Reading Comprehension General English and Soft Skill Classes Day 4 Vipul R. Solanki 1.

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Reading Comprehension

General English and Soft Skill ClassesDay 4Vipul R. Solanki

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0 Language consists four skills(LSRW):

0 L ListeningPassive0 S Speaking

Active0 R Reading

Passive0 W Writing

Active

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Reading is not only to look at a page or thing but to receive or derive the information or concept or meaning with understanding.

It is a process where one looks at and understands what has been written on the paper sheet/screen.

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page one is already familiar with

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Reading is part of communication process.

Sender ChannelReceiver

Writer Paper/ScreenReader

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Various factors that affect the reading and reading speed:

The type of reading material(circular, time-table, memo, report, technical subject, fiction, news etc.)

Interest of the reader Familiarity/unfamiliarity with the subject Formation of the text Language of the text (MT(Gujarati), Second

Language(English, American English, British English, Australian English, Indian English etc.) )

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Tips for effective reading:

Define the purpose of reading (To understand a concept, to remember, to derive information, for the sake of pleasure).

Initially, learn the purpose of writing (to inform, to persuade, to order, to criticize, to explain something).

Understand the authors’ point of views.

Look for titles, subtitles, headings and sub-headings.

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Read non verbal signals like punctuation marks, bullets, numbers, color, bold, italic, underline, captions, etc. Maro mat, jane do. Maro, mat jane do.

Take in more words with each fixation

Do not read individual words but the groups of words.

Be familiar with the unknown words as the unknown words become barrier for better comprehension of the text.

Learn the meanings of the words by contextualizing. Find out the links of the words like same grammatical

category.

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Identify the topical sentences, supportive sentences, examples etc.

The moon’s gravity pulls earth’s oceans towards it as it moves round the earth.(Topical sentence). Then it lets them go again. These movements of the oceans are the tides. The sun also affects the tides. At the sea side you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach completely. These are called high tides. At other times, the water goes back, leaving the shore uncovered. These are called low tides. Most seaside places have two high tides and two low tides every day.(Supportive sentences)


Analyze the text and identity the structure of the text. The organization of the text/passages is done with

number of techniques; as Definition Narration/Illustration Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Classification Problem and Solution

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Relate the ideas in paragraphs and sentences . Try to find out the referent words of the substitute

words Understand the order of words and sentences

Anticipate to determine the meaning

Refer dictionary while reading

Read in short periods of time when you are getting bore and loosing your concentration

Take notes while reading or just after reading

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Skim and skip as per the requirement, time and subject While skimming get the main idea of the text. Look only at the important word. To identify the important words, look at the nouns,

verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Do not worry about articles, prepositions or

auxiliaries.

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Task 1: Read the below given news item and select an appropriate heading for the news item from the given choices:

A Korean airbus with 199 passengers crashed 4.8 km away from Teipoli airport in Libya today, and burst into flames, killing at least 100 people.

The official Libyan News Agency, Jana, said that the plane fell on two houses, killing four persons in one of them. Jana reported that 80 to 100 people, including the Captain survived the crash near Tripoli. The crash occurred at 7 a.m. local time, 25 minutes before the expected time of landing.

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Headings:

Hundred feared killed in plane crash Plane crashes before landing Tragedy near Tripoli Captain survives plan crash Plane falls on houses Airbus in flames

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Task 2: Skim through the below given letter and choose four important words that could form the text of the telegram.

Ans: TRIP CANCELLED FATHER UNWELL

My dear Ravi,Hope you are fine. My father is suffering from jaundice. The doctor has advised him to take complete rest for a month. My mother is quite worried and feels helpless. At this moment I cannot leave them alone and go for a holiday. I am sorry I have to cancel my trip to Madras. Please do not get angry. I shall write to you again, when my plans are finalized.

My regards to your father and mother.Yours

affectionately,Suresh

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Scanning (Look for specific information): Do not waste time in reading every word in the

passage. Read quickly to find the answer/information you

are looking for. Take the help of headings, sub-headings, graphs,

data table etc. Reading of railway time tables etc. is such type of

practice.

