EXAM PRACTICE

Reading Comprehension

The process to follow

Paper 2 Reading PassagesPaper 2 Reading PassagesLearning objectivesLearning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will have:• an understanding of the way the exam is

structured• learned some techniques for reading• learned some strategies for answering the

three question types• written some practice answers

Reading unseen textsReading unseen texts

In Passage A, questions 1 and 2, you will have to write about and analyse a text you have never seen before.

You will need to read it several times. Take 15 minutes to read and annotate.

Skimming and scanning:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlHt8kHMUtc

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymIMwopxX40

STEP 1 – General Reading:

1. Read the text once and ask yourself what the text type is (eg. travel writing: description)

2. Skim read it again and give each paragraph a title or highlight a key word in each that would serve as a title

STEP 2 – Understanding the question

Read Question 1 (November 2006 Patagonia paper)Write a diary entry in which you explore your thoughts and feelings about the trip so far. You will be sending your diary entry to your friends and family.

3. Consider the T.A.P strategy. What is T.A.P? What is T, A, and P in the assigned question?

STEP 3 –finding information:

4. Highlight the key points noted in the question.What are the three key points from the question in November?

5. Skim read the text again, and highlight the key points in the passage using different color highlighters.

FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesFLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesQuestion 1Question 1: Text transformation: Text transformation

In this question you will be asked to transform the first text into another text type, using the information of the original.

REMEMBER: Use the information you have – don’t create new

ideas! You can get up to 15 marks for Reading, so you have to use the original text.

Write clearly, in an appropriate style for your audience and purpose. You can get up to 5 marks for Writing, so you have to structure it carefully and use a range of original and appropriate vocabulary.

Assessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesAssessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesQuestion 1Question 1: Text transformation (November 2006): Text transformation (November 2006)

You should focus on You should focus on thoughts and feelings thoughts and feelings in your in your writing because they are absent from the original. writing because they are absent from the original. Don’t just repeat the main points of the passage. Don’t just repeat the main points of the passage.

1.1. Find points that are interesting and develop them Find points that are interesting and develop them (the hotel, its décor, its stifling heat – how would (the hotel, its décor, its stifling heat – how would you feel about having ‘no window’ and the ‘glassed-you feel about having ‘no window’ and the ‘glassed-in courtyard’?in courtyard’?

2.2. Explain the negative images of the village Explain the negative images of the village description and contrast them with the beauty and description and contrast them with the beauty and freshness of the river scene.freshness of the river scene.

3.3. Give an overview of the amazing variety of this Give an overview of the amazing variety of this unusual and difficult journeyunusual and difficult journey

4.4. Give overviews of the people and/or the landscape.Give overviews of the people and/or the landscape.

Assessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesAssessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesQuestion 1Question 1: Text transformation (November 2006): Text transformation (November 2006)

Using the buses Describe the details of interest in the views that can be seen

The hotels The torture of sleepless nights; reactions to the heat and garishness

The desert landscape of skies and thornscrub

Refer to the vastness and the atmosphere

The village people and their houses

A strong feeling of movement and colour but a reaction to the poverty and the dullness of life

The farming along the river Plenty of detail that suggests beauty, goodness and natural life at its simplest and best

The wind Not much detail but enough to suggest that it might cause discomfort

Text Transformation

Write your diary entry

Assessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesAssessment: FLE Paper 2 Reading PassagesQuestion 1Question 1: Peer assessment: Peer assessmentMark your partner’s work using the following codes. Mark your partner’s work using the following codes.

