CHAPTER 4: TEACHING READING

Chapter aims:

By the end of this chapter, students will be able to:

• explain reasons for teaching reading;

• describe subskills and ways of reading;

• demonstrate three stages of a reading lesson; and

• apply different techniques in three stages of a reading lesson.

MAIN TOPICS

• Why and what to teach

• Stages of a reading lesson

• Techniques for the pre-, while and post reading stage

4.1. Why and what to teach

4.1.1. Why to teach reading

Activity 1: Work in groups to think of as many reasons as possible for asking

learners to read texts in English. Then read the text in the box to check your
answers.

There are many reasons for getting students to read English texts.
First of all, many students want to be able to read texts in English
either for their careers, for study purposes or simply for pleasure.
Second, reading is useful for language acquisition. The more
students read, the better they get at it. In fact, reading has a
positive effect on students’ vocabulary knowledge, on their
spelling and writing. Next, reading texts provide good models for
English writing. Besides grammar, vocabulary and punctuation,
students can learn how to construct sentences, paragraphs and the
whole texts after reading. Finally, good reading texts can introduce
interesting topics, stimulate discussion, excite imaginative

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 responses and provide the springboard for well-rounded,
fascinating lessons. In conclusion, by letting students read English
texts, the teacher can help them develop not only their knowledge
in their fields of study, reading, writing and speaking skills but the
teacher also encourages them to focus on aspects of language
such as vocabulary, grammar and writing conventions
(punctuation, spelling…)

Source: Adopted from ‘How to teach English’,

by Harmer (2010, p. 99)

4.1.2. What needs to be taught (subskills & ways)

Activity2: Read the text in the box and find the correct word/phrase to match
with its definition (listed 1-10).

Reading is one of the four language skills: reading, listening,

speaking and writing. It is a receptive skill, like listening. This
means it involves responding to a text rather than producing it. A
text is usually longer than just a word or a sentence. It often
contains a series of sentences, as in a letter or even a postcard.
Connected text is referred to as discourse. Discourse is connected
by grammar and vocabulary and/or our knowledge of the world.
Reading involves these connections. For example,

The boy was surprised because the girl was much faster at running
than he was. But after he found that her mother had won a medal
for running at the Olympic Games, he understood.

The second sentence gives readers a possible reason why the girl
was so good at running. However, readers can only understand
that this is a reason if they know that Olympic runners are very
good. This means readers need knowledge of the world to see the
sense connection between these sentences (coherence). The
grammatical links between the sentences (cohesion) also help
readers see the connection between them. For example, in the
second sentence ‘he’ refers to ‘the boy’ in the first sentence, and
‘her’ refers to ‘the girl’, and linking the sentences there is the
conjunction ‘after’. So, understanding a written text involves
understanding the language of each sentence and the relationship

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between sentences using one’s knowledge and his/her knowledge
of the world.

Besides, reading involves using different reading skills, which as

sometimes referred as reading subskills. When reading a text just
to find specific information in it, readers usually use a subskill
called reading for specific information or scanning. When readers
scan, they don’t read the whole text. They glance over most of it
until they find information they are interested in, e.g. looking for a
number in a tele-phone directory, looking for what’s on television
at certain time.

Another subskill of reading is reading for gist or skimming. This

is sometimes also called reading for global understand-ing. It
involves glancing through a text to get a general idea of what it is
about. For example, when a student goes through a reference
book to decide which part will help him/her to write an essay;
readers glance at a newspaper article to see if it is worth reading
in detail.

A third reading skill is reading for detail, which involves getting

out of every word and out of the links or relationships between
words and between sentences. Sometimes in books on English
language teaching, this is called intensive reading. However,
Spratt and other authors (2011) don’t agree with this definition
because according Harmer (2010, pp.99-100), Spratt et. al. (2011,
p. 32), the term intensive reading refers to the detailed focus on
the construction of reading texts which takes place usually (but not
always) in class-rooms. Intensive reading is usually accompanied
by study activities. The teacher may ask learners to work out what
kind of text they are reading, tease out details of meaning, look at
particular uses of grammar and vocabulary, and then use the
information in the text to move on to other learning activities.

