Reading Comics Is Good For You

READING PASSAGE 1
Questions 1–5
The reading passage has five sections, A–E. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list
below. Write the correct number, i-viii. next to the sections.
List of Headings
1. Section A i. Different skills children learn from reading comics
2. Section B ii. How children with learning problems can benefit from comics
3. Section C iii. An introduction to ether types of reading through comics
4. Section D iv. The social problems caused by reading comics
5. Section E v. A change in attitude towards comics
vi. The importance of prediction in reading comics
vii. The positive effect of images in comics
viii. How reading comics affects second language learners
READING COMICS IS GOOD FOR YOU

A. Since their first appearance on newsstands more than 75 years ago, comic books have been blamed
for a range of social problems including juvenile delinquency and have been condemned and even
censored. But in recent years comics have gained an extraordinary level of recognition, being
transformed into Hollywood blockbusters, entering bestseller lists (as “graphic novels,” the name for
their more grown-up version) and receiving literary awards from the Pulitzer Prize (for Art
Spiegelman’s Maus) to the Guardian First Book Award for Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan. But have
comic books and graphic novels truly shaken off their image as “low culture”? And if so, can they play
a positive role in the development of young people’s reading skills?’
B. One common myth about comics is that reading them can replace the reading of other types of
reading materials. Research shows that worry is mistaken. Boys who read comic books regularly also
tend to read more text-based material and report higher levels of overall reading enjoyment,
compared to boys who do not read comic books (Ujiie & Krashen, 1996). In fact, some evidence
supports the idea that comic books provide a “gateway” to other types of reading material. For
example, some researchers have argued that the language of comic books can help young people
make the change from informal everyday language to formal written language (Krashen, 1993).
C. Another popular myth is that the visual element of comic bocks makes them more suitable for
immature readers. In fact, comics can help readers develop a number of useful language and literacy
skills. The extensive use of images in a comic book requires readers to develop two kinds of literacy:
visual literacy and comics literacy. Visual literacy is the ability to interpret the meaning of various
kinds of illustrations (Fenwick, 1998). Comics literacy refers to the ability to understand a sequence
of events or images, to interpret characters’ non-verbal gestures, to understand a story’s plot and to
make inferences (Lyga, 2006).
D. Comic books allow children to develop many of the same skills as reading text-based books such as
connecting narratives to children’s own experiences, predicting what will happen next and working
out what happens between individual picture panels. Even before children are ready to read text,
comic books can give them practice in making meaning from material printed on a page, tracking left
to right and top to bottom, interpreting symbols, and following the sequence of events in a story
(Edmunds. 2006).
According to L. Starr (2004), comic books have been shown to be useful for beginning readers, since
the reduced text makes the language manageable. Comics expand children’s vocabulary by giving
contexts to words that the child would not normally have been exposed to (Grant, 2006). New readers
can also learn story elements through reading comics. Like novels, comics have a beginning, middle
and end, main characters that develop through conflicts and story climax. Comics thus introduce the
concepts of narrative structure and character development (Grant, 2006).
E. Comic books can help children with learning or reading difficulties. Research highlights how a number
of the features found in comics can be of benefit to those with dyslexia and similar challenges,
particularly the left-to-right organization of comics’ panels, the use of upper case letters, and the use
of symbols and context to help with comprehension. As well, the research indicates that learners who
can read well and those with reading problems are equally attracted to comics.
Questions 6–10
Look at the following statements (6–10) and the list of names below. Match each statement with the
correct name, A–E.
6. Comics help as an introduction to written texts. A. Ujiee & Kr ashen
7. Visual literacy means being able to interpret the meaning of different B. Krashen
images. C. Fenwick
8. It is possible that comics help children understand printed material
D. Edmunds
before they can read text.
9. Fewer words in comics make the language easier for new readers. E. Starr
10. Boys who read comics generally enjoy reading.
Questions 11–14
11. According to the writer in paragraph 1, comic books have been criticized for
A. causing social problems. C. making reading too easy.
B. slowing down readers. D. making reading silly.
12. According to Fenwick, the comic images help the development of
A. many literacy skills. C. two types of literacy.
B. one type of literacy. D. no literacy skills.
13. According to Grant, comics help increase children’s
A. grammar knowledge. C. reading speed.
B. confidence in reading. D. vocabulary range.
14. The writer’s attitude to comics is generally
A. negative. B. indifferent. C. positive. D. not constant.
ANSWER SHEET
1. 8.
2. 9.
3. 10.
4. 11.
5. 12.
6. 13.
7.

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READING PASSAGE 1

READING COMICS IS GOOD FOR YOU

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