Materi Pelatihan Bahasa Inggris bagi

Siswa SMP
Persiapan Masuk SMA Unggul
Kabupaten Samosir
“Students in Samosir are committed to be NUMBER ONE”
Samosir Regency, Sumatra Utara
“Towards Disciplined, Dilligent, and Visionary Students

Reading comprehension, biografi, error analysis, text rumpang, recount text, narative,
descriptive, TOEIC/TOEFL dengan level HOTS

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UNIT 1: Reading Comprehension
the process by which we understand the texts we read. It is the purpose of
reading, why we teach it, and why we care about it. It is also the. prerequisite for
meaningful learning from text.

Types of Reading Comprehension:

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1.1 6 Types of reading comprehension

1. Lexical comprehension means that the teacher will explain new words after the text
have been read to the learners. A wide variety of different words can be used to ask learners
questions about such as:

 Funny or serious?
 The teacher can also give the learners synonyms of the words so that the learners can
understand the content of the text better.

2. Literal comprehension will help the learners understand the text better and make sense
of the text. This type of comprehension will help the learners to identify the main concepts
of the text. The reader uses clues to supply meaning to the text. This type of comprehension

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 it is the most basic comprehension in teaching reading in the Foundation Phase. Learners
can use the reading technique such as skimming to locate information more efficiently.

 What is the main theme of the story?

 What happened at the beginning, middle and end of the text?

3. Interpretive comprehension means asking questions such as what if , why and how.The reader
must be able to read between the lines of the text. This type of comprehension can include:

 Figurative language.
 The mood of the text.
 And giving different opinions about the author's point of view.
 How do you think the text will end?
 What is the theme of the text?

4. Applied comprehension means that the teacher can apply the text to a real -life experience
eg. school environment. This type of comprehension uses the information gathered from the text to
form new ideas. This will help the learners to link his/her own experience to the text and assess the
quality, values of the text and generalizations based on the text.

 Type of questions that can be used in this type of comprehension such as :

What is your opinion based on the text?

What do you think about the text in your personal opinion?

Do you agree with the text or disagree with the text?

What is the best possible outcome to this problem based on the text?

5. Affective comprehension means that learners understand how a plot in the story works, how
the characters fit into the story and also can include emotions. The teacher can also show learners
social scripts to make sure that the learners understand the development of the plot. The teacher
can ask learners questions such as:

 What is the attitude of the learner after the teacher have read the text?
 What emotions do learners have after the teacher have read the text?

6. Effective comprehension means that it will help learners to do things on their own.
Metacognitive learners are able to effectively use a wide variety of comprehension techniques to
make sure that the learners understand the text. The teacher can assist the learner by being
persistent, intensive, explicit so that the learners can become good readers and that the learners can
become aware of text organisation.

Dirty Britain
Before the grass has thickened on the roadside verges and leaves have started growing on the
trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The
pavements are stained with chewing gum that has been spat out and the gutters are full of
discarded fast food cartons. Years ago I remember travelling abroad and being saddened by

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the plastic bags, discarded bottles and soiled nappies at the edge of every road. Nowadays,
Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has
gone wrong?

The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than
before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth for years;
a semi-permanent reminder of what a tatty little country we have now.

Firstly, it is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take
anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However, it is not as if there is no solution to this. A
few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in
three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted
to introduce a similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course.
However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leaving
supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.

What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined initiative, both individual and
collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a
country that looks like a vast municipal rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet
we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy,
people behave cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by squalor, they behave squalidly.
Now, much of Britain looks pretty squalid. What will it look like in five years?

Q1 - The writer says that it is a good time to see Britain before the trees have leaves
because
A. Britain looks perfect
B. You can see Britain at its dirtiest
C. You can see how dirty Britain is now
D. The grass has thickened on the verges

Q2 - According to the writer, things used to be

A. worse abroad
B. the same abroad
C. better abroad
D. worse, but now things are better abroad
Q3 - For the writer, the problem is that
A. rubbish is not cleared up
B. rubbish last longer than it used to
C. our society is increasingly mobile
D. Britain is a tatty country

Q4 - Michael Meacher

A. followed the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags

B. tried to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags
C. made no attempt to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags
D. had problems with the plastics industry who weren't bothered about the tax

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Q5 - The writer thinks

A. it is too late to do anything

B. we are at the tipping point
C. there is no alternative
D. we need to work together to solve the problem

Q6 - The writer thinks that

A. people are squalid.
B. people behave according to what they see around them.
C. people are clean and tidy.
D. people are like a vast municipal rubbish tip.

