building vocabulary. It discusses how to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues, word parts, and dictionaries. Some key strategies covered are guessing meanings, using context, and practicing with "nonsense words" inserted into short texts. Exercises are included to help readers apply these skills by guessing meanings from simplified Italian and English passages.
a. How to find out what words means b. Guessing New Vocabulary c. Guessing Word Meaning in Context 2. Comprehension Skills a. Scanning b. Skimming c. Recognizing Words That Connect Ideas d. Making Inferences 3. Understanding the Paragraph a. Recognizing the Topic of a Paragraph b. Understanding Main Ideas c. Summarizing a Paragraph e. Thinking Skills 4. Academic Reading Skills a. Active reading b. SQ3R technique c. Reading Journal Articles d. Critical Reader e. Reading fasters f. Exercises 5. References
1 Chapter 1
BUILDING A STRONG VOCABULARY
A. How to find out what words mean
To read well, you need strong vocabulary. To build a strong vocabulary,
you need to read well. These sentences are a paradox - that is, they seem to express opposite points but, nevertheless, are both true. In order to read confidently, you have to know many words. You have to know how to figure out the meanings for the new words that you discover as you read. Yet, the best way to expand your knowledge of words is to read often and in varied contents areas. Reading and vocabulary are deeply connected Most of us have vocabularies that allow us to read widely from the everyday source of information that surround us: newspapers, magazines, signs, poster, advertisements, job applications, instructions, recipes, etc. The person with the richest and most useful vocabulary, however, can read more complicated and varied sources of information easily. The first step to take in improving your vocabulary is to recognize that it is not possible for you to know the meaning of every word you see. In the short run, not paying attention to the words you don’t know may
2 save you some works. Here are some ways to find the meanings of difficult words Here are some ways to find the meanings of difficult words:
Learn to use the context – that is, clues that surrounding sentences sometime give about the meaning of new words In a word you don’t know, look for parts within the word, parts whose meaning you might know Learn the difference between what a word means and what a word suggests or makes you feel Learn the difference between words that mean almost the same thing but have different shades of meaning Learn to use dictionary so you can find meanings easily. Keep a list of words you want to add to your vocabulary
B. Guessing New Vocabulary
What do you usually do when you come to a word you do not know in your reading? Do you a. look it up in the dictionary? b. ask your teacher? c. ask another student or a friend? d. try to guess what it means? The best strategy is (d) : try to guess what the word means
Guessing is the best strategy, because
3 it is fast because you don't have to interrupt your reading. It helps your comprehension because you stay focus on the general sense of what you are reading. It helps you build vocabulary because you are more likely to remember the words. It allows you to enjoy your reading more because you don't have to stop often.
Exercise 1
You can read a language that you don’t know if you try to get the meaning from the text. See how much of the following text ( in simplified Italian ) you can understand. Some meanings of key words are given.
sara : will be a : at/to
sta : is andra : will go
adesso : now ascoltare : listen to
casa : home/houseper per : for/in order to
quando : when poi : then
Alberto e uno studente a l’Universita di Roma nella Republica d’Italia. Adesso sta in uno teatro per ascoltare uno concerto de musica. Quand it concerto sara finito, Albert andra a uno ristorante per mangiare, poi, ritornera alla casa per domire.
1. What is the subject of the text?
_____________________________________________________________________ 2. Where does he study?
4 _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Where is he now and what is he doing? _____________________________________________________________________ 4. What will he do later? _____________________________________________________________________ Exercise 2
Try to guess the meanings of the ‘non sense’ words in the following short of text:
1. Sarah like jarging. Whenever there is a party at the university she is
always ask to jarg. She knows most of the pop song as well as the old ones. She can jarg both kinds very well. What is to jarg? __________________________________________________ 2. Mathew was holding a drong in his hand, when it fell to the ground. Its point was broken, so he sharpened it and went on with his assignment. He needs a drong to finish his assignment. What is drong?__________________________________________________ 3. Ali writes very grumly. This is strange because he reads very quickly. He does many thing very quickly, except for writing. In fact it take him few hours to write a very short letter. What is grumly?__________________________________________________ 4. Kolpas is one of the most useful things on earth. You can build houses with kolpas, you can make mats and floor-covering from it, you can make roof with it, you can make make water-pipes from it, you can make food-containers from it, you can make musical instruments from it and you can eat it . What is kolpas ?__________________________________________________
5 5. Dofors are very necessary things and can be seen in every part of the world, except for places where it never ever rains. Sometimes people don’t like dofors when it rains a lot. However, without dofors there would be no rains and then there would only be sandy desert. What is dofors?___________________________________________________
Exercise 3
Read the following paragraphs and guess the meaning of the italic word
1. My friend Raymond is a very lazy person. He doesn’t like to work.
He doesn't like to play sports. He likes to sit and watch television. And he likes to sleep. What is a lazy person? _________________________________________
2. Can you see the nest in that tree? There are four baby birds in it. They are calling for their mother. Look! Now the mother is coming. She has some food for her babies. What is a nest? ___________________________________________________
3. Quick! Call the police! There is a man near my house. He has a mask on his face. You can see only his eyes. His clothes are all the black. What is a mask?__________________________________________________
6 4. I live in a tall building in Chicago'My home is on the sixth floor. But I don't use the elevator often. I don't like elevator. They are too small and too slow. I like to walk up to the stairs What is the elevator? __________________________________________
5. The new store was often empty.This morning there was only one customer. She was a young woman. She wanted to buy some Levi's Jeans. She didn't like the jeans in the store, So she went away. What is the customer? __________________________________________
6. There is a terrible traffic jam on the road to Jakarta. All the cars are stopped. You can’t go left or right' You have to wait for a long time! What is the traffic jams?________________________________________
7. These bananas are beautiful. But they are not ripe. They are still very green. We can't eat them today' Please put them away. We can eat them next week- What is ripe fruit? ________________________________________________
8. Roger often wakes up in the night. Sometimes he wants to drink
some water. But sometimes he has a nightmare. He sees terrible things, he hears bad things. He can’t go back to sleep What is a nightmare?_____________________________________________
9. There is a beggar in front of the store. Poor woman, she doesn’t
have a coat. It's very cold today. She is asking people for some
7 money. Some people give her some money, but other people don't want to look at her. What is a beggar?_________________________________________________
10. After all the rain, the river water was brown. It was full of trash. There was lots of paper. There were bags and bottles. There were old chairs and cans. What is trash?____________________________________________________
C. Guessing Word Meaning in Contex
What is context? It is the sentence or sentences around a word. The
context can tell you a lot about a word. When you try to guess the meaning of an unknown word, you use the text surrounding the word-the context. Example a : Sometimes you can guess the meaning of a word from the other words in the sentence. Try to guess the meaning of gargantuan in this sentence: Some of the trees in Redwood National Park are truly gargantuan,
and in fact they are the tallest trees in the world.
You can guess from the last part of the sentence that gargantuan means “very large."
Example b: Sometimes you need to read several sentences in order to guess the meaning of an unknown word.
8 Do you know the meaning of the word misogynist? If not, try to make a guess: misogynist is .Now read these sentences and then try again to guess what misogynist means' a. Mary realized that Mr. Ashman was a misogynist soon after she
started working as his assistant.
b. It is difficult for a woman to work for a misogynist. She is never
sure if his criticism is based on her work or on the fact that she is
a woman
c. Mary knew that no woman would ever get a top-level job in a
company run by a misogynist.
A misogynist is ____________________________________________________________ We know from sentence (a) that a misogynist is a man (Mr. Ashman). From sentence (b) we learn that a misogynist may sometimes criticize a woman just because she is a woman. Then from (c) we understand that a misogynist may not be fair to women. From these sentences, we can conclude that a misogynist is someone who dislikes women.
Exercises 1-4 will help you develop the skill of guessing vocabulary from the context. While you are doing the exercises do not use a dictionary! do not talk about the vocabulary with other students until you have tried to make a guess on your own and everyone else has finished.
9 do not try to translate the unknown words into your own language. Instead, you should try to describe them or give words with similar meanings in English.
Exercise 1
Guess the meaning of the underlines words below, the italic words may help you comprehend their meanings 1. Peter sat on verandah and, as night fall, he listened to the noise made by birds, monkeys, frogs, bats, tigers, and other denizens of the jungle. Denizen means: a. people c. noises
b. animals d. trees
2. The rain came down for three days without a stop. Sometimes it rained a lot, sometimes it rained a little but there was always rain. It had rained like this for three months. Laura said ‘I like rain but not this incessant rain all the time’. Incessant means :
a. non-stop c. nice
b. pleasant d. light
2. Annie came home. She was hot, tired, unhappy, and sick. In short, she was feeling disgruntled. Disgruntled means: a. contented c. discontented
b. good d. happy
10 3. The teacher spoke to the students very loudly, and almost without stopping. He also waved his hands in the air. He certainly spoke very vehemently. Vehemently means: a. strongly and forcefully c. rudely and stupidly
b. quietly and gently d. slowly and lazily
4. Old Mr and Mrs Elton live in a big house with all the doors and windows broken, with holes in the roof where the rain comes in, with no paints on the walls, and altogether very dilapidated. Dilapidated means: a. smart and new c. old and needing repairs
b. small and dark d. nice and comfortable
5. Ali came in with some tea and some bread. Before he put the tea and bread on the table, he dropped the bread on the floor twice, knocked over the tea-pot and broke a cup, “I am very clumsy today” he thought. Clumsy means: a. careful c. intelligent
b. skillful d. awkward
6. Harry tried to hold the cake in her hands, but it immediately
disintegrated, with big and small pieces of cake falling down on the floor. To disintegrate means: a. to break up c. to join together
b. to melt d. to harden
11 7. Jack jumped up and ran to the door and shook it hard and shouted ‘help’! then he broke the door and ran into the street shouting ‘fire!’ ’fire’!. He was very agitated. Agitated means: a. calm and cool b. excited c. happy d. slow and quiet
8. Although he studied very hard, Ahmad got a very bad result in the exam, and he failed badly. Of course, this made him feel very despondent. Despondent means: a. happy and pleased c. tired and sleepy c. sad and depressed d. nice and quiet 9. The small house was in the middle of the jungle where there was very little sunlight, because the trees stopped the sun from shining on the house, and the whole place was very gloomy. Gloomy means: a. dark c. sunny
b. hot d. beautiful
Exercise 2
Guess the meaning of each word from the context of the sentences below . Compare your answers with those of another student.
1. What does porch mean?________________________________________________
On nice days, old Mrs. Willows always sat out on her front porch and watched the people pass by. After lunch in summer, we always moved out to the porch, since there was usually some wind there. but we were protected from the sun.
12 2. What does soggy mean?_________________________________________________ The window had been left open during the storm, and the papers on my desk were a soggy mess. We gathered up the soggy towels and bathing suits and hung them all in the sun to dry.
3. What does sketch mean?______________________________________________
Many artists make a pencil sketch of their subject before they start to paint it. Mr. Johnson showed me a rough sketch of the house he is planning to build.
4. What does shrink mean?________________________________________________
I washed the T-shirt in cold water so it wouldn,t shrink. lf you want to have enough spinach for dinner, you need almost to buy a lot. It shrinks to nothing when you cook it.
5. What does peak mean?_________________________________________________
When he won the race at the Olympics, he was at the peak of his career. It took us all day to climb to the peak of Mount Mansfield.
6. What does swell up mean?____________________________________________
Jill's skating accident made her foot swell up until she could no longer wear her shoes poor Simon! After he had his tooth pulled out, the whole side of his face swelled up.
