IGCSE

ENGLISH
PROGRAMME
READING MODULE 2

Name:
YEAR 10
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

Reading to spot information

Reading is something that you do every day, ever since you were able to.
Over time, you have developed the ability to read with varying levels of focus,
even if you may not notice it — therefore it is going to be very helpful to be
able to develop and exercise your reading skills so that you can be as efficient
as possible when you read during exams where time is of the essence.

In this lesson, you will recap and further practice the essential skills of
skimming, scanning and keywording. You will also learn about synthesis in
this lesson.

Recap
 Skimming
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We skim to read through a text quickly and to know roughly what we

a m
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are reading about. For example, when we are choosing a magazine, we

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can skim through the contents page to see what it has to offer. We may
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i s h
skim through the headlines of articles, read subheadings and first
l
paragraphs to help us decide if wegfind an article interesting or not.
En
S E
 Scanning C
G
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We scan with the intention to find information. An example of this is
b elist to find your name, checking the ingredients on a
u
scanning a name
d
E to avoid allergens, or scanning a recipe to find out how
food wrapper
long it will take, how many servings it will make or what ingredients
you will need.

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

 Keywording
Keywording is when you identify the key words within a question or
instruction. Make it a habit to underline or circle key words in a
question. This simple step will help you to avoid careless mistakes
such as overlooking important information — and you will find it can
be as useful as making notes on given texts.

Remember!
When answering questions, make sure you identify your
keywords. Then skim the text to get an idea of it, and scan
the text to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Task 1 [10] e
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Read the following article. Then, using your newly-learnt skimming and

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scanning skills, identify the ways the writer paints Los Roques as an enticing
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and fascinating destination.
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How are the following parts of the article described effectively?

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 the place, in terms of geography and history
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 the people, in terms of those who live there or not
s
 the wildlife
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Children of the Stars
Walking the soft white beaches of Los Roques it is rare to see another human
being. There are empty conch shells, coral sculptures, scuttling hermit crabs,
shiny lizards and long-legged sandpipers, a watching heron, a fluffy white
chick sitting in its nest amidst the green sea-purslane. When I took to the warm

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

turquoise waters, jumping jacks flopped in the shallows; frigate birds with
sharply angled wings floated above; curious terns looked me in the eye; and
pelicans dive-bombed for breakfast. Below the surface, designer fish played
hide and seek in the corals; angelfish, butterfly fish, parrotfish, blueheads,
snappers, baby damsels and a fleeing turtle, to mention but a few.

Los Roques is a coral archipelago 150km off the coast of Venezuela

consisting of 42 small islands surrounding a huge lagoon. Here, in this
paradisiacal playground, hurricanes hardly happen. The days are hot and the
nights are cool. Venezuelans visit at weekends to snorkel, scuba dive and
watch the sunset, returning to Gran Roque, the only inhabited island, for
dinner and a comfortable night in one of the many delightful posadas.

Following in the wake of Christopher Columbus and Walter Raleigh, we

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took a boat up to the Orinoco River. Our guides encouraged us to take a dip
in the river at sunset. It looked inviting— the wide dark m m
waters tinged with
pink, parrots winging their way home above a wall ofggreen ra jungle. A young
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Belgian couple took the plunge. But are there crocodiles? And piranha fish?
il shbutterflies with wings as large
ng monkeys and the part-reptile
Yes! But there are also electric-blue morph
as your hand, noisy families of redEhowler
guacharacca bird, a hang-over fromS E pre-historic times.
C
G
s tI
There was also plenty of wildlife activity at the jungle camp. A magnificent
puma, brought in as e
u b a baby by the Indians, paced the length of its enclosure.
In the rafters ofd the dining room an ocelot and a raccoon played together
E
while a family of otters honked noisily for scraps at our table. A huge
tarantula sitting on an adjacent banana plant caused a stir. The young
Belgian took it on the back of his hand but his mosquito repellent irritated
the spider which slowly “hunched up”, a sign that it was ready to deliver its

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

poison. Our guide gently coaxed it back to its leaf— no harm done!

The Orinoco Delta is home to the Warao Indians. The river is their highway
and the canoe their only mode of transport. Made from a single tree, the
hollowed out trunk is heated over fire which causes it to unfurl like a flower
and seals the wood at the same time. A father crafts a canoe for his child
before it can walk and when a member of the family dies, he or she is placed
in a canoe covered with flowers and carried far into the jungle. The family
then moves to another part of a river and builds a new house to avoid the
spirit of death.