Inferring is another subskill that readers sometimes use to get

meaning from a text. When they read, they work out what the
writer’s opinion on a topic or what his/her feeling is. To infer these
things, readers notice what words, register, grammar or style the
writer has used to refer to something.

There are other skills that readers can use as followed.

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 Deducing meaning from context involves reading the words
around unknown word or thinking about the situation the
unknown word is used in to try and work out its meaning. This skill
helps readers to understand unknown words without making use
of a dictionary or some other reference resources.

Predicting, using clues before reading to guess what a text may

be about, is another important skill. For example, readers might
look at a newspaper’s headlines or photos, the title of the chapter
or unit, the name of a writer… to make an informed guess about
the general contents of the text. Prediction helps readers to
decide if they wish to read the text and to make sense of it when
they start reading it because it gives them the opportunity to link
the topic of the text to their knowledge of the world, and more
especially to their knowledge of the topic of the text. As they read
through, they continue predicting, using what they are reading to
sense what will come next.

Understanding text structure involves understanding how certain

types of text generally develop. For example, learners read a
problem-solution essay, they expect it will first discuss the
problem then suggest a solution, after that draw a conclusion. If
a sale manager reads a letter of complaint in English, s/he
generally expects the first paragraph will say why the writer is
writing, the second will give details of the complaint and the third
what the writer wants in answer to his/her complaint. Readers
expect certain information come in certain sequences. They use
this knowledge to know where they are in the text and find their
way through it. Understanding the meaning of conjunctions is an
important part of this skill as they often signal how an argument
will continue or is about to change.

Extensive and intensive reading are ways of reading. Extensive

reading, sometimes called reading for pleasure, involves reading
long pieces of text, for example, a story or an article. When reading
extensively, readers’ attention and interest may vary; that is, they
may read some parts of the text in details while they may skim
through others, so readers might use a variety of subskills.

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 However, in language classrooms, teachers ask learners to read
texts so that they can examine the language these texts contain.
For example, teachers might ask learners to look for all the words
in a text related to a particular topic, or work out the grammar of
a particular sentence. The aim of these activities is to make learners
more aware of how language is used. These activities are called
intensive reading. This way of reading does not involve reading
for meaning or comprehension of the text, but it involves reading
for language study.

Understanding different text types is something else good

readers can do. Some examples of written text types are letters,
articles, postcards, stories, information brochures, leaflets and
poems. All these kinds of text types are different from one another.
They have different lengths, layouts (the way in which the text is
placed on the page), topics and kinds of language.

It can be seen that reading is a complex process. It involves

understanding letters, words and sentences, understanding the
connection between sentences, understanding different text
types, making sense of the text through readers’ knowledge of the
world and using appropriate reading subskill.

Sources: Adopted from ‘How to teach English’,

by Harmer (2010, pp.100-101), and from
‘the TKT Course: Modules 1, 2 & 3’,
by Spratt et al. (2011, pp. 30-33)

Definitions (sub) skills & ways

of reading

1. Reading long pieces of texts for pleasure ______________

2. Reading for understanding how texts develop ______________

3. Reading for global understanding ______________

4. Working out the writer’s opinion or feeling on ______________

a topic

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 5. Working out how language is used in a text _____________

6. Reading for specific information _____________

7. Reading the words around an unknown word _____________

and trying to work out its meaning

8. Getting the meaning out of every word and _____________

out of the links between words and between
sentences

9. Using clues before reading to guess what a _____________

text is about

10. Reading and focusing on lengths, layouts, _____________

topics and language in a text

Activity 3: Look at the activities listed 1-6 from Life (Pre-intermediate,

Vietnam Edition) (see appendix 4.1, page 279) Which of the terms in the
box match which activities? One term can go with more than one activity.