English as a National Foreign Language in India

India has two national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English.
Hindi is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an associate official
language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves twenty-two regional languages
for official purposes.

Dozens of distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which share many
characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these languages,
Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is mainly in the north of
India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the southern
states of India, where people speak many different languages that are not much related to
Hindi, there is more resistance to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a lingua franca
to a greater degree.

Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a toehold on the Indian subcontinent,
when the East India Company established settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai,
formerly Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is
never far away from everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English
than any other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms,
grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and culture.

In India, English serves two purposes. First, it provides a linguistic tool for the administrative
cohesiveness of the country, causing people who speak different languages to become
united. Secondly, it serves as a language of wider communication, including a large variety
of different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in certain spheres of
influence and in public domains.

Generally, English is used among Indians as a ‘link’ language and it is the first language for
many well-educated Indians. It is also the second language for many who speak more than
one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of

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our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge between the major countries of the world
and India.

English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament, judiciary,
broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a Hindi-speaking teacher
giving their students instructions during an educational tour about where to meet and when
their bus would leave, but all in English. It means that the language permeates daily life. It is
unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities.

The importance of the ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly
because English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become
popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for internet
communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a standard
not because it has been approved by any ‘standards’ organization but because it is widely
used by many information and technology industries and recognized as being standard. The
call centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge expansion of internet-related activity,
establishing the future of India as a cyber-technological super-power. Modern
communications, videos, journals and newspapers on the internet use English and have
made ‘knowing English’ indispensable.

The prevailing view seems to be that unless students learn English, they can only work in
limited jobs. Those who do not have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality
jobs. They cannot communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of
India’s rich social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret
instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help with their
children’s school homework everyday or decide their revenue options of the future.

A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people

into Indian society. There would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community
about the importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen of
the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It has been used as a
medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting both before and since India’s
independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The
impact of English is not only continuing but increasing.

[You can find out more about the languages spoken in India here:https://www.d

saytranslations.com/blog/2016/09/infographic-a-closer-look-at-indias-languages-7848]

Comprehension Questions

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Q1 - According to the writer, the Indian constitution recognises

A. 22 official languages.
B. Hindi as the national language.
C. 2 national, official languages.
D. 2 national languages.

Q2 - English's status as a lingua franca is helped by

A. its status in northern India.

B. the fact that it is widely understood in urban centres.
C. the fact that people from the south speak languages not much related to Hindi.
D. it shares many grammatical similarities with Hindi.

Q3 - In paragraph 3, 'toehold' means that English

A. Dominated India.
B. Changed the names of some cities in India.
C. has had a presence in India.
D. has been in India longer than any other language.

Q4 - Hindi-speaking teachers

A. might well be heard using English.

B. only use English.
C. only use English for instructions.
D. do not use English.

Q5 - In paragraph eight, it says 'the prevailing view', which suggests that

A. the view is correct.

B. the view is held by the majority.
C. the view is incorrect.
D. the view is held by the minority.

Q6 - English in India

A. is going to decrease.
B. has decreased since independence.
C. causes disagreement.
D. is going to have a greater importance.

