Reading practice 4H 13/04/2023

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Reading practice

For test week

Lesson goals

- Learners understand the relevance of signal words and can name a few

- Learners know and use a few signal words according to their function

- Learners are able to answer questions about a text that contains words they do not know

Do you start by reading the questions or by reading the text?

1. Questions
2. Text

Where do you start?

Starting by reading the questions can make it easier to go look for the answer in the text and saves you time!

Most of the time the questions are in the order of the text.

What do you do if you don't know a word?

What if you don't know a word?

First, decide: is the word important? Do I need to know it to understand the text?

Strategy 1: decide what the word means by looking at the context. Is it a verb or a noun? Is it positive or negative? Does it contain parts of words you know?

Strategy 2: if you are allowed to have a dictionary, look up the word. Watch out, this takes quite a lot of time!

Was there a strategy mentioned that you already use? Which one?

What do you think this text is about and why?

How do you know what a text is about?

• Look at the title. What does it tell you? Does it give a certain tone?
• Look at the pictures (if there are any).
• Are there any headers (tussenkopjes)? Those might help you!
• Look at the questions. Do they have any information about the text?
  

What do you think signal words are? What kind of function do they have?

Signal words

Signal words (also known as linking words) can be a word or phrase that gives an idea about what we might expect to come next. They tell us how different parts of the text are linked.

Write down any signal
words you know.

Some categories of signal words

• Addition (to add): something else is going to be added to what was already said.
• Comparison (to compare): the writer is going to say how two things are the same.
• Contrast: the writer is going to say how two things are different.
• Example: the writer gives an example of what they are talking about.
• Summary: the writer repeats the most important points of the text.
• Explanation (to explain): the writer gives a reason why.
  
• Conclusion/consequence (to conclude): the writer says what message we should take from the text, or what will happen because of the things he's describing.
  

write down signal words that are used to show contrast

ADDITION

COMPARISON

CONTRAST

and

additionally

also

in addition

plus

similarly

likewise

in the same way

too

in common

but

although

however

nevertheless

on the contrary

on the other hand

furthermore

ADDITION

• and
• as well as
• additionally
• along with
• also
• furthermore
• besides
• on top of that
• in addition
• to add to that
• plus
• moreover
  

COMPARISON

• similarly
• likewise
• in the same way
• as well
• too
• in common
• equally
  

CONTRAST

• but
• although
• though
  
• however
• in contrast
• on the contrary
• on the other hand
• nevertheless
• yet
• despite
  

EXPLANATION

• because
• since
• for
• as
  

TIME

EXAMPLE

CONCLUSION/
CONSEQUENCE

currently

while

now

next

at first

later

for example

for instance

such as

to illustrate

to show

so

as a result

consequently

thus

therefore

that's why

hence

TIME

• currently
• now
• initially
  
• next
• later
• at first
• (mean)while
• earlier
• in the past
• once
• after
• until
  

EXAMPLE

• for instance
• for example
• such as
• to show
• to illustrate
  

SUMMARY

• to sum up
• in short
• in brief
• in summary
  

CONCLUSION/

CONSEQUENCE

• so
• consequently
• that's why
• as a result
• therefore
• thus
• hence
• as a consequence
  

1. Canadians do not seem to appreciate the way in which French waiters do their job.
2. French hospitality personnel have better legal rights than their Canadian counterparts.
3. It is impossible for foreign employees to adjust to Canadian work standards and ethics.

1. It highlights the fact that the dismissal of the waiter was illegal
2. It makes clear that Canadians know little about France
3. It makes fun of how people think about the French.
4. It provides context for the explanation offered by the waiter.