7. What does turn up mean?_____________________________________________
Don't worry about the book that you lost. Do you remember the umbrella I couldn’t last week? It turned up in the back of the car.
13 8. What does lid mean?____________________________________________________ William took the lid off the pot to see what his mother was cooking for supper. sometimes the rid to the honey jar gets stuck, and it’s hard to get it off.
9. What does glance mean?_______________________________________________
I always glance at the headlines in the morning, but I rarely have time to read the whole newspaper. As he ran up the stairs of the school, William glanced at his watch_late again!
10. What does promptly mean?___________________________________________
Gerald always came home promptly on Tuesdays so that he could watch his favorite TV show. The fire firefighters arrived promptly and were able to stop the fire from spreading to other
11. What does foul mean?________________________________________________
We were all shocked by the foul language the little boy was using. with the windows crossed for so long, there was a foul smell in the room.
12. What does dew mean?________________________________________________
In the early morning, you could see the dew on every leaf and every branch. when we got up, the tent was wet with dew outside, but we were warm and dry inside.
14 How to remember new words:
Write the word and its definition often, just for practice Say the word, learn to pronounce it correctly by using the pronunciation clues in your dictionary. Try to learn the word and its meaning the first time you see it Use index cards to study vocabulary. Write the word on one side of the card and its definition on the other side. Make up a phrase or sentence that uses the word in a way you understand Use the word when you talk – in a class, on a job, at home Say the word and its meaning over and over again in your mind Don’t try to learn long lists of new words. Study just a few words each day for several days so that you can learn by repeating
Exercise 3
Think of words for the spaces :
Salim Al Wahabi is 12th years old. He live in Al Mintirib, Oman. Oman is a
small country on the Arabian Sea. Salim has a 9 year-old brother, Thalib. Five days a week, Salim and Thalib _____________ to school.
On the weekend,their life changes. Every weekend, there are camel races near Al Mintirib. Salim’s father ____________ two camels. Salim and Thalib get on the camels. Other boys get on other camels. Then all the camels _____________ fast. Salim’s father _____________ a truck to the camels. He call to the camels, and he calls to his boys. The other fathers call to their camels
15 and their boys. Then the race ____________.But the boys cant stop the camels, the fathers must run and stop them
Exercise 4
In the paragraph below, one word has been replaced with a nonsense word. Read the whole paragraph, then use the context to guess what that nonsense word means. If you do not know the exact meaning in English, try to describe it. Work with another student:
1. What is a ‘zip’_________________________________________________________
Nobody wants a zip near his or her home. First of all, they usually do not smell very pleasant. If the wind is from their direction, you may get that smell at home. And zips often attract lots of insects, such as flies and mosquitoes as well as animals, such as rats and mice. A nearby zip may also mean you will have noisy trucks on your street all day. Finally, the most serious problem with zips is that they may pollute the drinking water. This does not always happen, but sometimes the garbage has dangerous chemicals in it. Then when it rains, the chemicals enter the water underground and make it unsafe to drink
2. What is ‘zap’__________________________________________________________
When people think about sources of water pollution, they do not usually think of zap. However, as the demand grows for fish to eat, the number of zap is increasing. In some areas, they are beginning to create environmental problems. In fact, when fish are in their natural environment , they do not pollute, but zaps, the situation is not natural. There are usually lots of fish in very little water, which means that the
16 water must be changed very often. Each time it is changed, the dirty water must be thrown away. It is usually poured directly from the zaps into a river or the ocean. The chemical balance of the river or coastline is changed by this dirty water, and the plants and animals living there may suffer.
3. What is ‘zep’__________________________________________________________
In Paris it is wise to get yourself a zep as soon as possible. It is very easy to
get lost if you leave the main street. You can buy zeps in the train station, but they are not complete. Better zeps can be found in the bookstores. They have more details, and they show all the named streets.
4. What is ‘zup’ _________________________________________________________
An animal with a very good sense of direction is the Monarch butterfly. The Monarch is a beautiful orange-colored butterfly. It is one of the larger kinds of butterflies ,but is still only an insect. All Monarchs spend the winter in a certain area of central Mexico. In the early spring, they begin to zup north. The butterflies that leave Mexico will die on their way. However, their children will zup all the way to the Northern United States or Canada. Then, in the fall, these new butterflies start zupping south. They have never been to Mexico, but they manage to find the place their parent left. They will even go to live in the same trees. Scientists believe that genetic programming makes this possible, but they do not know how.
17 Chapter 2 COMPREHENSIVE SKILLS
A. SCANNING
What is scanning? It is a way to read fast. It is a very high-speed reading
that you do when you are looking for a specific information.When you scan, you have a question in mind. You do not read all the words. You read only the key word you are looking for.
Scanning is a technique you often use when looking up a word in the
telephone book or dictionary. You search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you’re looking for, so you’re concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Scanning is also used when you first find a resource to determine whether it will answer your questions. Once you’ve scanned the document, you might go back and skim it. When scanning, look for the author’s use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. (Condensed: http://42explore.com/skim.htm)
18 How to scan :
State the specific information you are looking for.
Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might use to help you locate the answer. For example, if you were looking for a certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph looking only for numbers. Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might contain the information you are looking for.
In these exercise, you learn to find words quickly. Circle the key word when you see it in the line.
Exercise 1
1. with witch with wish will wilt
2. then them their then they than 3. time tine turn twine time times 4. down darn dawn done dean down 5. back bake black bank back bark 6. much must musk must mush munch 7. could cold cole called culled could 8. through though threw thought through tough 9. well wall will welt wet well 10. thanks think thanks thank tanks thinks 11. would wool want word world would 12. story stony stone story store storm 13. head hat hear have head here
Which does not belong with the rest? ________________________ Why not? _______________________________________________________________________
2. hut, tent, motel, cabin, nest, igloo, apartment, barn, house
Which does not belong with the rest? ________________________ Why not? _______________________________________________________________________
3. milk, cough syrup, olive oil, juice, cider, yogurt, water
Which does not belong with the rest? ________________________ Why not? _______________________________________________________________________
4. desk, table, bookshelves, lamp, pencil, chair, door
Which does not belong with the rest? ________________________ Why not? _______________________________________________________________________
20 5. ham, lettuce, turkey, cheese, peanut butter, tomato, soup, tuna Which does not belong with the rest? ________________________ Why not? _______________________________________________________________________
Which is the topic? __________________________________________________
Scanning for information
21 Reader often scan for the information. They don’t read all the words. They only read the words they need. You can learn to scan for the information in these exercises.
Scanning skill could be often used in daily life. For example, you might scan the list of names in the telephone directory, finding such information you are looking for in the add, newspaper, etc.
Exercise 3
Look at the list of exhibits at the National Zoo in Washington,DC.
Will you be able to see an exhibit that features the amazon rain forest in March
Key words : amazon, rain forest, March
National Zoological Park 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW (202) 673-4717
Open daily : 10.00 a.m – 4.30 p.m
Exhibits to visit during March :
“ Panda House” features two Chinese pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian “American Prairie” features prairie dogs, bison, and other animals and plants from the grasslands of North America “Great Cats” features live tigers and lions, graphic displays, and a walk through trails “Animals de latino america” feratures iguanas, condors, falmingos,
22 blue frogs, and wildcats
Exhibits to visit during April :
“ Pollinarium” illustrates the biological process of pollinating plants
and features butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and flowers “ Bat Cave” features 400 bats. “ Cheetah Conservation House” features cheetahs, zebras, gazelles, and marabou storks “ Amzonia” replicates a tropical rain forest and features various fish and plants
According to the list, how could you scan the information needed? Did you read the whole list of exhibits? Focus on the key words, so you know what to look for.
These classified ads are not for stores or companies. People put classified ads in the newspaper. There are many things to buy and sell in these ads. Some ads are about something lost or found. Other ads tell about classes.
Exercise 4
A. Scan this information ads and answer the questions, work quickly
23 1. How much is the Oriental soup mix? 2. Can you find any cat food? 3. What kind of fruit drink 4. How much is the cough 5. How many ounces (oz.) is the ketchup 6. Can you find any milk? 7. What is there for babies? 8. How many things cost a dollar or more? 9. How many drinks are there? 10. How many ice-cream bars are in a box? B. Talk about the ads with another student. 1. You are going to this supermarket. which things do you want to buy? Why? 2. Can you find these things in other countries?
24 Exercise 5
Scan the ads and answer the questions. Work quickly
1. How many bicycles are for sale?
2. What is the price of the 21" TV and VCR? 3. How many dogs were found? 4. Were any cats found? 5. Where was the camera lost? 6. What is the price of English lessons in your home? 7. What is the telephone number for Chinese lessons? 8. When does the new class for singing lessons begin? 9. How much is the reward for the lost keys? 10. Where was the piano made?
25 B. Talk about the ads with another student. 1. Are any of these ads interesting to you? Why? 2. Look at the "Lost and Found" ads. There are two ads about cats. What do you think? 3. Can you give lessons in a language? Or a sport? Or music? Tell what you can do
Exercise 6 MOUNT FUJI
There is a very famous mountain in Japan. It’s called mount fuji (or fuji-san) . People can see it from many part of the country. It’s more than 12,000 feet high, higher than any other mountain in Japan. It’s wonderful to look at. Many people take photos of it. Artists often draw or paint pictures of it .They love the mountain’s beautiful and unusual shape. It’s symmetrical.
Mount Fuji is actually a volcano. People often forget that fact. The last eruption was long ago, in 1708. Now it’s dormant (sleeping). People can safely climb to the top of it. More than 200.000 people climb Fuji each year. Most of them are Japanese. However, a large number – about 30% of them – come from foreign countries.
July and August are the best months to climb Mount Fuji. At other times during the year, it can be dangerous. There’s too much snow and bad weather. Even in the summer, the climb isn’t easy. The air is thin on the mountain, so it’s hard to breathe. The sun is strong, and the days can be very hot. Then at night, it’s cold.
26 Many climbers start up the mountain late in the day. They carry flashlights, and they climb for hours in the dark. They want to arrive at the top before sunrise. Then they can watch the sun come up. It’s getting to be Japanese tradition.
Many Japanese people want to climb Mount Fuji once in their lives. Most of them want to climb it only once. There is a saying in Japan : “ a person who never climbs Mount Fuji is a fool, a person who climbs twice is twice the fool”
Write T (true) of F (false) for the following statements
1. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan
T/F 2. July and August are the dangerous months to climb Mount Fuji T/F 3. Nobody can safely climb to the top of the mountain T/F 4. Many climbers start up the mountain in the afternoon T/F 5. Many Japanese think that one trip up the mountain is enough T/F
Exercise 7
Read the story, then write TRUE, FALSE, or DOESN’T SAY under each statement.