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Task 3: Scan the required information through the below given College Examination Rules:

1 Examination start on Dec 15 and finish on Jan 16.2 Examination fees must be paid before March 1.3 Morning examinations begin at 10:30.4 Afternoon examinations begin at 3:30 p.m.5 All examinations are for 3 hours.6 The college closes at 7:30 p.m. each day during

examination7 No dictionaries, reference books or calculators are

allowed to bring the examination hall.

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Which rule or rules should the following students know?

1 The students who do not have much money. Rule - 2

2 The students who want a holiday in Feb. Rule - 1

3 The students whose last bus leaves at 6 p.m. each day

Rule - 44 The students who always use dictionary.

Rule - 6

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Summarize what you have read.

Practise daily for effective reading.

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Reading Comprehension Practice (Brief Passage):

Exercise 1: Read the following passage carefully and answers the questions that follow:

Many poor farmers had been compelled to take up indigo cultivation when the British settlers were given the right to purchase land in India. Many whites, therefore, either acquired land or advanced loans to poor farmers and pressured them to forsake the farming of food grains and other cash crops for indigo cultivation. Indigo export to Europe was lucrative for the British settlers who held a monopoly of this business. Within a few years, most of the fertile lands had undergone forcible indigo cultivation, resulting in a famine situation in Bengal. When the farmers declined to cultivate indigo, they were tortured, jailed and even killed.

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1 The poor farmers in Bengal took up indigo cultivation becausea) The government gave them subsidies for the purposeb) It was a money earning cropc) They were forced to do sod) This was the only crop that would grow in this region

2 British settlers bought land in Bengal in order toa) Cultivate indigob) Grow crops for the poor farmersc) Own agricultural propertyd) Settle down in India

3 Indigo export was profitable for the British settlers because:a) Labor was cheapb) They has no competitorsc) The land was fertiled) They could oppress the farmers

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Exercise 2: Read the following two letters carefully and answer the questions:

Letter 1:

Dear Shri Chattre,The umbrella, which you have forgotten during your visit to our department store day before yesterday, is still here. It gives very obnoxious look, besides emitting some foul smell. Will you please take the trouble to collect it as early as possible? Tomorrow it being our weekly off, our store is closed. You may collect your ‘precious’ umbrella day after tomorrow i.e. on Sunday.

Yours sincerely, C. F. Francis

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Letter 2:Dear Shri Francis,

Thank you for your letter. The time that I must spend to visit your store is much more important than any precious umbrella. Also, you have now known the worth of my umbrella. I, therefore, would like to donate it generously to a friend like you. You may keep it on display in your big store as a historical monument. Thanking you once again for your kindness to remind me of my lost property.

Yours sincerely, Akash Chhatre

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1 Mr. Francis wrote to Chhatre becausea) Chhatre was his close friendb) Chhatre was a very busy manc) The umbrella was really very presciousd) He was concern about Chhatre’s love for the umbrellae) Chhatre’s umbrella was a nuisance to his sote.

2 Shri Chhatre had visited the departmental store on which of the following days?

a) Mondayb) Wednesdayc) Thursdayd) Fridaye) None of these

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3 Which of the following is true about the umbrella, as mentioned by Mr. Francis?

a) The umbrella was a problem to the customers’ eyes only.b) The umbrella was a problem to the customers’ nose only.c) The umbrella was a problem to the customers’ nose and

eyes.d) The umbrella was a very expensive item.e) The umbrella was like a historical monument.

4 Chhatre’s act of donating the umbrella to Francis reveals thata) Chhatre is a very generous personb) Francis needed the umbrella very muchc) He had a lot of sympathy for Francis’ store.d) He could not afford to spend money to collect it.e) None of these

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5 On the basis of these two letters, which of the following can be inferred to be definitely true?

a) Francis and Chhatre do not have good relationship with each other.

b) Chhatre’s umbrella was very expensive.c) The departmental store is closed on Saturday.d) Francis’ sotre would benefit by preserving the umbrellae) None of these

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Thank You!!

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Subject, time and types of reading affect reading: Read to derive information (reading of notice-

boards, circulars, memos, time-tables or instructions Reading for pleasure Reading for understanding the concepts

Reading Comprehension General English and Soft Skill Classes Day 4 Vipul R. Solanki 1.

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