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Academic Reading A > > | | | | | | | | | First Name (Given Name) Last Name (Family Name/Surname) Student Number
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Academic Reading A
> > | | | | | | | | | First Name (Given Name) Last Name (Family Name/Surname) Student Number
i
Academic Reading A Table of Contents
Table of Contents i
Goals iii
Grades iii
Absences iii
Extensive Reading Record iv
Reading Speed and Comprehension Charts v
Conversion Table vi
Unit 1: Introduction to Reading 1
Sample Reading Report 2 Homework 4
Unit 2: Speed Reading 5
Speed-reading Information 5
Speed Reading 1: Bathing in Japan 7 Homework 12
Unit 3: Previewing and Predicting 13 Speed Reading 2: Confucius 13
Previewing and Making Predictions 15 Homework 17
Unit 4: Skimming 19
Speed Reading 3: Hong Kong 19 Homework 23
Unit 5: Making Predictions 25
Speed Reading 4: China 25 Guessing Words From Context 29
Homework 31
Unit 6: Pronouns and Synonyms 33
Speed Reading 5: Death in Bali 33 Pronouns and Synonyms 36
Homework 38 Sample Reading Test 40
Unit 7: Guessing Word Meaning 43
Speed Reading 6: Willem Iskandar 43 Building a Better Vocabulary Using Context 45 Homework 47
Unit 8: Looking For the Topic 49
Speed Reading 7: A Javanese Wedding 49 Learning to Look for the Topic and the Main Idea 53 Homework 54
Unit 9: Synonyms and Reading Comprehension 57
Speed Reading 8: Buddhism 57 Homework 64
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Unit 10: What is a Paragraph 65 Speed Reading 9: The English Language 65
Understanding Paragraphs 68
Unit 11: Skimming & Scanning 71
Speed Reading 10: Stamford Raffles 71 Homework 77
iii
Goals
By the end of this course, students will be able to utilize a range of reading skills in order to achieve
the following:
1. Find specific information in a text easily
2. Read more quickly
3. Read short books (e.g. graded readers)
4. Discuss and write about books they have read
5. Understand texts written in natural English.
6. Master a vocabulary of high‒frequency words
In addition to these concrete goals, it is our hope that you will also discover the pleasure and joy of
reading. In order to reach the goals listed above, you will practice three different types of reading
methods, as follows:
1. Extensive Reading
2. Speed-Reading
3. Reading Skills
Grades Your final grade will be based on the following:
TESTS 50%
There will be two tests. They will include speed-reading, reading-skills exercises, and a short story.
You will need to answer comprehension questions about the story you read. Please see your course
schedule for the dates.
BOOK POSTER PRESENTATION 10%
GRADED READERS 20% (Short stories that you will read at home)
You will be asked to give brief summaries of and comments on the books you have read.
Your comments will be given in written, oral, or written and oral form.
HOMEWORK and CLASS PARTICIPATION 20%
Remember: 1. You are responsible for all homework that is listed in the schedule. If you do not do
the homework, you cannot check that you have understood what you are learning and
what you need to know to become a better reader.
2. You must read a graded reader daily. If you do not get a graded reader from your
teacher, please go to the library and choose one. It is your responsibility to make sure
you have one graded reader to read each week. If you do not read at least one graded
reader each week, your grade for this course will not be very good, and it is possible
that you might fail the course.
Absences
You must attend classes. Your grade will be lowered if you are absent. If you are more than
twenty minutes late for a class you will be marked as absent on that day. If you are late
twenty minutes or less you will be marked as late on that day. Three late attendances count as
one absence. If you do not attend at least two–thirds of the total number of classes, you will
FAIL this course. (授業には出席しなければなりません。欠席すると成績は下がります。授業に
20分以上遅刻すると「欠席」の扱いになります。20分未満の遅れは「遅刻」になります。「遅
刻」を 3回すると 1回の「欠席」の扱いになります。出席が全授業回数の 3分の 2に満たない場
合はこの授業の成績は「不合格」となります。)
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Extensive Reading Record
Term 1
>>>______________________ >>>___________________________________ |______|______|
First Name (Given Name) Last Name (Family Name/Surname) Student Number
No.
Book Title
Level
Number of Pages
Rating Out of
Ten
Date
Started
Date
Finished
For Teachers Use Only
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
v
Reading Speed and Comprehension Charts
Words
per Minute Reading Speed Chart 400
300
200
100
1 5 10 15 20
Passage Number
Total Correct Comprehension Chart 10 You are reading
9 too slowly.
8
7 Try to go
6 faster.
5
4 Your comprehension
3 is too low. Do not read
2 too slowly, but try to
1 understand more.
1 5 10 15 20
Passage Number
Points Total Score 20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
1 5 10 15 20
Passage Number
vi
Conversion Table
CHANGE YOUR TIME INTO WORDS PER MINUTE
You will have to read quickly in order to get a good score on the tests. As you can see, to get
a high score, you have to read faster with each test:
Points for speed-reading on tests
MIN SEC wpm Test 1 Test 2
1 00 550 10 10
1 10 471 10 10
1 20 414 10 10
1 30 367 10 10
1 40 330 10 10
1 50 300 10 10
2 00 275 10 10
2 10 254 10 10
2 20 236 10 9
2 30 220 10 8
2 40 206 9 7
2 50 194 8 6
3 00 183 7 5
3 10 174 6 4
3 20 165 5 3
3 30 157 4 3
3 40 150 3 2
3 50 144 3 2
4 00 138 2 1
4 10 132 2 1
4 20 127 1 0
4 30 122 1 0
4 40 118 0 0
4 50 114 0 0
5 00 110 0 0
5 10 106 0 0
5 20 103 0 0
5 30 100 0 0
5 40 97 0 0
5 50 94 0 0
6 00 92 0 0
6 10 89 0 0
6 20 87 0 0
6 30 85 0 0
6 40 82 0 0
6 50 81 0 0
1
Unit 1: Introduction to Academic Reading
Reading Questionnaire; ask your partner
You don’t need to write anything down
1) Do you like reading in Japanese? Why or why not?
2) What about in English? Have you ever read a book in English before? If yes what
book did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not?
3) What do you usually read in Japanese: books, magazines, comics, newspapers or
Internet sites?
4) What kind of stories are you interested in? For example, are you interested in
romance, action, comedies, adventure, human interest, horror etc
5) Are you interested in non-fiction? For example, are you interested in history,
biographies, about the environment, nature, animals, culture etc
6) Who is your favourite writer? Why do you like him / her?
7) What is your favourite book?
8) If you could easily read anything in English, what would you like to read? Why?
Extensive Reading & Graded Readers
Extensive Reading とは？
Extensive Readingとは多読のことです。英語で書かれた本を大量に読んでリーディングを
習得する方法です。ただ単にたくさんの本を読むのではなく「楽しく読める本を日本語に訳
さずにたくさん読むこと」「好きな本を自分で選び、自分のペースで読むこと」が大切です。
楽しみながらの読書によって英語が自然に脳の深層に蓄積されていきます。
英語力をつけるには、多読で大量の英語に触れることが必要です。英語にたくさん触れると
無理に単語を暗記しなくても自然に英語を理解し、長く複雑な文の意味も徐々にわかるよう
になっていきます。自分のペースで多読を続ければ、半年～2年の短期間で英語の力が大き
く伸び、辞書を使わずに英語のペーパーバックを楽しめるようになります。
多読には３つの原則があります。
1. 辞書を使わないで楽しめる本を読む。英語の文章を読む時、日本語訳ではなく文章を表
すイメージや情景を思い浮かべるようにします。わからない単語に執着してすべて辞書
で調べていると一向にすらすら読めるようにはなりません。どうしても知りたい単語が
何度も出てくる場合だけ辞書を使いましょう。
2. わからなかったら読み飛ばす。100％理解できなくても気にせずに理解できたところの
情報をつなぎ合わせて全体を把握する力を養うことが重要です。一語一語を読んでいく
のではなく意味のまとまりとして読んでいくことができて初めて読書を楽しむことがで
きるのです。
3. つまらなくなったらその本はやめて別の本に移る。自分に合わない本は、途中で読むの
をやめて別の本を読むほうが効果的です。
Graded Readersとは？
英語を母国語としない英語学習者のために語彙、文法、文の長さを制限して書かれた多読用
の英語教材のことです。辞書を使わずに読書を楽しみながらリーディングの力を伸ばせるよ
うに工夫がされています。基本単語数 200 語～3800 語程度までと様々なレベルがあります。
自分に適したレベルの本を探すには？
日本語に翻訳しようとせず、文の頭から一度読んだだけで理解できたら適しているといえま
す。
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Sample Reading Report
Example #1
Date: May 8, 2015 Student Name: Nobue Todomatsu No: 5921XXXX Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Author: Mark Twain Type (genre): Adventure (Note: Sometimes you may read a book that is not a story so that you will not be able to answer question number two)
1. Before you read the book, what do you think the book will be about just from looking at the cover?
I think this will be an adventure story about a boy and his friend. I think there will be
many exciting things happening in this story.
2. What was the book or story about? This was a story about a boy called Huckleberry, who was an orphan. He was very
independent, and he ran away from his new home looking for adventure. He and a black slave
(Jim) rode a raft down the river and met many people, some funny, some dangerous and some
both. Jim was almost hanged, and Huck was almost killed by some bad guys.
3. How did it end? It ended happily; Jim was freed, and Huck was put into a nice new home. However, he
planned to run away again because he didn’t want to be controlled by modern society.
4. Who was the most important or interesting character? Describe. I liked the character of Jim the most. He was not educated and couldn’t read, but he was
wise and kind. From Jim, Huck learnt how to be a better human being and how to love. Jim
was a combination of both father and brother to him. His kindness and lack of selfishness
moved me.
5. Describe an important part of the book or story. Why do you feel that it was important?
The scene where Huckleberry betrayed Jim was important to me. It shocked me because I
thought that Huckleberry was always kind. It showed me that everyone, even the hero, has
weak points.
6. Do you recommend this book or story? Why or why not? Explain. Do not just say, “I like it” or “It was too difficult.”
I recommend this book. It was funny, sad and colourful. It taught me a lot about life in
America 150 years ago.
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Example #2
Date: October 10, 2015 Student Name: Yuko Yamabachi No: 5921XXXX Title: Allie in the Jungle Author: Nar Winkie Type (genre): Adventure (Note: Sometimes you may read a book that is not a story so that you will not be able to answer question number two)
1. Before you read the book, what do you think the book will be about just from looking at the cover?
I think this will be an adventure story about a boy. I think he will go to a jungle and help
many animals because he loves nature.
2. What was the book or story about? This was about the adventures of a young boy named Allie Fox. Allie loved nature, but he
hated modern times. He thought that it made people bad, so he took his family to a new place
to live; it was in the jungle.
3. How did it end? It had a bad ending. Allie Fox met with a terrible death as animals ate him. They attacked
him because he got injured.
4. Who was the most important or interesting character? Describe. I thought the most important character in the book was Allie. He had his own thoughts. He
made decisions by himself, and he did whatever he decided to do.
5. Describe an important part of the book or story. Why do you feel that it was important?
I enjoyed the scene where Allie saved the lion cubs from being eaten by hyenas. I thought
that it is important to think about others even if it means doing something dangerous.
6. Do you recommend this book or story? Why or why not? Explain. Do not just say, “I like it” or “It was too difficult.”
I can’t recommend this book because this book had many horrible scenes. I also thought
the ending was strange. Allie fought so hard, only to be eaten by animals at the end.
4
Homework
Guidelines to Introduction to Reading
For your reference
The following information explains everything that will be covered during this course. Please
read it carefully and check that you understand. If you have any questions, ask your teacher
during your next lesson.
1. Extensive Reading
Extensive reading is also called reading for pleasure. You, not the teacher, decide which
books to read and at which level. Your teacher will bring a bag full of books to the classroom.
These books are called graded readers. Graded readers are special books. They have been
written using simple English. Some of them are very easy to read, and some are more
challenging. You will see a coloured sticker on the cover or a chart on the back to indicate the
level of the book.
Each week you must read at least one of these graded readers. At first, you can choose
something easy, and then, as your reading skills improve, you can choose a book that is more
challenging. The important thing is to choose something that you are interested in. If you like
adventure stories, choose an adventure one. If love stories are more to your taste, then choose
something in that line. After a few weeks, you will then be encouraged to go to the school
library where a greater selection of graded readers is provided.
Reading is like sport. You cannot become a good reader unless you practice reading over and
over.
2. Speed-reading
Because you do not practice reading very much, many of you are probably slow readers.
Reading too slowly will result in poor comprehension, and you will not be able to enjoy your
graded readers. In class and at home, you will practice exercises to increase your reading
speed.
3. Reading Skills
In the third part of this reading course, we will practice several reading skills. These skills
will help you with tasks such as finding the main idea of a passage or understanding the
organization of a text. Your teacher will explain how to use different skills for different types
of reading.
Important Points to Remember If you really want to improve your reading comprehension (understanding what you read)
and your reading speed (reading faster), it is very important that you come to class on a
regular basis and read something every day. If you don’t, you will find it hard to improve
your reading level.
5
Unit 2: Speed Reading
Speed-reading
Because you do not practice reading very much, many of you are probably slow readers.
In class and at home, you will practice exercises to increase your reading speed.
Reading Habits Check () the things you do.
1. ____ I usually speak to myself when I read.
2. ____ I usually move my lips when I read.
3. ____ I usually read one word at a time.
4. ____ I often backtrack (go back and read the same words again) because I
daydream or think about other things when I read.
5. ____ I often backtrack when I don't understand something.
6. ____ I read only when I have to.
7. ____ I read everything -- textbooks, newspapers, comic books, letters, and menus --
the same way and at the same speed.
8. ____ I often have trouble remembering what I read.
9. ____ I often have trouble recognizing the difference between main ideas and
supporting details.
10. ____ I usually translate everything I read into Japanese.
11. ____ I write Japanese translations next to English words.
12. ____ I stop reading to look up new words in my dictionary.
Look back over the list. All the things in the list are poor reading habits, and you should try
to stop doing those things.
Speed-reading Information
Speed-reading - What is it? Speed-reading exercises teach you to read differently from the way you have probably been reading until now: Speed-reading means reading a text quickly. Speed-reading does not teach vocabulary and grammar, but it does help you to build confidence in your reading ability. In speed-reading:
1. You learn to read groups of words instead of single words.
2. You learn to guess at word meanings.
3. You learn to grasp ideas in a text by skimming (for example looking for the main ideas
and the main supporting ideas in the title and the topic sentence) and looking for
connections between ideas.
Why do we practice speed-reading?
We practice speed-reading to help us read and understand with greater confidence. By
reading a lot and faster you not only learn more information and vocabulary, but also you
may come to enjoy reading more as you discover things of interest to you.
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How do you learn to read more quickly?
1. Read easy material.
2. Try to read as quickly as you can by doing the following things:
(a) Read words in meaningful groups – move your eyes quickly.
(b) Don’t stop and use your dictionary.
(c) Guess the meaning of words you do not recognize or keep going and stay alert so that
their meaning can become clear to you later on in the text.
3. Do not go back to re-read parts of the text.
4. Try to read each passage more quickly than the ones you read before.
5. Don’t move your lips or read out loud when you read.
6. Don’t use a pencil or your finger to point to each word as you read.
7. Don’t think about other things; concentrate on information in the text.
To increase your reading speed, try to read in thought groups. Try the following
exercise. Read so that you read each word - one at a time. Try to cover up the other
words.
If you read one word at a time, you
will have to remember a lot of words, and
by the time you get to the end of a
sentence, you won't remember the beginning.
Now, read the same passage in word groups
If you read / one word /at a time / you will have to remember / a lot of words, / and,
by the time / you get/ to the end/ of a sentence, / you won't remember / the
beginning.
Now, try to indicate the word groups in the following passage. Use a dark pencil
to mark slashes between the groups of words.
The girls were coming out of the junior college. I could see them: the tall ones, the
short ones, the cute ones, and the studious-looking ones wearing glasses. They all
seemed so happy. They were smiling and laughing, saying good-bye, and waving to
each other.
Quiz: Check you know how to measure your speed
To be sure you understand how to change your time into words per minute (your reading speed), try changing these times.
Reading time WPM Reading time WPM (a) 1 minute 40 seconds (f) 2 minutes 50 seconds (b) 2 minutes 10 seconds (g) 3 minutes (c) 2 minutes (h) 2 minutes 20 seconds (d) 3 minutes 30 seconds (i) 5 minutes 10 seconds (e) 3 minutes 40 seconds (j) 4 minutes 40 seconds
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Speed Reading 1: Bathing in Japan
In many western countries people do not bathe every day. Sometimes they bathe only once
a week. Sometimes they bathe two or three times a week. They do not bathe often because
the weather is cold or because hot water is expensive. They use electricity or wood to boil the
water. Electricity and wood cost a lot of money. In cold countries people usually do not feel
dirty if they do not have a bath. In Japan people bathe very often. Most people have a bath every day. When the weather
is hot, they sometimes have two or three baths a day. They bathe in very hot water. Usually the water is almost boiling. These very hot baths also stop you from being sick.
Each house has its own bath but there are also big baths for everybody. They are found everywhere in Japan. In the bath-house there is one part for men and there is one part for women. The bath is usually three meters wide and three meters long. It is about one meter deep. Half way down, there is a narrow seat. The seat goes all the way around the bath. Many people use the bath but it is not dirty. Before a person gets into the big bath, he washes himself first. Then he gets into the big bath. He stays there for a short time. Then he gets out of the bath. He washes his body with soap and water. After he washes all the soap away, he gets into the big bath again. Soap is not used in the big bath.
The water in the big bath is changed very often. The water is also very hot. In some places people hit the water with sticks first. When they do this, the water becomes cooler. Then the men get into the bath. People get into the bath very slowly and carefully. When a person gets into a bath, he says, ‘Excuse me.’ He does this because, when the hot water moves, it hurts other people. In some places the hot water comes out of the ground. In other places they use a big fire to boil the water. In a small bath at home sometimes people light a fire underneath the bath. When the water is hot, each person in the family has a bath one by one. The bath at home is usually small. You can sit in the bath but you cannot lie in it.