27 ENDANGERED GIANT
How could an animal that weighs 330-440 pounds and is armored
with a virtually impenetrable shell be in danger of becoming extinct? Once thousands of these huge land-dwelling reptiles lived on a group of islands about 650 miles west of Ecuador in South America. So plentiful were they that the islands were named Galapagos, the Spanish word for tortoise. In the early to middle 1800s, the Galapagos Islands were a popular stop for whaling and other ships. The tortoises not only provided a large amount of meat, but they were also easy to capture. It is estimated that between 1811 and 1844, more than 15,000 Galapagos tortoises were caught and taken aboard ships as food.This was not the tortoises’ only problem. Rats from the ships came ashore and preyed on the eggs and hatchlings. In 1959, the government of Ecuador tooksteps to protect these humongous but gentle creatures from disappearing forever
1. A Galapagos tortoise’s shell is very difficult to penetrate.
_____________________________ 2. These tortoises were named after a group of islands. _____________________________
3. The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean.
_____________________________
4. People introduced a dangerous predator to the islands.
_____________________________
28 5. The Galapagos Islands are a part of Ecuador. _____________________________
6. The Galapagos tortoise is an endangered animal.
_____________________________
7. The Galapagos tortoise was almost wiped out by natural causes.
_____________________________
8. Today their numbers are increasing.
_____________________________ Exercise 8
Read both articles, then write V (Venus), M (Mars), or B (Both) on the
blanks below. VENUS Venus is our nearest planet neighbor. Viewed through a telescope, all that we can see is a thick blanket of yellow clouds. For years scientists wondered what might lie beneath those clouds—could the surface of Venus be like Earth? The first probe was sent to Venus in the 1960s, and others followed. The initial data we got back was that the surface temperature reaches 890°F! Later we learned that the yellow cloud cover contains deadly sulfuric acid and the atmosphere is so thick, it would be like looking through soup. It may be the planet “next door” but Venus is hardly Earth-like.
29 MARS Unlike Venus, the features of Mars are more like those of Earth—there are mountains, plains, canyons, and volcanoes. Mars has seasons and an atmosphere (though very thin). So, could there be life like ours on Mars? In the 1970s the first probes landed on Mars. They let us know that: there is no carbon dioxide (necessary for life as we know it), there wereonly traces of water (not enough to support life), and there is almost no oxygen in the atmosphere (the part we need to breathe). It seems our neighbor, the red planet, has no residents we know of.
_____ 1. Has surface features similar to Earth’s
_____ 2. The planet closest in distance to Earth _____ 3. Could not support life as we know it _____ 4. Has a very thick atmosphere _____ 5. Was probed for information _____ 6. Surface features can be seen through a telescope _____ 7. Has known traces of water _____ 8. Has an atmosphere
Exercise 9
In the next task, you should look at the sentences numbered 1-9 which are in the correct order as well as the sentences of a-h which are in the incorrect order. Put the sentences : a –h in the correct order in between sentences 1 -17 so that the text reads correctly and the meaning is clear.
30 1. The jungle was dark and silent. Albert was afraid. It was getting darker and darker, soon it would be night 2. he walked a little faster hoping that the noise would go away 3. Now there was no doubt at all. Albert was certain there was something following him through the jungle 4. But after a while he stopped running and listened. There was silence. No noise. There was nothing following him after all. Then he heard the noise again. A large animal was coming toward him. He could hear it, but he could not see it. 5. He arrived at his home breathless and sweating after running so hard 6. He did not know how to answer her question. He did not want to say that he had been frightened by something that he has not seen, so he said he had been jogging 7. He knew that she was right : no one went jogging in the jungle at night, especially when there was no moon 8. Albert felt unhappy. This meant that he would have to go back into the dark jungle where the animal which has followed him was perhaps waiting for him to come back 9. Albert felt very relieved and happy, but at the same time very foolish. He had run away from a cow, a cow which belonged to his family and which was only trying to be friendly because she was too afraid of the dark jungle
Sentence a-h in the wrong order. Put them in between sentence 1-9 in the correct order
31 a. Just as he was about to leave his home, he saw the balck cow out of the jungle. She walked home to Albert and looked at him, as if to say “ why did you run away from me?’ b. This time Albert ran off as fast as he could c. But although he walked faster he thought he could still hear something following him. He stopped to listen and the noise got louder d. ‘anyway, if you like running around in the jungle, you can go and look for the black cow. She has not come home yet, and I’m getting worried about her’ e. Night fell, and after a while Albert thought he could hear a noise coming from the jungle behind him f. “what a stupid boy you are! Jogging at this time of the night! “ she said g. “why have you been running so fast?’ His mother asked him. h. He begun to run. Not very fast, because he did not want to admit that he was running away from the noise
32 B. SKIMMING
To ‘skim’ means to go quickly across the surface of something without
going deeply into it. In reading, skimming means going quickly through a book, chapter or paragraph to see what the main subject is or what the main subjects are. Skimming is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text. Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal reading. People often skim when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time. Use skimming when you want to see if an article may be of interest in your research.
There are many strategies that can be used when skimming. Some people read the first and last paragraphs using headings, summarizes and other organizers as they move down the page or screen. You might read the title, subtitles, subheading, and illustrations. Consider reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This technique is useful when you’re seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension. Skimming works well to find dates, names, and places. It might be used to review graphs, tables, and charts.
Here is how to skim:
33 Make sure that you know what information you are looking for. Ask yourself a question. Look for a key word. Move your eyes quickly from line to line and from sentence to sentence. When you think you’ve found what you are looking for, stop. Read slowly the part of the line or sentence that tells you what you want to know Think about the question you were trying to answer Does the information you found answer the questions? if not, quickly read the passage again to look for the information you need Jot down the answer to the question you’ve asked
The skill of ‘skimming’ involves rapid understanding of the main ideas or
topics of the text. ‘Scanning means the skill of locating a precise piece of information within a text.
Example :
Writer usually introduces their topic and their ideas about that topic right at the beginning. Read the first sentence or paragraph quite carefully. They give you some idea of what the writer is going to say and how the passage will be organized
If the text is too long, you might also read the second paragraph. Sometimes the first paragraph is only an introduction and the second paragraph contains more useful information about the whole text ………
34 ………………………………………………after that , you should look at the beginning of each paragraph…………………………… may be read a few words……….in the middle……..and note if there are lots of names and dates……… usually the topic sentence is at the beginning, but sometimes it may be at the……………………………….………………………….. skip some paragraph…………………………………………………………….. If they do not seem important …………………………………………………………………………………..
Exercise 1
Read the stories below and answer the following questions
NASRUDDIN, THE FERRY MAN
Nasruddin once had an old boat, which he used to ferry
people across the river. One day, he was taking a university professor to the other side. "What is the square root of 9?" asked the professor. "I don't know," answered Nasruddin. "How do you spell elephant?" asked the professor. "I have no idea," replied Nasruddin. "Didn't you study anything at school?" demanded the professor, surprised. "No," said Nasruddin. "Then you wasted half your life," said the professor. Nasruddin was silent for a little while. Then he said: "Can you swim?"
35 "No," said the professor. "Then you wasted ALL of your life," said Nasreddin. "We are sinking."
1. What was Nasruddin's job?
A. university professor B. ferry man C. judge 2. What kind of question did the professor ask him first? A. a language question B. a history question C. a math question 3. What kind of question did he ask second? A. a language question B. a history question C. a math question 4. Why didn't Nasruddin know any of the answers? A. He was a history professor. B. He never studied at school. C. He couldn't swim. 5. Which man was probably able to swim? A. Nasruddin
B. the professor
6. Who had the most useful knowledge?
A. Nasruddin
B. the professor
36 Exercise 2
Look at the following newspaper items. See if you can find the title (or headline) which best fits the article.
1. A Thai airways Boeing 737 Commercial jet on a special New Year’s
run, crush into a hill last night killing all eleven persons on board a. Bill on fisheries ready b. Dollars tumbles in US c. Bus crash kills ten d. New Year disaster in Thailand 2. Beijing - About a hundred people were killed or injured in an earthquake Thursday near Kunming in Southwest China according to the national news agency. a. China pledges aid for Papua New Guinea b. Vietnamese troops cross Thai Border c. Quake in Yunan causes deaths d. Earth tremors felt in Yogya 3. Stockholm – the first non American person to receive a permanent artificial heart remained in a good condition in Sweden’s Karolinska Hospital a. heart disease world’s biggest killer b. Plastic heart recipient doing well c. US doctors to visit hospitals in Sweden d. Intensive heart-care unit to be opened soon
37 4. The Director General for Drug and Food control, has denied that locally made medicines are more expensive than imported remedies a. Drug-taking a major problem in many countries b. Local medicine too expensive c. Minister wants to train local pharmacists d. Local medicines not expensive 5. PT Inti has constructed six more satellites in Malaysia under a five year contract a. Telecom cooperation with Malaysia b. New Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia c. Spy satellites not to answer to control d. New electric power station for Central Java 6. Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister and his counterpart minister of China discussed direct trade between their nations a. Indonesian and Chinese FMs talk about trade links b. Chinese Foreign Minister assures Hongkong residents c. Jakarta meeting a great success d. Afro-Asian unity essential for future progress 7. Yogyakarta - An earthquake shook Yogyakarta and parts of Central Java on Sunday morning causing great alarm and victims a. Yogya quake cause panic b. Indonesian working on quake research c. Eathquake rocks Aceh d. Sulawesi not completely free of tremors
38 Exercise 3
Read the paragraph without stopping to figure out the missing words. Now read it again and write the missing word in the blank from available words. Watch out! There are three extra words you won’t need.U
Middle played by over five
need players Point out in hit winner gym game love
If you like tennis, then you’ll _____ badminton. This _____ was named after an English duke’s estate where the game was first _____. To play badminton, you_____ a net, a lightweight racket, and a small ball with feathers, sometimes called a “birdie.” The game is played _____ two to four players, either indoors or outdoors on a marked-out area, or court. The net is stretched across the _____ of the court to a height of _____ feet. The players _____ the birdie back and forth over the net with the rackets. A _____ is scored when the side that served the birdie causes the receiving side to miss sending it back _____ the net. A game is usually played to 15 points. A badminton match consists of winning two _____ of three games. Badminton became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Olympic Games _____ Barcelona, Spain.
How is the Effective Skimming ?
39 Always work as a fast as you can. Don’t let details slow you down Always keep in mind your reason for skimming. To help you concentrate, make a question for yourself and skim for the answer Be flexible. The amount of material that you skim depends on your purpose and on the passage.
Exercise 4
ONE MAN IN A BOAT
Fishing is my favorite sport. I often fish for hours without catching
anything. But his does not worry me. Some fishermen are unlucky. Instead of catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never catch anything- not even old boots. After having spent whole morning on the river, I always go home with an empty bag. “you must give up fishing!” my friend say, ‘ it’s a waste of time’. But they don’t realize one important thing. I’m not really interested in fishing. I am only interested in sitting in a boat ad doing nothing at all. Questions: 1. What is the writer’s favorite sport? 2. What do some unlucky fishermen catch? 3. Is the writer as lucky as they are? 4. Does he ever catch anything? 5. Is he really interested in fishing? 6. Where is the only thing that interests him?
40 Exercise 5
this paragraph about President James A. Garfield to find out the following information and then answer the questions below:
James A. Garfields, twentieth President of the United States, was like
Lincoln, born in a log cabin. But by hard work and real ability, he became the head of Hiram Institute, a major general during the civil war, a leader of Congress, and finally chief executive of the United States. Like many other people, the well educated former backwoodsman was ambidextrous. That is to say, he was capable of writing with either his left hand or his right. But Garfield was probably unique in being able to write the two classical languages – Latin and Greek – at the same time one with his right hand, the other with his left !