Activities Terms (Ways/Subskills of reading)

_________ A. Critical thinking

_________ B. Deducing meaning from context

_________ C. Expressing personal opinions

_________ D. Inferring

_________ E. Intensive reading

_________ F. Predicting

_________ G. Relating the topic to world knowledge

_________ H. Skimming for gist (the main idea)

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4.2. Stages of a reading skills lesson

Activity 4: Read the text about the main stages of a reading lesson in the
box below. Then put the steps (listed A-F) of a reading lesson plan below the
box into the appropriate stage in the table.

What are stages in a reading skills lesson?

There is no one way of doing a reading skills lesson ̶ it depends on

such factors as the aim, the text type, the level of the learners.

The pre- reading stage

This stage prepares learners by getting them to think about the

topic or situation before asking them to read a text. Tasks can be
brainstorming or discussion tasks, where learners collect all their
ideas on the topic of the text; vocabulary to aid comprehension;
and prediction tasks, where learners guess what they are going to
read. Two things the teacher can do to help learners to read the
text effectively:

(1) Arouse learners’ interest and help prediction

- Encourage learners to think about and discuss what they are

going to read or create a ‘need to know’ by telling them how
the reading fits in with a later activity they are going to do.

- Use such prompts as realia, visuals or learners’ experiences

and questions to arouse learners’ interest, to activate any
knowledge they have about the topic and help them predict
the topic or some key ideas of the text

(2) Teach any key words

- Consider whether there are any keys words that should be

taught before asking learners to read the text.

- Don’t try to teach more than ten words.

The while reading stage

This stage gives learners a ‘guide’ or framework to help them

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 practice the target skill of the lesson. Tasks can be comprehension
questions where learners answer questions based on the text,
ordering tasks, where learners show that they have understood by
putting pictures or statements into the same sequence as the text;
and transformation tasks, where learners take one format and
transfer it into another.

First reading

(1) Set a task to assist overall understanding

(2) Ask learners to read the text

(3) Feedback

Second reading

(1) Set a task to focus on more detailed understanding

(2) Ask learners to read the text for the second time

(3) Feedback

The post reading stage

This stage is like the follow-up stage. After learners have practiced
the target skill in the while reading stage, they do an extension
activity which helps them take information they have learned in
the text and do something meaningful with it. Tasks in this stage
usually encourage learners to ‘respond’ to what they have just
read, so these tasks involve productive skills (speaking and
writing). In this stage, the teacher often wants to encourage
personal responses to the text from learners.

Source: Adopted from ‘Teaching Practice: A handbook for teachers

in training’, by Gower et al. (2005, pp.97-98)

The pre- The while The post

reading stage reading stage reading stage

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 Steps of a sample reading lesson

A. The teacher asks the students “Have you ever been invited to a
meal in a Thai family?”

B. Students read the text to find out if their predictions are right or
wrong.

C. Students brainstorm words connected with different eating

customs.

D. Students work in pairs to write two lists: (1) things that are the
same in Thailand and in Vietnam, and (2) things that are different
in Thailand from Vietnam. Do you think you would enjoy Thai
food? Why? or Why not?

E. The teacher writes 4 statements about the traditional way of eating

in Thailand on the board and asks students to guess which are
true, and which are false.

F. Students read the text again and answer comprehension questions

on major details of the text (Wh-questions).

Source: Adapted from ‘Teach English’,

by Doff (1988, p.180)

4.3. Techniques

4.3.1. Techniques for the pre- reading stage

Activity 5: Read the descriptions of pre-reading techniques and match each

with its example (listed A-F).

Techniques 1 2 3 4 5 6

Examples

(1) Open-prediction
o The teacher establishes a context and introduces the topic of
a reading text.

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 o Learners are required to guess what they are going to read.
o The teacher writes learners’predictions on the board.
o Learners are asked to read the text to check if things they
predict are correct or not.
(2) True/False statements for prediction
o The teacher writes 5-10 statements about the main points of
a reading text. Half of the statements are true and the other
half are false.

o Learners are asked to work in pairs and decide if the

statements are true or false.
o The teacher writes learners’predictions on the board.

o Learners are asked to read the reading text to check their

answers.