The Warao believe they came from the stars and their god brought them to
the Orinoco Delta, to paradise, where the Mareche, the “tree of life”, grow
in abundance. The Mareche produces an orange fruit which, when softened
for several days, makes a palatable juice—or wine, if fermented. The younge
m
tree yields a string from which hammocks and baskets are m made. When the
g rasource of protein—
ro
tree rots it is home to a large, yellow grub, an excellent
eaten live. I was offered a chance to try this P wriggling delicacy— I just
wasn’t hungry! For the most part the Warao il shstill live in the old way, at one
n g
E stilts— the dwellings that caused
with the jungle in their riverside houses on
Columbus to christen the country S ELittle Venice—Venezuela.
C
I G
t
Adapted from an article by Angela Clarence, The Observer

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Edubest IGCSE English Programme 4

Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

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Reading through a text quickly to get a general idea of it is known as
skimming. il sh
g
En
Skim through the following text, which is about some of the preparations for
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the yearly Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
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I found the ballboys and girls—the “BBGs”—training in the indoor tennis
es
courts adjacent to b
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the championship grounds, and watched them jogging,
sprinting and E d
star-jumping before standing stock-still for three long minutes.
About 800 15-year-olds from 32 local schools apply each year, and 170 are
selected based on their fitness and knowledge of the game. Anyone who turns
up for the selection process chewing gum or wearing make-up stands no
chance. Starting in February, there are weekly sessions in which they are
taught to march, hold themselves erect, roll balls with pinpoint precision, feed

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

balls with upright arms, and stand with arms at a 20-degree angle to their
bodies with palms turned forward and fingers together to show they hold no
balls. They learn how to hand dropped racquets, as well as towels and drinks,
to players. They are told to note players’ superstitious quirks—some will
reuse the ball they have just won a point with, for example—and to
record those quirks in a book for the benefit of their colleagues. There
is no larking about, no talking. The BBGs are known by numbers, not
names. Any who underperform, suffer injuries or miss a session without
good reason are dismissed. The process is ruthless. “It has to be,” Sarah
Goldson, the PE teacher who leads the coaching team, says sternly. “We
put them under significant pressure because they’ll be under pressure
when they’re standing on the championship courts.” The culling
continues as the number of matches decreases; by the end just 80
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remain. The best BBGs do the finals. All leave with their Polo Ralph
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Lauren uniforms, a can of used balls, a certificate, a photograph and a
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stellar entry on their CV. When they apply for jobs, “it doesn’t matter
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what else they’ve done. The questions are always about being a BBG. I

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think it’s because of the discipline involved,” says Goldson.
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Equally high standards G areCrequired of Wimbledon’s 330 umpires and
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linesmen. A 30-pagestofficials’ manual stipulates, for example, exactly
b e
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how the linesmenu and women should walk onto the court. They must
all dispenseEwith their jackets together, or not at all. They cannot roll up
their sleeves, or drink water except when the players are changing ends.
They must make announcements in a prescribed manner, know how to
pronounce the players’ names, and address the women as “Miss” or
“Mrs”. “I’m not sure we’ve ever had a Ms,” says chief umpire Adrian

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 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

Wilson, property dealer who began working at Wimbledon as a

linesman 26 years ago. The umpires’ performances are assessed by
independent evaluators, the linesmen’s by the umpires, and the best

are given the ultimate honour of officiating at the finals.

The balls are the responsibility of Brian Mardling, 69, a genial former
Wimbledon umpire. Two lorryloads—about 57 000 balls in all— arrive
from Slazenger, Wimbledon’s supplier since 1902, and are stored in two
rooms beneath the Centre Court at a constant 20°C. Before play each
day, 24 tins of balls are delivered to each court. The stock is replenished
after each match. Mardling monitors the matches on a computer in an
office near Court 14, watching out for five-setters that might require
extra balls. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut used 41 tins during their
record-breaking, 11-hour, 183-game epic in 2010, with Isner winning e
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the final set 70-68. “I had to continually take balls up to that court

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myself to keep the match going,” Mardling chuckles.
P r
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EnFrom ‘Behind the scenes at Wimbledon’, The Week
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Task 2 [10]
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1. After skimming through the text, write a suitable heading for each
paragraph. [3]
Paragraph 1: _____________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: _____________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3: _____________________________________________________________

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 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

2. Write two subheadings for the first paragraph. [2]

Subheading 1: _____________________________________________________________
Subheading 2: _____________________________________________________________

3. Based on your skimming of the text, answer the following questions

by writing ‘yes’ or ‘no’. [5]
i) Does this passage have a vividly painted sense of setting? _____
ii) Does this passage feature a character/s whose actions form the
basis of an extended story with drama and resolution? _____
iii) Is this passage full of action, facts, figures, opinion, and anecdote?
_____
iv) Does the story convey an overarching message or attitude? _____
v) Does this passage have a distinctive layout or structure? _____

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Task 3 [15]
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1. Scanning a text involves quickly locating key words, then carefully
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reading within the relevant areas to identify specific details —
g how to recognise key words.
therefore, it is very important tonknow
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Read the following questionsS Ethat are about the text. Then, identify the
C in the question that would guide your
I
key word(s) or phrase(s) G
scanning. [5] e s t
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i) Identify how many ball boys and girls are selected for Wimbledon.
Key word(s)/phrase(s): ________________________________________________

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

ii) What training do the linesmen get before working at the

Championships?
Key word(s)/phrase(s): ________________________________________________

iii) Explain the rewards that the ball boys and girls get from working
at Wimbledon.
Key word(s)/phrase(s): ________________________________________________

iv) How are the umpires’ performances judged?