1. What rank did President Garfield hold in the Civil War?
2. What classical languages did he know? 3. What remarkable ability did he have?
41 Exercise 6
Read the essay and then answer the questions.prehension
THE EFFECTS OF STRESS
There is a famous expression in English: "Stop the world, I want to get off!" This expression refers to a feeling of panic, or stress, that makes a person want to stop whatever they are doing, try to relax, and become calm again. 'Stress' means pressure or tension. It is one of the most common causes of health problems in modern life. Too much stress results in physical, emotion and mental health problems. There are numerous physical effects of stress. Stress can affect the heart. It can increase the pulse rate, make the heart miss beats, and can cause high blood pressure. Stress can affect the respiratory system. It can lead to asthma. It can cause a person to breathe too fast, resulting in a loss of important carbon dioxide. Stress can affect the stomach. It can cause stomach aches and problems digesting food. These are only a few examples of the wide range of illnesses and symptoms resulting from stress. Emotions are also easily affected by stress. People suffering from stress often feel anxious. They may have panic attacks. They may feel tired all the time. When people are under stress, they often overreact to little problems. For example, a normally gentle parent under a lot of stress at
42 work may yell at a child for dropping a glass of juice. Stress can make people angry, moody or nervous . Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental illnesses. Depression, an extreme feeling of sadness and hopelessness, can be the result of continued and increasing stress. Alcoholism and other addictions often develop as a result of overuse of alcohol or drugs to try to relieve stress. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, are sometimes caused by stress and are often made worse by stress. If stress is allowed to continue, then one's mental health is put at risk. It is obvious that stress is a serious problem. It attacks the body. It affects the emotions. Untreated, it may eventually result in mental illness. Stress has a great influence on the health and well-being of our bodies, our feelings, and our minds. So, reduce stress: stop the world and rest for a while.
1. Which of the following is not a common problem caused by stress?
a. physical problems c. mental problems
b. anecdotal problems d. emotional problems
2. According to the essay, which of the following parts of the body
does not have physical problems caused by stress.
a the arms c. the lungs
b. the stomach d. the heart
3. Which of the following show how stress can affect the emotions?.
a. it can make people feel nervous
b. it can cause panic attacks
43 c. it can make people feel elated d. it can make people feel angry
4. Which of the following can result from long-term stress
a. Bliss c. depression b. Alcoholism d. whimsy 5. Choose the best answer to explain how alcoholism is caused by stress. a. alcohol is used to relieve stress b. alcohol is popular c. alcohol is a chemical d. alcohol is similar to medicine 6. Which of the following is not caused by long-term stress? a. bloating b. addiction c. anorexia d. alcoholism
7. Choose all of the answers that can complete this sentence: Stress can affect the respiratory system by __________. a. causing stomach problems b. causing asthma c. a loss of carbon dioxide d. causing breathing problem
8. Stress can affect the heart by __________.
a. decreasing the pulse rate
44 b. causing asthma c. a loss of carbon dioxide d. causing breathing problems
9. Symptoms of emotional stress include __________.
a. feeling joyous b. feeling hungry c. feeling thirsty d. feeling tired
C. Recognizing Words That Connect Ideas
Do you ever find that you understand the words you are reading, but you cannot understand, what the writer is trying to say? Sometimes this happen when you do not pay attention to the connecting words. Connecting words are often short, but they are very important. They tie several words together to form the writer’s ideas.
Two useful kinds of words to notice are pronouns and synonyms. They are often used to refer to a word or group of words. The word or group of words that they replace is called the referent.
Pronouns
Writers use pronouns instead of repeating the same word or name many times. Pronoun can be singular and plural. This means they can replace a single name/idea or a group of names/ideas. In order to understand what you read it is important to be sure that you know the referent for each pronoun
45 Example :
Modern technology has dramatically changed the way we view the
world. With air travel, satellite communications, and computers, it
seems a much smaller place these days
What does it refer to ?
The world is the referent for it
Here is a list of some commonly used pronouns :
he, she , it, we, you, they, who, me, him, her, us, them
my, your, her, his, our, their, its, myself, yourself, himself
herself, this, those, these, that, there, itself
Exercise 1
In each paragraph, the pronoun are underlined. Write the referent for each pronoun on the the lines below :
1. When a computer stops working or is replaced, one of the three
things can happen to (1) it. (2) It might be fixed up and given to someone else who can use ( 3) it. Or perhaps (4) it could be taken apart and the various parts could be recycled. The greatest possibility is that (5) it might be sent to the dump. (6) There it would join countless other computers in filling up the limited dumping space 1. It ___________________________________- 4. It ___________________ 2. It ___________________________________ 5. It ___________________
46 3. It ___________________________________ 6. there_______________
2. A pedicab is a small cab that is pulled by a bicycle. This human-
powered transportation has been popular in Asian countries for many years. Two years ago, a local businessman decided to introduce (1)it in Denver, Colorado. So far, (2) he has four of (3) them on the road. He explained that (4)they do not take the place of taxis, because people use (5) them for short ride. The passengers often people who don’t want to walk because (6) they are dressed in evening clothes 1. It ________________________________ 4.they ________________ 2. He _______________________________ 5.Them _______________ 3. Them____________________________ 6.They ________________
Synonym
Writer make their writing interesting and enjoyable to read by using a
variety of words. They may use several different words to name the same thing. It is important to remember that even though two different words are used, they refer to the same thing
Example :
An orange can be a delicious snack. This citrus fruit is also very
healthful because it is a good source of vitamin C
Both orange and citrus fruit name the same thing. Orange is the referent for the citrus fruit
47 Exercise 2
Circle the synonym of each boldface word. (Use a dictionary as needed.)
1. adapt adjust refuse confuse 2. carnival zoo festival library 3. freight dock cargo business 4. transparent muddy black clear 5. conceited arrogant calm modest 6. frustrate please resist hinder 7. lavish thrifty ancient extravagant 8. opponent foe comrade assistant
Exercise 3
Read each group of words. Circle the one word that is NOT a synonym. Then think of another synonym and add it to the group. Write your synonym on the blank line. Use a dictionary as needed.
Read the sentences. Then circle the letter of the word that has the same meaning as the boldface word. Use a dictionary as needed. 1. Hasan and Yuda will move into the boarding house when it becomes vacant. a. clean b. empty c. built
49 2. Moving day can cause people a lot of stress. a. variety b. curiosity c. anxiety 3. “We could use some assistance with the move,” Hasan told Yuda. a. money b. help c. advice 4. “I’ll ask Alberto,” Yuda said. “He’s a brawny fellow.” a. smart b. nice c. Strong 5. Hasan and Yuda were thrilled with their new apartment. a. excited b. worried c. thinking 6. It was much more spacious than their old place. a. roomy b. crowded c. expensive 7. They feel lucky to be tenants in such a nice building. a. living b. renters c. adults 8. Hasan, who is rather finicky, made Yuda move the couch three times. a. artistic b. picky c. nasty 9. When they were settled, Yuda snapped photos for their album. a. wall b. relatives c. scrapbook 10. Moving into a new home is one of life’s major milestones! a. events b. problems c. disasters
50 A. MAKING INFERENCE
What is an inference? It's a way of guessing. When you make an
inference, you have some information and you guess more things from that information. . Good readers, in fact, make inferences all the time. That means they think like a detective and look for clues in the text. Then they use these clues to guess about the text and about the writer’s ideas. This is especially important when some ideas are not directly stated. Inference is a process by which readers use hints to gather information. In making inference, we go beyond surface details and ‘read between the lines’ to reach information logically. How ? Let’s take an example :
One Monday morning, your supervisor comes to work at 9.30
( she’s usually there waiting for you as you arrive at 9.00 sharp).
She mumbles to herself under her breath and shakes her head
from side to side, biting he lip. She doesn’t say “hello” as she usually
does, but instead, staring straight ahead of her, she storms past
your desk. At her office she turns the doorknob roughly, throw the
door forcefully, and then slam it loudly
51 What you infer from her behavior? Clearly, she’s angry about something. You conclude that she’s angry by adding up all that you see and by relying o what you know about her usual behavior. No one had to tell that she was angry. From her appearance, actions, body language and behavior, you can infer that she was irritating something. In reading, inference is an important skill , because it helps us fill in information a writer only suggests
Exercise 1
Here are some riddles about places. Can you answer the questions? 1. It's a building. It's for children. Some adults are there, too. The children are studying. The adults are teaching. What is it? 2. lt's in a building. There are lcts of tables. Some people are eating. Some people are cooking. Some people are bringing food to the tables. What is it?
3. It's not in a building.
It has trees and it sometimes has flowers. Children like to play there.
52 Dogs like to run there. People like to sit there. What is it?
4. It's in a building. People sit and work there. Other people stand and wait. Some want to get money. Some want to give money. What is it?
5. It's outside in the yard.
It's small. It has a door but no windows. Something lives there. Cats do not like to go near it. What is it? Talk to another student. Do you have the same answers?
Here are some riddles about labs. can you answer the questions? 1. He sees lots of children. Some children are sick. He helps them get well. He listens to the mothers and fathers. He tells them what to do. what is his job?
53 2. Sometimes she sits at a desk. Sometimes she walks through the store. She answers some people’s questions. She helps other people at work. She wants lots of people in the store. What is her job?
3. He works in a tall building.
His office is on top. He has meetings in restaurants. He makes telephone calls in his car. He has an airplane, too. What is his job?
4. She goes to different places around the world.
Sometimes there are wars. Sometimes people are dying. She talks to the people in these places. Then she tells their stories to the people at home. Many people watch her in the evening. What is her job?
5. She sits down all day.
But she moves around the city. She goes to the same places every day. She sees many different people, They pay to go with her. What is her job?
54 Exercise 2
Read the conversation. Infer answer to the questions below and discuss them with another student : A: Excuse me. Would you turning down the music, please? B: What’s that? A: I said, could you please turn the music down? My whole apartment is rattling! B: Oh, it that better? A: A little better. It is after midnight. B: Oh, come on, man.. it’s still early. It’s my birthday, you know, so I asked a few friends over, you want to come in? A: No, no thanks.. I am not the party type and I’ve got to get up early tomorrow B: but it’s Sunday tomorrow . What do you have to get up for so early? A: That’s none of your business. The rules say no noise after 11.00 p.m. So if you’re going to continue, I’ll have to call the police. B: Oh, all right. Don’t get so uptight about it all
Questions : 1. Where are these people? 2. Who are they? 3. What is the problem? 4. Are they men or women? How can you tell?
55 Exercise 3
Look at the following paragraph to see if you can understand Diane’s
behavior. Answer questions that follow :
After lunch Diane took her bike and sneaked quietly into the yard.
She moved carefully to the plot of soil under the oak in the
backyard of the house as she checked to see that nobody watch
her. She leaned her bicycle against the tree and bent down. All
around dark clouds rumbled noisily in the sky; a streak of yellow
zigzag far away, and she trembled. Digging swiftly in the hot earth,
she made a small hole and quickly took a crushed ten dollar bill
from her pocket. After she slipped the money into the ground and
covered it, she breathed deeply and smiled. She was glad that was
over. Now no one would find it or know she got it. Certainly it
would be there when she wanted it
1. Diane is probably a. A child nine or ten years old b. A young mother c. A child three or four years old
2. About the money, Diane probably
a. Got it as a gift from her father b. Earned it c. Got it in a suspicious way
56 3. This event probably took place a. On a snowy winter afternoon b. Before a summer rainstorm c. On night during Easter
4. After she hides the money, Diane feels
a. Very guilty and sorry b. Relieved c. Worried that someone saw her
57 »R ead
Chapter 3
UNDERSTANDING THE PARAGRAPH
Most students read slowly, either in their language, or in a foreign
language. Probably the main reason, students must understand that in every piece of writing there are two types of information which can call : basic information and additional information. A good reader will automatically extract the basic information
What is paragraph? A paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic.
