Reading practice - monkeys

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4,5

Reading practice

Reading test

'Monkeys behaving badly'

How even 'difficult' texts can be 

Reading test:

• Between 3 and 5 texts
• About 15 questions
• Allowed to use a dictionary - but you must bring your own!

Before reading:

Look at:

• Title
• Pictures
• Captions
• Introduction

What do you already know about the text?? 

What topic does the text deal with?

1. Scientific article about monkeys
2. Characteristics of monkeys and humans
3. Book review - the book is about monkeys
4. Intelligence in humans and monkeys

Where do you begin?

Always read the question first

(not the answers)

In which section of the text are going to find the answer?

What becomes clear from paragraph 1?

Michael Bywater suggests Macachiavellian Intelligence

• What are you supposed to do? 
• What are you supposed to read?

During reading:

Pay attention to signaling words:

'but', 'therefore', 'however', 'also', etc.

What effect do they have on the text? - positive? negative?

This helps enormously when choosing an answer 

Also look for other words which are positive or negative

What becomes clear from paragraph 1?

What becomes clear from paragraph 1?
Michael Bywater suggests Macachiavellian Intelligence ...

1. gives people better insight into themselves.
2. has too many vulgar and sensational elements.
3. is just as boring as other books on primates.
4. is too sexually explicit for sensitive people.

What is the main function of paragraph 2?

What is the main function of paragraph 2?

1. To explain that primates differ more from humans than we used to think.
2. To give examples of primate behaviour that people like.
3. To illustrate that primate research is very popular.
4. To show that humans are related to both bigger and smaller primates.

De situatie van de resus-makaak is anders dan die van de meeste in alinea 2 genoemde apen.

In welk opzicht is dat zo volgens alinea 3?

Vul de volgende zin aan: De resus-makaak….

• Answer in Dutch

De situatie van de resus-makaak is anders dan die van de meeste in alinea 2 genoemde apen volgens alinea 3:

De situatie van de resus-makaak is anders dan die van de meeste in alinea 2 genoemde apen.
In welk opzicht is dat zo volgens alinea 3?
Vul de volgende zin aan op je antwoordblad: De resus-makaak….

“And it does so by being nasty.” (begin alinea 4)

Welk woord in alinea 3 verwijst al naar dit feit?

Citeer dit woord.

Look for one word! - which word has a similar meaning to 'nasty'?

“And it does so by being nasty.” (begin alinea 4)

Welk woord in alinea 3 verwijst al naar dit feit?

Citeer dit woord.

“And it does so by being nasty.” (begin alinea 4)
Welk woord in alinea 3 verwijst al naar dit feit?
Citeer dit woord.

What becomes clear from paragraph 6?

6 There are military parallels, too. Maestripieri writes about his experience when joining the Italian Air Force: "I had been turned into a rhesus macaque who had just transferred into a new group," but goes on to note: “Soldiers who are highly motivated to protect their own selfish interests and those of their buddies make perfect war machines. So a despotic and nepotistic organisation makes an army a perfect war machine...” Rhesus macaque groups seem to be structured and to function according to the same rules.

What becomes clear from paragraph 6?

1. Aggressive behaviour is functional in establishing a strong group
2. Human communities are differently organised from macaque groups.
3. Maestripieri regrets the negative way in which macaques are described.
4. The Italian Air Force copied its successful strategies from macaque tactics.

Wel/Niet

Geef van elk van de volgende mensen, dieren of instellingen aan of die volgens het artikel wel of niet dezelfde kenmerken als de resus-makaken kunnen vertonen. Noteer 'wel' of 'niet'

1 Dario Maestripieri (author of Macachiavellian Intelligence)

2 “Bonobos” (alinea 2)

3 “men in prison” (alinea 5)

4 “the American political system” (alinea 7)

Pay attention to the general ideas in the text!

1 Dario Maestripieri (author of Macachiavellian Intelligence)

1. wel
2. niet

2 “Bonobos” (alinea 2)

1. wel
2. niet

3 “men in prison” (alinea 5)

1. wel
2. niet

4 “the American political system” (alinea 7)

1. wel
2. niet

Reflection:

Even texts which contain a lot of difficult words can become understandable

• Read texts in parts
• Look for signaling words
• The questions are more important than the text