Key word(s)/phrase(s): ________________________________________________

v) In your own words, explain how Brian Mardling knows whether e

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extra balls are needed.
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Key word(s)/phrase(s): ________________________________________________
Pr
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2.
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For each of the key words orEphrases you identified
TOP TIP

S
C provide a few synonyms. scanning,
for question 1(ii) and 1(iv),
While

t IG remember to
[2]
e s look out for
Question 1(ii):b
d u synonyms as
E
______________________________________________________________ well, instead of
searching only
Question 1(iv):
for the exact
_____________________________________________________________ key word.

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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

3. Scan the text and answer each of the questions in question 1. [5]
Question (i): ________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Question (ii): _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Question (iii): ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Question (iv): ______________________________________________________________

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Question (v): _______________________________________________________________

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4. P
Scan the text and identify the following: [3]
r
h
is long working hours.

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Where it indicates Brian Marling’s
Paragraph: ___________ E
n
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Line(s): _______________
E
C
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s t physical

e
Evidence that
b ___________
work does not intimidate Marling.

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Paragraph:
E
Line(s): _______________

 Evidence that Marling had to be capable of juggling multiple

duties and responsibilities.
Paragraph: ___________
Line(s): _______________

Edubest IGCSE English Programme 10

Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

Score with these tips!

Score with these tips!
 Skim texts to get an idea of what
they are about
 Take clues from headings and
other elements within a text to help
you gauge what each paragraph is
about
 Use these clues to help you find the
specific details needed for your
answer
 Identify key words in the question
and determine what is being asked
to avoid irrelevant details in your
answer
 Spot the relevant keywords in the
text to locate the information you
need to answer the question
 Avoid careless mistakes by
ensuring that the context of the
information you find is suitable and
fits what the question is asking

Synthesis e
Synthesis can be defined as the process of combining m m
certain elements in
a
r when you find and
o g
order to form a connected whole. You practice synthesis
r
P as one or more texts),
gather information from a variety of sources (such
h
then combine them in your own response.lis
g Synthesis also involves ensuring

Enclearly. You will need to synthesise

that selected information is organised
information in directed writing S
E
and extended response to reading tasks, as
C synthesis is something you encounter in
G
tI
well as summary tasks. However,
s
e instance:
everyday life as well. For
u b
d
E to go for a holiday workshop, you would find more
 If you wanted
information about the workshops being held during the holidays. You
would probably check the details of the more interesting workshops
in order to come to a decision.
 If you wanted to purchase an electronic device, you would most likely
look up the details of several models before deciding.

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 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

Summarising has to happen before you can synthesise because you must
have understood a text or several texts before being able to extract and
process the information.

Remember that you may have to go back and forth between reading,
summarising, and synthesising. It is not a linear process.

Task 4 [10]
Summarise the problems that arise from extreme weather conditions, based
on the following passage.

Extreme winds, such as those found in hurricanes, tornadoes and some

thunderstorms, can overturn caravans, tear off roofs and topple trees, causing
extreme distress to many people and financial hardship to whole
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communities. Some of the strongest tornadoes can demolish houses m
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completely, leaving people homeless, and vulnerable to disease and criminal
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harm. People may be knocked down or struck by debris and many places may

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lose electricity. Flooding and storm surges can destroy buildings and roads,

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contaminate water supplies, halt other essential services and drown people.
Large hail stones can damage carsE
E
and roofs, and destroy crops, but rarely kill
people. Heat waves can leadC
S
to drought, which causes crop loss as well as
t IGdehydration.
s
health issues and death from
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Ed
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Edubest IGCSE English Programme 12

Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

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Task 5 [15]

Now, synthesise the relevant information based on the following question:

Imagine that you are a journalist. You need to put together a radio broadcast
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script about the sort of aid required in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
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You have read the provided extract above (in Task 4), and have taken down
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notes (in the box below) from an interview with an international charity aid
P
worker.
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In your radio broadcast, you will need to explain:

S E

C
the types of challenges which arise from natural disasters
 t IG
what measures can be taken to help recovery efforts
esto be done after the natural disaster has passed
 b
what needs
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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
 YEAR 10 READING SKILL 2

Interview notes
Need supplies, fresh water, medicines, tents
Disease spreads fast when pipes are broken
People should not rely on the state, they can get private insurance
Rapid response teams need to be formed to remove debris and search for/treat
survivors
Rough terrain vehicles needed
Extra police presence helps to reduce looting

Tip: When working on this question, you should scan both texts (the
provided extract in Task 4 and the interview notes above) for relevant
information based on the question provided—specifically focusing on the
e
bullet points, which you may use as headings for note-making. m
a m
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P r
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By using the bullet points as headings for note-making, you are organising
relevant information while additionally g l
ensuring you are not repeating any
points. This will allow you to come En up with a well-organised, well-
S E
synthesised response.
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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
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Conclusion o gr
P r
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In this lesson, you reviewed what you learnt about skimming, scanning and

n
keywording, and you practiced these skills g further. You were also introduced
E
to synthesis in this lesson, and youElearnt how to select relevant information
CS it in a logical, efficient manner.
from more than one text and organise
t IG
es learn about explicit and implicit meaning.
In the next lesson, you will
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Year 10 Reading 2_MC
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