There is usually one sentence that tells you about the topic. Let’s take a look at an example below :
Every morning, Hasan eats a big breakfast. He eats two eggs, one
slice of bread and a banana. He drinks a glass of orange juice and
a big cup of tea . Hasan says he is ready to work after a
breakfast
58 A good paragraph has one topic and all the sentences are about that topic. The key idea of a sentence usually tells : who a person or what an object is and what a person or an object is doing.
Here is how to find key ideas in sentences :
Ask who or what the sentence is about
Ask what the person or object is doing or what is happening to that person or object Learn to separate minor details from the main idea
In each of the following sentences, underline the words that give the key idea. Here is an example :
Children who live in the tents find fun in the street even when they have no toys
1. While the prices have steadily declined, personal computers are
still too expensive for the average consumer
2. Although he dislike overnight trip, Albert camped in the woods of
Highland Park because his friends dared to him
3. Recent high school students have shown improvement in their
TOEFL scores, after nearly five years in which performance on
these tests declined
59 A. Recognizing the Topic of a Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences about some related subject. As your
read a paragraph, you look for the key idea that each sentence presents. Reader must know what the main idea of the paragraph in order to understand the information that they are reading
When you read a paragraph you should ask yourself` ,” what is this about ?” the question will lead you to the topic of the paragraph. The topic should not be too specific or too general. It should cover the whole paragraph and not just a part of it.
Example 1:
Read the paragraph and decide which topic is best.
People have always been interested in bees. This interest may have
begun with the honey that bees make. In fact, archaeologist have
found evidence that people have been eating honey for many
thousands o f years. In the more recent past, people were
interested in the way bees make honey. They admired the way bees
seemed to work so hard. Some languages even developed
expressions about people working like bees. In English, for example,
we talk about a ‘ busy bee’. Now, scientists have a new reason to be
interested in bees. They have discovered that bees are able to
communicate with each other. Research has revealed some
surprising facts about this, but there are still many mysteries
60 What is the best topic of the above paragraph ?
a. Expressions about bees in English
b. The story of bees c. People’s interest in bees
The best topic is c, people’s interest in bees. It tells best what the paragraph is about. Choice a . expression about bees in English, is too specific. This idea is only a part of the paragraph. Choice b, the story of bees, is too general. It includes many possible ideas that are not on the paragraph
Example 2
Communication is also possible among bees through their sense of
smell. A group of bees, called a colony, uses smell to protect itself
from other bees. This is possible because all the bees in a colony
have a common smell. This smell acts like a chemical signal. It warns
the group of bees when a bee from a different colony is near. This
way, bees from outside cannot enter and disturb a hive (the bee
colony’s home). If an outsider does try to enter, the bees of that
colony will smell it and attack it
What is the best topic of the above paragraph ?
a. The chemical signals of bees
b. How bees live c. How bees communicate through smell
61 Exercise 1
Read the following paragraphs, work with another student and decide which topic is the best :
1. Elephant are the largest land animals in the world. Whales are the largest sea animals. These two huge animals may, in fact, come from the same biological family. Biologists now believe that the ancestors of elephant once lived in the sea, like whales. There is plenty of evidence to support this idea. For example, the shape of an elephant’s head is similar to a whale’s. Another similarity is in the fact that both animals are excellent swimmers. Some elephants have chosen to swim for food to islands up to 300 miles away. Like the whale, elephant uses sounds to show anger or for other kinds of communication. Finally, both female elephants and female whales stay close to other females and help them when they give birth. a. How elephants are good swimmers b. The largest animals in the world c. How elephants and whale are alike
2. The intelligence of the elephant is widely known. We say “ the
elephant never forget” in honor of its excellent memory. Elephants are also surprisingly good at solving problem. An Indian farmer who kept elephants discovered this fact, to his misfortune. He had notices that his elephants were eating his bananas at night. No fence could keep out the elephants, of course, so he decided to tie bells on them. Then he would hear them when they came to eat the
62 bananas and he could chase them away. A few mornings later, however, the bananas were all gone though he had heard nothing at night. When he checked the elephants, he found that they had played a trick on him. They had filled the bells with mud so they would not make any noise! a. Facts about elephants b. How elephants get bananas c. The intelligence of elephants
3. In most industrialized countries, family patterns have changed in
recent years. Families used to be large, and most mothers stayed home to take care of the children. They were usually entirely responsible for all the housework, too. Fathers did not often see the children, except to play with them on the weekends. Now that families are smaller and many women are working, this has changed somewhat. Fathers often help with the housework. More importantly, they can be much more involved in the lives of their children. They may feed and dress their children and take them to school in the mornings Topic :_____________________________________________________________________
4. Many people who are good at music are good at language as well. That should not be surprising, since the study of music and the study of language have a lot in common. Both require you to have “good ear” – the ability to hear the difference between various sounds. They also required you to reproduce sounds you’ve heard. Finally, when you learn music or language, you have to learn
63 complex sets of rules. With language, the rules are about grammar and meaning. With music, the rules are about sound and rhythm. Not surprisingly, researchers have discovered a scientific reason why people are good at music and languages. According to a study done in Germany, you use the same part of the brain for both subjects. This part of the brain is called Broca’s area. Scientists have known for some time that it is also the part of the brain you use you use when you are learning music. Topic : ________________________________________________________________
5. The Hawaiian islands are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, far away from any other land. There are eight islands of various sizes, and while they differ from each other in some ways, they all have a tropical climate, with temperatures of about 78 F ( 25,6 C) in the winter and 85F ( 29,4 C) in the summer. Rain falls often, but not for long. The islands also share a natural beauty, with mountains and waterfalls, rain forests, and long, sweeping beaches. Their waters are filled colorful fish, dolphins, and giant sea turtles Topic :_____________________________________________________________________
B. Understanding Main Ideas
The main idea of a paragraph is a statement of the author’s idea about the topic. A main idea statement is always a complete sentence that includes both the topic and the ideas that the author wishes to express about the topic
64 Example : Topic : Dogs Possible main idea statements about dogs : Dogs are the loyal animals The Moslem perspectives of dogs Dogs are friends of human being
Write three more main idea statements about dogs :
In fact, for every topic there are many possible main ideas. The choices of a main idea depends on what the author wants to say about the topic.
Exercise
1. E-mail works in a very new way. You write your letter on the computer. Then you tell the computer to send it to someone. Your computer sends your letter to another big computer. The big computer sends your letter to another big computer. That computer sends it to the small computer on the address. That is how people use e-mail to ‘talk’ Topic : ________________________________________________________________ Main idea : ___________________________________________________________
65 2. Swimming, bicycling and running are three very popular sports. Some people like to do all three sports in one race. They can do all three in a triathlon race. Triathlon means “ three sports”. In a triathlon the people must first swim for a mile (1,6 km), then they must ride a bicycle for about 10 miles (16km). And then they must run for three miles ( 4,8km). You must be a very strong person to win a triathlon Topic : ________________________________________________________________ Main idea : ____________________________________________________________
3. The giant panda bear is a favorite of children and animal lovers
throughout the world. For many people, it is also symbolic of the sad situation for many other kinds of animals. Though so well known and loved, the panda is slowly dying out. At present, there are only about 1.230 wild panda left in the world. They all live in China,in the forest of the Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. Panda used to be common in other areas. However, as the human population increased and the forest shrank, panda territory gradually disappeared. And so did the pandas. Now the Chinese government has created a number of ‘panda reserves’ to protect the pandas. Within this reserves, the human settlement and tree cutting will be limited Topic : ________________________________________________________________ Main idea: ____________________________________________________________
4. The name of Hans Christian Andersen is known around the world.
So are the titles of many of his fairy tales, such as “ the Ugly
66 Duckling” and the “little Mermaid”. Little is known, however, about the early years of the man who wrote these stories. Borns in 1805, in Odense, Denmark, Andersen described his childhood in romantic terms. In reality, he was lonely and unhappy as a child, and desperately poor. His father, a shoemaker, died when he was eleven, and his mother, a washerwoman, was an alcoholic. In spite of these difficult beginning, Andersen believed that he was special and that he deserved a better life. At the age of fourteen, he packed up his few things and went to Copenhagen to seek his fortune. Topic : ________________________________________________________________ Main idea : ____________________________________________________________
5. As people get older, they usually begin to experience physical
problems. They often begin to lose their eyesight, their hearing, and their memory and they become less able to get around. Getting older is a fact of life, of course, and there is nothing you can do to stop the years from passing. However, some scientists at Tufts University of Boston have discovered that there may be a way to prevent some of the physical problems associated with aging. In experiments with rats whose age was the same as humans at sixty- five to seventy five, the scientists fed the animals half a cup of blueberries every day. After eight weeks ,the rats showed improved physical skills. They also showed improved short-term memory, as demonstrated by the fact that they could find their way through mazes more quickly. In fact, blueberries contain antioxidants, which slow the aging process. One leading scientist says he now eats blueberries every day.
67 Topic :_________________________________________________________________ Main idea: ____________________________________________________________
C. Summarizing a Paragraph
Summarizing is a process of retelling the important parts of a passage in a
much shorter form. It is an important reading skill. A good summary :
Includes the main ideas and major supporting points of what you have read Does not include minor details or repeated details Does not include your own ideas or opinions Is much shorter than the original
A paragraph summary should be as short as possible, and it must be a
complete sentence. The summary should express the main point in as few words as possible. The steps are as follow :
Read the paragraph all the way through to be sure you understand it Check to see if the paragraph contains a topic sentence. If the paragraph has a topic sentence, does it state the main idea of the paragraph? If so, you can use it for your summary. Just make the topic sentence shorter by using summary words and phrases and taking out descriptive words If the topic sentence is not a good statement of the main idea, write a main idea statement and then make it shorter using words and phrases and leaving out descriptive words
68 Example:
Shopping malls have produces a revolution in shopping and living
in many industrialized countries. Before 1950, there were no
malls, but now almost every city or region in industrialized
countries has at least one. In fact, shopping malls have become a
part of daily life. Many people even think of them as a social
center. In a way, malls have taken place the main streets of a
town or city. Shops and services that were once spread over
several city blocks are now in one place at the mall. Everyone can
save time by doing his shopping at the mall. And people young and
old, with time on their hands, often say, ”Let’s go to the mall”.
Topic sentence : Shopping malls have produced a revolution in
shopping and living habits in many industrialized countries
Summary : Shopping malls have changed the cultures of many
industrialized countries.
Exercises
1. SMOKING GETS RIGHT UP OTHER PEOPLE’S NOSE
One of the reasons why so many children start smoking is that they see adults smoking: they think that it’s a ‘grown-up’ thing to do. They smoke in order to impress their friends, and also because they don’t really believe that cigarettes will do them any harm. Quite reasonably,
69 they are not impressed when adults warn them about the danger of smoking: if smoking is so dangerous, why do so many adults do it? Smoking can cause cancer, bronchitis and heart disease. The nicotine inhaled from the cigarettes makes the heart beat faster, and make the arteries contract: this can lead to blockage in the arteries, particularly in the legs. Cancer and bronchitis are caused by the tar and carbon monoxide taken into the lungs. Although these harmful effects are well known, people continue to smoke. Some people carry on even after having a heart attack or a leg amputated. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) exists in order to make the public more aware of the dangers of smoking. It tries to make people give up the habit by organizing anti smoking campaign, and it is especially concerned with limiting cigarette advertising. So far, it has succeeded in persuading the Government to ban cigarette advertising on television. What is the summary of each paragraph above? 1.____________________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________
2. A PRIVATE CONVERSATION
Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned around. I looked
70 the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again, “I can’t hear a word! I said angrily.
‘It’s none of your business,’ the young man said rudely.’ This is a private conversation!
