PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA MADRE Y MAESTRA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES, AND ARTS

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES

PRACTICAL READING SKILLS

BOOKLET I

PREPARED BY:
DENY RAMÍREZ
MAYRA ROSARIO
 UNIT I
READING SKILL: UNDERSTANDING COGNATES AND FALSE
COGNATES

Cognates are words that have the same origin, so they’re related and, in some way,
similar. In some cases, they can be identical in both, writing and/or pronunciation.
Cognates are of great help to get the meaning of unknown words, and consequently
facilitate reading comprehension in a foreign language. The following are some
examples of cognates in English and Spanish.

cathedral – cathedral
pharmacy – farmacia
thermometer – termómetro
vegetables – vegetales

Practice
A. Identify and circle the cognates in the following sentences.
1. What’s the most important experience in your life?
2. Thank you for inviting me. I had a marvelous time.
3. Chicken is low in calories. It also contains proteins, vitamins and minerals.
4. Where are you going to spend your next vacation?
5. The demand for different food products depends on various factors.

B. Use cognates from the box to complete the following passage.

similarities - attitudes - perceptions - addition - planet

difficult – experiences – cultures – opportunity
Learning to communicate in another language can be very
_______________________ and frustrating at times, but it can also be one of the
most rewarding _______________________ of your life. Being able to
communicate in a foreign language will open doors for you to experience a
world of new people, places, and ideas. It will offer you a look
_______________________ from every part of the planet. If you have the
_______________________ to live in another culture, the experience will show
many things about you own culture. It will reveal cultural
_______________________ and differences that you never noticed in the past. In
____________________________, the experience can also show you a lot about
your personal beliefs, _____________________________________, and
_______________________________.
In a short time in another culture, you will find that you begin to learn lots of
things about yourself and your own country and culture.

False Cognates
In addition to cognates, there are words that are very similar in form but
different in meaning. Words having these characteristics are defined as false
cognates. Context helps to determine if a word is a cognate or a false cognate.
If the word makes sense in the context where it appears, it is a cognate. If it
doesn’t make sense, it is a false cognate.

Examples:
English Spanish definition
actual (ly) real (mente)
fabric tejido, tela
large grande
once una vez
sympathetic compasivo
success éxito
Practice

A. Read the following sentences and classify the underlined words as cognates or
false cognates.

1. Linda is exhausted. She needs to rest for a few minutes.

2. D, E, F, G, are capital letters.
3. The secretary is typing some letters. She has to send them today.
4. Actually, I was very confused, but later I realized what the response to the
question was.
5. Passengers to Miami go to Gate 24, please.
6. How many days a week do you have to attend English class?

B. Look at the underlined words in the reading and then read the definitions /
synonyms given. After that, answer the questions about them.

One-room schools were once about the only kind of school that the United States
had, because farms, ranches and villages were so far apart. Only a few girls and
boys lived at walking distance from each other, and that distance was frequently
several miles. Some fortunate children had the opportunity to ride horseback. But
not many parents were able to provide their children with a horse for a complete
day, only to stand outside a school.
In 1930, there were 150,000 one-teacher schools in the nation. In 1950, there were
still 60,000. Today there are 1,200, principally in the large Western states, where
farms and ranches are still many miles apart.

Once: one time, in the past

Several: various
Parents: a person’s father and mother
Large: very big
 Mile: a unit of distance

Questions
1. Do you associate any of these words with similar or identical words in Spanish?
____________________________________________________________
2. If you answered Yes, which are those Spanish words?____________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Are the words similar in form and meaning?____________________________
4. Are there any other words in the reading that you can identify as false cognates?
___________________________________________________________

C. Write five sentences using cognates and false cognates.

1. ___________________________________________________________________.
2. ___________________________________________________________________.
3. ___________________________________________________________________.
4. ___________________________________________________________________.
5. ___________________________________________________________________.

UNIT 2
READING SKILL: TYPES OF QUESTIONS: INFORMATION
QUESTIONS AND YES/NO QUESTIONS

Information questions begin with a question word that includes H or WH. The answer
is an informative statement.
Yes/No questions begin with an auxiliary verb.
Examples: Who is she? Miss Penn
Where does she live? In Florida
When is the party? On Saturday
Are you architects? No, we are not.
Do you like pizza? Yes, I do.

Practice
Read about a special Chinese festival.
The Chinese have a special lantern festival called Yuanxiao Jie. It takes place on the 15 th
day of the first month of the Chinese New Year. People hang colorful lanterns in
houses and buildings to celebrate the full moon and new year. Other people make
lanterns and carry them on streets and parks. Everyone comes out at night to see the
colorful lanterns. People also watch dragon dances, play games, and light firecrackers.
They eat a special food called YUANXIAO, named for the festival. It is a type of
dumpling made of rice. The lantern festival is a fun time for young and old.
A. Answer these questions about the festival.
1. Where do people celebrate a special festival?____________________________
2. When do they celebrate it?____________________________________________
3. What do people do in houses and buildings?____________________________
4. Do people carry lanterns on streets?____________________________________
5. Are there other activities during the lantern festival?______________________
6. What special food do they eat?_________________________________________
7. Do old people like the festival?_________________________________________

B. Work in small groups. Take turns. Talk about a special festival in your home
country / town.
C. Writing strategy: Wh – Question Chart. Imagine you are a reporter visiting
China. Write a list of questions you need to ask to people in the Lantern
Festival. Write at least five questions.

1. ___________________________________________________________________.
2. ___________________________________________________________________.
3. ___________________________________________________________________.
4. ___________________________________________________________________.
5. ___________________________________________________________________.