Download 13422_lecture-15-16-week-8-reading-comprehension

PEL101- COMMUNICATION
SKILLS-I
LECTURE-15 and 16
WEEK-8
DESIGNED BY
SATPAL SINGH, 15908
Reading Comprehension
aka… Critical Reading questions test
• To check reader’s ability to understand a passage
• To find answers on the basis of what is stated and
implied in the passage
• Why?
• To check verbal reasoning and critical thinking skills
• Deductive reasoning, conclusion making, logical
inference, sequential analysis, tonal awareness,
understanding of scope
Reading Comprehension
• RC is level of understanding of a text
• From where does this understanding come?
• Interaction between the words that are written
and how they trigger knowledge outside the text
(In the mind of reader).
• Task is: to recognize key words quickly and
effortlessly
How?
• Any shortcuts!!!
• There is no shortcut to improving your
critical reading ability.
• Constant practice does help.
• To make right choices in MCQ based RCs,
however, some tips are always handy.
Types of RC
Reading passages usually concern these
areas:
1.Natural Sciences
2.Arts and Humanities
3.Social Sciences (Science and culture)
4.Literary Fiction (Literature)
5.Personal Narrative
RC Variants
Outcomes
Comparative study
Comparative Understanding and Prioritization
Political study
Importance of Current affairs
Dialogues
Understanding conversations and exchanges
Product Review
Analysis and understanding of a commercial entity
Public Address
Speech preparation and deliverance, Importance of
vocabulary
RC: Questions asked
1. Discovering main idea
2. Identifying detail / fact
3. Drawing conclusions / predicting outcomes
4. Distinguishing between fact and opinion
5. Understanding cause and effect
6. Comparing and contrasting ideas
7. Determining Author’s Purpose
Key Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Motivation and Purpose
Vocabulary and Previous Knowledge
Reading fluency and decoding
Nature of Passage (Interest, Difficulty)
Genre of text (Fiction, non-fiction, poetry,
science etc.)
6. Time limit (Time consuming, GATE)
Effective Reader v/s less Effective Reader
Effective reader
Less effective reader
Knows his goal in mind
Does not know why s/he is reading?
Previews text, heading, topic
sentences
Starts reading without thinking about
topic
Recalls previous knowledge
Does not preview text
Makes prediction about the text
Does not make predictions
Reads selectively, knows what to
skip, to read carefully and quickly
Reads whole passage with same
intensity
Summarizes major ideas
Does not summarize
Underlines keywords
Relies on memory
RC : Tips (Pre RC test)
1. Vocabulary building:
a) GRE vocab
b) High frequency words (~300 words, 65% of the
words in the text)
2. Newspaper/magazine reading, without looking
up an unknown word in the dictionary
a) Use context clues to determine the word’s
meaning.
Continued…
b) Then, look up for the definition in the dictionary
and compare the definition
c) What is your margin to get close to the
meaning?
• If very Close = Bingo
• Meaning settles in your memory lane because
• You applied your brain
Complex Vocabulary
• Word : Rambunctious
• Meaning?
1. The children were rambunctious.
2. I went to class V and the children were
rambunctious.
3. I went to class V and children were
rambunctious. They were chirping like birds. It was
a herculean task to control them.
Answer
• Rambunctious = full of energy, difficult to
control
RC : Tips and strategies (During RC)
• Traditional Method of RC
• New world> Competition >New strategy
1. Read question/s then passage
Benefits
• Prediction of Text
• Identification of key word, it saves time
2. Note down sequencing of information flow
3. Pronoun reference
Example
First questions:
1. What was Chai originally?
2. Why did she start importing chai?
3. Why did she decide to develop her own chai?
Prediction and Pronoun reference
1. First question
• What was Chai originally?
Clue?
• What was Chai originally?
• Origin, History
2. Why did she start importing chai? Clue?
• Why did she start importing chai? Pronoun
• Means, there is a noun, female, importing, chai
Sequencing events
3. Why did she decide to develop her own chai?
Clue?
Why did she decide to develop her own chai?
• Means, something contrary happened
• Relate to previous questions
Sequencing on predictions
• Chai originates from…….
• A female named …… starts importing it
• Issue and decides to develop her own chai
Original passage
• On word file
Time Constraint Solution
• Skimming
• Zig – zag movement of the eye
• Accompanied by grasping of major ideas of the
passage
• Scanning (Eye reading)
• Reading using ones eyes and getting details, as
in, facts, figures, examples (Specific info.)
Skim and Scan
Task 1
• Skim
• What is the main idea?
Interdisciplinary aspect of ecology
• How?
• Scan
• What are details?
Early 20th century
Fredric Clements and Henry Cleason
Sir Arthur Tansley
1935
RC : Tips and strategies (During RC)
When reading a lengthy text
• Identify key word/s based on given questions
• First read instructions/questions carefully (1st
Activity)
• Lengthy passage, answer in last line
• Whats app ex.
Task 2: Shopping
• Read passage and answer question.
Shopping can be fun as well as a headache. I do not like
this activity on Sunday. I usually buy things for family in
grocery stores. My spouse likes to shop in cloth centers.
However, I love to shop in malls. It is amazing experience. I
do purchasing in retail shop for my in laws. I hate
bargaining for my kids. I am neither a spendthrift nor a
shopaholic but this is the only outdoor activity I am expert
in.
