READING

SKILLS
REVISITED
 Read the following passage as quickly as
you can.

My older sister and I look alike, but we have completely

different personalities. My sister is the outgoing type. She
makes friends easily and she is always joking. I am quiet and
reserved. It is difficult for me to talk to people I do not know.
My sister is also very impatient. When she has something to
do, she does it as quickly as possible and does not worry
much about how she does it. I, on the other hand, spend too
much time trying to do everything perfectly. Now, she is a
successful sales executive, something I could never be. I am
planning to be a research chemist when I graduate.
Revie
w
 Q1 - Did you read every word in the
passage? (Yes / No)
 Q2 - Did you say the words softly to

yourself as you read them? (Yes /

No)
 SKIMMING A TEXT

 Move your eyes quickly across each line

of text. Do not let your eyes stop on
every word. Do not say the words to
yourself.
 Look at just a few key words or phrases

in each line.
 When you finish, ask yourself what the

general idea of the passage/text is.

EXERCIS
E1
Millions suffer
anxiety disorders phobias.
name Greek word means fear
flight. phobia
unreasonable fear faced with
situation .
agoraphobia, ,
afraid open spaces. Many
refuse leave
homes. People
claustrophobia, other hand,
fear - small, enclosed
spaces, avoid lifts
small rooms.
Could you work out what the passage is about?
Test yourself with these True / False questions.

1. A phobia is an anxiety disorder. (True / False)

2. Few people suffer from phobias. (True / False)
3. The term phobia comes from Latin word. (True /
4. False) A phobia is an unreasonable fear. (True /
5. False)
Three types of phobia are mentioned in the passage.
6. (True / False)
7. Agoraphobia is a fear of open spaces. (True / False)
People with claustrophobia do not like lifts.
(True / False)
SCANNING A TEXT

 Locating specific information in a text

 Reading selectively

 Scanning involves moving your eyes

quickly down the page seeking

specific words and phrases.
 HOW TO SCAN A
TEXT?
 Determine what specific information
you are looking for.
 Let your eyes move quickly across the

page.
 Make use of titles or subheadings

provided.
 LET’S
REFRESH!
 Skimming - used to understand the
"gist" or main idea
 Scanning - used to find a particular

piece of information
 CONTEXTUAL CLUES

Using contextual clues to

find the meanings of the
word
YOU CAN TRY
BY:
 Looking at the other words in the
same sentence
 Looking at the sentences that come

before and after

 Looking for the word stated in

another way in the passage

Examples
:
1. General Meaning

He gingerly walked across the room as

there was broken glass all over the
place.
It is easy to understand from the rest of
the sentence that ‘the man did not
want to hurt himself, so he walked
carefully’. Therefore you can guess
that ‘gingerly’ means move carefully.
 2. Contrast/
Opposite
Although Oprah Winfrey has achieved
phenomenal success as a talk-show host, she
has made little progress as an actress.

The writer is making a comparison here, and you

can guess that ‘phenomenal’ is the opposite of
‘little’ and means great.
 3.
Illustration
Liyana is such an amicable person. For example, she
is friendly with everyone in school and she never
argues with anyone.
From the examples, we can guess that ‘amicable’
means friendly and someone who does not quarrel
with others
Exercise - Using the context, find the term
that best fits each sentence.
1. Our trip was a _ one. We took
our time.
A. leisurely
B. quixotic
C. edible
D. malpractice
2. Owls are ; they fly
around and look for food at night.

A. fake
B. beneficiary
C. psyche
D. nocturnal
3. The weather reporter predicted a storm of
high _______ ; it sure did have a great deal of
energy.
A. consequences
B. edible
C. bipartisan
D. intensity
 MAIN IDEA OF A TEXT

 main idea = general idea @ main point of

a
passage, news report, talk or a conversation.
 The main idea normally is a summarized

sentence.
 How to know which part is the main idea?
 The main idea can be conveyed in
two ways:
Stated
The stated main idea is usually the most general
sentence in the paragraph. This sentence is usually
found in the introduction paragraph.
Implied
The writer may not include a sentence that gives you
direct information about the topic of the paragraph.
The writer may only give details that point to the
main idea rather than clearly state it.
Read the passage below:

Students need to use the Internet to source

for materials to prepare for their
assignments. The Internet provides the
latest information on various topics, and
this allows students to be well-informed of
new developments. Realizing the
importance of the Internet to students,
most universities have made this facility
available for them.
Read the passage below:

Main Idea:
The Internet is important for university
students in helping them to prepare for their
assignments.
TOPIC SENTENCE & SUPPORTING
DETAILS
 Often, writers express their main idea in a clearly
defined sentence known as a topic sentence. The
other sentences within the paragraph are usually
the supporting details.
 Supporting details are the reasons, examples or
explanations that support the topic sentence of the
paragraph.
 PREDICTING
OUTCOMES

 A strategy that allows us to run

through what we have read in
order to guess what will happen
in the future.
Strategies to Answer Reading
Comprehension Questions
 Graph/Table/Chart/Diagram
Questions
 Carefully examine the stimulus given
when extracting information from a non-
linear text.
Take note of the following:

 Title
 Subtitles
 Headings
 Subheadings
 Legend (key features)
 Source of stimulus
 Read through the questions and underline
the key words or phrases.
 Refer to the non-linear information

constantly to ensure that the most suitable

answer is mapped out.
 Use the elimination method to select the

best option
 True/False/Not Stated
Questions
 Skim and scan the text and stimulus until you discover the
information where the writer discusses the issue on the
topic presented in the question.
 If the information is not found or there is no information
given on the issue discussed, the answer is ‘Not stated’.
 If you managed to find some information, decide whether
the writer’s view or opinion is similar or contradicts with
the statement provided in the question.
 If the statement agrees with the writer’s opinion, the answer
is ‘True’.
 If the information contradicts with the writer’s opinion, the
answer is ‘False’.
 Multiple Choice
Questions
 Underline the key words in the question and use
them to help you locate the information in the text.
 Skim through the text until you come to the specific
part or section needed to answer the question.
 Check each given options carefully.
 Remember, some of the most likely answers may be
paraphrased.
 Read the questions and options given carefully. You
may find that some of the words given in the
options are found in the text. Only one of the
options is the most suitable response to the
question.
  You need a score of at least
 35/45:C1

 40/45:C2

NOW ALL YOU NEED

TO DO IS START
PRACTISING!