Paraphrasing Skills &

Understanding Standardized
Testing

Session 4 Unit 2
 Paraphrasing
• To use your own language to rewrite
an idea described in a few sentences
in a source text
Original Paraphrase
She is the most beautiful She is more beautiful than any
woman I’ve seen. other woman I’ve ever met.
May I have your number, please? Is it possible if I have your
phone number?
She did not say goodbye when She left without waving
she left. goodbye.
 Paraphrasing
• Step 1: Read the original source
 Paraphrasing
• Step 2: Identify the major ideas
 Paraphrasing
• Step 3: Find synonyms/phrases with
similar meaning to replace the
original words
 Paraphrasing
• Step 4: Change the order of ideas,
keeping the original logical
connection between them
 Paraphrasing
• Step 5: Come up with a different
sentence pattern
 Paraphrasing
• Step 6: Look away from the text and
restate the ideas using your notes
above
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
1. Use synonyms
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
2. Change the part of speech
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
3. Change the voice
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
4. Change the word order
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
5. Change the sentence length
 Paraphrasing:
Language Strategies
6. Change the sentence structure
Paraphrasing: Language Strategies

Different
Different sentence
order structures
Different
vocabulary

Don’t rely on
a single
Paraphrase
strategy!
 Paraphrasing: Language Strategies
Original

Poor Paraphrase Change of word classes only

Better Paraphrase Word class + Sentence structure + New words

 Paraphrasing: Language Strategies
Original
• There are three things bystanders must do if
they are to intervene in an emergency.

Paraphrase
It is (adj) for (sby) to do (sth)… in case of …
• It is necessary for passers-by to do three
things in case of an emergency.
 Paraphrasing: Language Strategies
Original
• If the population explosion continues, more people
will die of starvation in poor countries, and the
unemployment rate in rich countries will rise.
Paraphrase
population poor/rich What causes people
explosion = ? countries = ? to die of starvation?
• Overpopulation can worsen the food shortage
problem in underdeveloped countries and
intensify the unemployment problem in developed
countries.
 Paraphrasing: Language Strategies
Original
• Shenzhen airport is planning to open its third
passenger terminal, which is intended to meet
Shenzhen’s forecast capacity of 45 million
passengers by 2020.
Paraphrase forecast capacity of 45 million
Relative clause  passengers  Future tense + a
Cause/effect new verb for ‘forecast’?
• Shenzhen predicts that its airport will serve 45
million passengers by 2020, and thus it is
developing a third passenger terminal.
 Challenges!!!
• Let’s have a mini contest!
• Round 1
The quickest group to give a good
paraphrase gets 1 point.
• To qualify for the point: At least TWO
strategies have to be adopted!!
 Challenges!!!
• This hotel is full.

• Paraphrase:
There are no vacancies at this hotel.
 Challenges!!!
• You are not allowed to smoke indoors.

• Paraphrase:
Smoking indoors is against the rules.
 Challenges!!!
• She found it really hard to start the
car.

• Paraphrase:
She experienced great difficulty in
starting the car.
 Challenges!!!
• Don’t go if you don’t feel like it.

• Paraphrase:
There is no point in going if you don’t
want to.
 Challenges!!!
• The Internet is a vast treasure house
of knowledge.

• Paraphrase:
A great deal of information is
available on the Internet.
 Challenges!!!
• Let’s have a mini contest!
• Round 2
– The first group to give a GOOD
paraphrase gets 1 point.
– The second group to give another
paraphrase gets 2 points.
– The third group to give yet another
paraphrase gets 4 points.
– The fourth group to give one more
different paraphrase gets 8 points.
 Challenges!!!
• There is little chance that the
situation will improve.

• Paraphrase:
It is unlikely to see any improvement
in the situation.
 Challenges!!!
• Americans consider someone who
looks them in the eye to be honest.

• Paraphrase:
For people from the US, not looking
someone in the eye is an indication of
not telling the truth.
 Challenges!!!
• For many years, people have dreamed of
setting up an international, universal
language which all people could speak
and understand.

• Paraphrase:
To have an international language that
speakers from all over the word could
communicate in has been a long-time
wish in human history.
 Challenges!!!
• Paraphrase the following text on your
own.
• See how many paraphrases you can
generate within 3 minutes.
 Challenges!!!

The university canteen offers a wide range

of international cuisine. Paying special
attention to healthy eating habits, the
canteen will launch a special menu in
December 2016 with each dish serving no
more than 200 calories.
 Analyzing Paraphrases
• Look at your group members’ work.
• Choose the best paraphrase among
you.
• Then, as a whole class, choose the top
three favourite paraphrases.
 The university canteen offers a wide range
of international cuisine. Paying special
attention to healthy eating habits, the
canteen will launch a special menu in
December 2016 with each dish serving no
more than 200 calories.

• The canteen at the university serves a

variety of international dishes. In an
attempt to facilitate healthy eating habits, a
special menu with low-calorie dishes will be
launched in the canteen starting December
2016.
 The university canteen offers a wide range
of international cuisine. Paying special
attention to healthy eating habits, the
canteen will launch a special menu in
December 2016 with each dish serving no
more than 200 calories.

