Previewing and Predicting

2
Previewing and Predicting

There are two skills that are crucial for a good reader: Previewing and Predicting. When you
gather information about a book by examining its cover, you previewing. The aim of previewing is
to help you to predict or make some “educated guesses” about what is in the book. You should
develop the habit of applying these skills whenever you read.
Previewing and predicting before you read can make a big difference. You can get some
ideas about what you will read. That way you will begin to process the information far more quickly.
You will also be able to follow the writer’s ideas better. Though it takes a few minutes to preview
and predict, those few minutes are well invested, you will find that later you save reading time and
again comprehension.

Lead in

You can tell a lot about a book from its cover. Examine the book cover below. Then fill in the
following information.

1. Title

2. Author

3. Fiction or nonfiction?

4. What do you predict that this book is about?

5. List some of the nouns which are found in the reviews on the back cover of the book?

6. Find any additional information about the book and write it here.

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 Guideline for previewing and predicting about longer passages
1. Read the title- what is the passage about? Do you know anything about this subject?
2. Decide what kind of text is – is it an essay, an argument, a story, an explanation? Does it
seem difficult?
3. Look at the way the test is organized – is it divided into parts? Are there sub-titles? If so,
what do they tell you about the way the subject is presented?
4. Read very quickly the first line of each paragraph or sub-division – can you tell what the
passage is about? Do you already know something about it?
5. Notice names, numbers, dates. And words that are repeated – do you recognize any of
them?
6. Read quickly the last few sentences in the final paragraph – what is the author’s final point?
Is it a conclusion or a summary?

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 Exercise 1
Look at the following figure A and B. Write your prediction about the figures.
A

Predictions: _________________________________________________________________

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Prediction: _________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2
Preview the following job posting. Time limit: 30 seconds. Then, answer the questions.
Remember, don’t read again.

1. Where is the company?

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2. What does the company seek?

3. What are the qualifications of the applicants?

4. What projects does the company focus on?

Exercise 3
Preview the following article. When you have finished previewing, go on to answer the
questions.

1. What is the article about?

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 2. What kinds of materials can be used, according to the passage?

3. What are the examples of natural materials?

4. What are the examples of synthetic materials?

5. Does certain building need certain materials? Why?

6. Is the information in this article new to you?

Exercise 4
Preview and predict about the next passage. Remember to use the guidelines for previewing
and predicting. Then answer the questions.

Concrete Mix Design

Cement is a key material in construction. It consists of a very fine powder. When water
is added to cement, a chemical reaction occurs, and the cement begins to set - it starts to become
solid. The most widely used cement-based material is concrete, which is made from cement, fine
aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate (gravel) and water. After concrete has set, it needs time to reach
its structural strength - the strength needed to perform effectively. Generally, engineers consider
that this strength is reached after 28 days - a point called 28-day strength.

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 Concrete mix designs, which are specified by engineers, state the proportions of cement,
fine aggregate and coarse aggregate to be used for specific structures. For example, a 1:2:4 (one-
two-four) mix consists of one part cement, two parts fine aggregate and four parts coarse aggregate.
For mixing precise quantities- known as hatching- proportions are measured by weight. Mix designs
also specify the water-cement ratio - the amount of water added relative to the amount of cement
used. Excess water reduces the strength of concrete, so the quantity of water is kept to a minimum.
But as drier concrete is more difficult to work with, an additive (added chemical substance) called
a plasticizer is often used. This helps the concrete to flow more easily. Other additives can also be
used- for example, a retarder may be added to delay setting, which gives workers more time to pour
(place) the concrete.

Recalling facts
1. The key material in construction is
a. water. b. cement. c. sand.
d.
2. When the cement begin to set, it starts to become
a. weak. b. liquid. c. solid.

3. The concrete will reach the structural strength after

a. 28 days. b. 28 hours. c. 30 days.

4. The common proportion of cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate is

a. 1:2:3. b. 1:2:4. c. 1:2:5.

Understanding ideas
5. This article is mostly about
a. mixing cement.
b. the key of material construction.
c. concrete.

6. The author implies that the water

a. influence the concrete strength.
b. is the key material.
c. has the biggest proportion to make concrete.

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7. The reader can infer that
a. the drier concrete is easy to work with.
b. the good concrete is based on the good proportion of ingredients.
c. a plasticizer and a retarder can be used to substitute water.

8. Based on the concrete mix designs, the proportion of cement is

a. much more than that of sand.
b. less than that of gravel.
c. equals to that of water.

Exercise 5

Read the sentences. Then predict the next idea.

Example:

Yesterday was a big snowstorm in Boston.

Next: It was very cold, but the snow on the trees looked beautiful.

1. There were many good shows on TV last night. The Smith family stayed home.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

2. John and Alice Babson are not happy with the school in their town.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

3. The roads were covered with ice and were very dangerous today.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

4. Boston is a nice place to live in, but New York City is more fun.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

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5. Fly Happy Time Airlines! Take an exciting trip to Holiday Island.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

6. Alex had trouble falling asleep last night. He was awake until 3 a.m.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

7. Dr. Hammond was busy with his patients all day. He did not have time for lunch.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

8. Judy and Alan moved to a new apartment near the university.

Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

9. Max works all day in a shoe store. At night, he takes business classes at the university.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

10. Tomiko is happy to be a student in New York. She is studying English at Columbia University.
Next:
___________________________________________________________________________

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