(3) Ordering pictures

o The teacher prepares some simple pictures to describe a story
or a text, and sticks them on the board randomly.

o Learners work in groups to rearrange the pictures and think of

a story based on their picture order. This activity is also used
for while techniques to check the ideas learners have read
about.
(4) Pre-questions

o The teacher writes a few questions on the board. These

questions should focus on the main ideas of the reading text.

o The teacher gives learners a few minutes to think about the

questions.
o Learners are asked to read and answer the questions. It
doesn’t matter if learners can’t guess correctly.

(5) Ordering statements

o The teacher writes about 6 or 8 statements on the main points
of a reading text, but the statements are jumbled.
o Learners are asked to work in groups or pairs to predict the
order of the statements.
o This technique is also used for while-techniques to check the

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 ideas learners have read about.
o The teacher writes learners’ predictions on the board.
(6) Network

o This can be used for students to brainstorm in the pre-reading

stage. The teacher writes the network on the board.
o Learners are required to work individually to find ideas related
to the topic of the network and then compare their answers in
pairs or groups, and then the teacher collects the ideas from
the learners.
Source: Adopted from ‘ELT Methodology’,
by Nguyễn Bằng et al. (2003, pp. 121-122)

Example A

Look at the photo on pages 26 (see appendix 4.1, page 279).

Before you read, do you think the statements (1-5) will be true (T)
or false (F). The read the article can check your predictions.

1. Wrestling is popular in Bolivia.

2. Only Bolivian men in can wrestle in public.

3. In audiences’ eyes, women wrestlers in the photos are like pop

stars.

4. People earn a lot of money from wrestling.

5. The women wrestlers fight to forget problems in their lives.

Source: Adopted from Life (Pre-intermediate)

by Hughes et al. (2016, pp. 26-27)

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 Example B

Work in groups to answer the following questions. Then read the

text to check your answers.

1. Who is Marie Curie?

2. Where and when was she born?

3. Where and when did she meet Pierre Curie?

4. When did she receive a PhD?

5. Was she awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry?

Source: Adapted from ‘English 10’ (2005, pp. 32-35)

Example C:

Work in groups to answer the following questions. Then read the

text about “The secrets of long life” (see appendix 4.3, page 281)
to check your predictions.

- Who is the oldest person you know?

- How old are they?

- How healthy is their lifestyle?

- Do you know where Okinawa is?

- What is this place famous for?

- What do you know about the Japanese way of life in Japan in

general and in this region?

- What kinds of food do people eat?

Source: Adopted from’ Life (Pre-intermediate)’,

by Hughes et al. (2016, p.12)

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Example D

Arrange the following pictures in the correct order. Then read the
story “The Lost Son” (in appendix 4.2., pages 280-281) to check
your predictions.

Source: Adopted from ‘Using Folktales’

by Taylor (2000, pp. 60-63)

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 Example E:
Complete the following diagram. Then read the text on page 125
(English 11) to check your ideas/words.

What?_____________

fossil fuels

Advantages?_________
Energy
Problems? ___________

What?_______________
_
alternative
sources
Advantages?___________

Problems?_____________

Source: Adapted from ‘English 11’, (2005, p.125)

Example F:
Put the following events from a story in the correct order 1-9. Then
read the story (see appendix 4.4, page 282) to check your answer.
a. The writer gave the manager a tip. 1. ______
b. He arrived at the hotel. 2. ______
c. The engineer didn’t fix the shower. 3. ______
d. He gave the engineer a tip. 4. ______
e. He read the holiday brochure. 5. ______
f. He turned on the shower. 6. ______
g. He called reception. 7. ______
h. He moved to room 405. 8. ______
i. He waited at reception. 9. ______
Source: Adopted from ‘Life (Pre-intermediate)’,
by Hughes et al. (2016, p.118)

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4.3.2. Techniques for the while reading stage

Activity 6: Read the descriptions of while reading techniques and match each
with its example (listed A-F). One technique can go with more than one
example.

Techniques 1 2 3 4 5

Examples

(1) Answers given

o The teacher writes several answers on the board.

o Learners are asked to read a text and make questions based on

the answers given.

