22/02/2022 Reading Test

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo g, t
• Leerjaar 4

Hello Everyone

• Sit based on the seating plan. (Plattegrond)
• Take out your Reading Book
• Put away your Phones and Jackets

ZS

• Take out your Reading Book
• 10 Mins Reading

Read Silently.

Activitiy	Time	Type
Introduction	5 Mins	Group
ZS	10 Mins	Individual
Reading test	25 Mins	Group
Conclude	5 Mins	Gorup
Free-time	5 Mins	Group

Learning goals:

- You can answer questions about a text.

- You can understand the difficult words of a text.

Multiple Choice

Read the following text and fill in the correct answer.

learningapps.org

Fill in the Blanks

Read the following text and fill in the blanks

learningapps.org

Open Questions:

Read the following paragraphs and answer the open questions.

Paragraph 1:

And they’re off! And I’ve completely lost the power of speech. “Um,” I stutter, squinting at the galloping mass hundreds of metres down below. “It’s the second race of the day at Aintree and the horses are running … fast … and they’ve gone over the first jump …” I feel a sharp elbow in my ribcage. “Sorry – over the ‘flight’ … and the red one’s in the lead, with another reddish one – no, it’s purple – just behind him…” I gabble incoherently, pointing out everything from the colour of the grass to the lovely hats worn by the female spectators. The man to my right buries his head in his hands.

Who do you think is talking in the paragraph? What do you think is this type of person called? (Give 1 reason)

Paragraph 2

Four floors above the Aintree racecourse, I’m standing in a tiny box, armed with binoculars and a microphone, being tutored by Simon Holt, Channel 4’s master commentator. On Thursday, as crowds of 33,000 flocked to the opening day of the biggest race meeting of the year, he agreed to teach me the tricks of the commentary trade. He warns me he thinks I am not up to the job. I’m living up to his low expectations of me.

Paragraph 3

“This job is not easy,” insists Holt. “I still get nervous going into the big meetings, but you have to mask it and try to sound as calm as possible. The pressure of getting it right can be immense. It is an adrenalin rush but you have good days and bad days. That’s the beauty of horse racing. It’s very risky trying to pre-prepare lines because you have no idea what’s going to happen.”

Why is it stressful to be a commentator in horse racing?

Paragraph 4

As a commentator, the three days of the Grand National, the 175-year-old National Hunt race held in Liverpool every April, make up Holt’s biggest audience of the year. But he appears utterly unflappable, before and during the race. Just minutes before Channel 4 goes on air, all he’s got by way of notes is a tattered copy of The Racing Post, which he repeatedly flicks through before shutting his eyes and mumbling, trancelike, about reds and blues and greens. “Colours,” he exclaims, “are the absolute basics. You’ve got to know which horse is which just by looking, otherwise, you won’t be any good.”

Say in your own words what is happening in paragraph 4.

Paragraph 5

He hands me the card for my race, the Betfred Bowl Steeple Chase, which, thankfully, features only six horses. Still, I’ve got just half an hour to memorise their colours and names, which include mouthfuls such as “Houblon Des Obeaux” and “Silviniaco Conti”. Distinctive features such as a white face or coloured blinkers can help tell them apart – and then it’s all about clarity and diction. “You are communicating things to the audience so they must be able to understand,” says Holt. “Also, there’s the element of performance, where you raise your voice to supplement the excitement.”

What does the commentator do before the race starts?

Why does the commentator raise his voice when speaking?

Why does the commentator use descriptions when talking of the racers?

Paragraph 6

For big races, to ensure he doesn’t mess up, Holt is accompanied by Nicky Leeson, his “spotter”, who watches the horses on two screens in the commentary box, tallies the fences and whispers in Holt’s ear if he’s missed something. He needs this backup because accuracy is essential as well.

Paragraph 7

Are there many female commentators? “Sadly not,” he says. “The promoters did hold a competition recently to try to find some, but it was called the ‘Filly Factor’ and it was a bit naff. So many women work in the business now, so I reckon it’s only a matter of time. Though it does help to have a deeper, husky voice, it makes it easier to build up to a crescendo.”

Paragraph 8

It’s 2.30 pm and my race is about to begin. Any last words of wisdom? “Keep up the rhythmic, continuous patter. And if you get it wrong, don’t – whatever you do – stop. Remember that commentators are allowed to be imperfect we’re not robots in the box, so it’s OK to make mistakes as long as you keep going.”

What is the most important rule for being a commentator?

Paragraph 9

Bang! It’s started – and I mumble and mutter my way through six minutes of a race that I, quite frankly, don’t understand. I can’t tell which bit of the course they’re on, how many jumps there are to go or even which one is in the lead. The horses are a blur, the jockeys blend into one and the roar of the crowd throws me off.

Paragraph 10

Holt has mentored many a young jockey but says that, more than anything, he is pestered for tips. Holt says: “The trouble is that horses can’t tell you if they’re not feeling well or if they don’t like the track or if they’re going too fast. There are no guarantees.” So which horse will he be backing this year? “I’m not much of a gambler,” says Holt with a laugh, surveying the majestic scene below. “Why would I bother? I get to stay up here, enjoying the best seat in the house.”

Conclude

What have you learned this lesson?

Free-time