At the big bath many friends meet each other. While they bathe, they talk, tell jokes and enjoy themselves. The price of the bath is not expensive. If you pay some more money, a man will wash your back for you. You can pay other people to rub your body very hard.
When a person goes to a big bath, he takes his own soap and towel. Some take their towel into the bath with them. They wet the towel. Then they rub themselves with the wet towel. This is a good way to dry yourself. Bathing in other parts of the world is different. In some countries you throw cold water over yourself with a small bucket. You do not climb into the bath. In other places you stand under a tap and the water runs all over you.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
8
QUESTIONS: Bathing in Japan
1. In many cold countries, people bathe…
(a) twice a day.
(b) once a day.
(c) very often.
(d) once a week.
2. In some countries bathing is expensive because…
(a) there is not enough water.
(b) electricity and wood are expensive.
(c) there are not many baths.
(d) the baths come from other countries.
3. When people have a bath in Japan, they usually use…
(a) very cold water.
(b) cold water.
(c) warm water.
(d) very hot water.
4. In a big bath-house usually…
(a) only men bathe.
(b) men and women bathe in different parts.
(c) men and women bathe together.
(d) men and women bathe on different days.
5. People in the big bath…
(a) sit.
(b) swim.
(c) wash themselves with soap.
(d) move around.
6. In some places people hit the water with sticks so that…
(a) it is clean.
(b) people become wet.
(c) their God will be happy.
(d) the water becomes cooler.
7. When people have a bath at home,…
(a) they use a big bath.
(b) they do not use hot water.
(c) many people use the same water.
(d) they lie in the bath.
8. The big bath-house is often…
(a) a meeting place for friends.
(b) an eating place too.
(c) a very expensive place to bathe.
(d) very dirty.
9. Many people put their towel in the water…
(a) to wash it.
(b) to wash themselves.
(c) strangely enough to help dry themselves.
(d) to cover their body.
10. In some countries, when you wash yourself, you use a small bucket and…
(a) you throw water on yourself.
(b) you stand under a tap.
(c) you climb into the bath.
(d) you lie in the bath.
9
Quiz 1: Important Vocabulary You Will Need for this Course
If you do not know many of the words in this test, then this reading course may be difficult
for you. Therefore, please learn every word that you don’t know in this test before continuing
the course.
1. skill or natural
talent
2. capable or
worthy
3. over, in a
higher place
than
4. not present,
not attending
a. ability a. able a. in a. assistant
b. bill b. a bull b. below b. absent
c. greed c. full c. above c. gift
5. a word which
gives more
information
about a noun
6. to be present, to
go to class
7. to try not to
do
8. a short
passage or
story
a. adverb a. absent a. avert a. article
b. adjective b. attend b. avoid b. book
c. pronoun c. abstain c. advert c. magazine
9. where suitable 10. the sound
made when
something
hits
something
11. work with the
chance for
advancement
12. a place
where
Christians
go to
worship
a. applicable a. bump a. business a. hospital
b. appreciation b. blond b. career b. church
c. apprehend c. bumpkin c. company c. wedding
13. a man who is a
member of a
religious order
14. directions
on how to
do or make
something
15. parts of a sentence
which surround a
word and can help
you to understand
its meaning
16. a word that
is the name
of
something
a. soldier a. instructions a. essay a. noun
b. nun b. care b. context b. pronoun
c. monk c. beneath c. letter c. verb
17. to give an
account of in
words
18. to end a
marriage
19. your score in a test 20. a view,
belief or
idea
a. describe a. leave a. level a. sin
b. desert b. divorce b. grade b. opinion
c. deserved c. depart c. rate c. since
21. to find 22. make 23. understanding 24. the right
answer
a. log a. break a. complete a. correct
b. Log on b. create b. comprehension b. wrong
c. locate c. buy c. compact c. yes
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25. a reliable set of
rules which
usually never
change
26. to look for
certain and
specific
information
in a text or
passage
27. to look at or
examine a
particular page,
article, time etc. or
ask a particular
person
28. a difficult
task
usually
performed
in front of
people
a. pattern a. can a. refer a. stunt
b. stripped b. scan b. glance b. acting
c. striped c. canine c. date c. dancing
29. to read quickly,
jumping lines
but getting the
gist
30. a word such
as I, he, she,
him, etc that
refers to a
noun
31. The word in a
sentence that
expresses an action
32. a short
story or
article
a. skim a. pronoun a. verb a. passage
b. scan b. properly b. noun b. book
c. skin c. enounce c. adjective c. library
33. abridged, or
shortened
version
34. words with
similar
meaning
35. the main idea, the
general story
36. awful,
horrible,
dreadful
a. summary a. synonym a. gist a. terrible
b. sum b. simple b. genius b. terrific
c. son c. sincere c. guess c. funny
Quiz 2: Important Country and Nationality Vocabulary- Part One
In the speed-reading passages some names of countries, people, and languages are used.
This quiz, and quiz 3 will make sure that you know these names. If there are any new words
then please learn them.
On the map, you will see several numbers. Above the map there is a list of the names of
places. Each name has a letter of the alphabet in front of it. Next to each number below, write
the correct letter next to it. The first answer is 1 (f).
(a) England (j) Thailand 1. __________ 10. __________
(b) New Zealand (k) France 2. __________ 11. __________
(c) Holland (l) Europe 3. __________ 12. __________
(d) Japan (m) Asia 4. __________ 13. __________
(e) America (n) Borneo 5. __________ 14. __________
(f) India (o) Hong Kong 6. __________ 15. __________
(g) Indonesia (p) Singapore 7. __________ 16. __________
(h) Greenland (q) Arabia 8. __________ 17. __________
(i) Italy 9. __________
11
Quiz 3: Important Country and Nationality Vocabulary - Part Two
Some words are missing from the sentences on the next page. Choose the words from this list
to fill in the empty spaces. Some words in the list are used more than once. The word “the” is
sometimes used to show the difference between people and their language. So, Japanese often
means the Japanese language. The Japanese almost always means the Japanese people. Write
your answers, using only letters, in the sentences below. The first answer is 1 (G).
A English H Japanese
B Java I Bali
C Asians J Chinese
D Pacific Ocean K French
E Dutch L Sumatra
F Malaysian M European
G Javanese
1. The ________ means the people of Java.
2. ________, ________ and ________ are islands in Indonesia.
3. The big sea between Asia and America is called the ________.
4. The people in England speak _______.
5. ______ means the people of Asia.
6. The people in France speak _______.
7. The people in Holland speak _______.
8. The ________ people come from China.
9. The ________ people come from Japan.
10. The ________ people come from England.
11. The ________ people come from Holland.
12. The ________people come from France.
13. Countries in Europe are called ________ countries.
14. The people in Malaysia speak ________.
12
Homework
For your reference: Information on speed-reading. Please read and check that you
understood what you were taught in the lesson.
How do you use Speed-reading Material?
1. Each time you read a passage, you must measure your time. Measure the time from the beginning of your reading until you reach the end of the reading passage. Write the time in the box at the bottom of the page.
2. When you read quickly, you need to understand the information in the text. So, at the end of each text there are ten comprehension questions.
3. After you have finished the reading and noted down the time it took, look at the questions. You do not measure the time while you look at the questions and answer them.
4. When you answer the questions, do not look at the passage again. You must use your memory. If you do not know the answer to a question, just guess.
5. After you answer the questions, look at the Conversion Chart on page 4 in the booklet to change your time into words per minute. Use your time to help you find your reading speed. If your reading time was 2 minutes 20 seconds, then your reading speed is 236 words in one minute. Fill in your Reading Speed Chart on page 3.
6. After you have finished your Reading Speed Chart, your teacher will give you the answers. Mark your answers and put your comprehension score, the number of correct answers, on the Comprehension Chart. If you get eight answers correct, then draw a line on the same level as 8 on the chart. A “good” comprehension score is around 7-8 correct answers. If you get them all correct, you are probably reading too slowly. If you have less than 7 correct, do not slow down. This is the most important thing to do - to keep reading a little faster each time you try. With practice your speed and comprehension will increase.
7. Now add up the two scores, your reading speed and your comprehension, and put your total score out of twenty in the Total Score Chart. This will help you to see how much you are improving in both reading speed and understanding.
8. Finally, go over the answers that you have gotten wrong. Try to find the correct information in the text. Mistakes are opportunities to learn how to improve.
Quiz: Speed-reading Knowledge
1. When you do speed-reading…
(a) sometimes you can go slower.
(b) you will understand less than before.
(c) comprehension is not important.
(d) you must always try to read faster.
3. A good comprehension score for speed-reading is…
(a) ten correct.
(b) nine correct.
(c) seven or eight correct.
(d) six or fewer correct.
2. When you answer the questions…
(a) you can look at the passage.
(b) you must measure the time.
(c) you must use your memory.
(d) get the teacher to correct your answers.
13
Unit 3: Previewing and Predicting
Speed Reading 2: Confucius
The teachings of Confucius were very important for the Chinese people. Confucius was
not like Jesus Christ or Mohammed. He did not bring the words of God to the people. He was
just a very clever teacher. Most of his teaching was about life in this world. His real name was K’ung Fu-tzu. He was called Confucius by foreigners because they
could not easily say his Chinese name. He was born five hundred and fifty years before Christ. His family was important but they were poor. He loved history and music, and for most of his life he was a teacher. He travelled from one place to another in China. He had many students. Some of them wrote down his teachings so that we can still read them today. After he died his teachings became more famous. Many Chinese kings followed his teachings. They built temples and called him a god. His birthday was a holiday for the Chinese people.
For the Chinese, people were not the most important things in the world. They were only, a part of the world around them. They had to learn to live in the world in their correct place. When a man could do this, he could become happy and clever. Confucius taught people to live in the world. Confucius taught people to live with each other. A leader and his people must learn to live with each other. A husband and his wife, a father and his son, an older brother and a younger brother, all must learn to live with each other. Confucius taught people about this. A husband must do the correct things. His wife must follow him. The leader of a country must be kind. His people must follow him and not fight against him. If every person does the correct thing, then the country will be quiet and people will be happy. In the teachings of Confucius, the family was very important. Everybody in the family must know his correct place. Because of Confucius the family was a very important part of Chinese life. China became like a big family. The king was the father and his people were his children.
The teachings of Confucius were not new, but Confucius was the first person to bring all these ideas together for people to learn and follow. For Confucius, if a man was bad, he was not born bad. He was bad because he did not live correctly in the world. The leader of a country was a very important man in the teachings of Confucius. If the leader of the country was a good man, the people in that country would also be good. When a leader is bad, then the country will not be a happy place. Someone asked Confucius, ‘What does a country need?’ Confucius answered, ‘Enough food, a good army, and a good leader.’ The person then asked, ‘Which one is the most important?’ Confucius answered, ‘An army is not very important. All men must die, so food is not the most important, but if the leader of the country is not good, then everything will be bad.’
When Confucius died, he was over seventy years old. Although he died more than two thousand years ago, many people still try to follow his ideas.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
14
QUESTIONS: Confucius
1. The teachings of Confucius…
(a) came from God.
(b) were about life after death.
(c) were about God.
(d) were about this world.
2. For most of his life Confucius…
(a) worked for the king.
(b) lived in one place.
(c) sold things.
(d) was a teacher.
3. We know the teachings of Confucius because…
(a) his students wrote them.
(b) people told them to each other.
(c) they were made into songs.
(d) Confucius is still living.
4. The teachings of Confucius were most famous…
(a) when he was young.
(b) after he died.
(c) while he worked for the king.
(d) when he was still a teacher.
5. Because many people followed Confucius’s teachings…
(a) he became the leader of China.
(b) he traveled to many foreign countries.
(c) his birthday was a holiday.
(d) he wrote many books.
6. A man could become happy and clever when…
(a) he knew his place in the world.
(b) he did not have a family.
(c) he could be free of the world.
(d) he was better than other people.
7. In a family everyone must…
(a) try to live by himself.
(b) know his correct place.
(c) follow his own ideas.
(d) lead the others.
8. The teachings of Confucius…
(a) were not understood by many people.
(b) started many wars.
(c) had many new ideas.
(d) brought together many old ideas.
9. The most important thing in any country was…
(a) the army.
(b) the leader.
(c) the church.
(d) the schools.
10. Confucius died when…
(a) he was still young.
(b) he was about forty years old.
(c) he was about fifty years old.
(d) he was more than fifty years old.
15
Previewing and Making Predictions
Before you start reading, you can guess certain things just by looking at the material you
are going to read. This skill helps you know what to expect when you actually start reading.
For example, if you look at a graded reader with a picture of a teenage girl on the front, and
the title ‘Hollybrook High’ written above the picture, you can guess certain things from it.
You can guess that this book is probably going to be a book about a teenage girl’s high
school life. Previewing is learning to look for information before you read. Then using this
information you can make guesses about the passage. This is called making predictions.
Learning to preview and make predictions will help you to read faster and understand better.
Previewing and Making Predictions
Exercise 1:Pair Work
Below is Karen’s email inbox. Skim the information, and then ask and answer the questions
below with your partner:
1. Which email would you read first? Why?
2. Which email do you think is the most important? Why?
3. Which emails do you think are personal (from friends or family)?
4. Which email is Spam or junk mail (an email from an unknown person or company
who is trying to trick or con you)?
5. Which emails are business or school related?
6. Look at the first email (who it is from and its subject) then predict to your partner
what you think the email will be about. When you have finished, let your partner do
the next one then change until you have predicted the contents of all the mails.
7. By looking at all the emails together, what information do you know or can you
predict about Karen’s life?
Yahoo Inbox
From: Subject: Date:
Mum Feeling better now? May 9th
10:31am
Dippy.com Get rich quick. Open this mail. May 9th
10:35am
Mr. Johnston Regarding class absences May 9th
10:55am
David Still angry with me? Love you May 9th
11:21am
Mr. Tanaka
Manager Friendlyburger
Regarding changes in work schedule May 9th
12:01pm
David Answer me. I love you May 9th
1:11pm
David I really am sorry, you know May 9th
3:06pm
David Answer your phone and give me a chance to
explain
May 9th
3:23pm
16
Exercise 2
Pair work
Person A
Look at the photo below and ask your partner questions about it.
1. Where do you think this picture was taken? Why?
2. What do you think happened?
3. What do you think will happen next?
4. What kind of story do you expect to read about this picture? For example, do you
think it will be funny or serious? Why?
Person B
Look at the photo and caption below and try to make predictions about what the newspaper
article (story) might say. Answer A’s questions.
Taxi Takes Shortcut!
17
Homework Exercise 3
Look at the pictures below and match them to the correct title from a magazine article.
a.
1. The British Royal Ballet Comes to Tokyo for the First
Time in Twenty Years
b.
2. Are You at a Crossroads in Your Career?
c.
3. The New Painless Dentistry
d.
4. Want to Travel the World the Easy Way? Fly Wainair
e.
5. Twenty Percent of Young Girls Want a Career as a
Dog Groomer
f.
6. Join Our Job-Hunting Agency and Aim for the Stars
18
Thinking Skills – Topic: Travel
1. According to the latest numbers from the World Tourism Organization, France receives more foreign
tourists per year than any other country, some 76 million in 2005. Spain was next with 55 million, then the
United States with 50 million, followed by China with 47 million. Italy came fifth with…
a. 37 million. c. 56 million.
b. 49 million. d. 78 million.
2. The word backpacker means a person who travels light (with not much luggage) all over the world for a
long period of time spending little money. The origin of the name comes from the backpacks that they
traditionally carried in order to be able to travel …
a. looking cool. c. more easily, as they could carry all
their belongings on their backs.
b. saving money. d. slowly.
3. The 'stereotypical' backpacker is often thought of as a college student or a recent graduate, who is in their
early to mid-twenties with no husband, wife, children or job. Therefore making it easier…
a. to find a job. c. to stay home.
b. to go traveling for months at a time. d. to get cheap flights.
4. The Concorde was the world’s only supersonic passenger jet. It flew at twice the speed of sound. Faster
than any other plane. Passengers could travel from London to New York in only three and a half hours. On a
Boeing 747, this trip takes…
a. three and a half hours. c. seven to eight hours.
b. one to two hours. d. twice the speed of sound.
5. The designers had high hopes for the Concorde. They wanted to sell hundreds of them around the world.
However, only two airlines, British Airways and Air France, bought the plane, and they bought only seven each.
The total number of aircraft that were sold was hence only…
a. two. c. fourteen.
b. seven. d. hundreds.
19
Unit 4: Skimming
Speed Reading 3: Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the name of an island near China. The biggest and most important city is
Victoria, but not very many people use this name when they talk about the city. They often
call the city Hong Kong too. Many years ago the island of Hong Kong belonged to China. It had a good port. Ships
often stopped there. Most of the ships came from Britain. They came to China to buy and sell many things. But then a war began between China and Britain. In 1842 the Chinese and the British came to a meeting. This was the end of the war. At the meeting many things were talked about. In the meeting the island of Hong Kong was given to Britain.
Not many people lived in Hong Kong when it was first given to Britain. Most of them were Chinese. Some of them were farmers and some were fishermen. But soon many people came. Most of these people were Chinese too. Some of them left China because they could not find work there. They tried to find a better life in Hong Kong. Some of them came to Hong Kong when there was a war in China. Besides the Chinese, many other people came to Hong Kong. They came from India, Britain, Holland and many other countries. After some years they thought of Hong Kong as their home. They began to work hard for their new home.
People began to build factories. They built big and small factories. Today almost every kind of factory is found in Hong Kong. The factories make big things and small things. They make cigarettes, toys, clothes, medicine, machines and radios. People do not sell these things only in Hong Kong. They also send them to other countries. People also come from other countries to buy things. Hong Kong is now a very busy place.
People also began to be interested in studying. Before the British people came, only a few children went to school. There were not many schools in Hong Kong. Some of the children did not want to go to school at all. They were happier to stay at home and help their parents. Some of them went to school but they often missed classes. When their parents went away to work in a different place, they went with them. When they came back, they started again. When Hong Kong was given to Britain, the British people tried to change this. They tried to use their own way to teach the children. More people sent their children to school. The children learned things in English or Chinese. Soon Hong Kong needed more schools, but at that time there was not enough money to build new schools, so the churches were asked to start new schools. But later these schools were not a part of the church. Today Hong Kong has a lot of schools and several universities. Some of the schools and universities are very famous. People can study many different subjects such as medicine, mathematics, languages and teaching.
