Training Reading comprehension

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo k, g, t, mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4-6

Reading Comprehension

Tips & Tricks for your test

What?

- Know your signaling words

- Build your vocabulary

- Types of questions

- Practice, Practice, Practice

Signaling words

"Signal words" give hints about what is about to happen in what you're reading. Understanding them is a key to comprehension. 

Make sure you can:

A) recognize the words

B) Know which connection they imply

C) How they are used in a sentence

(D) Learn them)

Examples

examples	consequence/conclusion	contradiction	expands on summation
for example	in brief	but	and
for instance	in short	although	as well as
such as	ultimately	however	in addition
in fact	in the end	except	along with

Which words belong to which connection? Drag the correct answers to each other. 

As well as

In short

To praise

To criticize

For instance

expands on/summation

consequence/conclusion

Support (positive)

contradiction

examples

He should not be doing this job, ... he was not trained for it.

1. despite
2. however
3. since
4. such as

Which word signals a contradiction?

Steps

1. Scan: Title, pictures, intro -> what is the text's topic?

1a. DON'T READ THE WHOLE TEXT!

2. Read the question: Which paragraphs are important?

3. What type of question is it?  ABCD/gap/open/statements?

4. Follow the steps related to question types.

Questions:

- Multiple choice (ABCD)

- Open question (quote/answer)

- Gap-fill

- Statements

Which is the most difficult?

Multiple choice: Steps

Read the question, not the answers! Useful information?

In the example you can see you should be looking at paragraphs 1 & 2

We can also see the word relate in the question. Need to look for a signaling word and what type of connection there is in the text.

Multiple choice 

1. Read the relevant text

2. Spot important words

3. Read the answers.

4. Dismiss obvious wrong answers.

5. Does the answer fit with the topic of the text? (You scanned the text).

6 Choose your answer.

Which of the following is in line with the main idea of paragraph 4?

1. A country’s economy is dependent on its culture.
2. Cultural diversity should preferably be preserved.
3. Local cultures are readily sacrificed in the quest for profit.
4. The significance of cultural differences is underestimated.

Explained

The questions wants you to find the main idea

- Important words: yet (l. 1), but (l.3) 

- A is about a country's economy. Not present in the paragraph.

- C says something about Profits being more important than Cultures. Also not in the paragraph

- Leaving B and D.

- B is positive,  D is negative. 

Our important words are both negative: therefore D is the correct answer.

What is the point made in paragraphs 1 and 2?

1. In the past the male Y chromosome used to be more substantial.
2. Men are hardly able to cope with challenges of their male pride.
3. Procreation may one day be realised without male participation.
4. The male physique is deteriorating at an alarming pace.

Explained:

Same type of question: what is the central idea in the paragraphs

- Words:  but (l. 1), But (l. 4), So...that (l. 6).

-  C has the word procreation, not really what the text is about.

- D is about the male physique, not mentioned. 

The first but (l.1) signals that the Y-chromosone is 'losing'. The second But (l. 4) signals that the chromosone isn't what it used to be.

There is a change over time, therefore A is the correct answer.

Statement questions

Yes/No questions

Steps:

What part of the text do you need to read?.

What are you going to look for? Which are the important words? For example:

- Names, places

- Everything you can measure (een gebrek), and times (tegenwoordig)

Make sure you know the English translations for these words.

Also look for signaling words.

Statement 1 has 'te warm' (measurable) and 'tegenwoordig' (time) 

De Afrikaanse kuststreek is tegenwoordig te warm voor pinguïns.

FYI: The text is generally about penguins in Africa.

1. Juist
2. Onjuist

Explained:

One of the statements was: De Afrikaanse kuststreek is tegenwoordig te warm voor pinguïns. 

No 'warm' or anything to do with temperatures: 

'onjuist'

Mr Moody’s looks and manner invite people to share their private
thoughts with him.

1. Juist
2. Onjuist

Explained:

The statement is: Mr Moody’s looks and manner invite people to share their private thoughts with him.

