Topic 3: Reading For Information From Different Sources - English Notes Form 3
READING FOR INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES
Reading Intensively for Comprehension
When reading any comprehension, one needs to recognize the logical and grammatical relationship among parts of the concepts. Information can be obtained from:
- newspapers,
- internet,
- television,
- radio and other public documents.
Usually, information should be researched and must have facts. Most comprehensions are with questions to be answered by the reader. There are some important things to understand before one attempts to answer the questions.
Things to consider when reading comprehension questions
i) Comprehension questions are designed to test how well one understands what he/she reads.
ii) However competent you are on the subject, don’t use outside knowledge to answer the comprehension unless stated by the questions.
iii) You have to concentrate o n the passage and come out with all the answers to the comprehension questions.
iv) Before reading a passage, read the questions that follow it in order to know what information is being asked.
Reading Extensively for Comprehension
This involves reading a variety of books/stories for information and pleasure from different sources, particularly the library and other books centers. This part also provides students with sample short stories.
However, students should be provide with a number of books which have various stories, both for information and pleasure. Remember to write a summary of the story after reading it.
Extensive reading involve reading novels, plays ,short stories ,poems, biographies, autobiographies, magazines, journals and many other reading materials.
Extensive reading will improve you English language, will give you information entertain you
Tips on how to read extensively
Read the blurb and the table of contents
If you are reading a non-literary task, like history, lines book, take notes of the main points and supporting point you read
If it’s literary text, at the end of you reading write a report showing:
The title of the book, novelist, playwright or poet
The setting of the story
The plot of the novel, play or poem
The central character in the story
The main theme or central message of the literary work Any new vocabulary or expressions that you have come across
Exercise:
Read any novel or a play that is not part of the literature set texts and then write a report using the guidelines above
Language patterns
Negative sentences
We form negative sentences by adding the word not between the auxiliary verb and the main verb, when these is no auxiliary verb in the affirmative sentences, we add do, does or did
In less formal language use, the auxiliary and the word ‘not’ are contracted so that we get can’t from can not ,doesn’t from does not ,didn’t from did not etc
Exercise Change the following statement to negative sentences 1. Your house is made of wood 2. The car i traveled in was fast 3. This hurts are built on a hall 4. She can play a piano
WRITING A BIOGRAPHY
When you write about someone else, it is called Biography .It includes information like where the person was born, who the person's family is, where they went to school, what job they have had, how and why they made major decisions in their life and the impact of those decisions on themselves and those around them.
When you write about someone else you need to know this person very well. You can not write anything that is not true or that you can not prove . The best way to know this person is to conduct the research. Find information from different sources like newspapers, radio or internet.
Exercise
Write a brief biography about your best friend.
Reading intensively This is the reading where by you read widely and deep
READING SKILLS
Skimming Reading
This involve reading a text quickly in order to pick out the main features , including:
How it is organised
The general nature and purpose of the text
Key points of information and opinion
How to skim a book
a) Read the cover review and the information about the author.
b) Read the table of content
c) Read through the sections and subsection headings if there are any
d) Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph, they often contain the major points.
e) Take note of names of persons, places and events
Scanning Reading
Looking quickly of a passage but this time it is in order to identify relevant features or information.
This skill is useful when reading a passage that requires you to answer questions at the end of the passage.
How to scan a book
a) Skim the book first
b) Read the questions at the end of the book
c) Look quickly through the book to find answers to the questions asked
STRUCTURE
MAKING QUESTIONS
When we are making (forming) Yes/No questions, the auxiliary verb is moved ,to the beginning of the sentence as illustrated below:-
E.g. Tayana has finished her work.
Has Tayana finished her work?
If the statement does not have an auxiliary verb, the appropriate form of the auxiliary do is introduced.
For Example
(1) The boy played football?
Did the boy played football?
(2) Babu Jose gets up early even on weekends
Does Babu Jose get up early even the weekend?
(3) They like to dance on Monday
Do they like to dance on Monday?
When forming Wh-questions from statements, we bring the auxiliary verb before the subject and then we start the question with the Wh –word. Look at the example below
(i) Veronica is cooking ugal in the kitchen
(ii) When is veronica cooking?
(iii) What is veronica doing?
When these is no auxiliary in the statement, the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb ‘do’ is used
Example:-
(i) Yuster studied in the library
(ii) Where did yuster study?
(iii) What did yuster do?
Quantifiers
These are the words that show how much is of something is used with. It can be a single word or phrase and can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
MUCH - Is used with uncountable nouns, like milk ,jam, money and time E.g: (a) I don't have much time (b) How much money do you have?
MANY - Is used with plural countable nouns like bottles of milk, jams, dollars, bannas and books. E.g: (a) I don't have many mangoes (b) Many people come here in January.
A LOT OF - Is uses with both uncountable and countable nouns E.g: (a) I have a lot of pen (countable) (b) I have a lot of time (uncountable)
Also: A lot of can also be used with some slightly meaning as in the following sentences (1) I like ripe bananas a lot (very much) (2) We saw him a lot last month (several times)
LITTLE :- Is used in a negative way , to indicate that amount is not enough or that it is less than the expected These was little work to do , so they did not want to employ many workers
A LITTLE: - We use it when we want to say that the small quantity was enough or more than expected. - A little has a positive meaning, we use it when we are happy with the quantity E.g: There was a little money left, so we were able to compete the project.
FEW –is used in a negative way
E.g. there were few members of the committee, so they could not hold the meeting
A FEW –Is used positively
E.g. there were a few members of the committee so they were able to make decision
Exercise
Complete the sentences below using much ,many ,a lot ,a little, a few, little and few
1) We have __________ oranges
2) We don’t have_______ bananas
3) Edward has ___________ rice, but Alfred doesn’t have_________
4) They asked many questions but _________ were answered
5) The soldiers seemed to have _________ idea whom they fighting and why?