The University of Hong Kong is the oldest university. Most of the classes are taught in English. People come from many other countries to study there. Hong Kong’s second university was opened in 1963. Most of the classes are in the Chinese language.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
20
QUESTIONS: Hong Kong
1. Hong Kong is really…
(a) an island.
(b) a city.
(c) a small town.
(d) a country.
2. Before 1842 Hong Kong belonged to…
(a) England.
(b) Holland.
(c) China.
(d) India.
3. There was a meeting between Britain and China because…
(a) they fought with each other.
(b) Britain wanted to buy Hong Kong.
(c) China and Britain were friends.
(d) China and Britain wanted to attack Hong Kong.
4. When Britain first got Hong Kong,…
(a) there were many people there.
(b) most of the people there were from Britain.
(c) most of the people there were Chinese.
(d) no one lived there.
5. The factories in Hong Kong make things to sell…
(a) in Britain.
(b) in Hong Kong.
(c) in China.
(d) all over the world.
6. Before the British people came to Hong Kong,…
(a) there were many Chinese universities.
(b) there were only a few schools
(c) there were many English schools.
(d) there were no schools.
7. After the British came, the schools in Hong Kong used…
(a) the Chinese language.
(b) the English language.
(c) many different languages.
(d) Chinese or English.
8. Many of the new schools in Hong Kong were started by…
(a) China.
(b) groups of parents.
(c) the big factories.
(d) the church.
9. When people came to live in Hong Kong, they…
(a) started many factories.
(b) became farmers.
(c) moved to China.
(d) were not very happy there.
10. The University of Hong Kong…
(a) teaches in Chinese only.
(b) is the oldest university in Hong Kong.
(c) is the second university in Hong Kong.
(d) teaches students from Hong Kong only.
21
Skimming
Often you have a lot to read but you do not have much time. In this case, speed is very
important. In fact, you probably do not have to read everything carefully. You often do not
need to remember all the information that is given. That is all the facts and ideas. You just
need a basic or general idea of what the passage is about. Skimming is reading very quickly
and jumping or moving your eyes from section to section, not reading everything but still
managing to get the main idea or ‘gist’ of the piece of writing.
Things you often skim
✓ articles in newspapers and magazines
✓ parts of library books (to see if they are useful to you)
✓ the back of a graded reader (to see if you might enjoy reading it or not)
Skimming for point of view
If you know what the writer’s point of view is (what the writer feels or thinks about something), then it can help you to read more quickly. Skimming is useful for this. You don’t need to read everything. Skim your eyes across the following lines and try to pick out the most important phrases and words. Then put a check mark () in the boxes below. Choose if you think the writer is for (thinks is a good idea) or against (thinks is a bad idea) the topic.
1. Cats make good pets for three reasons. First, they are very independent. You don’t need to take them for walks as they can go outside by themselves. Second, they are fairly economical. Cat food is relatively cheap, and you can make them simple toys to play with that don’t cost much money. For example, a piece of string with a small stick tied to it will provide hours of fun for your pet. Finally, they are quiet. Unlike dogs they don’t bark. Therefore, they won’t annoy your neighbours. In short, cats make fine pets because they are independent, economical and not very noisy.
Is the writer for or against cats as pets?
2. Tokyo is the perfect place to live. First of all, it is a place that never sleeps.
You can always find somewhere open or something to do 24 hours a day. Also, it is great for shopping. You can find everything you need from outlandishly (very) expensive to very cheap. Finally, in Tokyo there is a huge variety of restaurants, many of which are excellent. In short, if you like going out, shopping and fine food then Tokyo is a great place to live.
Is the writer for or against Tokyo as a good place to live?
3. Birds shouldn’t be kept as pets. Go into your bathroom and shut the door. This is about the average amount of space that a bird has in its cage. Imagine how you would feel being locked up in your bathroom all the time. Birds are meant to fly free. In short, keeping them as a pet is just plain cruel (unkind).
Is the writer for or against keeping birds as pets?
For Against
For Against
Against For
22
Skimming for Ideas
If you want to read faster it isn’t always necessary to read the whole article to get the main
idea.
1. Read the first couple of sentences at your normal speed so that you can find
out what the writer is writing about and what he/she feels or thinks about it.
2. Then jump to the next paragraph. Read the first line then skim your eyes
across the rest of the paragraph picking out the most important words. You
don’t need to know everything.
3. Then jump to the next paragraph and do the same. Try to find the key words or
phrases, which will give you the general idea.
4. Remember that basically you just need to get a general idea of the writer’s
thoughts. Understanding between 60 and 70 per cent of the passage will give
you the gist or the general idea of what the article is about. You don’t need to
read it all.
5. Usually the first and last lines of a paragraph are the most important as they
tell you what the writer is going to write about, and what he/she thinks or feels
about it.
Read the parts of the paragraph, which are shown below and then answer
the questions.
(You have 45 seconds)
Green Valley University is the best college for me for several reasons. First of all, it is
located in the perfect place. It is near both Shinagawa and Yokohama, which are great for
shopping and eating out. Moreover, the campus itself is large and spacious with many trees
everywhere. Secondly, I really wanted to learn English and this college is famous for the
quality of its English lessons. In addition, the number of students in each class is small, and
there are many native English speakers for the students to practice with. Finally, it is fairly
near to my house. It is only thirty minutes away by train. Also, it is on the same train line as
Green Valley University, so I don’t have to change trains, and the train is regular with one
leaving every eight minutes or less. In short, Green Valley University is the perfect place for
me to study English.
Ask your partner one of the questions below. Then get them to ask you the other.
1) Is the writer for or against going to Green Valley University?
2) What are the three reasons she gives for choosing Aoyama?
23
Now Read the Complete Paragraph
Green Valley University is the best college for me for several reasons. First of all, it is
located in the perfect place. It is near both Shinagawa and Yokohama, which are great for
shopping and eating out. Moreover, the campus itself is large and spacious with many trees
everywhere. Secondly, I really wanted to learn English and this college is famous for the
quality of its English lessons. In addition, the number of students in each class is small, and
there are many native English speakers for the students to practice with. Finally, it is near to
my house. It is only thirty minutes away by train. Also, it is on the same train line as Green
Valley University, so I don’t have to change trains, and the train is regular with one leaving
every eight minutes or less. In short, Green Valley University is the perfect place for me to
study English.
As you can see, you really don’t have to read everything to get the general idea of a
passage or story. It just takes practice. The most important words to pick out are usually the
verbs, nouns and adjectives. Each week, as you do the speed reading exercise, try to use these
skills. You will notice that you will gradually begin to read faster and understand more.
Homework
Skimming
The British Melting Pot Skim read as quickly as you can (no more than five minutes) and then answer the questions below. Once you
have read it DON’T look back. After you have written your answers you can then read the article again to check
if you were correct or not.
Nearly 7,000 years ago, the area which is now known as Britain was occupied by groups of travelling
hunters, who lived off the animals they could catch and the food they could find. Then, about 6,000 years ago,
other races started to join these Stone Age hunters, small people who were rarely more than 167cms in height,
who came across the sea in small boats made from animal skins. They brought with them a new way of life.
They started to make clearings in the forest, raise animals and plant crops. Then around 4,000 years ago came
the Beaker Folk. These people, who perhaps originally came from Spain, settled quite peacefully with their
neighbours. However, although many new settlers had arrived, at this time, the population of Britain still
remained very small with people living there in small groups far apart from each other.
Then, and no one knows why, in about 1600 BC (3600 years ago) thousands more people arrived. The
population rose to an estimated one million by 1500 BC when still more people came. Diverse as the people on
the island already were, they became even more varied when in about 800 BC the Celts started to arrive. They
were taller and fairer than the people who had come before and were great farmers. It seems that although there
were small fights between the many different races, for the most part people lived in peace with each other and
marriage between different tribes was common. Therefore, today no British person can really say with truth that
they are completely descended from Celtic stock. Britain was a melting pot indeed!
In 43AD the Romans came. The Britons fought fiercely against them but were just no match for the might
of Rome. Perhaps one of the most famous stories of resistance was about Prasutagus’ widow (wife), a tall red-
haired warrior (soldier) queen called Boudicca. When Prasutagus died in 60 AD he left his property jointly to
his two daughters and to Rome. Rome ignored his wishes and refused to accept Boudicca as Queen. She was
whipped and her daughters raped. In revenge Boudicca raised an army and marched first on the Roman city of
Colchester, killing every Roman in her path, and then on to Londinium (London). She took both cities and
completely destroyed them, burning them to the ground. Unfortunately, as brave as she was, Boudicca could not
fight against the strength of the whole Roman Empire, and in the end she drank poison rather than be taken
alive. However, she probably still remains, even today, as one of the three most famous English queens along
with Elizabeth 1st and Queen Victoria.
After her death, London was rebuilt and by 400 AD perhaps housed as many as 60,000 people. Other cities
were being built as well, and many people started to move to them from the countryside. At this time, many
people learnt to read and write, but while Latin became the official language most poor people still spoke Celtic,
although many Latin words were added to it. It was an age of great learning and trade between many other
countries. However, peace came at a price. The tribes (groups of people) who continued to resist (fight back)
against the Romans were pushed back out of England into Scotland, Ireland and Wales. A great wall was built
24
between England and Scotland to keep anyone who refused to accept the Romans out. It was over 73 miles long,
and it still remains today as the most impressive Roman landmark in the country.
In the 4th century, as Rome itself began to come under attack, more and more Roman soldiers were called
back to Rome. With fewer Roman soldiers in England the tribesmen started to win, and first in 368 and then
again in 383 the rebels (fighters) broke through the wall and killed the Romans defending it. Then suddenly in
the middle of the fifth century Rome’s protection was at an end. The Romans left and the islanders were left
unprotected against the wave of men who started to invade. The melting pot continued for the next six hundred
years as more and more tribes invaded. This lasted until 1066 when England was conquered (taken) for the last
time.
This might have been the last time England was invaded, but it was by no means the end of Britain as the
melting pot of the world. After this time, many more different nationalities and races came to Britain, especially
from the 18th century onwards. They came for many different reasons such as economic, political or religious,
and made Britain their new home. Now Britain is made up of many different races that practise a variety of
religions and come from all over the world. So many in fact, that one sometimes wonders what is it exactly that
makes a person British?
(655 words)
What is this article about?__________________________________________ __________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What kind of article is it? (fiction, fantasy etc.)
Are modern British people descended (come) from one group of people?
Name one group of people that the British are descended from.
What did the Celts look like?
What is still an important Roman landmark?
Why did the Romans build it?
Name one of the cities that Queen Boudicca burned down.
When did the Romans leave England?
Why do people move to Britain today?
25
Unit 5: Making Predictions
Speed Reading 4: China
China is a big, modern country. Hundreds of millions of people live in China. Both men and women work hard for their country. Most of them are about the same: they are not very rich or very poor.
About 100 years ago life was different in China. Some of the people were very rich, and some were very poor. The rich people lived in beautiful big houses and many of the poor people worked as servants. These servants had to work very hard. When they had enough money, they went back to their towns or villages. Then they started a shop or became farmers. But they were still poor.
Children usually lived with their parents, even after they got married and had children of their own. Although many people lived in the same house, they were quite happy. They did not fight with one another. The head of the family was the father. He had to decide things, and everyone in the family had to follow him. When the father died, his oldest son took his place.
Children did not go to school. In a rich family, the boys learned to read and write at home. The teacher came to them. They did not learn to write with a pen or pencil, but they used a little brush. They also had to study old books. If they wanted to become important people, they had to take an examination. In this examination, they were asked to read and write some poems. They were also asked about some of the old books. This examination was difficult for most of the people.
Girls did not have an important place in old China. They did not learn to read or write. They only learned to look after the family.
They could not go out and work. When they were very young, their parents tried to find husbands for them. When they grew up, they were married and they had to live with their husbands’ families.
Today, women in China are free. Girls go to school and many of them continue their study in universities. They can become teachers, soldiers or farmers. Some work in offices and some work in factories. Some drive trucks and some drive airplanes. Women continue to work after they are married and have children. Because both husbands and wives have to work during the day, they cannot look after their children. They leave their children at a special building. Some women work at this building. They look after them, play with them and give them food. In the evening their parents meet them and bring them home. Most children see their parents only in the evening or at night.
Most Chinese people like games. After finishing work each day, they do not go home. They play games together. Some of them are very good at swimming, running or shoving, but most Chinese people are very fond of basketball and table tennis. China is famous for its good basket-ball and table-tennis players.
People can also play music, sing, paint or dance if they do not like to play games, or, they can come together and talk about their work.
Chinese people always work hard. Because of this, China has a lot to sell to other countries.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
26
QUESTIONS: China
1. Now, most people in China are…
(a) very rich.
(b) very poor.
(c) very rich or very poor.
(d) not rich or poor.
2. In old China, many servants were…
(a) the children of rich people.
(b) children with no parents.
(c) rich people.
(d) poor people.
3. Usually, when servants had enough money,…
(a) they worked for another family.
(b) they bought a shop or land.
(c) they were sent away.
(d) they went to the city.
4. Chinese families were quite big because…
(a) not many people died.
(b) married children lived with their parents.
(c) their houses were big.
(d) many people came to stay with them.
5. In the Chinese family, when the head of the family died, his place was taken by…
(a) his wife.
(b) his oldest brother.
(c) his oldest son.
(d) his wife’s brother.
6. In rich families, children studied…
(a) at home
(b) at the teacher’s house.
(c) at school.
(d) at the temple.
7. Writing was done with …
(a) a pen.
(b) a long thin stick.
(c) a brush.
(d) a pencil.
8. If a person wanted to pass the examination, he had to…
(a) read many old books.
(b) learn many languages.
(c) know about foreign countries.
(d) study in school.
9. In old China, girls…
(a) did not study books.
(b) worked outside the house.
(c) were quite free.
(d) went to school
10. Now, in China, women…
(a) do not go to school.
(b) only work at home.
(c) can do many jobs.
(d) do not work after they marry.
27
Reading Comprehension
Native Speakers Make Mistakes, Too
¶1 _________________ to remember when you are a student trying to learn English is that
you should never be afraid of making mistakes. In fact, it is only by making mistakes that you
will improve your English. _________________ to remember is that language mistakes are
not just made by learners of English, but are also made by native speakers of the language as
well. _________________, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask when you are not one hundred
percent certain of the meaning of a word. _________________, while American English
often uses the same words as British English, many of those words have very different
meanings. This can cause more confusion than if the words were entirely different, as
____________ countries people get very different images from the same word. A funny
_________________ of this occurred several years ago at a famous language school in Japan.
Half the foreign teachers were British, and half were American. Just before Halloween the
teachers decided to organise a Halloween party for the students. When they were discussing
what kind of party it should be, one British teacher suggested that it be a fancy-dress party.
Everyone agreed, posters were made and tickets were sold.
¶2 Over one hundred Japanese students and teachers turned up for the party, but half the
students and teachers were in Halloween costumes, and half were dressed up in really nice
clothes. The British teacher asked her American co-worker why he wasn’t wearing a
costume, and he replied, “Because we all decided it was going to be a fancy-dress party, and
not a costume party.” Then, the British teacher explained that in Britain a ‘fancy-dress’ party
meant a costume party. The American teacher thought ‘fancy’ meant ‘dressy’ as in nice
clothes, so he, and his other American co-workers, had told their students to dress up in
‘fancy’ clothes, while the British teachers had told their students to wear costumes. Everyone
laughed about it, and the students learnt that even native speakers of English make mistakes.
¶3 Another example of a misunderstanding between British and American English
happened regarding the different expressions the two nationalities use to tell the time. A few
years ago an American was waiting at Hachiko for a British friend. Believing that the British
were always on time, he was at first surprised when his friend didn’t arrive. Then, as twenty,
thirty, forty minutes went past he started to get a little angry that the person didn’t phone to
say why she was delayed. Finally, after one hour of waiting the British woman arrived. She
didn’t even apologise, and instead just said, “Hi, good you’re already here. Lets go!” The
American couldn’t believe it and started shouting at her telling her how rude she was. The
British woman looked confused and said ‘But, I am just on time. I thought I said we should
meet at half twelve, and that’s what time it is, isn’t it?’ The American looked at her and said
‘Half twelve? Doesn’t that mean eleven thirty?” The woman answered that half twelve meant
twelve thirty, as in half past the hour of twelve. In British English this is perhaps the most
common way of telling the time. However, this method is not used in America, so the
American just guessed that ‘half twelve’ meant half an hour before twelve, hence, eleven
thirty. He eventually thought his mistake was quite funny and they both laughed about it.
However, these types of mistakes happen all the time between Americans, British, Canadians,
Australians and New Zealanders.
¶4 Therefore, ask when you are not sure of the exact meaning of something, and you will
avoid making so many language mistakes. However, if you do make a mistake, instead of
worrying about it, laugh about it. Only by making mistakes can you learn. If you follow these
two valuable lessons, asking when you are not sure, and laughing when you make a mistake,
then your time at Aoyama Tandai will indeed be more productive. Good luck!
(665 words)
28
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. Fill in the spaces in Paragraph One with a suitable linking word from the list:
example one thing both for example another thing therefore
2. The next example of misunderstanding vocabulary in English occurred between:
a. A British teacher and a Japanese student.
b. A British teacher and a Canadian teacher.
c. A British teacher and an American teacher.
3. In British English ‘fancy dress’ means...
a. dressing up in nice clothes.
b. dressing up in a costume.
c. dressing up in old, funny clothes.
4. From the misunderstanding at the Halloween party the students learnt that:
a. British English and American English are exactly the same.
b. British English and American English are completely different.
c. British English and American English are not exactly the same.
5. What does ‘this’ in Paragraph Three refer to?
a. half twelve
b. half past
c. twelve thirty
6. Find a word in Paragraph Four, which means “correct”._____________
7. What does “these two valuable lessons” in Paragraph Four refer to?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
8. Find two words in Paragraph Four, which both mean “useful”.__________________
9. What does the writer think will help create a better atmosphere for learning English?
a. Learning to laugh at your mistakes.
b. Learning to laugh at your teacher.
c. Learning to laugh at your friends.