When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben, the famous clock which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C. If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834, the great clock would never have been erected. Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall who has responsible for the making of the clock when the new Houses of Parliament were being built. It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well. Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day. On the B.B.C. you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones are connected to the clock tower. Big Ben has rarely gone wrong. Once, however, it failed to give the correct time. A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down
71 What is the summary of the paragraph above?
Comprehensive Questions:
1. When the Houses of Parliament burnt down? Who was responsible
for the construction of a huge clock? 2. Why is it very accurate despite its immense size? 3. Has this clock often gone wrong? Or has it rarely gone wrong? Why can it be heard on the B.B.C, when it is striking?
D. Thinking Skill
If you want to read well in English, you must think in English as you read. If you think in another language and translate them into English, you will always have difficulty with comprehension. Understanding the words and grammar is not enough. You need to be able to make logical connections between the ideas and information in your reading. In other words, you need to think logically.
Exercises 1
In the following examples, the final sentence is not complete. Look at the four possible endings to complete the paragraph.
1. In the past, if you want to eat Japanese food, you had to go to Japan. Now, you can find Japanese restaurants all around the world, from New York to Cairo or Sydney. In the same way, Italian food used to
72 be found in Italy. Now Italian restaurant can be found everywhere, from Moscow to Tokyo or Jakarta. People everywhere are learning to enjoy the foods of other countries. Someday, it may be possible to eat … a. Italian food b. Only traditional food in each country c. Every kind of food in every country d. Only Japanese food
(ending c is correct because the main idea of the paragraph states
that different national food are being eaten in many countries, so it is logical to think that someday every kind of food may be found in every country)
2. The ‘potato famine’ was a terrible period in Irish history. In the
early 19th century, many Irish people were very poor. They had little to eat except potatoes. Then in the 1830s, a disease killed most of the potato plants in the Ireland. With no potatoes to eat, millions of Irish people…. a. Bought other vegetables b. Ate meat instead c. Were much happier d. Died of hunger
Which is the best ending? Why is it logical? Why are the other choices not possible?
73 Tips of Thinking Skill in English Reading
Look for the main idea of the paragraph. The correct ending will follow logically from the main idea Work quickly, guess the meanings of unknown words
Exercises
1. The dog was the first domesticated animal. Very early in human history, people realized that a dog could help with hunting and could protect them against dangerous wild animals. They also realized that dogs were good company, and so they began to keep them as pets. We can say that the dog is man’s best friend and his…. a. Worst enemy b. Only friend c. Latest friend d. Oldest friend
2. For many years, alligator skin was popular in the United States for making fashionable shoes and handbags. From 1870 to 1965, at least 10 million alligators were killed in the United States for their skin. Then, in 1967, the government passed laws against hunting alligators. After that, the alligator population began to grow again. Now there are…. a. No more alligators in the United States b. Fewer alligators than there were in 1967 c. More alligators skins for making shoes and purses d. Nearly 2 million alligators in the United States
74 3. There are many ways to cook eggs. You can fry them, boil them, scramble them, put them in an omelette, or use them to make a cake. If the eggs are very fresh, you can even eat them without cooking them. Whatever way you choose to eat your eggs, however, you must …. a. Always break the shell first b. Always cook them c. Never cook them d. Never break the shell
4. We usually do not think of the night sky as a colorful scene. You
don’t see much color, in fact, if you look at the stars with just your eyes. However, scientists with special equipment now have a different picture of what is in the sky at night. A new series of photographs shows a. No colors in the night sky b. Bright colors in the night sky c. That the night sky has little color d. Lots of new stars in the night sky
5. What would you do if you got lost in a desert? You should, first of all, look for water to drink. But deserts are very dry, with no lakes or rivers. Where can you find waters? The answer is simple : in desert plants. In fact, the most common desert plant, the cactus, contains lots of good water. With the right method and simple tools, you… a. Can get only a few drops of water a day
75 b. Will get water that is undrinkable c. Will be able to find some bottle water d. Can get about a quart of good water a day
6. The one-cent coin in the United States has a picture of Abraham
Lincoln on it. Lincoln, the 6th president of the United States, was one of the country’s greatest presidents. He came from a poor family, and as a young man, he had to work very hard. This was the reason why the government decided to put Lincoln’s picture on the smallest coin. It would remind everyone that in America… a. Someone from a poor family could become president b. Someone from a poor family could never become president c. Most of the presidents have come from poor family d. There have been no presidents from poor family
7. The gasoline burned in car engines is the main cause of air pollution in many cities. In order to reduce pollution, the number of cars on the roads must be reduced. This is only possible if fewer people drive their cars every day. Thus, if city governments want to improve the quality of the air in their city, they need to improve…. a. Highway system b. Quality of life in the city c. Connections between cities d. Public transportation system
8. Many people are afraid of going to the dentist. There are a number of reasons for this fear. One reason is that the patient cannot see
76 what the dentist is doing. Another reason is that the patient, who is lying back, may feel very helpless. People also may be influenced by the general belief that dentists cause pain and therefore scary. And finally, many people…. a. Like seeing the dentist’s shiny instrument b. Do not like to brush their teeth very often c. Are afraid of going to the doctor as well d. Are afraid of the dentist’s instruments 9. The Chinese were the first people to make books. They discovered how to make paper and how to print books in about A.D. 1200. At that time, there was almost no contact between Europe and China. One of the few Europeans to travel that Far East was Marco Polo, an Italian. He visited China in the 13th century and may have seen some books. However, he didn’t bring the idea of making books back home with him. European in fact….. a. Learned how to make books from Marco Polo b. Never learned how to make books c. Did not start making books until much later d. Started making books before the Chinese
10. Scientists believe that the first Americans came from northeast Asia. These people were probably hunters from what is now Northern China, Japan, or Siberia. Many thousands of years ago, they crossed over from Asia to what is now Alaska. From here, they spread throughout North and South America. The first evidence for this theory was found in Chile in 1936, when scientists found the teeth
77 of some very early Indians. These teeth proved to be very similar to the teeth of people in…. a. America today. b. Northeast Asia today c. The 1930s d. Very early times
Complete the jokes by putting these verbs in the gaps provided.
dig follow go play run stan walk watch
1. Mrs Smith had been________ ing her doctor's advice for weeks but she wasn't feeling any better so she decided to visit the doctor again. A: The pills you gave me don't seem to be working. I still feel extremely tired. B : Well, perhaps the problem is your diet. What have you been eating? A : Oh! exclaimed Mrs Smith. Am I supposed to eat as well?
2. A : Dad, was I walking when my little sister was born?
B: Yes, you had been _____________ing for six months. A : Really? I must have been very tired then!
78 3. For weeks Gill had been _________ing past an expensive boutique on her way to work and each time she had stopped briefly to look in the window. One day she went in and said: A : Would you take that dress with red flowers out of the window, please? B : Certainly, madam, replied the shop assistant. A : Thank you. It's been annoying me for weeks!
4. Peter had a very large garden and he had been ________ing it for about five hours when Mrs Burns came along. A : Oh, hello, Peter. What are you growing? The sweat was running down Peter's face. He looked up and said, "Tired!"
5. A shopkeeper went over to the weighing machine in the corner
of his shop to talk to a very fat boy who had been____________ ing on the machine for about twenty minutes. The boy seemed to be having trouble reading the chart on the machine which showed how much people of different heights should weigh. A: So how much are you overweight? B : I'm not overweight, said the boy indignantly, I'm just fifteen centimetres to short!
6. Two Native Americans were sitting on a hill looking across the
countryside. They had been_____________ ing smoke signals from the next village all morning. One said to the other: A : What do you think?
79 B : I think somebody is writing a novel, the other replied.
7. There was a lot of snow. Paul and Robert were given a sledge by their father as a present. They had been _____________ing with it for about an hour when Paul suddenly rushed into the house with tears in his eyes. Robert soon followed.
A : Robert! shouted their father. I thought I told you to let Paul use the sledge half the time? B : But I did, dad. I had it going down and he had it going up!
8. Roger's face was very red because he had been ___________ing up
the street as fast as he could. As he came into the house his mother asked: A : Why are you running? B : I was trying to stop a fight. A : Who was fighting? B: Me and the big boy who has just moved into the house at the bottom of the street!
80 Chapter 4
ACADEMIC READING SKILLS
A. Active Reading
In this chapter we shall examine the skills you use and the way in which you go about research reading for academic purposes. We explore how you can improve your reading skills to become more critical. The chapter will help you to interact more effectively with texts and articles.
Reading for academic and research purposes is very different from leisure reading. It is important that you develop and improve your skills for reading academically so that you are more efficient and can pick out relevant information more effectively
When you're reading for your course, you need to make sure you're actively involved with the text. It's a waste of your time to just passively read. Always make notes to keep up your concentration and understanding.
Here are four tips for active reading.
81 Underlining and highlighting
Pick out what you think are the most important parts of what you are reading. If you are a visual learner, you'll find it helpful to use different colours to highlight different aspects of what you're reading.
Note key words
Record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each point. When you don't want to mark the text, keep a folder of notes you make while reading.
Questions
Before you start reading something like an article, a chapter or a whole
book, prepare for your reading by noting down questions you want the material to answer. While you're reading, note down questions which the author raises.
Summaries Pause after you've read a section of text. Then put what you've read into your own words; skim through the text and check how accurate your summary is and fill in any gaps.
B. SQ3R Technique
You should learn a huge amount from your reading. If you read passively, without learning , you're wasting your time. So train your mind to learn.
82 One of techniques proposed to speed up your reading is SQ3R technique. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review.
Survey
Gather the information you need to focus on the work and set goals:
Read the title to help prepare for the subject
Read the introduction or summary to see what the author thinks are the key points Notice the boldface headings to see what the structure is Notice any maps, graphs or charts. They are there for a purpose Notice the reading aids, italics, bold face, questions at the end of the chapter. They are all there to help you understand and remember.
Question
Help your mind to engage and concentrate. Your mind is engaged in
learning when it is actively looking for answers to questions.Try turning the boldface headings into questions you think the section should answer.
Read
Read the first section with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and make up new questions if necessary.
Recall
83 After each section, stop and think back to your questions. See if you can answer them from memory. If not, take a look back at the text. Do this as often as you need to.
Review
Once you have finished the whole chapter, go back over all the questions from all the headings. See you if can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory
C. Reading Journal Articles
Many students find reading journal articles more difficult than text books and are daunted by the fact that journal articles are written by current experts in their field of study and sometimes their own lecturers. It is useful to adopt a two-fold approach to reading an article:
Get a quick overview
Read the abstract which contains a summary of the
article and should contain the rationale for the study as well as the main results and an interpretation of the results. Read the summary and conclusions. If the article does not have a summary, skim through the discussion section of the article. As you read ask yourself whether the information is relevant to your
84 own reading purpose or research. Will it be useful for your assignment?
Go back and get the details
Ask yourself questions and search for the answers in
order to focus your reading. Read the article critically and analyse and evaluate the findings.
D. Critical Reader
Critical approaches to study at University are vital. Much of this is to do
with the way you interact with text – your own and others’. It is also about the sort of questions you ask yourself. Reading Critically is usually achieved when students have a working knowledge and understanding of the issues or theories or topics which they are studying.
Critical Reading To read critically is to make judgements about how a text is argued. This is a highly reflective skill requiring you to “stand back” and gain some distance from the text you are reading. You might have to read a text
85 through once to get a basic grasp of content before you launch into an intensive critical reading.