(2) Comprehension questions

o These questions can be true/false statements, multiple -choice

questions, Wh- and Yes/No questions.

o These questions are related to the main ideas, and details of a

reading text to check learners’ comprehension.

o Learners work individually or in pairs to answer questions from the

teacher or from the textbook.

o Learners are encouraged to check and compare their answers

before the teacher gives feedback.

(3) Gap-fill

o The teacher writes a short paragraph with several blanks in it. The
blanks can be lexical items (content words). The more blanks the
paragraph has, the more difficult it is. If learners are weak, words
to fill in the blanks should be provided.

o Learners are required to work in pairs, and then compare their

answers.

(4) Grids

o The teacher draws a grid on the board (or prints it on the handout).
The grid can contain specific piece of information or major details
of the reading text.

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 o Learners are asked to read the text and fill in the gaps with
information taken from the text.

(5) Matching

o The teacher writes the main ideas of paragraphs from the reading
text on the board or prints them on the handout. Learners read
the text and match each main idea with the correct number of each
paragraph.

o OR: The teacher writes (or prints on the handout) the

main/essential ideas from the reading text and several details
related to the main ideas. Students read the text and connect the
main ideas with the details.

Source: Adopted from ‘ELT Methodology’,

by Nguyễn Bằng et al. (2003, pp. 121-122)

Example A

Read the text “The story of my village” (English 10- Unit 8, pages
82-83) and complete the following table.

Areas of change Before Now

Houses made of straw & mud

radio and TV

farming methods

Crops

Travel

Source: Adopted from ‘English 10’, (2005, p. 84)

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 Example B

Read the article about Bolivian Wrestlers (see appendix 4.1, page
279). Match each of the paragraphs (1-6) with its correct main idea
(listed a-f).

Paragraphs Main ideas

1 _________ a. The two wrestlers before the fight

2 _________ b.The popularity of male and female

wrestling in Bolivia
3 _________
c. The moments before the wrestlers enter
4 _________

5 _________ d.Yolanda’s family life

e. The reason why a fan watch it

6 _________
f. The fight between the two women
wrestlers

Source: Adopted from ‘Life (Pre-intermediate)’

by Hughes et al. (2016, pp. 26-27)

Example C
Read the text “Technology and you” and choose the best answer.
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Computer- A New Invention
B. What Can the Computer Do?
C. Life Without the Computer
D. The Computer Has Become Part of Our Life
2. Which statement below is false according the passage?
A. Computers can be a faithful housekeeper for women.
B. Computers prepare all kinds of bill for customers
C. People can learn another language on computers.
D. With computers you can find places you want.

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 3. Why is it believed that the computer is a miraculous device?

A. Because most of the computers are equipped with hardware

and software

B. Because your data can easily be recovered in case it is seriously

damaged

C. Because with appropriate software, your computer can

effectively operate

D. Because the computer is a fast, perfect and accurate

calculating machine

4. Which of the followings cannot be done by the computer?

A. Helping people to entertain

B. Improving people’s memory

C. Allowing you to print document

D. Managing large collections of data

5. What can be inferred from the reading passage?

A. Since it was invented, the computer has been facilitating

human life.

B. Without computers, people cannot learn foreign languages

successfully.

C. People cannot do accurate calculations with the help of the

computers.

D. Most of the computers are fragile, so they should be handled

with care.

Source: Adapted from ‘English 10’, (2005, pp. 54-55)

Example D

Read the text “Getting more for less” (New interchange 2, Unit 5:
Going places - page 33) and choose appropriate words in the text
to complete the blanks in the following summary.

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 There are some ways to travel for less. First, buy cheap airplane
ticket. You can buy (1) ______plane tickets two or three months in
advance. The cheapest way is flying as (2) _______which costs as
little as 25% of the regular fare. Another way is buying (3)
_________if you are going to do a lot of traveling. Buying a single
train pass gives you (4)___________ travel for a period of time. Train
passes are useful in India,(5) _________and European countries.
Moreover, staying in hostels when traveling may help you to save
money. Not only do hostels provide cheap (6)___________, but
nowadays they are also a great way to meet new people.