When you see them write the following in the When you see them write the following in the margin:margin:

• idea: landscapeidea: landscape• idea: peopleidea: people• idea: placesidea: placesMark Mark tf tf in the margin for relevant in the margin for relevant thoughts and thoughts and

feelingsfeelings..Write Write dev dev where they are where they are developeddeveloped..Tick and mark Tick and mark d d where where supporting detail supporting detail is used.is used.Then use the Assessment Criteria to give a mark out of Then use the Assessment Criteria to give a mark out of

15 for Reading and 5 for Writing15 for Reading and 5 for Writing

Question 2:Question 2: The writer’s use of language The writer’s use of language

Explain how the writer makes the description of the hotel in Explain how the writer makes the description of the hotel in Bahia Blanca and the housing in the village effective Bahia Blanca and the housing in the village effective (paragraphs 1 and 4)(paragraphs 1 and 4)

What is your general impression of the hotel and village housing? What is your general impression of the hotel and village housing?

CREATE AND COMPLETE A CHARTCREATE AND COMPLETE A CHART

WordsWords MeaningMeaning EffectEffectairlesspurpleglassed-inbrightly littangle of electric wiresshackspatched out

Question 2Question 2: The writer’s use of language: The writer’s use of languageExplain how he makes the description of the hotel in Bahia Blanca Explain how he makes the description of the hotel in Bahia Blanca

and the housing in the village effective (paragraphs 1 and 4)and the housing in the village effective (paragraphs 1 and 4)The words chosen express the inadequacy of the hotel and shacksThe words chosen express the inadequacy of the hotel and shacks

WordsWords MeaningMeaning EffectEffect

airless hard to breathe the room would be too hot and stuffy

purple a bright colour implies ugly, tasteless, aggressive

glassed-in the entire area covered in glass

the effect would be very hot and stifling

brightly lit not dim either surprisingly good lighting or possibly lacking atmosphere

tangle of electric wires

as if tied together very untidy visual effect

shacks sheds expresses poverty of Indians

patched out pieced together no proper materials – extreme poverty

Question 2Question 2: The writer’s use of language: The writer’s use of language

Explain how he makes the description of the woman and her son effective Explain how he makes the description of the woman and her son effective (paragraph 3)(paragraph 3)

What is your first impression of the woman? What is your first impression of the woman?

WordsWords MeaningMeaning EffectEffectbulkchewed garlicreal gold janglybraidsmanoeuvredhard, white hatabstract horror

Question 2Question 2: The writer’s use of language: The writer’s use of languageExplain how he makes the description of the woman and her son Explain how he makes the description of the woman and her son

effective (paragraph 3)effective (paragraph 3)The woman: clumsy and maybe vulgar; her son seems ashamed of herThe woman: clumsy and maybe vulgar; her son seems ashamed of her

WordsWords MeaningMeaning EffectEffect

bulk her size a rather insulting word

chewed garlic a type of healthy onion

some people may react to the strong smell

real gold jangly a discordant noise gold=class, but ‘jangly’ is a coarser sound. Cheap gold? Ostentatious?

braids plaits typical hairstyles in those parts (simple?)

manoeuvred moved carefully a complex movement that makes us think of her bulk again

hard, white hat native, pinned to keep in place

very noticeable, stood out

abstract horror trepidation any guesses?

Passage A & B

• Question 3Question 3: Summary: Summary

• Create a T chart. Create a T chart. List features of the desert areas and cultivated List features of the desert areas and cultivated plantations.plantations.

Question 3Question 3: Summary: SummaryPassage A• The silver cloud• The ‘whirring wind’• The indistinct/colourless

horizon• The white dust/saltpans• Grey-green thornscrub• Dead grass• Terraces• Little life there/only

hawks, beetles• Plantations/orchards• Melting snow• Cliffs• River (if mentioned

separately from Passage B)

Passage B• Remoteness – vast• Glacial lakes• Granite peaks/hills/mountains• Sheep on ranches• Strong/gentle winds/windswept• Tress growing flat• Huge expanse (done) of sky• Potholed gravel roads• Flat steppe lands/plains• Biscuit coloured• Land so hot rain evaporates• Poor quality soil/dust• Few people/petrol stations far

apart/isolated/unpopulated• Grass and bushes (together)• Bare rock