• The university canteen is characterized by its

impressive array of food choices with dishes
coming from around the world. To further
enhance its service, it is planning to introduce
by the end of this year a new menu which
serves food of low calories, as a move to
cultivate a healthy eating habit in the
university.
 The university canteen offers a wide range
of international cuisine. Paying special
attention to healthy eating habits, the
canteen will launch a special menu in
December 2016 with each dish serving no
more than 200 calories.

• With a view to improving students’ dieting

habits, the university canteen has pledged to
provide an additional choice for students
which include solely healthy food with low
calories. This has been a move by the canteen
to further improve its service, on top of its
guarantee to an extensive range of
international dishes.
 The university canteen offers a wide range
of international cuisine. Paying special
attention to healthy eating habits, the
canteen will launch a special menu in
December 2016 with each dish serving no
more than 200 calories.

• The provision of a diversified menu has been

a strength of the university canteen. By the
end of this year, the menu will further be
expanded to include dishes of low food
calories. According to the canteen, this new
inclusion is to help students develop a
healthier eating habit.
 Analyzing Paraphrases
• Work in groups.
• Read the two paraphrases on your
Session notes (Task 2).
• Identify the language strategies that
have been adopted, and determine if
the original meaning has been
changed.
1. Synonyms
2. Different sentence structures
3. Change in the voice
• No!
• The paraphrase may have emphasized
certain ideas more, but no new idea has
been added.
 4. Rewording of figures
5. Reorder of ideas
1. Synonyms
2. Different sentence structures
3. Change in the voice
• No!
• The paraphrase may have emphasized
certain ideas more, but no new idea has
been added.
 Paraphrase VS Summary
Rewritten version of others’ ideas
in your own words

Paraphrase Summary
• Of similar length with • Far shorter than the
the original original
Understanding Writing Topic
• Formative Assessment 2 requires you
to write one body paragraph (220-280
words).
 Types of Assessments
• Formative (Continuous) VS Summative
• Diagnostic
• Placement
• Exemption
• Entrance VS Exit
• Internal VS External
• School-based
• Norm-referenced VS Criterion-referenced
• Standardized (Impersonal) VS Individualized
(Personal)
• High-stakes VS Low-stakes
• Formal VS Informal
 Types of Assessments
1. Formative  (f)
2. Summative  (c)
3. Diagnostic  (a)
4. Placement  (b)
5. Exemption  (j)
6. Norm-referenced  (d)
7. Criterion-referenced  (i)
8. High-stake  (h)
9. Standardized  (e)
10.Alternative  (g)
Mini City Forum
 Mini City Forum

• Each group chooses one role.

• You now have 5 minutes to work with
your group to come up with your
argument(s). Write down your points.
[Please put yourself in their shoes!!]
• A representative from your group will
be invited to be the guest of the forum.
 Mini City Forum

• The one with the longest hair

• The one with the shortest thumb
• The one who has the longest first name
• The one who has the biggest shoe size
• The one who was…
born on the earliest day of a month
• The one who is the lightest
Battle Over Standardized Tests
• Different parties have different
concerns when they support/reject
the idea of standardized testing.
Discussion VS Argumentative
Discussion Essays Argumentative Essays
• To summarize and • To prove your own
evaluate the claim
arguments of others  Evidence: To support
 “Evidence” (Citations): your own claim
To show what
ground(s) these
people have to put
forward their claims
 You have to evaluate
their validity
 Discussion Essays
Idea B
Idea C

Idea A

Which is
the
strongest
argument? Idea D
 Discussion Essays
• In the next lesson, you will read a
discussion essay on the issues of
standardized testing.
• You might want to pre-read the essay
(i.e. Tasks 1-2, Session 5 notes) and
look up unfamiliar words.
Battle Over Standardized Tests
• You are going to
watch a news
programme
which interviews
different
individuals about Take note on the
their views role of the
towards interviewees
and their
standardized
stance.
testing.
Battle Over Standardized Tests

Academic High stakes Progress To narrow a

achievement curriculum
Accountability Integral (is/are) To tie (sth) to
subjected to (sth)
Accountable Intelligence Teacher Unintended
tests evaluation consequences
Cheating Aptitude tests To build a
curriculum
Data accuracy Opt-out
  • An insane
amount of
tests
 • An insane
amount of
tests
• Ss under much
A school  pressure
teacher
• Data inaccurate;
good Ts got fired
• Data useful
 • Motivate Ss
• Encourage
cheating
A school  • Curriculum
principal development
• Accountability
A professor • Alternatives

are better

 • Not in the
interests of Ss

 • Accountability
• Opt-out cases
are minority

 • Counter-
educational
A student  • Tests not related
to curriculum
• Kills Ss’ love of
 learning
 • Too much
research testing
Battle Over Standardized Tests
• Compare your own discussion in the
city forum and that in the news
program in terms of the
strength/perspectives of the
arguments as well as the presentation
of the arguments.