The kinds of evidence used in critical reading
Primary or Secondary sources – these could be different for different subject disciplines Is the evidence statistical? Is it anecdotal? How does the author use this evidence to develop the argument? How is it connected with central ideas and themes?
What is your evaluation ?
You need to consider/decide if the arguments/evidence are strong or weak. Do you think it could have been done differently or differently supported? Can you spot any gaps, un-argued assumptions or inconsistencies? Look at the conclusions and ask yourself if the evidence supports the conclusions.
E. Reading Faster
There are some reasons why students should read faster, among others: they can read more and less time, and improve their comprehension as well. When you read faster, you understand better because your brain can make connection and put the words together which form ideas. These ideas are easier to remember than a lot of single words.
How to read faster?
86 Check your reading habits, for instance, don’t pronounce each word as you read because it’s not necessary for comprehension. Pointing at the words and force your eyes follow your thought Don’t translate into your native language as you read in English, because it will slow down your reading Skip over unknown words, you can get important ideas from a text even with many missing word
Example :
In this passage, every fifth word is missing. Again, do not try to
guess the missing words. Read the passage and answer the questions below.
Grace Simmons is only fourteen, and he speaks no French, but she is
famous in Paris. She has become a _______________ model for a well- know ______________ designer. Grace is from______________, Michigan. Her father is _______________ car salesperson and her _____________ is a teacher. Grace ____________ very unhappy as a ____________________ girl because she was ________________ tall-almost six feet. ___________ other children laughed at ________________, Grace’s mother took her ______________ a modeling school. There __________ tall girls at the _______________, so she finally felt _______________. When she was younger, ______________ had often been teased ______________ her height. Her Korean _________________ and he American father _____________ her special looks and _______________ were really quite extraordinary.
87 _____________ as a fashion model, ______________ looks have brought her ____________ fame and money.
1. Why was Grace unhappy as a child?
2. When did her life change for the better? 3. How did she become rich and famous?
Exercises
Read the passages or articles below and answer the questions that
follow :
1. NASRUDDIN AND THE BEGGAR
One day, Nasruddin was up on the roof of his house,
mending a hole in the tiles. He had nearly finished, and he was pleased with his work. Suddenly, he heard a voice below call "Hello!" When he looked down, Nasruddin saw an old man in dirty clothes standing below. "What do you want?" asked Nasruddin. "Come down and I'll tell you," called the man. Nasruddin was annoyed, but he was a polite man, so he put down his tools. Carefully, he climbed all the way down to the ground. "What do you want?" he asked, when he reached the ground. "Could you spare a little money for an old beggar?" asked the old man.
88 Nasruddin thought for a minute. Then he said, "Come with me." He began climbing the ladder again. The old man followed him all the way to the top. When they were both sitting on the roof, Nasruddin turned to the beggar. "No," he said.
Questions :
1. Why was Nasruddin on the roof?
2. Who was the old man? 3. Why was Nasruddin angry? 4. Why did Nasruddin go down the ladder? 5. Why did the beggar make the beggar climb up the ladder?
2. TOURIST IN A FRAGILE LAND
A, a scientist working in Antarctica, I spend most of my time in the
lab studying ice. I am trying to find out the age of Antarctica ice. All we know for certain is that it is the oldest ice in the world. The more we understand it, the more we will understand the changing weather of the Earth. Today as with an increasing number of days, I had to leave my work to greet a group of tourists who were taking a vacation in this continent of ice. And although I can appreciate their desire to experience this beautiful landscape, I feel Antarctica should be closed to tourists. Antarctica is the center of important scientific research, and it must be preserved for this purpose. Meteorologists are now looking at the effects of the ozone hole that was discovered above Antarctica in 1984. They are also trying to understand global warming. If the earth's
89 temperature continues to increase, the health and safety of every living thing on the planet will be affected. Astronomers have a unique view of space and are able to see it very clearly from Antarctica. Biologists have a chance to learn more about the animals that inhabit the frozen land. Botanists study the plant life to understand how it can live in such a harsh environment, and geologists study the Earth to learn more about how it was formed. There are even psychologists who study how people behave when they live and work together in such a remote location. When tourist groups come here, they take us away from our research. Our work is difficult, and some of our projects can be damaged by such simple mistakes as opening the wrong door or bumping into a small piece of equipment. In addition, tourists in Antarctica can also hurt the environment. Members of Greenpeace, one of the world's leading environmental organizations, complain that tourists leave trash on beaches and disturb the plants and animals. In a place as frozen as Antarctica, it can take 100 years for a plant to grow back, and tourists taking pictures of baby penguins may not pay close attention to what their feet are stepping on. Oil spills are another problem caused by tourism. In 1989,one cruise ship caused an oil spill that killed many penguins and destroyed a five-year scientific project. The need to protect Antarctica from tourists becomes even greater when we consider the fact that there is no government here. Antarctica belongs to no country. Who is making sure that the penguins, plants, and sea are safe? No one is responsible. In fact, we scientists are only temporary visitors ourselves. It is true that the number of tourists who visit Antarctica each year is small compared to the number of those who visit other places. However, these other places are inhabited by local
90 residents and controlled by local governments. They have an interest in protecting their natural environments. Who is concerned about the environment of Antarctica? The scientists, to be sure, but not necessarily the tour companies that make money from sending people south. If we don't protect Antarctica from tourism, there may be serious consequences for us all. The ice of Antarctica holds 70 percent of the world's fresh water. If this ice melts, ocean levels could rise 200 feet and flood the coastal cities of the Earth. Also, the continent's vast fields of ice provide natural air conditioning for our planet. They keep the Earth from getting too hot as they reflect sunlight back into space. Clearly, Antarctica should remain a place for careful and controlled scientific research. We cannot allow tourism to bring possible danger to the planet. The only way to protect this fragile and important part of the planet is to stop tourists from traveling to Antarctica.
Questions : 1. What is the main ideas of the passage? _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Reading for details : a. Scientist learn new things in Antarctica because: ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………
91 b. Problems in Antarctica may affect the world: …………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………
3. Reacting to the Reading
Circle the best answer to complete each statement. 1. The tourists enjoy Antarctica because of its a. beautiful landscape b. unique view of space 2. One problem with tourists who visit scientists is that they may a. ask too many questions b. do too much research 3. Another problem with tourists is that they may a. leave trash on beaches b. eat penguin eggs 4. The time that a scientist spends in Antarctica is always a. difficult b.limited 5. Other tourist places in the world are controlled by local people who want to a. take care of their local environment b. destroy natural beauty 6. If tourism continues in Antarctica, people who live near oceans may be affected by
92 a. bad weather b. flooding
4. Discuss these questions with a partner.
1. If you were a scientist in Antarctica, how would you feel about tourists? Explain. 2. Can you find any weakness in the writer's opinion? Do you agree with everything he says? How much do you agree with him?
3. THE GREATEST HEAVY WEIGHT OF ALL TIME
Born Cassius Clay on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA,
Muhammad Ali was the first American professional boxer to twice hold the world heavyweight boxing crown. He revealed his boxing talents at the age of one, when threw his first punch, knocking out two of his mother’s teeth. At the age of twelve, he engaged himself seriously in training seasons, couched by Joe martin, a policeman and boxing trainer. He had met Joe Martin by pure chance: robbed of his bicycle, he was sent off to repost the thief to the policeman Joe Martin at the boxing gym across the street. As a young boy, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at that time) fully understood that achievement does not come of its own accord. Since the beginning, he had been convinced that he was ‘the greatest’, his self- proclaimed name which he would often announce publicly in the years to come, but also a name which the world would recognize as deserving for a champion like him. On his road towards achievements, no days went without hour-long runs on the streets and even in front of shop-windows
93 and glass bookcases, and endlessly skipped footwork that were his own. And if he was not in training, he would be watching other boxers fight, poring over pictures of boxing stars or talking shop with trainer, ex-boxers and managers. Prior going professional, Muhammad Ali was an amateur boxer for six years, winning bouts by scores. In 1960 he leaped into prominence by winning the Amateur Athletic Union’s Light-Heavyweight championship and then the National Golden Gloves Heavyweight title. In the same year, still by the name of Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali gained recognition by becoming the gold medalist of light-heavyweight boxing at the Rome Olympics Ali’s first and long-time trainer as a professional boxer, Angelo Dundee, instantly realized he had a winner. By the end of his first year as a professional, Muhammad Ali had won 19 bouts, 15 by knocking out. Then came February, 1964, twenty-two years old, Muhammad Ali was crowned the Champion of World Heavyweight Boxing, defeating Sonny Liston in just six rounds. Only a handful of observers had predicted victory to be on his side. Showing through his skill, he knocked out Liston on the first round in a rematch held in the following year. After claiming the world heavyweight championship, Muhammad Ali embraced the Moslem religion, bringing about the change in his name. In 1967,Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title when he refused to draft into the US Army. However, in 1970, after winning the case in the US Supreme Court, he made a comeback in the professional boxing. He won twice, but he was still the king? In march 1971, Muhammad Ali had to bow out to Joe Frazier in a match that the media had simply entitled ‘the Fight’, a grueling bout lasting the full 15 rounds. As loud-mouth as he was a
94 victory, Ali accepted defeat with coolness ‘just lost a fight, that’s all,” he said afterwards. But to prove another claim of his that “ no man can beat me twice” in January, 1974, he conclusively beat Joe Frazier in a rematch at the new York’s Madison Square, the same venue where he lost his fight with Frazier three years before. Ali continued to fight, but he seemed to have lost the speed of his punches and agility of his footwork. The world anticipated the end of his spectacular boxing career. Yet, in October 1974, in the African State of Zaire, Muhammad Ali, nearly 33 years old, grabbed the heavyweight crown from the world champion George Foreman seven years his junior. With probably the beat punch Muhammad Ali had ever thrown, he sent Foreman pitching down on the canvas-good reason for him to announce once again that he was ‘the Greatest”. In July 1979, Muhammad Ali announced his retirement, but returned to the ring in October 1980 and was defeated by Larry Holmes. For all his victories and defeats, Muhammad Ali was the first American professional boxer to hold the world heavyweight championship twice. An until another boxing champion can override his achievements, the world can’t but acknowledge the statement that Muhammad Ali had proudly proclaimed about himself – “I am the greatest heavyweight of all time”
Questions : 1. What is the main idea of the passage above? 2. How did Ali met with his first couch? 3. In what ways did Ali achieve his championship? 4. When did Ali get his championship of the world heavyweight boxing?
95 5. Why is Ali considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all time?
Comprehensive detail questions :
Indicate whether each of the following statements is true ( T) or false (F) 1. Cassius Clay revealed his boxing talents at the age of twelve 2. Muhammad Ali met Joe Martin when he robbed a bicycle and sent off to the people 3. Before being a professional boxer, Muhammad Ali was an amateur boxer for six years 4. Ali has ever got a gold medalist at the Olympics game 5. Ali’s professional trainer was Joe martin 6. After winning the Amateur Athletic Union’s light-heavyweight championship, Ali embraced Islam 7. Ali got the world heavy-weight championship when he was twenty- two 8. American government striped of Ali’s title and banned to fight for three years because he refused to join US Army 9. Ali was the first American professional boxer to hold the World Heavyweight Championship. 10. In July 1979 Muhammad Ali announced his retirement, but returned to the ring in October 1980s and defeated Larry Holmes
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH
British or American, the language is basically the same, and its global stature is backed up by massive English-language training programmes, an international business that in textbooks, language courses, tape cassettes, video programmes and computerized instruction — is
96 worth hundreds of millions of pounds or dollars to the economies of the US and the UK. The English language is now one of Britain’s most reliable exports. In the ironic words of the novelist Malcolm Bradbury, it is an ideal British product, ‘needing no workers and no work, no assembly lines and no assembly, no spare parts and very little servicing, it is used for the most intimate and the most public services everywhere. We call it the English language.‘ Dr Robert Burchfield, former Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, has remarked that ‘any literate, educated person on the face of the globe is deprived if he does not know English. The first level of the global sway of English is to be found in those countries, formerly Britishcolonies, in which English as a second language has become accepted as a fact of cultural life that cannot be wished away. In Nigeria, it is an official language; in Zambia, it is recognized as one of the state languages; in Singapore, it is the major language of government, the legal system and education.
