LECTURE HANDOUTS

Pertemuan Ke :9
Materi Ajar : Reading skill : techniques, topics, main ideas

a. Components of Reading Instruction

b. Classroom applications [Urquhart & Weir, 1998]

1. Pre-reading phase: students were trained to generate ‘wh’ questions based on the title
of the text.
2. While-reading phase: SPORM: Skim; Purpose; Organization; Relation; Main idea
3. Post-reading phase: Confirming and modifying the author’s tentative thesis

c.
Types of questions:

1) Main Idea/ Main Topic/ Main Purpose: These ask you to identify an answer choice that
correctly summarizes the author's main idea, the subject of the whole passage, or the author's
reason for writing the passage.
2) Factual Questions: These ask you to locate and identify answers to questions about specific
information and details in the passage.
3) Negative Questions: These ask which of the answer choices is NOT discussed in the passage.
4) Scanning Questions: These ask you to find the place in the passage that some topic is
mentioned.
5) Inference Questions: These ask you to draw conclusions based on information in the passage.
6) Vocabulary-in-Context Questions: These ask you identify the meaning of a word or phrase as
used in the passage.
7) Reference Questions: These ask you to identify the noun to which a pronoun or other expression
refers.
Some Important Factors in Scoring High on This Section
1) Timing
2) Concentration

Strategies in multiple choice model:

a) As with the other sections, be familiar with the directions and examples for Section 3 so that you
can begin work immediately.
b) For each passage, begin by briefly looking over the questions (but not the answer choices). Try to
keep these questions in mind during your reading.
c) Read each passage at a comfortable speed.
d) Answer the questions, referring to the passage when necessary.
e) Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong or do not answer the questions. If more than one option
remains, guess.
f) Mark difficult or time-consuming answers so that you can come back to them later if you have
time. Erase all these marks before the end of the test.
g) Don't spend more than about 10 minutes on anyone reading and the questions about it.
h) When only a few minutes remain, don't start guessing blindly, Skim the remaining passage or
passage quickly; then answer the first question in each set, Then answer any questions with line
numbers. After that, read the remaining questions, and if you can't find the question quickly,
choose the one that seems most logical to you.
i) When there are only a few seconds left, fill in all remaining blanks with your guess letter.
Practice 1:
The Stone Age was a period of history which began in approximately 2 million B.C.
and lasted until 3000 B.C. Its name was derived from the stone tools and weapons that modern
scientists found. This period was devided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Ages.
During the first period (2 million to 8000 B.C.), the first hatchet and use of fire for heating and
(5) cooking were developed. As a result of the Ice Age, which evolved about 1 million years into
the Paleolithic Age, people were forced to seek shelter in caves, wear clothing, and develop
new tools.
During the Mesolithic Age (8000 to 6000 B.C.), people made crude pottery and the first
fish hooks, took dogs hunting, and developed the bow and arrow, which were used until the
(10) fourteenth century A.D.
The Neolithic Age (6000 to 3000 B.C.) saw humankind domesticating sheep, goats,
pigs, and cattle, being less nomadic than in previous eras, establishing permanent settlements,
and creating governments.