10. The message of this story is…
a. Don’t be shy, and don’t care if you make mistakes, as everyone does, even
native speakers, and so making mistakes is always fine.
b. Don’t be shy, ask if you are not sure, and laugh when you make a mistake.
c. Don’t be shy, but never ask if you misunderstand as it might upset or hurt the
feelings of the person you are speaking to.
Warm Up 1. When is your birthday?
2. How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
3. What is the best birthday you have ever had? Why?
4. What is the worst birthday you have ever had? Why?
5. What’s the best birthday present you have ever been given? Why?
6. What present would you like to get for your next birthday?
7. What is the best birthday present you have ever given anyone?
29
Guessing Words From Context
Guess the meanings of the underlined words in the passage. The underlined words are in
column 1 and the meanings are in column 2 on the following page. Work with a partner and
discuss your choices using only English. You can look back at the passage.
Birthdays
When you are a child, birthdays are the most magical of days, better than Christmas even,
when you have to share the delights of opening presents with the rest of your family. A
birthday is your day. A day when all the attention is focused on you, and a day when you can
be naughty and nobody seems to mind.
In the morning, I used to get the ‘big’ presents from my parents, things I had wanted for
ages (a long time). In addition, all day people were nice to me. We were not rich, so we
didn’t often get new toys or clothes, and so I always really looked forward to ‘The Birthday’.
I must have been a sad child because for ages (a long time) before it I actually used to
quiver with excitement looking forward to that day that would be just mine. I used to make a
little birthday countdown calendar for the two months before it and count off the days,
actually wishing my life away, to reach the great event.
We have a standing joke in our family that was created at that time. For three months of
the year, I was a year younger than my older sister and two years older than my little sister, in
terms of numbers at least, which was all that mattered then. I was so busy trying to grow up
and to catch up with my older sister, a task it took me ages (a long time) to realise was never
going to happen, that on my birthday I would always turn to my little sister, puff myself up,
and say in a grand grown-up voice ‘Six sounds a lot older than four you know. I am so much
older than you’. I did this every year without fail until I grew up. But now the joke is on me,
as my sister has started to say the same thing to me every year with a laugh in her voice
‘Twenty-eight sounds SOOOOO much older than twenty-six don’t you think?’ It makes us
laugh. These little rituals every family have are funny, aren’t they?
One of my earliest memories is running down the stairs shouting ‘I am two, I am two, I
am two’, the phrase reverberating again and again through my head. I try to remember more,
but that is all I have, a memory of shouting those three words.
My mother has filled in the blanks telling me she had never seen such a little bundle of
excitement as me on that day, so happy that I had reached a double number. She lost me later,
when they took me shopping and bought me a little yellow toy pram. In my joy at receiving
it, I forgot everything they had told me about wandering off and pushed it away, and then
couldn’t find them.
As we got older, ‘The Birthday’ was a day of parties, where we dressed up in long dresses
and invited our special friends to come over, eat cake and play wonderful games, which I
always tried to win. Pass the parcel, where I held on to the parcel for as long as I could,
slowly passing it to the next person hoping the music would stop. Musical bumps, where I
danced with my legs bent low, so I hadn’t far to fall when the music stopped. Musical statues
where I hardly danced at all, so it wouldn’t take long to stop. The list goes on; I loved them
all. Then when we were teenagers we camped out in the garden, a few close friends and I,
telling ghost stories and getting no sleep. We played outdoor games, it being summer:
rounders, cricket and forty-forty. We were just happy to be alive, and that school was nearly
done.
It’s sad, as now ‘The Birthday’ is just another day. One to dread rather than look forward
to as another year passes. But sometimes, just for a moment, I remember the excitement I felt
and the child in me returns.
(words 668)
30
A
1. magical a. bad, doing wrong things
2. delights b. to check off the days
3. focused c. customs, traditions, routines, habits
4. naughty d. great, fantastic, wonderful
5. quiver e. make yourself look bigger, stand straighter and taller
6. countdown f. pointed towards, facing
7. standing g. continuing, ongoing, lasting a long time
8. puff up h. resounding, echoing, repeating
9. rituals i. wonders, joy
10. reverberating j. shake, move your body quickly backwards and forwards
B
11. blanks k. a carriage, similar to a buggy, pushchair or stroller, in which babies
are pushed around in
12. bundle l. folded, curved, lowered
13. pram m. a lot of
14. pass the parcel n. A children’s game: children dance to music and when the music
stops they drop down and sit on the floor. The last child to reach the
floor is out of the game. Each round, one child is out. The winner is
the last child left. They get a prize.
15. bent o. empty spaces, unknown information
16. musical
bumps
p. A children’s game: children sit in a circle and pass a toy, which is
wrapped up in many layers of newspapers while music is playing.
When the music stops the child removes one layer of paper. The
child who removes the last layer of paper and finds the toy gets to
keep it.
17. musical
statues
q. A children’s game: children dance to music and when the music
stops they stand as still as they can. The last child to move is out of
the game. Each round one child is out. The winner is the last child
remaining. They get a prize.
18. rounders r. Don’t look forward to, don’t want to happen
19. forty-forty s. A game: very similar to baseball. One team hits the ball and then
runs around four posts. The posts are set up in a circle. If they can
run all the way around their team gets one point.
20. dread t. A game: similar to hide and seek. One child stands at home base
and counts to forty while the other children hide. Then that person
goes and tries to find them. If the children hiding can get back to
the base without being seen by that person they are safe. If they get
caught they have to count to forty and seek other people in the next
game.
31
Homework
Reading Comprehension: Learning a Foreign Language
¶1 When learning a foreign language, it is necessary not to be shy and to ask when you do
not understand something. If you do this, then many language misunderstandings will be
avoided. However, in some countries, different cultural values can make it harder for the
student to speak out and question the teacher. For example, in Japan, where people are taught
not to stand out, and that it is rude to directly challenge someone, it is more difficult for
students to check or clarify that their listening comprehension is correct. This can sometimes
create difficulties. Usually these mistakes are not so important, and just cause a slight
misunderstanding. Occasionally, however, they can create real problems.
¶2 A few years ago, a young English teacher started to teach a group of Japanese
managers. He wanted to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, so that the students would
feel more comfortable speaking out in English. Therefore, instead of using the more formal
word ‘gentlemen’, he chose a more casual word, ‘chaps’. The word ‘chaps’ is a British
English word, which has the same meaning as ‘guys’ in American English. On the first
morning of class, he entered the classroom and greeted the students enthusiastically with a
cheerful ‘Good morning chaps!’ which was followed by complete silence. Throughout the
lesson the students were quiet and unresponsive, and the teacher went away feeling terribly
sad. The same thing happened for the next six weeks, but before each class he would continue
to make an effort to remain positive. He would then walk into the classroom with another
friendly ‘Good-morning chaps!’ However, as time went on, the students just became colder
and less friendly towards him. He didn’t have any idea about what he was doing wrong, and
he didn’t know how to make the situation better.
¶3 Eventually, after one particularly silent lesson, one of the younger students stayed
behind after the class and asked him if he could speak to him for a second. Pleased that at last
someone was actually talking to him, the teacher agreed. He said how happy he was that the
student was trying to communicate with him. The student replied, “Well this is what I wanted
to talk to you about actually. All of us really want to learn English and want to speak, but we
find your way of speaking rather rude and racist. This makes it very difficult for us to want to
speak to you.” The teacher was shocked, “But I try really hard to be friendly” he said. The
student replied, “Well, you seem friendly enough, but we dislike the way you walk in every
morning and say ‘Good morning ‘Japs!’ We all know that ‘Japs’ is a very bad word used for
the Japanese, and we hate that you would insult us like this every morning. After calling us
‘Japs’, well honestly, it makes us not want to talk to you”. The teacher quickly explained the
misunderstanding, and that he was actually saying ‘chaps’ and not ‘Japs’, but in this situation
it was nearly too late. After six weeks, the students' bad impression of the teacher was already
formed, and it was difficult for him to then get them to warm up enough towards him to ever
speak freely and easily to him. The English lessons were wasted, and all because of a simple
vocabulary misunderstanding.
¶4 This mistake could easily have been avoided if the students had only spoken up on the
first day. However, due to cultural barriers, this was difficult for them to do, and so both the
teacher and students misunderstood each other. Of course, this is a fairly extreme example.
Yet there are two lessons to be learnt from this story for Japanese students who really want to
improve their language skills. First, you should try to use your brain and think logically when
something sounds strange. For example, if a student walks into the classroom after the lesson
has started, and they hear the teacher say to them, “Did you get a plate?” Obviously this
makes no sense. You must think about the context of the question, and then perhaps you can
guess what the teacher is actually saying. Second, do not be afraid to ask the teacher what
they really meant and explain your understanding of what you thought you had heard. Then
when the teacher explains that they did not say “Did you get a plate?” But, in fact said, “Did
you get up late?” you will both probably laugh at the funny mistake. In short, if you do this,
32
not only will many language misunderstandings be avoided but also, a more relaxed
atmosphere for studying English in will be created.
(787 words)
Reading Comprehension Questions
You can look back at the text to answer these questions.
1. When learning a foreign language it is necessary to…
a. be shy but ask when you don’t understand something.
b. not be shy and to ask when you don’t understand something.
c. not be shy, but not to ask when you don’t understand something.
2. It is sometimes difficult for Japanese learners of English to improve their English
because…
a. for Japanese it is difficult to listen to English.
b. in Japanese culture it is difficult to ask questions.
c. Japanese is too different from English.
3. Find a word in Paragraph One, which means ‘be noticeable; be different from
others’._____________________________________
4. The British English word ‘chaps’ means…
a. gentlemen
b. ladies and gentlemen
c. ladies
5. What does the word ‘challenge’ mean in Paragraph One?
________________________________________________________________
6. How long did it take before the vocabulary misunderstanding between the British
teacher and the Japanese students was cleared up?
a. Six days
b. Six weeks
c. Six months
7. Why were the Japanese language students upset at their teacher?
a. They thought he was being too friendly.
b. They couldn’t understand anything he said.
c. They thought he was being racist towards them.
8. What does the writer think will help create a better atmosphere for learning English?
a. Learning to laugh at your mistakes.
b. Learning to laugh at your teacher.
c. Learning to laugh at your friends.
9. Find a word in Paragraph Four which means “something that prevents people from
doing something.”_________________________________
10. In Paragraph Four what did the teacher really say to the student?
a. Did you get up late?
b. Did you get a plate?
c. Did you get a mate?
33
Unit 6: Pronouns and Synonyms
Speed Reading 5: Death in Bali
When a person dies in Bali, his family and friends are not usually sad. For them death is
the beginning of another life. The dead person will come back in the world in another shape.
Before this happens, his old body must go. In some countries the dead body is put in the
ground. In other countries, and in some places in Bali, the body is put on top of the ground or
in a tree. Animals then often eat the body. But usually in Bali the dead body is burnt. After it
is burnt, the dead person can easily come back to live in this world. Because of this the
burning of the body is a happy time. When a bad person comes back to earth, he is a dog or a
snake. A good person will have a better life than his first life. The burning of the body is very expensive. Some people save money for this when they
are still living. When a man dies, his family comes to his house. They bring presents of food. They cannot burn the body on any day. They wait for the correct day. Sometimes the body is put in the ground before it is burnt. Before this the family wash the body. Some flowers are put in the nose, some iron is put on the teeth and arms, and some glass is put on the eyes. When the dead man comes back to earth for his next life, he will have strong arms and teeth, good eyes and will smell of nice things. Usually the body is in the ground for forty-two days. After this the family take the body out of the ground. They bring it to the house. When everything is done, the body is ready for burning. It is put on the top of a wooden tower. This tower is very beautiful and expensive. The family and their friends then go in a line to the burning place. Some men and women walk in front. Then come the men with the tower. They do not walk in a straight line. They run from one side of the road to the other and turn around. This keeps bad things away from the body. There is a long rope from the tower. People in the dead man’s family hold this rope and walk in front. At the burning place the family look at the body again. All the time music is played. The body is put on the burning place. The noise of the music and the people is very loud. Then the body is burnt. After the burning some pieces of the bones are taken to the sea or to a river and they are thrown into the water. The people wash in the water and then they go home.
A long time ago, when a rich man was burnt, his wives also burnt themselves on the fire. This was also done in India many years ago. The people of Bali do not do this now.
Because burning a body is expensive, sometimes people burn several bodies at the same time. This is cheaper because not so many towers are needed. These burnings are very noisy. There is a lot of shouting, smoke and noise.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
34
QUESTIONS: Death in Bali
1. In Bali, death is…
(a) the end of life in the world.
(b) the beginning of life in another world.
(c) the beginning of another life in this world.
(d) the end of all life.
2. Usually, when a person dies in Bali, his body…
(a) is burned.
(b) is eaten by animals.
(c) is left in the ground.
(d) is put in a tall tree.
3. When a good person dies, he…
(a) does not come back to earth.
(b) comes back to earth as a dog.
(c) comes back as a snake.
(d) comes back in a better life than before.
4. Because the burning of a body is expensive, some people…
(a) are not burned.
(b) save money for their burning.
(c) are burned on any day.
(d) are put in the sea.
5. Some flowers, iron and glass are put on the body, so that…
(a) it will look nice at the burning.
(b) it will burn easily.
(c) it will be better in the next life.
(d) it will have useful things on its journey from earth.
6. The body is in the ground for…
(a) fourteen days.
(b) twenty-four days.
(c) forty days.
(d) forty-two days.
7. When they carry the tower, the men run from one side of the road to the other because…
(a) the tower is heavy.
(b) they want to keep bad things from the body.
(c) they want to play and be happy.
(d) they are very sad.
8. The journey to the burning place is…
(a) very noisy.
(b) very sad.
(c) very quiet.
(d) very fast.
9. After the body is burned, some pieces of bones are…
(a) thrown into the sea.
(b) burned again.
(c) put in the ground.
(d) kept in the house.
10. Now, when a rich man is burned,…
(a) his wives do not burn themselves.
(b) many towers are needed.
(c) his body is sent to India.
(d) there is no music.
35
Thinking Skills
If you want to read well in English, then you have to learn to think in English. One way of
doing this is to really think about the information that you are reading. Try to understand the
meaning and then choose the best ending to the passages below.
Topic: Movies 1. The annual Academy Awards have been held since 1929. In their first year, they were given
out at a private dinner for less than 250 people in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The idea of
giving awards to the best actors and the best movies of the year, however, quickly became a
popular idea. The whole country wanted to know who had won. There was so much interest
shown in the event that the following year, instead of being a closed event open to just a
chosen few, the Academy Awards committee…
a. radio broadcast the event so everyone could listen
to it. c. only let 100 people come.
b. cancelled the event. d. only let 200 people come.
2. No one knows why the award is called an Oscar as its official name is The Academy Award of
Merit. One popular story has it however, that an Academy librarian, and the eventual executive
director, Margaret Herrick, thought it looked like her Uncle Oscar and said so. Then after that, the
Academy staff began calling it…
a. an Academy Award. c. Margaret Herrick.
b. an Oscar. d. the Golden Statuette.
3. A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical act, performed for artistic purposes on TV, theatre, or
cinema. Stunts are a big part of many action movies. In the early days of cinema, some actors such as
Charlie Chaplin did most of their own physical stunts themselves. However, as these performances
were usually very dangerous and many movie stars were not so good at sports, filmmakers and
insurance companies decided to hire stunt doubles to do the stunts instead of them. As a result, most
action movie actors today…
a. have big muscles. c. use stunt doubles.
b. can’t act. d. do the stunts themselves.
4. Until fairly recently, most Hollywood stunt performers were white men. This meant that if a
female or African American actor needed a stunt double then it was performed by a white male
pretending to be them. For example, stunt man David Sharpe, a fairly short man, often did stunts for
women in the movies of the 1930s and '40s. While this might seem strange today, it was normal for…
a. today. c. tomorrow
b. the times. d. the time of year
5. Godzilla has become one of the world's most recognized monsters. He was first seen in the 1954
film Gojira, which was produced by Toho studios. There is disagreement as to how the creature's
name should be pronounced. While some use the Japanese pronunciation gojira, most favour the
English version of its name godzilla, with the first syllable (sound) pronounced like the word "god",
and the rest rhyming with…
a. jira. c. gojira.
b. monster. d. killer.
36
Pronouns and Synonyms
Good writers try not to use the same word too many times. This is because if they do the
writing can look boring. Instead they try to use pronouns or synonyms.
A pronoun is a word that refers to the noun. For example: I, she his etc.
A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning to another. It is used to make writing look
richer and more varied. For example: animal, creature, mammal, living thing, being etc
Exercise 1 Put the correct pronouns into the empty spaces below. Think carefully about which word the
pronoun refers to. That is its referent. This will help you to avoid making mistakes.
Keiko
_____ name is Keiko. _____ am Japanese. _____ am a university student.
_____ am 18 years old. _____ go to Meiji Gakuin. _____ come from Niigata,
but now _____ live in Jiyugaoka by myself in a small apartment.
_____apartment is quite expensive. _____costs 85,000yen a month. _____
parents pay for _____ and _____ tuition, but _____ have to work at a part-time
job to help pay for _____ living costs. _____ part-time job is at an Italian
restaurant. _____ is always very busy, so sometimes _____ get very tired. Last
week, because _____ had to work until 2am at the restaurant _____ fell asleep
in class and _____ Reading teacher got very angry. _____ said that sleeping in
class is the same as being absent, and _____ would fail the course if _____ kept
doing _____. _____ is difficult though, as _____ have to work to pay _____
bills, but if _____ work then _____ don’t have time to study. _____ wish
teachers would think about _____ sometimes, and take _____ into
consideration. _____ want to be a good student, but sometimes _____ is hard.
_____ is also the first time _____ have lived on _____ own before as well, so
_____ have to cook all _____ own meals, clean up and do _____ washing.
_____ really do like being a student, and _____ am enjoying this experience,
but _____ just wish that _____ had more time.
Exercise 2 Replace the underlined words in the following story with a synonym. Then compare your story with a partner.
Remember, if you are not sure what a word means use context to guess the meaning. As this story uses a lot of
comparisons you can sometimes do this by looking at antonyms (words with the opposite meaning). Also,
remember you should try to keep the meaning of the story exactly the same.
Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman called Bella. She lived in a small
cottage by the side of a wood with her sister, Gertrude. Their parents had died a few years
before. She was as pure as she was lovely and everyone adored her. Everyone, that is, apart
from her older sister Gertrude. Gertrude was the complete opposite of Bella in both looks and
in personality. While Bella was tall and slim, Gertrude was short and plump. While Bella was
cheerful and easy-going, Gertrude was short-tempered and rude to people. Bella always tried
37
to see the positive points in people, but Gertrude always looked for their bad points. Gertrude
hated that everyone loved Bella and was terribly jealous of her.
Even though the cottage was a few miles from the nearest village, the sisters were never
lonely because people were always dropping by to relax and chat. Gertrude hated being in the
shadow of her sister, and that everyone always talked to her. She believed that if Bella were
not around anymore then people would notice her instead. Therefore, one day she came up
with a horrible plan. The next morning she put it into action. She got up early and made the
morning porridge as usual, but she put some poison into Bella’s bowl. Bella ate it and died.
Gertrude was so happy she cried tears of joy. Now people will see me she thought. She
couldn’t wait to be the centre of everyone’s attention. But, a strange thing happened. After
Bella’s funeral people just stopped coming to visit. The path to their cottage became
overgrown as no one walked that way anymore. Gertrude spent every day alone with not even
a pet for company as even their dog ran away after Bella died. Gertrude missed Bella so
much, and she finally realised that Bella had been her only true friend. She realised that she
hadn’t been living in Bella’s shadow, but rather that she had been living under Bella’s light.
Gertrude changed and became a much nicer person. The only problem was that it was too late
as there was no one left to see it.
Once upon a time there was a ________ young ______ called Bella. She lived in a
___________ by the side of a _______with her sister, Gertrude. Their parents had died a few
years before. She was as _______as she was ________ and everyone _________her.
Everyone, that is, apart from her older sister Gertrude. Gertrude was the complete opposite of
Bella in both looks and in personality. While Bella was tall and _________,Gertrude was
short and _______. While Bella was _________ and easy-going, Gertrude was
___________and rude to people. Bella always tried to see the positive side of people but
Gertrude always looked for their bad points. Gertrude hated that everyone loved Bella and
was ___________jealous of her.
Even though the cottage was a few miles from the nearest __________, the sisters were
never lonely because people were always ___________ to relax and chat. Gertrude hated
being in the shadow of her sister, and that everyone always talked to her. She believed that if
Bella were not around anymore then people would notice her instead. Therefore, one day she
came up with a ___________ plan. The next morning she put the plan into action. She got up
early and made the morning porridge as usual, but she put some poison into Bella’s bowl.
Bella ate it and died. Gertrude was so happy she cried tears of joy. Now people will see me
she thought. She couldn’t wait to be the centre of everyone’s attention. But, a strange thing
happened. After Bella’s funeral people just stopped coming to visit. The path to their
_________became overgrown as no one walked that way anymore. Gertrude spent every day
alone with not even a pet for company as even their dog ran away after Bella died. Gertrude
missed Bella so much and she finally realised that Bella had been her only
__________friend. She realised that she hadn’t been living in Bella’s shadow, but rather that
she had been living under Bella’s light. Gertrude changed and became a much
__________person. The only problem was that it was too late as there was no one left to see
it.
38
Homework
Exercise 1: Keiko
This time think of the pronouns yourself and write them in the empty spaces below. Check
your answers by looking at the pronouns, referent. Do they match?
_____come from a large family. _____ have two older sisters and two younger brothers.
One of _____ older sisters, Mana, is already married. _____ has a two-year old son, Taro.
_____ is really cute. _____ live in Tokyo, near _____, so _____ go to see _____ every
weekend. _____ second oldest sister, Sakurako, also lives in Tokyo. _____ is really beautiful
and is working as a model. _____ boyfriend is really nice. Sometimes _____ treats me to an
expensive meal. _____ is really lucky, as _____ is also very good-looking and has a lovely
personality. _____ hope _____ meet someone like _____ someday. _____ little brothers are
twins. _____ are now junior high school students. _____ are always naughty, and _____ poor
mother is always shouting at _____. When _____ lived with _____, _____ drove _____ crazy
with _____ stupid practical jokes, but now _____ live in Tokyo, and so can’t see _____ very
often _____ find that _____ miss _____ very much. _____ would never tell _____ though
because _____ would laugh at _____. Both _____ parents work. _____ mother is always very
busy working and looking after _____ brothers. _____ really admire _____ and hope that one
day _____ can be like _____.
Exercise 2 Read the first paragraph from the speed-reading again. Find the ten referents for the
underlined pronouns and write them in the box below.
Buddhism comes from the word Buddha. Buddha was a person. He lived more than two
thousand five hundred years ago in India. His family was rich. He lived in a beautiful house
with many servants. One day when he went out of his house, he saw many poor and unhappy
people. He looked at them. He asked himself these questions, ‘Why are people so unhappy?
How can people be happy?’ When he was twenty-nine years old, he left his family and his
beautiful home. He went out into the world to find the answers. He tried many ways. He
studied with teachers but they did not answer his questions. After this he tried another way.
He lived in the forest. He hurt his body. He did not eat for many days. He tried to get away
from his body. But this did not give him the answers to his questions. Then he sat down
under a tree and he thought. He sat for forty-nine days. After this time he learned something
from himself. He became the Buddha. His questions were answered. People are unhappy
because they want things. They are always looking for food, money and other things. When a
man does not want things, then he will be happy. When a person does not want things, he is
free. He does not think about himself. He does not think about tomorrow. He is kind to
others.
39
Now write the pronouns and the word it refers to in the box below
pronoun referent
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 3
Read the passage and do the same as in the exercise above. In Thailand, any man can be a monk. Many people become monks for a short time,
usually three months. This happens during the rainy season in Thailand. This time as a monk is very important for Thai men. They do not live with their family then. They go to live and study in a monk’s house. After three months they go back to their own life. Some are monks for a longer time. They study the teachings of Buddha. These are his teachings. Life is not happy. It is like this because people always want things. When people do not want things, they will be happy. You can learn to do this when you study Buddha’s teachings. Buddha’s teachings were not written down until two or three hundred years after he died. Before this people just remembered them and told them to others.
pronoun referent
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Exercise 4
Try to think of as many synonyms as you can for the following words. Do not use a
dictionary.
House Car Girl Boy Road
40
Sample Reading Test
This test will help you prepare for the type of tests you will take in this course. Questions
similar to these will appear on some or all of Test One and Three. Do not use a dictionary.
Remember! No dictionaries are allowed during tests. Practice this test, and if there is
anything you do not understand, ask your teacher.
Part One: Reading Skills Vocabulary
Write a, b, c, etc. on the lines to match the words and their meanings.
1. _____ alphabetical order (A) an alphabetical list of subjects and their page
numbers at the back of a book 2. _____ a table of contents (B) ability to understand 3. _____ an index (C) a list near the front of a book saying what the
book contains 4. _____ comprehension (D) arranged according to the letters of the alphabet
Part Two: Thinking Skills
Choose the best ending for each paragraph.
1. A group of related sentences about a single topic is called
a. a title. c. a paragraph.
b. a margin. d. a topic sentence.
2. Scanning is not reading everything on the page but rather looking for specific
information. For example, if you are reading a menu and want to order a salad, rather than
read the complete list of dishes, you look for…
a. the menu. c. the salad section.
b. a wine list. d. a dinner course.
Part Three: Using Context
Put the two words into their correct positions in the paragraph below.
Canadian number
The Amish are a religious group. They live in twenty states and in the (1)
__________ province of Ontario. They (2) ____________ about 125,000, and about 75%
of them live in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
41
Part Four: Vocabulary in Context
It wasn’t the shrines or temples that left the greatest impression upon me during my
visit to Japan. It was an elegant shop selling fruit. I was window-shopping in the Ginza and
wandered into what I thought was a jewellery store. There was a tidy arrangement of display
cases, and the shop was almost silent. The six salesclerks, all wearing formal suits, looked at
me suspiciously. Then I noticed that all the cases were filled with fruit, not jewellery.
Find words in the story that mean Write the words here One word each Example: the feeling you have about something (noun) impression
1. moved slowly without a clear purpose (verb) ________________
2. neat and orderly (adj.) ________________
3. in a way that showed they thought I was going to do something wrong or
dishonest (adv.) ___________________
Part Five: Reading Skills
Which skill would you use if you found yourself in these situations?
Write either Skimming/ Scanning next to the answer.
You want to:
1. look at the table of contents in a text book to find where the page number of
the Answer Key is given. ______________
2. check the number of pages of your Graded Reader so you can fill in your
Extensive Reading Record. ______________
3. look at the front and back covers of a book so you can decide whether or not
you want to buy the book. ______________
Part Six: Vocabulary
Directions: In this part of the test, you will read 3 short definitions. You are to match the
definitions to the words on the right.
Questions 1 through 15, mark your answers on your answer sheet.
1. inside
2. not soft
3. extremely important
A. firm
B. initial
C. intellectual
D. internal
E. prime
F. vital
42
4. the condition of not having a job
5. a person who does office work, writes letters, etc. for
an employer
6. a building where alcoholic drinks can be bought and
drunk and where food is often available
A. description
B. opposition
C. pub
D. range
E. secretary
F. unemployment
7. a lot
8. a flat, usually round, dish, for food
9. a promise to do something or to act in a certain way
A. commitment
B. daughter
C. draft
D. plate
E. plenty
F. recovery
10. to fix something to something else
11. to give an example of something; draw a picture
12. to find or show the connection between two or more
things
A. attach
B. calculate
C. hang
D. illustrate
E. lean
F. relate
13. take over
14. to be or put something in a position that is not straight
15. to make a reasonable guess about the size or amount of
something
A. bend
B. burst
C. dare
D. delay
E. dominate
F. estimate
43
Unit 7: Guessing Word Meaning
Speed Reading 6: Willem Iskandar
Willem Iskandar was a famous writer from North Sumatra in Indonesia. He wrote poems
and school-books. He was interested in teaching and learning. He was one of the first Sumatran people like this.
Willem Iskandar was born in 1838. His father was the king of a part of Sumatra at that time. When he was a baby, his parents called him Sati. When the first school was opened in his village, Sati was one of the first children to enter it. His school was not a rich school. The building was very small and it had only one teacher. His teacher soon liked him because Sati was a very clever student.
Then Mr. Gouden, an important Dutchman in Sumatra, came to visit the school. He saw Sati. He was very interested in Sati because Sati was clever. After the visit he went to see Sati’s parents. He wanted Sati to live at his place. He wanted Sati to learn Dutch and other things together with his own children. Sati’s parents were very happy about it. So Sati lived with the Gouden family until he was clever enough to work in an office.
A few years later, when the Gouden family went back to Holland, they asked Sati to go with them. So in 1854 Sati left for Holland to study there. He was the first man from Sumatra to study in that country. The Dutch king heard a lot about Sati. So one day Sati went to see the king. He was the first man from Sumatra to visit the king. And when the king met him, he gave him a new name: Willem Iskandar. When his parents heard about this, they were not very happy. They did not want Sati to forget about his country. But this did not happen.
After studying for five years, Willem came back to his own village. He got some money to open a high school. This was the first high school in Sumatra. Willem was happy. He worked very hard as a teacher. He taught all the classes. At the same time he wrote books for his students. After some time, he asked the good students from the higher class to teach in the lower class. In this way he taught his students to become teachers. His students later became teachers in many different parts of Sumatra.
Willem Iskandar worked for about 15 years and then he was sent again by the Dutch to study in Holland. He met many people and made many friends. All his friends liked him. After some time he married one of his Dutch friends.
After three years the people in his village were very happy. Willem Iskandar passed his examinations and he was coming back soon. But he never did. Willem Iskandar was ready to go. He said good-bye to his friends. Then his wife suddenly did not want to go with him. She did not want to leave her country. Willem Iskandar was very sad. He loved his wife but he wanted to go to his own country. And then, one day, in one of the quiet corners of a beautiful flower garden in Amsterdam he shot himself. Near his body people found a piece of paper. It was from Willem. The word ‘Goodbye’ was written on it in Dutch.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
44
QUESTIONS: Willem Iskandar
1. Willem Iskandar wrote… (a) songs.
(b) school-books.
(c) long stories.
(d) many famous letters.
2. Sati’s family were… (a) quite rich.
(b) poor.
(c) not famous.
(d) farmers.
3. Mr. Gouden was interested in Sati
because Sati was… (a) from a good family.
(b) very friendly.
(c) strong.
(d) good at school-work.
4. Sati went to live with Mr. Gouden’s
family to… (a) work for them.
(b) learn many new things.
(c) get away from his parents.
(d) teach them his language.
5. Sati went to Holland to… (a) be with the Gouden family.
(b) study there.
(c) meet the Dutch king.
(d) start a school there.
6. Sati got his new name, Willem
Iskandar, from… (a) his parents.
(b) the Gouden family.
(c) the Dutch king.
(d) a book.
7. Willem’s parents were not happy
because… (a) they wanted him to come back to
Indonesia.
(b) they were very poor.
(c) they wanted to go to Holland.
(d) Willem met the Dutch king.
8. When Willem came back to Indonesia,
he… (a) studied very hard.
(b) started a high school.
(c) did not go back to his village.
(d) went to many different parts of Sumatra.
9. When Willem went back to Holland,
he… (a) made many enemies.
(b) did not pass his examinations.
(c) did not want to go back to Indonesia.
(d) married a Dutch girl.
10. Willem killed himself because… (a) his friends laughed at him.
(b) he did not pass his examinations.
(c) his wife did not want to go with him.
(d) he did not want to go home.
45
Vocabulary Building
Building a larger vocabulary means more than just learning new words. It means
learning to actually think about words. Usually, when you are reading in Japanese, and you
see a word you do not know, you do not use a dictionary to learn the meaning of the word,
but rather you use the words around it to guess the meaning. This is called guessing by
context and is one of the best and most natural ways to not only improve your vocabulary,
but also learn the correct usage of words.
Building a Better Vocabulary Using Context
Context is the sentence or sentences around a word. By looking at the context you can
learn a lot about the word. It can tell you if it is an adjective or a noun for example, and it can
give you some idea about what an unknown word might mean. By learning to guess by
context, you can read much faster, as you don’t have to keep stopping to look up unknown
words in a dictionary.
Exercise 1 Read the sentences below and by using context decide if the missing word (or words)
should be a verb, adjective, or noun.. If it is a verb think about which tense it should be
written in: past, present, future etc. Then choose the correct answer. After you have finished,
check your answers with a partner.
1. He phoned his friend to ________ the
time they were going to meet.
a. arrange
b. arrangement
c. arranging
d. arranged
2. My boyfriend is a very ________
person. He always has a funny story to
tell me.
a. interesting
b. interest
c. interested
d. interests
3. The secretary forgot ________ the
message to her boss.
a. delivers
b. to deliver
c. deliver
d. delivered
4. The snow was falling ________.
a. heavy
b. heavier
c. heaviest
d. heavily
5. The judge’s________ was final.
a. decisive
b. decided
c. decision
d. deciding
6. George is an ________ writer. He just
won a prize for one of his short
stories.
a. excellent
b. excel
c. terrible
d. terror
7. I am in a really good ________ today
because I won ten thousand yen at
pachinko this morning.
a. moody
b. mood
c. mooing
d. moodily
46
Exercise 2 When you are not sure what the meaning of a word is, use the words around it to try to
guess its meaning. One way to check if your guess is correct or not is to replace the unknown
word with another word that you think has a similar meaning (a synonym). If the sentence
makes sense, then your guess was probably right. Try doing this in the exercise below. First,
read the sentences and look at context to guess the meaning of the underlined words. When
you have done this, look at the four choices given and choose the word which has the closest
meaning to it.
1. I really adore chocolate. I have to eat at least two bars a day.
a. love
b. hate
c. sell
d. look at
2. He really is a bizarre man. Yesterday, he wore one pink sock and one red sock and a
purple spotted jumper. Then he sang Christmas songs loudly while jumping up and
down. I just didn’t know where to look. I had to think about something else to stop
myself from laughing out loud.
a. terrible
b. cool
c. wonderful
d. strange
3. The children were really naughty. First, they wouldn’t eat their food. Then they
started throwing it around the room, and finally they started fighting. I just didn’t
know what to do.
a. well behaved
b. good
c. funny
d. badly behaved
4. I am really exhausted today. I stayed up until four studying for the test. Then I
couldn’t get to sleep because my mind was hyperactive. By the time I finally slept, it
was already getting light, and to make matters worse, I set my alarm clock incorrectly
and it went off an hour early. I have no idea how I am going to get through the day.
a. happy
b. hungry
c. tired
d. sad
5. She is a really enthusiastic student. She always does her homework, never misses a
class, asks questions when she doesn’t understand something, and really tries to give
her opinion. I am definitely going to give her an A grade.
a. great
b. bad
c. lazy
d. alright
47
Guessing Unknown Words from the Context
Instructions: In the following exercises try to use the context to guess which word belongs
in which blank space. Think about if you need a noun, verb or adjective etc.
What is Football?
Task One
Sometimes 1)__________ can be a little confusing. If you talk about sports to someone
from Britain, they will use the word football to mean soccer. In 2)_________________ ,
football means American football. Also, the sport of rugby football is usually called rugby. It
is easy to understand how the word 3)‘_________’ came about from ‘foot’ and ‘ball’.
However, where did the word ‘soccer’ come from? The game’s full name is actually
‘Association Football’. The word association is often 4)_______________ to ‘assoc.’ and this
is where the word soccer comes from.
football language shortened The United States
Homework Task One
Instructions: In the following exercises try to use the context to guess which word belongs
in which blank space. Think about if you need a noun, verb or adjective etc.