Keys:

(1) non-refundable, (2) courier, (3) a train pass, (4) unlimited, (5)
Japan, (6) accommodation

Source: Adapted from ‘New Interchange 2’,

by Richards et al. (2003, p. 33)

Example E:

Read the text and write questions for the answers given below:

- With the help of computers, we visit shops, offices, and places of

scenic beauty.

- Yes, we can. We can learn foreign languages on computers.

- A computer can add, subtract, multiply and divide with lightning

speed and perfect accuracy.

- By playing computer games and listening to computer-played

music

Source: Adapted from ‘English 10’,(2005, pp. 54-55)

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 Example F

Read the text on pages 84-85 and decide if the following statements
are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers with a partner next
to you.

1. Pessimists believe that millions of people will lose their jobs

because robots will do most of the work in factories.

2. These pessimistic people think that more powerful and dangerous

terrorists may decrease the security of the whole world.

3. Cars will be one of the most serious causes of air pollution and
traffic accidents according to the prediction of the pessimists.

4. Optimists hope that women will be liberated from domestic chores

as many labor-saving devices will be invented.

5. Optimistic people also say that offices will no longer exist because
people will work from home on computer linked to a head office.

Source: Adapted from ‘English 12’, (2005, pp. 84-85)

Example G

Read the text on pages (46-49) to find the answers to the questions
below. Then work in groups of 4 to check your answers.

1. Who usually does as a volunteer to take care of others?

2. What do young volunteers often of if they work in the homes of

sick or old people?

3. What do high school students do for disadvantaged or

handicapped children?

4. Where do volunteers (e.g. university students) work during their

summer vacation?

5. How do volunteers feel when they bring happiness to others?

Source: Adapted from ‘English 11’, (2005, pp. 46-49)

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4.3.3. Techniques for the post reading stage

Activity 7: Match the post reading tasks (1-6) with the appropriate
techniques. One technique can go with more than one task.

Techniques Example tasks

(A) Discussion

(B) Role play

(C) Write - it- up

Task 1: Read the text ‘Home sweet home’, answer questions in

Sections 2, 3, and 5. Then write a description of your ideal home.
Use ideas from the text.

Source: Adopted from ‘Lifelines (Elementary)’,

by Hutchinson (1999, p. 51)

Task 2: Work in pairs to ask each other about a favorite holiday in

Vietnam, using the following points to make questions and
answers.

o the name of the holiday

o the time to celebrate

o the meaning of the holiday

o activities on that day (what to eat/ drink, what to do)

o your feeling when that holiday comes

Source: Adapted from ‘New Interchange 2’,

by Richards et al. (2003, p. 51)

Task 3: Work in groups to discuss other uses of the computer in

your daily life.

Source: Adapted from ‘English 10’, (2005, pp. 54-55)

Task 4: Work in groups to discuss the answer to these questions:

The article lists several signs of being in love. Can you think of
other signs?

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 Do you agree that staying in love is even better than falling in love?
Is it more difficult?

Source: Adapted from ‘New Interchange 2’,

by Richards, et al. (2003, p.59)

Task 5: Choose a member of your family or friend. Write a

magazine article about his/ her job. Think about these things
(who? what? where? morning/afternoon/ evening/ like the job?
why/why not?)

Source: Adopted from ‘Lifelines (Elementary)’,

by Hutchinson, (1999, pp. 42-43)

Task 6: Work in pairs to make a conversation between a New

Yorker and a Vietnamese tourist, using the following points to
questions and answers.

o location

o population

o the Dutch

o Fort Amsterdam

o renamed

o New Yorkers

Source: Adapted from ‘English 10’, (2005, p.157)

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Chapter summary

In this chapter, you have just examined:

o reasons for asking learners to read texts in English besides developing

their reading skills

o two ways of reading: (1) extensive reading or reading long texts such
as articles, magazines, novels for pleasure (readers have no tasks after
reading), and (2) intensive reading ̶ reading for learning how language
(grammar, vocabulary) is used in a text

o subskills of reading: scanning, skimming, reading for detail, inferring,

deducing meaning from context, predicting, understanding text
structures and text types

o three stages of a reading skills lesson: the pre-reading stage, the while
reading stage and the post reading stage

o various techniques that the teacher should use in each reading stage
in order to help learners to obtain the target skills in a reading lesson.