1. Where does author love to shop for her relatives?
2. Where does author love to shop for her relatives?
Task 3
• Once there was a king. He was brave and wise. He was loved by all.
He was most eligible bachelor in his kingdom. He had honest
differences with his council on the issues of foreign policy. His
kingdom has a legacy which only few could boast of. He was master
in oratory and judgment. He loved justice more than any thing. Once
he met a beautiful naïve girl on the bank of river while walking in the
morning. He saw the girl dancing and fell in love with her. They lived
happy married life. There was happiness and prosperity in the
kingdom. People were affliction free and fortunately there were no
famines. Everyone loved the king and he was blessed with two
children, one boy and other girl. He loved his children like his
subjects The boy became king when king died due to dengue!
• How did the king die?
RC: Strategies
• Main idea? Look for supporting details:
Answer:
Who? What? Where? When? Why?
• Identify the topic sentence.
• Topic sentence may appear in the first or last
sentence of a passage
Connectors/Indicators
• Identify Connectors, indicators
• To find a coherence, chronology,
sequencing of events
• A logical connection in the passage
RC: Tips
• Transition or contrasting words that indicate a
shift in the text’s meaning, such as
next, before, then, consequently, moreover, in
addition, but, however, perhaps.
• Avoid translating each word or idiom in a
sentence.
• Review your notes by rereading the text
RC: Tips(Logical Pattern)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Logical Pattern =
Idea >
Supporting detail >
Example>
Conclusion
Idea comes before an example
Set Pattern: Beginning, Middle and End
• Beginning (To find topic sentence, theme)
• Words that indicate/enumerate beginning of an
idea initially, outset,
• first and foremost,
• this, that, these, those
• We need to figure out what these refer to?
Set Pattern: Beginning, Middle and End
• Middle is kind of enumerating (To find example,
additional info)
• Firstly, secondly
• Thirdly, furthermore,
• In addition to, however, perhaps
Beginning, Middle and End: Set Pattern
•
•
•
•
Ending (Topic sentence)
Words that denote an END
Hence, in conclusion,
thus, lastly, therefore, last but not the least, at
the end
Contrasting Connectors
Supporting
• Likewise
• Similarly
• In the same way
• And
Contradicting
But
Despite this
However
On the other hand
Task 4
• Allopathic treatment is symptomatic while Ayurveda
treats an elemental level. First may be necessary
immediate relief. However to cure the problem from the
root the treatment at the elemental level is must.
Therefore synergy of modern medical science and
ancient Indian wisdom is in the interest of humanity.
• 1. Topic sentence?
• 2. Contrasting idea
• 3. Conclusion
Example
• Allopathic treatment is symptomatic while Ayurveda
treats an elemental level. First may be necessary
immediate relief. However to cure the problem from the
root the treatment at the elemental level is must.
Therefore synergy of modern medical science and
ancient Indian wisdom is in the interest of humanity.
1. Topic sentence?
2. Contrasting idea
3. Conclusion
CONTEXTUAL IRRELEVANCE
BORED ?
• Replace The Proper Nouns Using x,y,z
• Now, Look At The Passage
 Pea Protein is a complete protein with all essential amino
acids and is particularly high in branched chain amino
acids as well as
X,[arginine] Y [lysine] and
Z[phenyalaline]. It has a very well balanced essential
amino acid profile that fits the requirements set by the
world health organization for adults..
 Branched chain amino acids have been shown to keep the
body in a state of muscle building all day long. This
anabolic effect increases strength gains while helping the
body burn fat and improve lean tissue .
 The Key BCAA’s include A[leucine], B [valine] and C
[isoleucine]. Pea Protein is the best non-animal source of
these powerful BCCAs and with its 98% absorbency rate it
rivals Whey Protein for its effects on metabolism and lean
body tissue.
Replacement
• Tabulation.
You can draw columns
And enter relevant data under the headings
VAGUE QUESTIONS
What is Author’s/Passage’s
• Tone
• Conclusion
• Opinion
• Inference
Task 5
 Pea Protein is a complete protein with all essential amino acids and is
particularly high in branched chain amino acids as well as arginine, lysine
and phenyalaline. It has a very well balanced essential amino acid profile
that fits the requirements set by the world health organization for adults..
 Branched chain amino acids have been shown to keep the body in a state
of muscle building all day long. This anabolic effect increases strength
gains while helping the body burn fat and improve lean tissue .
 The Key BCAA’s include leucine, valine and isoleucine. Pea Protein is the
best non-animal source of these powerful BCCAs and with its 98%
absorbency rate it rivals Whey Protein for its effects on metabolism and
lean body tissue.
 What is the tone of the author in the passage?
a) CYNICAL
b) PERSUASIVE c) INFORMATIVE
d) NARRATIVE
Process of Elimination
•
•
•
•
When there are four options
Eliminate the wrong ones based on logic
Rather than searching for the right answer
As original answer is not given literally
ELIMINATE
• The author is not criticizing, hence option
a) is wrong
• The author is not asking anyone to eat
Pea, hence option b) is not right
• The author is not giving his personal
experience, hence option d) is wrong
Answer
• Option c) Informative