A game like football was played in 1)____________China, and in Japan in the 7th
century, a similar game called kemari started. However, the 2)__________ as we know it
today was developed and spread around the world by the 3)____________. At the time the
British Empire was expanding, many British sailors, soldiers, and merchants were sent all
over the 4)____________. They took the game with them and introduced it to the local
5)__________.
world people ancient British game
Task Two
The English football 1)________________ was formed in1863 and its league started 20
years later. The first 2)________________ match was England against Scotland, which was
played in 1872. Many other sports as well were actually started in Britain or developed and
popularised by the British, such as soccer, cricket, squash, 3)______________, rugby, and
golf. However, most other countries have now become 4) ____________ than the British at
playing these games!! better association tennis international
Football is the most 5)____________ sport in Britain. During a 6)_____________ World
Cup, about 7)____________ the population watched television when England played their
big games. When England and Scotland games were on television in the
8)_______________, many office workers took very long ‘lunch breaks’ so they could watch
them. afternoon recent popular half
48
In England, football as an event and as a 9)_____________ has changed a lot in recent
years. In 1992 the 10)_______________ League started. Since then much larger amounts of
money have been invested in the game. Most has come from satellite television, which pays
to show the games live. The Premier League is now the 11)_______________ football league
in the world. The 12)____________ footballers are paid big salaries and many top players
from 13)____________ have joined British 14)_________________. In fact, sometimes a
team from England will have 15)_____________ Englishmen in the team!
teams Premier abroad no business richest star
Task Three Instructions: In this exercise, you have to try to think of the words to write in the spaces
yourself. First, read the whole passage carefully. Then, try to think if you need a noun, verb
or adjective etc. When you have finished, please compare your work with a partner.
Some changes to football however, are a result of changes to society. Traditionally,
1)______________ was a working class male sport. Hundreds of thousands of
2)_____________ would go to see games on Saturday afternoons after finishing work for the
week. In those days, a five and a half day working week was 3)________________.
However, during the 1960s, most companies changed to a five-day working week, and
salaries became higher. As a result, men had more time off at the weekends and more
4)____________ to spend. Therefore, some of them started to find other leisure activities to
take part in apart from football. As a result, the 5)________________ of people going to
watch the games decreased.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the 6)___________ faced other big problems. Hooliganism was
very common in the 70’s. There was often fighting between rival 7)__________, both in and
outside of the stadium. This was another reason the number of people going to watch games
went down. Men especially, were unwilling to take their children or 8) ____________. It just
became too 9)____________. In the 80’s three major disasters happened. In the north of
England one old, wooden stadium caught fire during a game and over 50 spectators were
killed. Then in Belgium, English fans rioted which caused over 30 Italian fans to die. Then 96
fans were crushed to death behind fences in a stadium in England.
As a 10)_________ of these problems, stadiums have been modernized and are now
seating room only. They used to be mainly standing only areas but these were thought to be
unsafe. Also, recently several very popular 11)_____________ about football have been
written, movies have been made, and many famous personalities are now connected to teams.
This has resulted in a large amount of 12)_____________ being put into the sport by
sponsors, especially by satellite television stations. This has meant that the top teams can
attract the best players in the world. For all of these reasons, football has become
13)___________ again, so games at the most famous clubs are usually sold out even though
the tickets are very 14)________________.
Football is a game for everyone. You don’t have to be tall, strong or rich to play it. It is a
cheap game that can be played in any small space, even without a ball! Poor communities
play with rolled-up newspapers. This is why football is a truly international sport. It is
continually becoming more popular throughout the world. With the help of money from big
companies, the future looks 15)___________ for the sport and business of football.
49
Unit 8: Looking For the Topic
Speed Reading 7: A Javanese Wedding
When a Javanese boy and a Javanese girl in the middle of Java get married, they have
many things to do. These things are different from one place to another in Java but they are
not very different. A week before the wedding-day the girl cannot go out. Every day during this week an
old woman rubs oil on her body. This oil has a nice smell. The girl’s skin becomes beautiful and smells sweet. While the old woman is doing this, she also talks to the girl. She teaches her to be a good wife.
On the day before the wedding, the girl has a good bath. She sits on some coloured pieces of cloth in the bathroom. All the older women in her family take some water out of a very big jug, and pour it on her. The water is mixed with flowers. When everybody has poured some water on her, the last woman (usually an important woman in that place) throws the jug on the floor. The jug breaks. After that the young girls run to get one of the pieces of cloth to keep. If they get a piece of cloth, they will soon find a husband. After the bath the girl stays in her room. People paint her face and comb her hair. From this time she cannot look at herself in the mirror until after the wedding.
While the girl is doing all this, other people are busy. They put up things so that the house looks more beautiful. They put two banana trees, some bananas, and some young coconuts on both sides of the front door. The meaning is this. The new husband and wife will always live together and be good to one another.
On the wedding-day the girl wears a beautiful piece of cloth. The top of her body is covered with a bright piece of cloth. The most important part of the wedding, the meeting of the boy and the girl, is usually in the evening. The boy wears the same cloth as the girl’s. He wears a black hat on his head. When the boy arrives at the girl’s house, the girl is led by two old women into the living-room. The boy is led by two old men and is followed by his family. He walks towards the girl. When the boy is about three meters from the girl, both the girl and the boy throw some leaves at one another. When they meet, the boy steps on an egg and the girl washes and dries his foot. It has this meaning. The girl will follow her husband as long as she lives. Both the boy and the girl now go into the bedroom and here the boy gives the girl his presents. When this is done, they both go into the living-room again. They then sit on the knees of the girl’s father. The girl’s mother then asks, ‘Who is heavier?’ The father answers, ‘They both weigh the same.’ The meaning is this: the girl’s parents will take the boy as their own son. Then they sit side by side on a beautiful chair, looking at the floor. Beautiful girls in beautiful clothes are busy. They give food and drink to guests.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
50
QUESTIONS: A Javanese Wedding
1. A Javanese girl cannot go out of her house ____ before her wedding.
(a) one day
(b) three days
(c) one week
(d) two weeks
2. A few days before her wedding the girl…
(a) cleans her husband’s feet.
(b) gets oil on her body.
(c) visits all her friends.
(d) meets her new husband’s family.
3. On the day before the wedding the girl has a bath and…
(a) many people are there.
(b) she washes in oil.
(c) she breaks a jug.
(d) she pours sweet water on herself.
4. When a young girl gets one of the pieces of cloth from the bathroom, she will…
(a) live a long time.
(b) always be rich.
(c) always be happy.
(d) soon find a husband.
5. After the girl’s face is painted, she cannot…
(a) talk.
(b) stay in the house.
(c) look in a mirror.
(d) go into her room.
6. The meaning of the banana trees and coconuts on the house is that the two people…
(a) will have many children.
(b) will always live together.
(c) will live for a long time,
(d) will always be rich.
7. The most important part of the wedding is usually…
(a) in the morning.
(b) at midday.
(c) in the afternoon.
(d) in the evening.
8. A Javanese wedding…
(a) is very short.
(b) has many parts.
(c) is quite cheap.
(d) does not look beautiful.
9. The boy gives the girl his presents…
(a) outside the house.
(b) in the living-room.
(c) in front of the guests.
(d) in the bedroom.
10. While the guests are given food and drink the boy and the girl…
(a) sit quietly.
(b) leave the room.
(c) open their presents.
(d) talk to the guests.
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Thinking Skills – Topic: Directions
1. Peter: Do you know where the nearest post office is?
Carol: Yes, it is just down the street on your right next to Mizuho Bank.
Peter:…
a. You are welcome. c. That was kind of you.
b. Thank you. d. Do you really know where it is?
2. When giving directions it is important to use transition signals. For example, you
should use first, after that, next, and finally. This is because it makes it easier for the listener
to be able to remember. If you don’t use them then the listener might…
a. get there too quickly. c. remember the way.
b. become confused. d. stop listening.
3. In many American cities it is relatively simple to give directions. That is because
many of the cities are in grids (square blocks). This makes it very easy to explain how to get
somewhere, as you can just say walk two blocks and turn right. However, in Japan giving
directions is much more difficult. Many of the streets are small and winding (go around) with
many other roads going off them. For this reason many Japanese if they want to give
directions…
a. never visit anyone’s house. c. phone to say they are coming before going to someone’s house.
b. never go out. d. draw maps instead of trying to explain.
4. I have a terrible sense of direction. I get lost everywhere. Even in my hometown
where I have lived all my life. You know I am so bad that if I am walking down a street and
go into a shop, when I come out again I often…
a. go into the shop next to it as well. c. cross the road to see what is on the other side.
b. have no idea which city I am in. d. walk back the way I have just come by mistake.
5. The most frightening experience I ever had was when I got lost in Egypt. It was in the
evening, and I left the hotel to meet some friends in a nearby restaurant. I took a wrong turn
and as the streets were small and unlit, I couldn’t find my way back. After an hour of walking
I was just starting to get worried when luckily…
a. I found some money on the floor. c. I bumped into (met) my friends who had come out
looking for me.
b. I found a road with lights on it. d. I saw another hotel better than mine.
Discussion Questions – ask your partner
1. Do you have a good or bad sense of direction? (Good = never get lost. Bad =
always get lost)
2. Have you ever got lost? What happened?
3. Are you good at giving directions?
4. Ask your partner to give you directions to somewhere near here. For example,
ask her how to get to your favorite restaurant.
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Guessing Words From Context
Exercise 1
In this exercise guess the word’s meaning from the context. Write the meaning in the box.
1. She has no confidence at all and is very shy and indecisive. Even when shopping
for clothes she can never decide on which item of clothing to buy without the
approval of her friends.
What does the word approval mean?
2. After the earthquake a huge crack appeared in the wall of the house. It was so
long that it went from the top of the wall down to the bottom, and it was so wide
that you could put your finger inside it.
What does the word crack mean?
3. The student refused to believe that he had been absent from class so many times
until the teacher showed him the class register. It was only then that he realized
that he had missed six classes and was in danger of failing.
What does the word register mean?
4. After noticing that the student had been absent 6 times from class, the teacher
gave the student a warning. He told the student that it was crucial she came to
every lesson from now on, and that if she didn’t then there was a good chance
that she would fail the course and be forced to do it again the next year.
What does the word crucial mean?
5. TV announcer’s voice “Previously on the TV program, Prison Break, it ended
with the hero once again just about to escape from prison. Watch the next episode
to see what happens. ”
What does the word previously mean?
6. My brother has become very secretive recently. He has put a big “no entry” sign
on his bedroom door and has told me that I must never go into his room.
What does the word entry mean?
Exercise 2
In this exercise think of a word (it doesn’t have to be very difficult) then write one or two
sentences leaving a blank for where the word should go. Then show the sentences to your
partner and see if they can guess what the word is. Do this with three different words.
For example:
My brother has got a new____________. Her name is Keiko, and she is really pretty. She
works for the United Nations. I think she must be very smart.
What’s the word?
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Learning to Look for the Topic and the Main Idea
A topic is a word or phrase that tells the reader what the book or reading passage is
about. If you saw a friend of yours reading a book you might ask them what it was about.
You do not want to know the whole story, but rather you just want to know the topic and the
main idea. For example, they might say, “It’s about a love story between two people who
can never be together.” The topic is that it is a love story, while the main idea gives you
more information about the topic. That is, the main idea tells you what kind of love story it
is, which in this case tells you that it is a story about forbidden love. Knowing the topic and
the main idea is the key to understanding what you read. A good reader always asks, “What is
the topic? What is this about?” In this course you will be taught to learn to always look for
the topic as soon as you start reading something.
Exercise 3: Pair work
1. Think of a movie.
2. Don’t tell your partner the title of it, but instead tell them the main
idea of the story in just a few sentences. When your partner guesses
the correct movie change roles and let them think of one. Do this
three times.
For Example:
Person A: It is a tragic love story between a poor man and a rich woman on a ship that sinks.
Person B; I know it, I know it. It’s the Titanic.
Person A: Yes, that’s right. Now you do one.
Finding the Correct Topic
Many words can be grouped together under one heading or topic. For example:
Pets
All the living things in the oval above are often kept as pets. This is the best topic to
describe them. While some of them can live in the wild the one thing they all have in
common is that they are often kept as pets. Therefore, Pets is the best topic for them.
Exercise 4
One word in the group of words below is the topic for all the other words. Find it and write it
in the box below.
1. Monday Friday Sunday days of the week Thursday Tuesday
2. England Ireland European countries Spain Germany Austria
3. lions tigers leopards panthers big cats jaguars
Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Hamsters,
Mice, Ferrets, Goldfish, Parrots
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4. Indian French Japanese nationalities American Australian
5. woolly hats gloves winter clothes coats scarves thick socks
Homework
Exercise 1
In the next exercise work with a partner and together decide what the topic is for each
group of words. Please write your answers in the boxes below.
1. sunny cloudy rainy fine humid snow
2. ear-rings necklaces rings bracelets anklets toe-rings
3. trains buses taxis airplanes subways bicycles
4. televisions CD players mobile phones computers printers DVD players
5 carrots potatoes peas cabbage lettuce spinach
Exercise 2
What is the topic for these groups of words? Please write your answers in the boxes below.
1. eyes nose chin mouth eyebrows lips
2. pencils pens eraser pencil sharpener ruler white-out
3. turkey chicken duck pheasant goose pigeon
4. Labrador German Shepherd Bulldog Poodle Irish Setter Beagle
5. police officer fire fighter nurse librarian teacher dustman
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Exercise 3
Write the topic for the groups of words below. Also, find a word that doesn’t belong and
cross it out.
1. football tennis running hockey rugby baseball
2. table chair bed sofa ladder desk
3. interesting lazy friendly kind funny cheerful
4. book magazine television newspaper menu letter
5. ducks seahorses shellfish dolphins sharks whales
6. orange juice vodka whiskey brandy rum gin
7. oranges tomatoes bananas strawberries potatoes grapes
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Thinking Skills – Topic: Food & Health 1. When people think of food that comes from Japan most people think only of sushi. In
fact, many people think that this is the only food that the Japanese eat every day. They would
perhaps be surprised to know that many delicious and very different dishes also come from
Japan. For example, some great traditional Japanese dishes are tempura, shabushabu, tako
yaki, yaki tori and nabe. When my mother came to Japan she was…
a. surprised and delighted by the huge variety
of food on offer.
c. couldn’t eat anything apart from McDonald’s.
b. couldn’t find anything to eat apart from
sushi.
d. had to bring all her own food over from England, as
there is no food in Japan.
2. Ice cream is very popular in Japan especially amongst Japanese girls. One student told
me that in summer she ate ice cream everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Considering
all the calories she must have been eating every day she was still very …
a. Slim. c. obese.
b. fat. d. unhealthy.
3. Most people outside of England believe that English food is not very tasty. Even people
who have never been there or who have never even sampled English food think this. This
stereotype may have started for two reasons. First, compared to French food, with its rich and
delicious sauces, English food traditionally was mainly the food of labourers. Therefore, it
was usually simple and filling. It is good, but just in a plain kind of way. Secondly, English
cooking, until very recently, was only ever eaten at home. If people ate out they wanted to try
other kinds of food. Therefore, there were hardly any actual English restaurants, so foreigners
just never got a chance to sample the delights of English cooking. In the last few years, this
has changed, and in the United Kingdom many traditional English food restaurants and pubs
serving English food have opened. If you get a chance to go to England I recommend you try
Toad-in-the-Hole, Shepherd’s Pie, a Ploughman’s Lunch, Scotch Eggs, or a Cornish Pasty,
rather than just opting for fish and chips. I believe that you will be pleasantly…
a. sick. c. disgusted.
b. hungry after you have finished. d. surprised.
4. Did you know that most Japanese women, while looking very slim compared to
American women, are often actually obese (overweight). A healthy woman’s BMI (fat ratio
found by looking at weight and height) should be between 18.5 and 25. Anything over this is
considered to be obese. The average Japanese woman’s BMI is 26. This means that while
many Japanese women may look slim, because they have no muscle tone they are actually…
a. technically slender. c. always exercising.
b. technically obese. d. super healthy.
5. England is now considered to be the fattest nation in Europe. It has got so bad that
clothes manufacturers have changed the sizes of clothes to make women feel better about
their bodies. For example: an old size ten is now called a size eight. This means that when
British women go shopping, even though the mirror tells them that they are bigger, they can
ignore it because the clothes they buy …
a. are a size bigger. c. don’t fit them anymore.
b. look better on them than before. d. are still the same size.
57
Unit 9: Synonyms and Reading Comprehension
Speed Reading 8: Buddhism
Buddhism comes from the word Buddha. Buddha was a person. He lived more than two
thousand five hundred years ago in India. His family was rich. He lived in a beautiful house
with many servants. One day when he went out of his house, he saw many poor and unhappy
people. He looked at them. He asked himself these questions, ‘Why are people so unhappy?
How can people be happy?’ When he was twenty nine years old, he left his family and his
beautiful home. He went out into the world to find the answers. He tried many ways. He
studied with teachers but they did not answer his questions. After this he tried another way.
He lived in the forest. He hurt his body. He did not eat for many days. He tried to get away
from his body. But this did not give him the answers to his questions. Then he sat down under
a tree and he thought. He sat for forty-nine days. After this time he learned something from
himself. He became the Buddha. His questions were answered. People are unhappy because
they want things. They are always looking for food, money and other things. When a man
does not want things, then he will be happy. When a person does not want things, he is free.
He does not think about himself. He does not think about tomorrow. He is kind to others. Buddha died when he was eighty years old. During his life he travelled to many places.
He taught many people. He had many students. A follower of Buddha is called a Buddhist. Some Buddhists become monks. Monks do not work. They do not have money. They are given their food by other people. They wear a long yellow piece of cloth. They cut off their hair. They usually do not wear anything on their feet. They pray and think. Early in the morning, the monk walks along the street. He carries a bowl. People stop him and give him food. He cannot ask for food. A monk’s life is not easy. He tries to get away from the world. He tries to follow the teachings of Buddha
In Thailand any man can be a monk. Many people become monks for a short time, usually three months. This happens during the wet season in Thailand. This time as a monk is very important for Thai men. They do not live with their family then. They go to live and study in a monk’s house. After three months they go back to their own life. Some are monks for a longer time. They study the teachings of Buddha. These are his teachings. Life is not happy. It is like this because people always want things. When people do not want things, they will be happy. You can learn to do this when you study Buddha’s teachings. Buddha’s teachings were not written down until two or three hundred years after he died. Before this people just remembered them and told them to others.
There is more than one kind of Buddhism. All Buddhists follow the teachings of Buddha but they are not always the same. Buddhism in Japan is a little different from Thai Buddhism. People understand the teachings of Buddha in different ways.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
58
QUESTIONS: Buddhism
1. Buddha lived…
(a) five hundred years ago.
(b) one thousand years ago.
(c) two thousand years ago.
(d) more than two thousand years ago.