You could search for something to do with private 

Signaling words: as a consequence  (l. 4), or (l. 5), in short (l. 6), and (l. 7).

l. 4 has the word confidence, which in this context has something to do with private thoughts. Other information also tells us that the statement is correct. The last sentence, starting with In short, confirms the answer.  

Open questions

Read the question carefully! It will already give you a lot of information:

• Where to look and what for
• How to answer the question: quote, first two words, in Dutch

Steps:

1. Read the question - identify the part of the text you need to look at.
2. What does the question want you to do

• Provide an example?
• Show a contradiction?
• Give a summation?

1. Use this answer to look for signaling words that show that connection in the text.
2. You'll find the answer close to the signaling word.
3. Write the answer in the way the question wants you to. 

Voorbeeld

Wat is volgens alinea 1 de belangrijkste oorzaak voor het krimpen van de
aantallen rode eekhoorns? 

Geef antwoord in het Nederlands. 

--> Find paragraph 1.

--> Find the main cause/reason

--> There is a reduction in red squirrel numbers

--> Answer in Dutch (using your own words)

Wat is volgens alinea 1 de belangrijkste oorzaak voor het krimpen van de
aantallen rode eekhoorns?
Geef antwoord in het Nederlands.

Explained:

The question was: Wat is volgens alinea 1 de belangrijkste oorzaak voor het krimpen van de

aantallen rode eekhoorns?

Geef antwoord in het Nederlands. 

-  yet (l.2)

- If we read the sentence starting with yet  we see the word predominantly, which means almost the same as most important.

- The whole sentence tells us that the main reason is a virulent virus that is causing the decline in numbers. 

- put that down in Dutch

Gap-fills

There are TWO kinds of gap-fills:

- Gap-fills for signaling words/words with a specific function

You could get a question asking how one paragraph relates to another.

- Proper gap-fills

Steps: type 1 (signaling words)

- Read the sentence before and after the gap. 

- How do these sentences relate to each other?

- Which word corresponds with this relation?

- Unsure? Read a bit more of the paragraph. You could also take a closer look at the words in the answer. Are there lots of examples: choose the word for 'for example', the same goes for summations, contradictions, etc.  

Examples:

Answers: A But then

                    B Instead

                    C Similarly

                    D Therefore 

Read the sentence before and after the gap.

Before: recognized in France

After: recognized in China

The word needs to communicate an extension: C

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 4?

1. Consequently,
2. Moreover,
3. Similarly,
4. Yet,

Explained:

A Consequently,

B Moreover,

C Similarly,

D Yet 

Before: reader needs to be critical (raise concerns)  of programmes in which journalists and the authorities work together. 

After: we have the word witch hunt  (referring to the above cooperation) which was ignored. 

We have a contradiction: D 

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 2?

1. Obviously
2. In other words
3. Consequently
4. Yet

Proper Gap-fills

- Read the sentence before and after the gap (sometimes you might need to read more)

- Any signaling words? Preferably near to the gap.

- Unsure? Choose the answer that is closest to the topic of the text. 

Example:

Answers:

A annoying

B British

C funny

D international 

- The sentence before ends with a colon (:). This denotes  example(s). We also have and  immediately in front of the gap. We need an answer that fits with the others in the sentence.

- After: we have another colon. This shows that what follows is a conclusion. The conclusion being that Mr Bean is a symbol for something (the nation). 

The answer is B. 

 

Which of the following fits the gap in the text?

1. has become unpopular
2. is no longer justifiable
3. is understandable
4. may finally catch on

Which of the following fits the gap in paragraph 1?

1. numerous significant discoveries
2. our closer analysis of metadata
3. radical changes in the field
4. the ever-shrinking size of our focus

In conclusion

Knowing your signaling words and a few tricks can get you a long way. 

Practicing makes all the difference: 

• Builds your experience with questions
• Builds your knowledge of signaling words
• Builds your vocabulary

Even just reading more English, at the appropriate level, can make a huge difference.

Any questions left?