1. Into how many periods was the Stone Age devided?

(A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5
2. In line 2, the word “derived” is closest in meaning to __________
(A) originated (B) destroyed (C) hallucinated (D) discussed
3. Which of the following was developed earliest?
(A) Fish hook (B) Hatchet (C) Bow and Arrow (D) Pottery
4. Which of the following developments is not related to the conditions of the Ice Age?
(A) Farming (B) Clothing (C) Living indoors (D) Using fire
5. The word “crude” in line 8 is closest in meaning to ___________
(A) extravagant (B) complex (C) vulgar (D) primitive
6. The author states that the Stone Age was so named because _________
(A) It was very durable like stone
(B) the tools and the weapons were made of stone
(C) there was little vegetation
(D) the people lived in stone caves
7. In line 12, “nomadic” is closest in meaning to __________
(A) sedentary (B) wandering (C) primitive (D) inquisitive
8. With what subject is the passage mainly concerned?
(A) The Neolithic Age (C) The Stone age
(B) The Paleolithic Age (D) The Ice Age
9. Which of the following best decribes the Mesolithic Age?
(A) People were inventive. (C) People were warriors.
(B) People stayed indoors all the time. (D) People were crude.
10. In line 12, the word “eras” is closest in meaning to __________.
(A) families (B) periods (C) herds (D) tools
Practice 2:
In 1920, after some thirty nine years of problems with disease, high costs, and politics,
the Panama Canal was officially opened, finally linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by
allowing ships to pass through the fifty-mile canal zone instead of travelling some seven
thousand miles around Cape Horn. It takes a ship approximately eight hours to complete
(5) the trip through the canal and costs an average of fifteen thousand dollars, one tenth of
what it would cost an average ships to round the horn. More than 15000 ships pass through
its locks each year.
The French initiated the project but sold their rights to the United States, which
actually began the construction of the project. The latter will control it until the end of the
twentieth century when Panama takes over its duties.
11. Who currently controls the Panama Canal?
(A) France (B) united States (C) Panama (D) Canal Zone
12. The word “locks” in line 5 is closest in meaning to ___________
(A) securities (B) latches (C) lakes (D) canal gates
13. On the average, how much would it cost a ship to travel around Cape Horn?
(A) $1,500 (B) $15.000 (C) $150,000 (D) $1,500,000
14. In what year was construction begun on the canal?
(A) 1881 (B) 1920 (C) 1939 (D) 1999
15. It can be inferred from this passage that _________
(A) the canal is a costly project which should be reevaluated.
(B) despite all the problems involved, the project is beneficial.
(C) many captains prefer to sail around Cape Horn because it is less expensive
(D) problems have made it necessary for three governments to control the canal over the
years.
16. In line 2, the word “linking” is closest in meaning to _________
(A) controlling (B) dispersing (C) detaching (D) joining
17. in line 7, “initiated” is nearest in meaning to _________
(A) purchased (B) launched (C) forfeited (D) forced
18. All of the following are true EXCEPT
(A) It costs so much to pass through the locks because very few ships use them
(B) The United States received the rights to the canal from the French.
(C) A ship can pass through the canal in only eight hours
(D) Passing through the canal saves thousands of miles of travel time around Cape Horn
 Practice 3
In 776 B.C., the first Olympic Games were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to
honor the Greeks’ chief god, Zeus. The warm climate for outdoor activities, the need for
preparedness in war, and their lifestyle caused the Greeks to create competitive sports. Only
the elite and military could participate at first, but later the games were open to all free
(5) Greek males who had no criminal record. The Greeks emphasized physical fitness and
strength in their education of youth. Therefore, contests in running, jumping, discus and
javelin throwing, boxing, and horse and chariot racing were held in individual cities, and the
winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. Winners were greatly honored by
having olive wreaths placed on their heads and having poems sung about their deeds.
(10) Originally, these contests were held as games of friendship, and any wars in progress were
halted to allow the games to take place. They also helped to strengthen bonds among
competitors and the different cities represented.
The Greeks attached so much importance to the games that they calculated time in
four-year cycles called “Olympiads,” dating from 776 B.C. The contests coincided with
(15) religious festivities and constituted an all-out effort on the part of the participants to please
the gods. Any who disobeyed the rules were dismissed and seriously punished. These
athletes brought shame not only to themselves, but also to the cities they represented.

19. Which of the following is NOT true?

(A) Winner placed olive wreaths on their own heads.
(B) The games were held in Greece every four years.
(C) Battles were interrupted to participate in the games.
(D) Poems glorified the winners in song.
20. The word “elite” in line 4 is closest in meaning to?
(A) aristocracy (B) brave (C) intellectuals (D) muscular
21. Why were the Olympic Games held?
(A) To stop wars. (C) To crown the best athletes.
(B) To honor Zeus. (D) To sing songs about the athletes.
22. Approximately how many years ago did these games originate?
(A) 800 years (B) 1,200 years (C) 2300 years (D) 2800 years
23. What conclusion can we draw about the ancient Greeks?
(A) They were pacifists.
(B) They believed athletics events were important.
(C) They were very simple
(D) They couldn’t count, so they used “Olympiads” for dates.
24. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) Physical fitness was an integral part of the lives of the ancient Greeks.
(B) The Greeks severely punished those who did not participate in physical fitness
programs.
(C) The Greeks had always encouraged everyone to participate in the games.
(D) The Greeks had the games coincide with religious festivities so that they could go back
to war when the games were over.
25. In line 9, the word “deeds” is closest in meaning to _________
(A) accomplishments (B) ancestors (C) documents (D) property
26. Which of the following was ultimately required of all athletes competing in the Olympics?
(A) They must have completed military service.
(B) They had to attend special training sessions.
(C) They had to be Greek males with no criminal record.
(D) They had to be very religious.
27. The word “halted” in line 10 means most nearly the same as __________
(A) encouraged (B) started (C) curtailed (D) fixed
28. What is an “Olympiad”?
(A) The time it took to finish the games. (C) The time it took to finish the war.
(B) The time between games. (D) The time it took the athletes to train.