2. When he was a child, Buddha was…
(a) very poor.
(b) rich.
(c) happy.
(d) very ill.
3. Buddha left his house because…
(a) he did not like his parents.
(b) he wanted answers for his questions.
(c) he wanted to travel.
(d) he wanted to meet people.
4. After Buddha left home, he first…
(a) went to Thailand.
(b) lived in the forest.
(c) studied with teachers.
(d) sat and thought.
5. Buddha did not eat and he hurt himself because…
(a) he wanted to die.
(b) he was very unhappy.
(c) he wanted to learn something.
(d) he was angry at himself.
6. Buddha learned this; Man is unhappy because…
(a) he wants things.
(b) he is poor.
(c) he does not believe in God.
(d) he does not think about tomorrow.
7. A Buddhist monk…
(a) works.
(b) asks for his food.
(c) has long hair.
(d) does not have money.
8. The clothes of the monk are…
(a) gray.
(b) white.
(c) yellow.
(d) many colors.
9. In Thailand most men become monks for…
(a) one month.
(b) three months.
(c) a year.
(d) two years.
10. We still know Buddha’s teachings because…
(a) people always told them to each other.
(b) Buddha wrote them in three books.
(c) They were written in stone before Buddha died.
(d) Buddha still teaches them.
Synonyms
Exercise 1
Synonyms can be very general or very specific. Number the following synonyms with 1 for
most specific to 3 for most general.
For Example:
59
3 1 2
Colleges Meiji Gakuin
University
Japanese colleges
1. big cats animals tigers
2. vehicles Toyota cars
3. transportation The Yamanote Line train
4. fish and chips English food food
5. movies The Titanic American movies
6. Aoyama Dori Tokyo Aoyama
7. navy colour blue
8. chocolate sweets Hershey’s kisses
9. alcohol spirits Vodka
10. Pringles snacks potato chips
Exercise 2
Work with a partner and try to think of two synonyms for each word below (you can use a
phrase if you want). When you have finished compare them with another pairs. Did you think
of the same synonyms or different ones? Which ones are more specific or more general?
Discuss this with your partners.
1. goldfish
2. London
3. Meiji Gakuin University
4. coffee
5. scarves
6. Harry Potter
7. poodles
8. Hiroko
9. living room
10. tennis
60
Person A Exercise 3: Synonyms Crossword Puzzle
Work with a partner.
• First, read all the words in your crossword puzzle and check you understand them (if
you don’t please look them up in your dictionary).
• Second, ask your partner for synonyms of the missing words in your crossword
puzzle. For Example: ask “What is one across?”
1.
“What is four down?”
When your partner asks you please answer your partner’s questions. For Example: say “four
down is a word which means I, he, she, they, them. Keep thinking of different synonyms or
explanations until your partner guesses the word. (The correct answer to four down is of
course = pronoun). When your partner guesses the correct word she should write it in the
crossword and then continue until the crossword puzzle is complete.
Useful expressions “How do you spell that?’
“What letter does it start with?”
4.
P
R
O
N
O
U
N
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Person B Exercise 3: Synonyms Crossword puzzle
Work with a partner.
• First, read all the words in your crossword puzzle and check you understand them (if
you don’t please look them up in your dictionary).
• Second, ask your partner for synonyms of the missing words in your crossword
puzzle. For Example: ask “What is one across?”
1.
“What is four down?”
When your partner asks you please answer your partner’s questions. For Example: say “four
down is a word which means I, he, she, they, them. Keep thinking of different synonyms or
explanations until your partner guesses the word. (The correct answer to four down is of
course = pronoun). When your partner guesses the correct word she should write it in the
crossword and then continue until the crossword puzzle is complete.
Useful expressions “How do you spell that?’
“What letter does it start with?”
4.
P
R
O
N
O
U
N
62
Reading Comprehension (Adapted from a student’s speech for the Aoyama Speech Contest 2004)
How Do We Kill Cinderella?
¶1 Have you ever dreamed of being Cinderella? I have, and perhaps many other girls have,
too. But Cinderella, and other similar fairy stories always end when the girl gets married and
lives ‘happily ever after’. They suggest that a woman’s final goal is to get married, and that
only through that, through a man, can a woman gain happiness. After she is married the story
ends. She has nothing more to achieve. And so, there is nothing more to be said. The reality is
very different. The story doesn’t end after marriage. In fact, a new one begins. In Japan, the
new story is not quite as romantic as the stories lead us to believe. Women might gain a
husband, a family and security, but they lose a lot as well. They lose their right to have
fulfilling careers, or to be someone other than just a wife, mother, cleaner and cook.
Unfortunately, Cinderella forgets to tell us about what will happen afterwards. Therefore,
although these stories were written hundreds of years ago, when most societies were ruled by
men, they remain today, as a blot (dark spot) on women’s self image as independent
individuals, encouraging them to believe in a dream without an ending.
¶2 Nowadays, Japanese women are supposed to be equal under the law to men. However,
the reality is very different. Not only in the office, where women still get lower status and
pay, but also throughout all of society people are bombarded with traditional images of men
and women. Through the media, books, movies, magazines and advertisements men and
women are treated as different. Women up to their early 20s are portrayed as pretty, cute and
shy doing their little, but unimportant, career jobs. They are seen as being at the peak of their
beauty, and during this time, their real career aim is seen as working towards capturing a
man, so that they can stop working and stay at home. Women in their late 20s and over are
portrayed as wives and mothers, cooking and doing housework, like the post war Sazae san.
There is no in-between for women. They can only be one thing or the other, career girl or
wife. Modern women are beginning to question this ideal. They have realized that by
marrying they end up just becoming a man’s cook and cleaner, making life easier for him, but
not for themselves
¶3 Women who try to change this, and who want more, have been labelled by the media
as ‘make inu, which is basically translated as ‘losers’, and suggests that women over 30 who
are not married have lost all hope. Some of these women are happy and don’t want to get
married, other women do want to get married but want to have lives separate from just being
wives and mothers. Why can they not have both? When they try, why does the media have to
give them another negative label, which suggests they are either selfish, only thinking about
themselves, or else someone to feel sorry for because they didn’t achieve their Cinderella
goal? How do we free society from the fetters (chains) of gender? How do we change the
media’s negative image towards women who do not want more than men, but just want to be
treated the same as men? I do not know the answer to my questions, but there must be a way.
This is because until we find it, women who want to be different will continue to be treated
unfairly and looked down on because they aren’t married. Moreover, the story of Cinderella
will continue to be viewed as a role model instead of a sweet but old-fashioned fairy tale, so
let’s think of ways to kill Cinderella and all that she entails (represents) so that one day soon
all women will be free to be whom they want to be, once and for all.
(654 words)
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Comprehension Questions
1. What is the main idea of this student’s speech?
a. The writer thinks that stories like Cinderella give women the correct view of
marriage.
b. The writer thinks that stories like Cinderella are dangerous as they give
women an idealized view towards marriage.
c. The writer likes fairy stories.
2. The writer believes that
a. women should only be wives and mothers.
b. women should only have careers and not get married.
c. women should be allowed to have both careers and families.
3. The writer thinks that fairy tales imply that
a. only through men can women find happiness.
b. only through children can women find happiness.
c. only through reading fairy stories can women find happiness.
4. According to the writer, women up to their early twenties in Japan are shown through
the media as being…
a. beautiful but with no career opportunities.
b. cute and pretty doing little career jobs.
c. cute and pretty working their way towards a lifelong career.
5. According to the writer, women in their late twenties in Japan are shown by the
media as…
a. being wives and mothers, as well as having a successful career
b. being perfect wives and mothers, staying home and doing all the housework.
c. Neither of the above.
6. What does 'this ideal' in Paragraph 2 refer to?
a. Women in their early 20's are at the peak of their beauty.
b. Women in their late 20's are wives and mothers.
c. Women can only be either a career girl or a wife.
7. The writer thinks that many women are beginning to change their Cinderella view
towards marriage as the perfect life, and are beginning to see it instead as…
a. the end of their career opportunities.
b. the start of becoming a 24 hour a day servant with no holidays
c. both of the above.
8. What does the word ‘make inu’ imply?
a. Women who are thirty and not married are dogs.
b. Women who are thirty and not married are either selfish or an object of pity.
c. Women who are thirty and not married are selfish, as they prefer buying a dog
to getting married.
9. The writer thinks that recently, many women want…
a. more opportunities than men.
b. the same opportunities as men.
c. fewer opportunities than men.
10. The writer thinks that many Japanese women still see the story of Cinderella as…
a. an old-fashioned but sweet story.
b. a role model for women who want to follow her example and get married to
the perfect man.
c. a role model for women who want to have a successful career.
64
Homework
Exercise 1: Match the synonyms
1. tea a. dessert
2. banana b. desert
3. turnip c. car
4. cake d. an Asian country
5. Nissan e. vegetable
6. Sahara f. beverage
7. Algeria g. fruit
8. 2000 BC h. stunning
9. Japan i. a North African Country
10. beautiful j. a very long time ago
Exercise 2: Match the synonyms
1. hungry a. mean
2. unkind b. irritating
3. stingy c. bubbly
4. bright d. starving
5. cheerful e. humorous
6. smart f. mean
7. annoying g. clever
8. slim h. clever
9. funny i. exhausted
10. tired j. slender
Exercise 3: This time match the antonyms (words with opposite meanings)
1. hungry a. fresh
2. unkind b. full
3. stingy c. stupid
4. bright d. kind
5. cheerful e. humorless
6. smart f. stupid
7. annoying g. generous
8. slim h. overweight
9. funny i. gloomy
10. tired j. agreeable
65
Unit 10: What is a Paragraph
Speed Reading 9: The English Language
The story of the English language is a story of change. The old English language, or Old
English, is different from Modern English. If we do not study Old English, we cannot
understand it. Some of the words are the same but many are not used now. The story of the
English language begins some time after the year A.D. 400. At this time some people came to
England from North-West Europe. There were many groups of people. They were called
Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Their language, Old English, is like some of the modem languages
of North-West Europe. In Old English the ends of words were very important. These endings
had many meanings. They showed past time and present time and many other things. In
Modern English most of these endings are gone. This is the biggest difference between old
and modern English. When the church became important in England, Old English became a written language.
Before this, writing was not very important. Only a few people wrote English. Latin, the old language of Italy, was used in the church. Because of this many Latin words became a part of the English language. The word school came from the Latin language. At that time most schools were a part of the church. In the year 1066 soldiers from France attacked England. French became the language of England. English was not usually used for writing books or songs. For about two hundred years French was the most important language. Most of the poor people did not learn French. They still used English. English slowly became more important again. Many of the schools began to use English and not French, but English took many French words. Very often there were two words for one thing, a French word and English word. In Modern English, ask and demand have almost the same meaning. Ask comes from Old English and demand comes from French. English has many words like this. The English language between 1066 and 1500 is called Middle English. Some time after 1500 we have the beginning of Modern English. At this time many books were made and so the spelling of English did not change very much. There were many new schools. English sailors went to many countries of the world. Words from their languages became a part of English. Latin was still an important language in England but English was becoming more and more useful. Many good books were written in English. Writers, like Shakespeare, used the language in many beautiful ways. All the time many new words were borrowed from other languages. Many of the old words were changed. Sometimes their meaning was changed, sometimes their spelling was changed. About 1750 many books were written about the English language. These books showed the correct language. Because of them the spoken language became different from the written language. When people wrote, they were very careful. When they spoke, they were not careful. The written language was like the Latin language. It used very long words and sentences. After 1800 the written language became like the spoken language. Sentences were shorter and people used easier words. It is like this today. The English language is still changing. When a language does not change, it is useless and dead.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start
answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
66
QUESTIONS: The English Language
1. Old English and Modern English…
(a) are almost the same.
(b) are a little different from each other.
(c) are like two different languages.
(d) use the same endings.
2. In Old English, the ends of words…
(a) were not spoken.
(b) came from the French language.
(c) were not very important.
(d) had many meanings.
3. Before the church was important in England, Old English…
(a) was not written.
(b) was not used very much.
(c) was like a foreign language.
(d) was the language of the church.
4. Many Latin words became a part of the English language, because…
(a) Latin was used in the church.
(b) there were many soldiers from Italy.
(c) Italy attacked England.
(d) many English people went to Italy.
5. After 1066, the most important language in England was…
(a) English.
(b) French.
(c) Latin.
(d) German.
6. Many of the French words in English…
(a) are not used in the modern English language.
(b) are only used in the spoken language.
(c) are only used in the written language.
(d) have almost the same meaning as some other English words.
7. When the French were in England, the French language…
(a) was spoken by everybody.
(b) was not very important.
(c) was not spoken by the poor people.
(d) was not used in the schools.
8. After the year 1500 many new words entered the English language, because…
(a) many foreign people came to England.
(b) the Latin language was not important any more.
(c) English sailors went to many parts of the world.
(d) English was the school language.
9. The spelling of English did not change very much after…
(a) English was used in schools.
(b) many books were printed.
(c) the French people came to England.
(d) some of the old words were changed.
10. Because many books were written about correct English,…
(a) people spoke much better.
(b) writing and speaking became very different.
(c) many new words entered English.
(d) people were afraid to write English.
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Thinking Skills – Topic: Speeches
1. When you think about what topic to talk about for a speech it is better to choose
something that you are interested in. There are two reasons for this. First, if you are not
interested in the topic then it will be harder for you to make your audience interested in it.
Second, as you will have to spend time researching the topic it will be more interesting for
you if you choose something you care about. For these, two reasons you should…
2. When you have chosen your topic try to make it as interesting as possible otherwise the
audience might stop listening. To do this you might want to use handouts or show pictures.
People are often more interested if they…
a. don’t have to listen at all. c. can just watch and not listen.
b. can see something as well as hear it. d. don’t have to listen to the speech.
3. Remember to target your audience. This means you should really think about whom you
are speaking to and make sure that your language and speed is the right level and tone for
them. For example, if they are non-native speakers of English, then speak slowly and clearly
and don’t choose vocabulary that is too difficult for them. One of the main points of giving a
good speech is that your audience understands it. Even if you are word perfect, if no one
understands a word you are talking about then…
a. it is a brilliant speech. c. it is good practice. .
b. it was worth making it. d. it is not a good speech.
4. I get really nervous when making a speech. My old English teacher tried to find a way
to help me. He told me that just before I start talking I should stand for a moment, look at the
audience, and imagine that they are all naked. He said this would help me to feel more
relaxed. I did what he said and the next time I had to give a speech in public I paused, looked
at all my friends in the audience and imagined them with no clothes on. It worked as I didn’t
feel nervous anymore. However, it worked too well as imagining a room full of undressed
people was so funny it made me…
a. more nervous than before. c. get undressed too.
b. laugh out loud, and so I couldn’t give my speech. d. give a great serious speech.
a. just choose any old topic. c. try never to give a speech..
b. spend time to choose the best topic for you. . d. greet the audience before you start.
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Understanding Paragraphs
A paragraph is made up of a group of sentences. Each sentence in a paragraph is about
the same topic. Learning to quickly find the topic and then the main idea will help you to
more easily understand the paragraph.
Exercise 1
In the paragraph are seven irrelevant sentences, which are not related to the topic. Please find
them and cross them out.
Once upon a time there was a small teddy bear called Bumble. He was called Bumble
because that was the noise he made as his owner, a little girl called Camilla, pulled him down
the stairs by his arm; bump, bump, bump. Camilla had a lovely bright blue coat. She wore it
every day. Bumble was Camilla’s favourite toy, and she took him everywhere with her. In
fact, she couldn’t sleep unless he was beside her in bed at night. Teddy bears are popular all
over the world. This should have made the other toys very jealous, but Bumble was such a
sweet bear with the cutest little face and lovely, curly, soft, brown fur that one couldn’t help
but smile when one saw him. He also had the nicest personality of any toy in the toy
cupboard. As Camilla grew up, she needed Bumble less, as she turned from toys to boys, to
fashion, and make-up. Yet, she never totally forgot about him. Once her mother tried to throw
him away as he looked so old and tatty, but Camilla rescued him from the dustbin and
carefully washed the rubbish off him. Her mother was a teacher. Teachers make good
mothers as they are used to being around children. When Camilla got married and had a child
of her own, she carefully placed Bumble beside her newborn daughter, Kate. The name Kate
is often a shortened version of the name Katherine. Kate saw him, smiled and curled her tiny
hand around him, and from that moment on refused to be separated from him. Children learn
to walk at about the age of one. As Kate began to walk Camilla heard a familiar sound; bump,
bump, bump, as Kate came down the stairs pulling Bumble behind her. She looked at Kate,
remembered her own childhood and smiled, and just for a second she could have sworn that
Bumble smiled back too.
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Exercise 2
Put the paragraph in the correct order and write the answer in the box next to the numbers.
1. a. Unless students of Japanese learn all of these writing systems it is
very hard for them to truly master Japanese. 2. b. For example, in English you might say “I am going shopping.” But,
in Japanese you would say “I am shopping going.”
3. c. The third reason why Japanese is difficult for native English
speakers is because in Japanese often the subject, and sometimes
even the object, are not used if the listener knows the subject and/or
object of the sentence. 4. d. This means in English you have to listen until the end of the
sentence to find out where the person is going while in Japanese you
have to wait until the end of the sentence to find out what happened
about the shopping trip. 5. e. The first and main reason for this is perhaps the writing system. 6. f. For example, a Japanese person might just say “shopping going”.
The native English speaker, who is not used to this form of
speaking, has to guess who is going shopping, The speaker? The
speaker together with someone else? Someone else?
7. g. Japanese uses four different types of writing; Chinese characters,
hiragana, katakana, and also sometimes the Latin alphabet. 8. h. That is to say if the person has been shopping or is going to go
shopping. 9. i. The second reason is that Japanese grammar is back-to-front
compared to English grammar, so the thinking process is very
different. 10. j. Japanese is a difficult language to learn for native English speakers.
11. k. In short, for these three reasons I believe that Japanese is a very
difficult language to learn.
Homework Exercise 1
A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning to another. It is used to make writing richer
and more varied. For example, Instead of just using animal the writer might use creature,
mammal, living thing, being etc.
How many synonyms can you think of for the adjectives (words) below? Do not use a
dictionary. Write down as many as you can think of (try to think of at least six for each word.