QUESTIONS 1. Answer the following questions using your own words. a. Is the teaching of the English language worth a lot of money? ................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... b. According to Bradbury, what is the difference between the English language and traditional industry? ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……
97 2. Are the following statements true or false? a. Dr. R. Burchfield is not the Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary currently. b. Malcom Bradbury is a novelist that works at an assembly line.
3. Find a word or phrase in the text which, in context, is similar in meaning
to: a. Essentially: ____________________ b. That can be trusted: ____________________
4. Choose a, b or c in each question below. Only one choice is correct
1. The English Language a. is a good source of money for UK and USA. b. is not a good source of money for UK and USA. c. is a good source.
2. The English Language
a. has not been accepted in the British colonies. b. has been accepted in the British colonies. c. has become obsolete in the British colonies.
3. The English language is an official language
a. in Zambia and Singapore. b. in Nigeria. c. in Nigeria and Zambia.
4. Dr. Robert Burchfield
98 a. is not a novelist. b. works for the OED. c. worked for the OED.
5. THE BUFFALO AND THE FIELD MOUSE
Once upon a time, when the Field-Mouse was out gathering wild beans for the winter, his neighbor, the Buffalo, came down to graze in the meadow. This the little Mouse did not like, for he knew that the other would mow down all the long grass with his prickly tongue, and there would be no place in which to hide. He made up his mind to offer battle like a man. "Ho, Friend Buffalo, I challenge you to a fight! "he exclaimed in a small, squeaking voice. The Buffalo paid no attention, thinking it only a joke. The Mouse angrily repeated the challenge, and still his enemy went on quietly grazing. Then the little Mouse laughed with contempt as he offered his defiance. The Buffalo at last looked at him and replied carelessly: "You had better keep still, little one, or I shall come over there and step on you, and there will be nothing left! "You can't do it! "replied the Mouse. "I tell you to keep still,"insisted the Buffalo, who was getting angry. "If you speak to me again, I shall certainly come and put an end to you! " "I dare you to do it! "said the Mouse, provoking him.
QUESTIONS: Answer the following questions according to the story. 1. Did the mouse want the buffalo around him? Why?
99 2. What happened when the mouse challenged the buffalo? 3. What happened when the battle between the mouse and the buffalo was over? 4. What did the mouse want Red Fox to do for him? 5. What did the mouse give Red Fox after dressing the buffalo for him? 6. What other parts of the buffalo did the mouse give Red Fox? 7. What happened to the mouse eventually? Why?
6. THOMAS ALVA EDISON
Thomas Alva Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be a dark place. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and over 1,200 other things. About every two weeks he created something new. Thomas A. Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. His family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when he was seven years old. Surprisingly, he attended school for only two months. His mother, a former teacher, taught him a few things, but Thomas was mostly self-educated. His natural curiosity led him to start experimenting at a young age with electrical and mechanical things at home. When he was 12 years old, he got his first job. He became a newsboy on a train that ran between Port Huron and Detroit. He set up a laboratory
100 in a baggage care of the train so that he could continue his experiments in his spare time. Unfortunately, his first work experience did not end well. Thomas was fired when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the baggage car. Thomas then worked for five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time on the job conducting experiments. He got his first patent in 1868 for a vote recorder run by electricity. However, the vote recorder was not a success. In 1870, he sold another invention, a stock-ticker, for $40,000. A stock-ticker is a machine that automatically prints stock prices on a tape. He was then able to build his first shop in Newark, New Jersey. Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, but thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work. He called himself a “two-shift man” because he worked 16 out of every 24 hours. Sometimes he worked so intensely that his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat. Thomas Edison died at the age of 84 on October 18, 1931, at his estate in West Orange, New Jersey. He left numerous inventions that improved the quality of life all over the world.
Questions 1. The main idea of this passage is:
a. Thomas Edison was always interested in science and inventions, and he
invented many important things
b. Thomas Edison could not keep a job.
101 c. Thomas Edison worked day and night on his experiments. d. Deaf people make good inventors because they can focus without the distraction of spoken conversation
2. Thomas Edison did things in this order:
a. he became a telegraph operator, a newsboy, and then got his first patent b. he became a newsboy, got his first patent, and then became a telegraph operator c. he got a patent, became a telegraph operator, and then became a newsboy d. he became a newsboy, a telegraph operator, and then got a patent 3. Edison considered his deafness: a. disadvantage c. necessity b. a blessing d. something from a priest 4. Of all the inventions, __________ was probably the most important for civilization. a. the vote recorder c. the light bulb b. the stock ticker d. the motion picture camera
Vocabulary 1. His mother, a former teacher, taught him a few things, but he was mostly self-educated. a. taught himself c. thought of himself.
b. born a genius d. loved school
2. His natural curiosity soon led him to start experimenting with electrical and mechanical things at home.
102 a. Experiencing c. making tests and playing with b. inventing d. Ignoring
3. He left numerous inventions that improved the quality of life all over the world.
a. numbered c. modern
b. many. d. none 4. Sometimes he worked so intensely that his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat.
a. hard c. passionately and with great focus
b. problems d. carelessly and with many distractions
7. THE DEATH CAR
It was a cold night in September. The rain was drumming on the car roof as George and Marie Winston drove through the empty country roads towards the house of their friends, the Harrisons, where they were going to attend a party to celebrate the engagement of the Harrisons' daughter, Lisa. As they drove, they listened to the local radio station, which was playing classical music. They were about five miles from their destination when the music on the radio was interrupted by a news announcement: "The Cheshire police have issued a serious warning after a man escaped from Colford Mental Hospital earlier this evening. The man, John Downey, is a murderer who killed six people before he was captured two years ago. He is described as large, very strong and extremely dangerous. People in the Cheshire area are warned to keep their doors and windows locked, and to call the police
103 immediately if they see anyone acting strangely." Marie shivered. "A crazy killer. And he's out there somewhere. That's scary."Don't worry about it," said her husband. "We're nearly there now. Anyway, we have more important things to worry about. This car is losing power for some reason -- it must be that old problem with the carburetor. If it gets any worse, we'll have to stay at the Harrisons' tonight and getit fixed before we travel back tomorrow." As he spoke, the car began to slow down. George pressed the accelerator, but the engine only coughed. Finally they rolled to a halt, as the engine died completely. Just as they stopped, George pulled the car off the road, and it came to rest under a large tree. "Blast!" said George angrily. "Now we'll have to walk in the rain." "But that'll take us an hour at least," said Marie. "And I have my high- heeled shoes and my nice clothes on. They'll be ruined!" "Well, you'll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons. Someone can come out and pick us up," said George. "But George! Have you forgotten what the radio said? There's a homicidal maniac out there! You can't leave me alone here!" "You'll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in the back, under this blanket. No-one will see you. When I come back, I'll knock three times on the door. Then you can get up and open it. Don't open it unless you hear three knocks." George opened the door and slipped out into the rain. He quickly disappeared into the blackness. Marie quickly locked the doors and settled down under the blanket in the back for a long wait. She was frightened and worried, but she was a strong-minded woman. She had not been waiting long, however, when she heard a strange scratching noise. It seemed to be coming from the roof of
104 the car. Marie was terrified. She listened, holding her breath. Then she heard three slow knocks, one after the other, also on the roof of the car. Was it her husband? Should she open the door? Then she heard another knock, and another. This was not her husband. It was somebody -- or something -- else. She was shaking with fear, but she forced herself to lie still. The knocking continued -- bump, bump, bump, bump. Many hours later, as the sun rose, she was still lying there. She had not slept for a moment. The knocking had never stopped, all night long. She did not know what to do. Where was George? Why had he not come for her? Suddenly, she heard the sound of three or four vehicles, racing quickly down the road. All of them pulled up around her, their tires screeching on the road. At last! Someone had come! Marie sat up quickly and looked out of the window. The three vehicles were all police cars, and two still had their lights flashing. Several policemen leapt out. One of them rushed towards the car as Marie opened the door. He took her by the hand. "Get out of the car and walk with me to the police vehicle. miss. You're safe now. Look straight ahead. Keep looking at the police car. Don't look back. Just don't look back." Something in the way he spoke filled Marie with cold horror. She could not help herself. About ten yards from the police car, she stopped, turned and looked back at the empty vehicle. George was hanging from the tree above the car, a rope tied around his neck. As the wind blew his body back and forth, his feet were bumping gently on the roof of the car -- bump, bump, bump, bump. (MDH 1994 -- From a common urban legend)
105 Circle one of four possible choices to answer the following questions:
1. Where were the Winstons a) Home
going when this incident happened? b) to Colford Mental Hospital
c) to a party
d) to the police station
2. What was the reason for the a) Six people, including John news announcement on the Downey, had been radio? murdered.
b) A dangerous prisoner had
escaped.
c) The police were warning
of accidents on the roads in the bad weather.
d) Some people had been
seen acting strangely in the Cheshire area.
3. What did George think was a) the carburetor
causing the trouble with the car? b) the rain drumming on the
106 roof
c) the accelerator
d) he had no idea
4. Why did he pull the car off the a) to have a rest
road? b) to go for a walk
c) to walk to the nearest
house
d) it broke down
5. Why did Marie stay in the car a) She was afraid to go out when George left? in the dark.
b) So no-one would steal the
car.
c) Her clothes weren't
suitable for the rain.
d) She wanted to get some
sleep.
6. Where did George set off to a) the Mental Hospital
107 walk to? b) the nearest house
c) the Harrisons' house
d) the police station
7. What made Marie so a) There was a strange
frightened as she waited in the sound coming from the car? roof.
b) She could see a man
acting strangely outside the car.
c) Some police cars came
racing down the road.
d) She was afraid of the rain
and the dark.
8. Why did the policeman tell her a) He didn't want her to see not to look back when he the body of her husband. brought her out of the car? b) The killer was waiting behind her.
c) He wanted her to forget
everything that had happened during the night.
108 d) He didn't want her to see the damage done to the car.
9. Marie says, "There's a a) terrible storm
homicidal maniac out there!" What does "homicidal maniac" b) busy road mean? c) crazy killer
d) Policeman
10. In "Several policemen leapt
out," "leapt" means a)threw
b) Jumped
c) Shouted
d) Drove
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109 Alexander, L.G. Practice and Progress: An Integrated Course for Pre- intermediate Student. Longman Group Ltd. London:1975
Beatty, Ken. Read and Think! : A Reading Strategies Course . Longman Asia ELT . Hongkong: 2004
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Pearson Education ,Inc. New York: 2003
Fuchs ,Marjorie, Margareth Bonner, Mirriam Westheimer. Focus on
Grammar. Addison Wesley Longman.New York : 2000
Haugnes, Natasha and Beth Maher. NorthStar : Focus on Reading and
Writing. Addison Wesley Longman.New York : 1998
Mikulecky, S. Beatrice and Linda Jeffries. More Reading Power. 2nd edition. Addison Wesley Longman.New York : 2005
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