Multiple-choice questions

For questions 1-20, choose the best completion for each incomplete
statement.

1. Teachers develop language skills by giving learners __.

A. guidance in reading, writing, listening and speaking

B. tests of their language skills as well as academic ones

C. ways to improve their language accuracy or fluency

2. Receptive skills are _______________.

A. listening and reading

B. listening and speaking

C. reading and writing

3. We scan texts in order to _______________.

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 A. find specific information (e.g. numbers, address…)

B. get an overview of the whole text

C. find out how the writer feels about the subject

4. We skim texts in order to __________________.

A. get a general idea of what the text is about

B. identify specific information from the text

C. make predictions about how the text continues

5. Text structure can be defined as the way ___________.

A. the content of a text is organized

B. lexical terms are used in formal texts

C. a text is presented visually on the page

6. We recognize that a text belongs to a particular text type by

its___________.

A. appearance and its language

B. its title and topic

C. writer and his/her feeling

7. A text is said to be coherent when_____________.

A. it fits together in a logical and understandable sequence

B. sentences and paragraphs are linked according to the tense used

C. several synonyms, antonyms and lexical sets are used

8. Cohesion refers to the way in which_____________.

A. sentences and paragraphs are grammatically linked

B. one text follows a similar sequence to another

C. topics are explored carefully and fully

9. If you deduce meaning from context, you guess the meaning of

language by ____.

A. using other language or a situation to help you

B. analyzing sentence structures used in the text

C. using both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries

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10. Context can refer to both____________________.
A. a background situation and the language surrounding a word or
phrase
B. a text type and its typical language features
C. register and complexity of language as well as the writer’s attitudes

11. Reading for detail involves___________________.

A. getting meaning out of every word and links between words and
between sentences
B. reading and locating specific pieces of information and particular
structures in a text
C. finding out the answers of many kinds of questions such as
true/false, multiple-choice

12. Summarizing is___________________.

A. giving the main points of a text
B. explaining a text in details
C. writing the last sentence of a text

13. Analyzing language as discourse focuses on language at ________ level.

A. text B. sentence C. word

14. A key word is one that is _________________.

A. essential for the understanding of a spoken or written text
B. the answer to a problem or question
C. a word that occurs frequently in many contexts

15. Layout is the way in which ______________.

A. a text is placed on the page
B. formal language is found
C. pictures are displayed on the page

16. Extensive reading is called_____________.

A. reading for pleasure
B. a vital subskill of reading
C. speed or fast reading

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 17. Intensive reading involves ____________.
A. reading for language study

B. comprehensive activities

C. reading between the lines

18. Inferring is a skill that readers use to ______________.

A. work out the writer’s opinion on a topic

B. figure out the structure of the text

C. examine how typical structures are used

19. Critical thinking questions require learners to ______.

A. engage with the text at a deeper level and show their real
understanding

B. focus on understanding both the main idea and important details

in a text

C. pay attention to the writer’s attitudes, feelings, writing styles and

register

20. Jigsaw reading involves_____________________.

A. reading and sharing what has been found out
B. an interactive task or an information-gap activity
C. reading only a small piece of a long text

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For questions 21-43, match the following reading tasks with ways or
subskills of reading listed A-I. One way or subskill of reading can go with
many tasks.

21. Find all the words in the story about pets.

22. Read the text. Decide which is the best heading for it.

23. Read the article to find out exactly how the machine works.

24. Finish reading the story at home.

Ways and subskills of reading

A. Deducing meaning from context

B. Extensive reading

C. Inferring

D. Intensive reading

E. Predicting

F. Reading for details

G. Reading for understanding text structure

H. Scanning

I. Skimming

25. Read the poster to find the dates of Annie’s, Sam’s and Julie’s birthday.

26. Look at the photo beside the text to decide whether it’s worth reading.

27. Read the headline of an article to guess what it is about.

28. Underline all the conjunctions in a text while reading, which can help
you follow the writer’s arguments.

29. Check your local newspaper to decide what movie to take your 7-year-
old niece to see.

30. Read an article about your favorite singer in a magazine in the

dentist’s waiting room.

31. Read the text and choose the best summary for each paragraph.

32. Indicate on the map the way Kate went, according to the information
given in the text.

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 33. Read a short story and decide how the author feels from the way s/he
writes.

34. Look at the text quickly to get general understanding.

35. Use parts of the text to help you understand unfamiliar words in the
text.

36. Read a folktale and underline all of the verbs used in the simple past
in that story.

37. Use the title and pictures to get yourself ideas about what the text is
about.

38. Look at how the information is structured by noticing headings or

introductory phrases.

39. Match newspaper headlines to articles within a short time limit.

40. Read and find out differences in information contained in two articles
on the same topic in different newspapers.

41. Read the article quickly to confirm predictions from headlines.

42. Read and find the names of five famous people in the newspaper
article.

43. Choose an article from your favorite magazine to read when you have
free time.

For questions 44-50, look at the stages of an integrated skills lesson, each
of which has three possible main aims listed A, B, or C. Two of the aims for
each stage are appropriate. Which aim is NOT appropriate?

44. Lead in:

• The teacher shows the students some photographs of a famous
singer and elicits what they know about him.

• The teacher asks the students what they can guess about the
singer from the photos and title of an article.

• The students decide whether written statements about the singer

could be true or false.

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

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 The main aim of this stage is to help students______________

A. learn new grammar items

B. have a purpose for reading

C. develop prediction skills

45. Reading 1
• The students quickly read an article about the singer to find out
whether their answers to the true/false questions were correct.

• They compare their answers in pairs.

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

The main aim of this stage is to encourage students__________

A. infer the writer’s attitude

B. scan

C. only read necessary information

46. Reading 2
• The students underline the topic sentence of each paragraph.

• The students are given a jumbled list of paragraph headings.

• The students match the headings to the topic sentences in the

article.

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

The main aim of this stage is to give students practice in______.

A. reading extensively

B. identifying the main points of a text

C. understanding how texts develop

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 47. Vocabulary development
• The students read definitions of some phrases in the text.

• The students find phrases in the text which match the definition.

• The students compare their answers in pairs.

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

The main aim of this stage is for students to________

A. develop oral fluency skills

B. learn new expressions

C. practice deducing meaning from context

48. Language focus

• The teacher elicits typical language used in a biography, such as
past forms and adverbs of time.

• The students underline examples of past forms and adverbs of

time in the text.

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

The main aim of this stage is to give students an opportunity to ____.
A. develop writing skills
B. revise language
C. prepare for the writing stage

49. Writing
• The students use the library or computer to find out information
about a famous person of their choice.

• The students write a text about this person’s life, including past
forms and adverbs of time.

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 • The students look at each other’s work and correct it.
Which aim is NOT appropriate?
The main aim of this stage is to encourage students _________.
A. focus on the layout of a text
B. practice the language they’ve learned
C. develop independent learning skills

50. Class mingle

• The students put their texts up on the classroom wall. They do not
say who the famous person is.

• The students look at everyone’s text to identify who the people

are.

• The students mingle and ask each other ‘yes/no’ questions about
the people in the texts they cannot identify. (Example: Is he still
alive?)

Which aim is NOT appropriate?

The main aim of this stage is for students to practice ________

A. editing skills
B. oral communication skills
C. reading skills

Discovery activities

- Look at one reading text in English 10, 11 or 12. What type of text is
it? What reading subskills do its exercises and activities focus on? Is
the text interesting and at the right level for the learners? If it is not,
make some changes if you can.
- Write a lesson plan, using the reading text above and micro-teach it.
Suggested answer keys

Activity 1(p. 105): Students’ answers can vary.

Activity 2(pp. 106-110): Ways & subskills of reading

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