You can work with a friend if you want to).
Beautiful Intelligent Warm
Cold
attractive smart hot chilly
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Exercise 2
Read and answer the following questions.
Summary of a Book
This book is about the life story of a beautiful horse called Black Beauty. It was set in
England in the 19th century, at a time when horses were still the main form of transportation.
He was born on a farm and lived there until he was four, when he was then sold to a rich
household as a ladies riding horse. As he got older and lost his looks, he was sold again and
again. Each time he was sold to a lower class family, and each time he was expected to work
harder and harder until he nearly died. Sometimes he was treated well, and at other times
really badly. At the end of the story the then grown-up stable boy of his former owner saved
him, and the book had a happy ending.
Opinion of a Book
I liked this book very much and so can completely recommend it to other students. While
it is a story about the cruelty many show towards animals, it can also be applied to people.
Throughout life, people are often in good or bad situations. They meet good people and bad
people. However, Black Beauty always tried to remember who he was. Even when people
treated him badly, he still tried to treat them well and to do his best at all times.
Questions
1. What kind of animal is the story about?
a. A dog
b. A horse
c. A monkey
2. At what time period is the story set?
a. 21st century
b. 20th century
c. 19th century
3. Where was he born?
a. A rich household
b. On a farm
c. In London
4. When he was four years old he was
sold to...
a. a lower class family.
b. a farmer.
c. a rich household.
5. During his life he…
a. was always treated well.
b. was always treated badly.
c. was sometimes treated well,
and at other times badly.
Now skim the ‘Opinion of Book’ in the example book report, and then answer the questions
below.
6. Did the person enjoy the book?
a. Yes, very much.
b. It was OK.
c. Not at all.
7. What did the reader of this book learn
about Black Beauty?
a. Sometimes people treated him
badly.
b. He always tried his best
whatever happened.
c. Sometimes people treated him
well.
d. All of the above.
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Unit 11: Skimming & Scanning
Speed Reading 10: Stamford Raffles
Singapore is an important city. It is on a small island. It has a port. Many ships stop at
Singapore. They come from different places all over the world. Stamford Raffles helped to make the city. He was an Englishman. He was born in 1781.
His parents were poor, so when he was only 14, he had to leave school. Then he worked in an office in London. He did his work well and soon became an important person in his office. He was often sent to other countries. He was very happy about this because he was interested in foreign countries.
In 1822 Raffles came to Singapore. At that time Singapore was covered with forest. There were only a few people there. They were poor fishermen. Some of them were thieves. When there was a ship near the island, they went to the ship in small boats. They stole things from the ship. Sometimes they caught the sailors, too, so ships were afraid to come near the island.
When Raffles came, he asked the people to cut down the trees in the forest. He also taught some of them to become policemen. He made new laws and caught the thieves, so the people were now afraid to do wrong. The town became safe. Many more people came to live in Singapore. Ships were no longer afraid to stop there. They came to Singapore to buy and sell things. Singapore became an important town for ships.
Raffles built many houses for the people. He also built roads. Now people could easily go from one place to another on the island. Many Europeans came to live in Singapore, and they started their offices there. Singapore became a busy town.
Besides houses and roads, Raffles also built many schools. A lot of children went to school. They began to learn to read and write. They also began to learn many other things in Malay or English. Some children also learned things in other languages. Almost all of the teachers came from outside Singapore. They were good teachers. They worked hard. They wrote a lot of books for the schools.
Raffles did many other things. He was interested in the history of the people, so he learned the Malay language. He read a lot of books about the island and its people. He bought a lot of old books in Malay and other languages. He wrote some of the books again in English, so that other people could read them too. He also paid some people to do this.
Raffles liked to study living things. He often went into the forest and studied different kinds of plants and animals. He brought some of them home and dried them. He kept them in his house. He also sent some of them to England. Raffles did not only study plants and animals in Singapore. He also went to many other islands to do this.
In 1824 Raffles and his wife went back to England. They went by ship. Raffles put all of his books, his dried plants and animals on the ship. But before it reached England, a fire began on the ship. The fire burned all of his books, plants and animals.
Two years after this, in 1826, Raffles died in England.
(550 words)
Write your time in the box and then answer the questions on the next page. Once you start answering the questions DO NOT look back at this page.
72
QUESTIONS: Stamford Raffles
1. When he was young, Raffles worked in…
(a) Singapore.
(b) Malaysia
(c) Indonesia.
(d) England.
2. Stamford Raffles began to work when he was young because…
(a) he wanted to see the world.
(b) he was not clever.
(c) his parents did not have much money.
(d) he did not like to study.
3. When Raffles first came to Singapore, it was…
(a) a very busy port.
(b) not really a town.
(c) a big city.
(d) a very old city.
4. Before Raffles arrived, the people in Singapore…
(a) sold wood to foreign countries.
(b) attacked ships.
(c) worked in offices.
(d) were policemen.
5. Singapore became safe because…
(a) no more ships went there.
(b) the thieves were caught.
(c) many more thieves came there.
(d) the thieves went to other islands.
6. After Singapore became safe, many ships came there…
(a) to bring passengers.
(b) to carry wood.
(c) to take people to England.
(d) to buy and sell things.
7. Most of the first teachers in Singapore were…
(a) foreigners.
(b) from Singapore.
(c) not real teachers.
(d) not good at teaching.
8. Raffles learned the Malay language so that he could…
(a) learn about Singapore.
(b) sell things to people outside Singapore.
(c) pay people to write books.
(d) teach in the schools.
9. Raffles often went into the forest…
(a) to meet the people of the island.
(b) to find new places to build houses.
(c) to study the plants and animals.
(d) to find the thieves.
10. While Raffles was traveling back to England,…
(a) his wife died.
(b) he died.
(c) all his books were burned.
(d) the ship was lost.
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Skimming and Scanning
Exercise 1 Please skim the following reviews of different Japanese cities, and then choose which city you would most like to visit and why. Write your choice at the bottom of the page and discuss your choice with a partner.
Osaka
This is Japan’s third largest city, and is a
fine mixture of old and new Japan. The
food and nightlife are amazing and this has
led to a famous Japanese saying “Kyoto
kidaore; Osaka kuidaore” which implies
that while Kyotoites will go bankrupt from
buying too many kimonos, Osakans will
go bankrupt from eating out too much.
Apart from the nightlife, Osaka also has
many other attractions such as Osaka
Castle and the recent addition of Universal
Studios. Therefore, it can cater for every
taste, either historical or fun.
Kyoto Founded in 794 as Heian-kyo (capital of
peace and tranquillity), the city is
surrounded on three sides by mountains,
and it is divided in two by a river flowing
from north to south. Beautiful old side
streets with their shops and townhouses,
temples, gardens, geisha girls and kyo-
ryori (seasonal food) make this old capital
city essential visiting if you want to see the
‘real’ old side of Japan.
Nikko Over 1,200 years ago, the Buddhist priest
Shodo Shonin founded the first temple at
Nikko. Not only are the temples beautiful,
but so also are Nikko’s Botanical Gardens,
which have over 3,000 different kinds of
plants from around the world in them. The
wild monkeys are cute, but beware, as they
sometimes run off with your belongings,
especially shiny wallets and sunglasses!
Kobe
Kobe is famous for its beef, which is the
most expensive in the world and is
absolutely delicious. Apart from the food,
this city is famous for having a lively and
exciting nightlife scene, which is well
worth experiencing. If you prefer
something more cultural, then other places
of interest include Kobe City Museum,
Meriken Park and the Kobe Maritime
Museum. Just behind Shin-Kobe station,
the Nunobiki Falls can be reached by cable
car and the view from this spot is amazing.
Hiroshima For the worst of reasons, Hiroshima needs
no introduction. Each year, millions of
visitors go to the city to remember
something that just shouldn’t have
happened. However, there is much, much
more to the city than just a war memorial.
The city is modern and beautiful, with
friendly people and wonderful food. If you
have time you can visit Miyajima Island,
just a daytrip away, with its beautiful
forests and tame deer.
Please write the name of the city you wish to visit below. Then discuss your choice with a partner. City name?_____________________ Why?
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Mini Break (short trip) Travel Agencies
Exercise 2
In this exercise you need to use both your skimming and scanning skills. First scan the travel agents to find the
city you wish to visit then skim the details below it. After reading all the choices available choose which ‘mini
break’ you prefer and then circle your choice. Try to do it as quickly as possible.
1. Japan Net Travel
Mini Breaks ❑ Kyoto Two nights in a three-star hotel, which is located
just minutes from the city centre. Train fare is
included, as is a full day sightseeing tour of the
main temples.
35,000 yen.
❑ Hiroshima Three nights at a five-star hotel, which is located just outside the city, a ten- minute bus ride away. The hotel has three restaurants, a fitness club, as well as Internet access in every room. 60,000 yen. ❑ Nikko Stay one night at beautiful Nikko in a five-star
hotel complete with swimming pool, fitness club
and four five-star restaurants.
40,000 yen.
❑ Osaka Three nights at a hotel, which is located right next
to Universal Studios. A basic three-star hotel, but
breakfast is included, as is the entrance to the
theme park for one day.
45,000 yen.
2. Japan Domestic Travel
Mini Breaks ❑ Osaka Two nights at a wonderful five-star hotel. Indoor swimming pool, fitness club, spa and business centre. 60,000 yen.
❑ Kyoto Stay two nights at a traditional Japanese ryokan
(inn). Sleep on futons with a breathtaking view of a
Japanese garden. Breakfast and evening meal is
included. 80,000 yen.
❑ Kyoto Stay four nights at this cheap but well run and friendly small business hotel. Breakfast is included, as is a full daytrip city tour of local temples with an evening of entertainment at a fashionable restaurant in Eastern Gion. 45,000 yen.
Nippon Domestic Breaks
Mini Breaks ❑ Nikko Stay two nights in a traditional Japanese ryokan (inn). As it is located right next to Nikko Botanical gardens, the views from the room are wonderful. Japanese breakfast and evening meal is included in the price. 75,000 yen
❑ Hiroshima Two nights at a busy central hotel located right next to The Peace Park. This is a good three-star hotel and includes a business centre with Internet access. There isn’t a restaurant, but room service is available. 25,000 yen
❑ Kobe Spend three days relaxing at this beautiful five-star hotel. Massage service, fitness club and health spa make this the perfect place to ‘get away’ to. As well as being located right in the centre of the city, its restaurant/club is famous for hosting some of the most famous jazz players in the world. 75,000 yen.
❑ Kobe Stay two nights at this small but comfortable
central three-star hotel. Breakfast is included, and
the hotel has two very good restaurants, a
traditional Japanese one and an excellent Mexican
one.
35,000 yen.
❑ Osaka Stay two nights right inside Universal Studios at
this magical hotel built in the shape of a fairytale
castle. Each room has a four-poster bed and
possibly ghosts!!! The rooms are decorated in 16th
century British style and will provide you with the
holiday of a lifetime. As the hotel is located inside
the park all rides are included free during your
three-day stay. A trip never to be forgotten! 80,000
yen.
75
Exercise 3 Skim the article to get the general idea. Remember you only need read a few sentences and words.
You have 3 minutes. When you have finished ask your partner the questions on the next page. You
cannot look back. Take it in turns to answer the questions. Do you both agree with each other?
Henry VIII King Henry VIII of England wasn’t a particularly good king. What he is very famous for however,
is the fact that he had six wives. He wasn’t born to be king and was very jealous of his older brother
Arthur. He wanted everything his brother had. Therefore, when Arthur died he got a special
dispensation (letter) from the Pope, which allowed him to marry his brother’s widow (wife), Catherine
of Aragon.
Catherine came from Spanish royalty, and although she was seven years older than Henry, she was
highly educated and talented. This meant that at first Henry adored her, and for a long time their
marriage was very happy. However, as she became older and past her childbearing years Henry began
to grow tired of her. He desperately (really) wanted a son and heir, but with Catherine he only had one
daughter, Mary. He became obsessively (very) worried about the biblical text “And, if a man shall
take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing…They shall be childless.” As a result of this, he started
to look for ways to gain a divorce from her. The main problem that stopped him from being able to do
this easily was that she came from a powerful family. Her nephew, the Emperor Charles V, held a
large amount of power over the Pope (the head of the Catholic church, and the only person who could
allow divorces at that time). Then suddenly Henry fell in love with one of the Queen’s ladies, the
sensual Anne Boleyn, and the need for a divorce grew more urgent (stronger).
For many years Henry tried to gain a divorce from the Pope, but with no results. Then in 1532,
Anne became pregnant. Henry divorced Catherine, married Anne and decreed (said) that the Pope
was no longer the head of the English church. That in fact the King of England was. He then changed
the religion of England from Catholic, which was under the control of the Pope, to Protestant. As the
new head of the church he could hence give himself a divorce.
Unfortunately for Anne, she gave birth to a girl. Henry had changed the religion of a country for
another daughter. Ironically though, while Henry was bitterly disappointed (unhappy), this daughter,
Elizabeth, was to become one of the most powerful rulers England has ever known. Poor Anne was
now under extreme pressure to produce a boy. She lost (they died) her next two children, and Henry,
beginning to become tired of her, started thinking of ways to get rid of her. She had no powerful
family to protect her and in 1536 Henry had her beheaded (cut off her head).
His third wife, Jane Seymour, gave him his long awaited son and heir, but unfortunately she died
in childbirth (giving birth). Henry then married his fourth wife, a woman named Anne of Cleves,
whom he had never seen. She came from Germany and was hardly educated at all. Henry took one
look at her and decided she was too plain, and so he annulled (cancelled) the marriage. Anne of
Cleves was perhaps his luckiest wife. He gave her an allowance (yearly money), a couple of fine
houses and then left her in peace.
His fifth wife, Catherine Howard was very young and beautiful. In fact, she was a cousin of his
second wife, Anne. Unfortunately for her, like her cousin, she met the same fate (ending). Henry was
extremely jealous of men looking at her as she was young and lovely and he wasn’t aging very well.
He had put on a huge amount of weight and had a very smelly infected ulcer (sore) on one of his legs.
He accused her of being unfaithful (seeing other men), and he had her beheaded too.
His sixth and last wife was also called Catherine, Catherine Parr. She had been married twice
before to two much older men. She was a good woman and nursed Henry when his leg was in pain.
She also discussed religious issues with him. Her position was not safe though and several times
Henry thought about getting rid of her. Luckily for her, Henry died in 1547.
So famous is Henry for his six poor wives that a poem was written about it to help school children
remember what happened to each one of them. “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded,
survived.” Lucky Catherine Parr!
76
1. Who was Henry?
2. How many wives did he have?
3. What happened to them?
4. What is the name of his most famous daughter?
Exercise 4: Believe It or Not
Skim the newspaper headings below and choose which story you want to read. Once you
have chosen one check with your partner that you have not chosen the same article (if you
have, please choose a different one). Then skim the article, and tell your partner what the
general idea or gist of the story is.
Elephant Escapes from Zoo
A 65 year-old woman, Margery Brown
from Eltham, South-East London, got a
big surprise when she looked out of her
window into her garden and saw Rosie, an
African elephant, calmly eating the
vegetables she was growing there. She
called the police, who called the zoo and
found out that clever Rosie had unlocked
her cage and decided to go for a walk.
Margery said she had quite a shock when
she opened her curtains, but that she soon
calmed down. She said she had been
meaning to go to the zoo to see the
elephants but as a pensioner didn’t have
much money. She said she was glad that
Rosie decided to pay her a visit as it was
like the zoo coming to her. The zoo’s
owners have since given Margery a
lifetime pass to visit Rosie whenever she
wants.
Harry Potter World to Open in Japan
A new adventure park is going to be built
in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo. It is going
to be twice as big as other amusement
parks in the area. Customers can take the
special Hogwarts express train from
platform nine and a half at Tokyo Station.
The park will have many rides including a
broomstick roller coaster ride, which lasts
for ten minutes. A day pass to Harry Potter
world is expected to cost 3,600yen per
person. When asked why they had chosen
Japan as the site of their latest park, the
sponsors replied it was because according
to their research, the Japanese love
amusement parks more than any other
nationality. Therefore, it is certain that
they will make a large profit by opening it
there.
Brad Pitt Getting Married to Woman he
Met Only a Week Ago in Tokyo
Brad Pitt explained to reporters that he has
fallen in love for the first and last time. He
says that this time it is for real and forever.
“It was love at first sight,” he said. “I
always thought I was in love before, but it
never felt like this. I saw her, and well I
just knew that she was the one.” Who is
this lucky lady, and how did they meet?
He was walking down the street in
Omotesando, an expensive and fashionable
area in Tokyo, when he saw a woman
looking in a shop window. “It was like I
was struck by lightening” he said. “I knew
I just had to talk to her.” They spoke and
arranged to go on a date, and he proposed
that night. The lucky lady is Ms. Jane
Smith, a university lecturer at a junior
college in Tokyo. “I just decided to go
shopping during my lunch break,” she said
“I never expected anything like this to
happen. It is just wonderful.” The couple
plan to get married early next year.
The First Female Japanese Prime
Minister
Kumiko Suzuki, 48, has been named the
first female Japanese Prime Minister.
Suzuki, who grew up in Saitama and
graduated from Tokyo University with a
degree in International Relations, is said to
be delighted. “It came as a complete
surprise,” she said. “I just never expected
to have a chance.” Suzuki is married and
has three children, Kentaro, 21, Mariko, 18
and Mana, 15. When asked what changes
she planned to make, she answered that
she is going to work on policies which will
encourage equal opportunities for women
in the workplace.
77
Homework
Finding the Topic
Separate the words in the box below into two groups and put them under the correct
topic heading.
1. elephants cats dogs rabbits ferrets gorillas
lions giraffes hamsters goldfish chimpanzees hyenas
African wild animals Pets
2. Prada Gucci Armani Givenchy Chanel
Fendi Versace Chloe Louis Vuitton Christian Dior
Italian Fashion Houses French Fashion Houses
This time, as well as separating the groups of words into two, also decide what is the best
topic and then write it in the box above the list of words.
.
3. candle pen paint brush fire crayon lamp
bonfire pencil chalk felt-tip pen torch desk light
Topic: Topic:
4. tomato lettuce cabbage banana grapes spinach
potato orange apple aubergine (egg plant) Black currants carrots
Topic: Topic:
