Programme 12: Reading Exams

Mark Shea: The way most reading exams work is that you have a lot of reading to do and very little time to do it. Time is more important perhaps in reading than in any other paper. If you had as much time as you needed, most students would score 100%. Mark SheaSo you need to make sure that you know how many marks each part carries, and divide your time accordingly. Start with the part that carries most marks. Margaret John: It’s essential for you to avoid getting bogged down with understanding every word in a reading passage. You have to learn to read quickly and efficiently, and analyse meaning in a text, in order to answer very specific questions. essential - nezbytný to get bogged down - zabřednout, zůstat trčet Margaret John: Well, give yourself two minutes, and practice at home every night. Read a text, and look at the following things: The title, the special headings, the illustrations, the ideas or organisation of the text, and the summary sentences of each paragraph. The summary sentences are usually the first, or the last, sentence and they tell you what the paragraph is about. headings - název, hlavička Margaret John: Ask yourself – even turn away from the page – and ask yourself, what was that paragraph about? Mark SheaIt’s a good idea to read the questions before you read the texts, so you know what to look for. Mark SheaIt’s a good idea to read the whole text all the way through before you answer any questions, just to make sure that you’re not answering a question out of context. Mark SheaI’d always advise students to mark the texts where they think they find the answer, and this will save time after the exam when you’re checking your answers. Noriko: When the paper come I read first the questions. I try to read the whole thing and try to construct how I answer those questions. And I want to read questions before reading start. Read all through the text, then I can maybe construct how I answer. Then back to read maybe. The first time is just skimming and scanning. When I go back maybe I can get appropriate part of all the text. to skim - přeletět očima to scan - zběžně prohlédnout Mark SheaUse time effectively, read the questions, and read the whole text before you answer any question. Margaret John: In order to read paragraphs and to be able to understand what is happening in reading texts, at speed, you have to practice giving yourself two minutes: to look at a text, identify the title, the special headings, the illustrations, if there are any, the ideas, the organisation, and find those summary sentences. And ask yourself – even turn away from the page – and ask yourself, what was that paragraph about?