1.2. READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

THE 7 ESSENTIAL READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

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The 7 reading comprehension strategies we’ll look at in this article are:
• Monitoring
• Visualising
• Activating
• Questioning
• Inferring
• Summarising
• Determining Importance
Now, let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

1. MONITORING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

What is the Monitoring Comprehension Strategy? Put simply, monitoring refers to the
process of assessing your understanding of something as you read it. It requires you to pay
attention to your own thinking as you read a text. As with all of our reading strategies, this
requires students to develop their metacognition – thinking about thinking.
Employing this strategy asks us to notice our own thoughts and filter through them to identify
what is new in our reading, what questions arise, what background knowledge do we have
and what are inferences that we are making as we read.
Monitoring requires us to do all this and observe how it all weaves together to help us unravel
the meaning of a text.
Essentially, the monitoring comprehension strategy requires us to pay close attention and
observe not only the text we are reading, but our own thoughts about and observations on the
text too.
Done diligently, the monitoring comprehension strategy encourages the reader to assess their

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understanding of a text on an ongoing basis.
This allows them to make adjustments to their approach to a text as necessary, ensuring they
don’t mindlessly scan through a text without understanding what they’ve read. A student who
is using this strategy will be an engaged student aware of their current level of understanding
and ability to respond accordingly.
Though the monitoring comprehension strategy is only one of the strategies we will explore
in this article, it can be thought of as a kind of overarching strategy that can encompass
aspects of all the other strategies within it.
How Can I Teach the Monitoring Comprehension Strategy in the Classroom? The
earliest method of employing this strategy is most often reading aloud with our students. We
encourage interactivity while doing this. We model thinking about the text as we read
together, eventually passing over the responsibility for thinking about the text to our students.
To do this, encourage your students to read with partners, to ask questions of each other, and
to draw and write about what they’ve read. This encourages the student to think consciously
about their reading and their comprehension of it.
Be sure too to expose them to a wide range of genres; both fiction and nonfiction. With
enough practice, your students will begin to employ this strategy independently and
automatically each time they read.

2. VISUALIZATION COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

What Is the Visualization Comprehension Strategy? Visualization involves the

construction of mental images with the purpose of drawing meaning from a text. When
engaged in visualization, students will form pictures in their minds of what they have read as
they read it.
However, visualization is perhaps a poor name for this strategy with its suggestion of ‘seeing’
alone. Visualization is actually about engaging more than just our sense of sight. Students
who are adept at using this strategy will not only make mental images in their minds, but
they’ll conjure up in their imaginations the smells, sounds, feel, and tastes of what they read
too.

How Can I Teach the Visualization Comprehension Strategy in the Classroom? The best

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method of teaching this strategy to your students is to use direct modelling. Begin by reading
aloud a familiar story. As you read, describe to the students the mental images that you form
in your mind.
Once you have given students an insight into your thought processes while reading, then
challenge individual students to have a go themselves with short passages, They should read
a sentence or two to begin with, then describe the images in their minds as they read them.
They should continue in this manner until they complete the passage.
With time, this too will become 2nd nature to the students as another string is added to their
bow.

3. ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

What Is the Activating Prior Knowledge Comprehension Strategy? This comprehension

strategy encourages students to make connections between what they’re reading and their
own experiences. In the process, the student’s reading becomes more personally meaningful.
Prior knowledge is the knowledge that students have already. It’s what the student brings to
their reading. The more prior knowledge they have in any given area, the better able they’ll
be to comprehend what they read.
As students learn to make connections between the things they read and their own lives, they
will begin to develop a scaffold on which they can hang new ideas and concepts.
How Can I Teach the Activating Prior Knowledge Comprehension Strategy in the
Classroom? This strategy begins even before the book is opened. First, ask the students to
preview the book. Examine the cover and discuss what they see there. Flip through the pages
of the book together and read the blurb on the back. Discuss with the students what they think
the book might be about based on their observations.
As you read through the book, encourage students to point out when they read something
they know already. What else do they know about this topic? Can they share what they know
with the class?
As with all the strategies in this article, activating prior knowledge gets us thinking about
reading, it is a metacognitive skill as well as a skill that is reliant on the student’s own
knowledge and experience.

4. QUESTIONING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

What Is the Questioning Comprehension Strategy? This comprehension strategy

encourages students to think critically about what they read, as well as helps students to
develop their own sense of curiosity. Just as we ask our students questions in order to
stimulate their thinking, students ask themselves questions about a text to kick start their
exploration of the text in pursuit of understanding. Questioning ensures students engage
closely with a text, making reading more than just a passive pursuit in the process.

How Can I Teach the Questioning Comprehension Strategy in the Classroom? Instruct
students that questioning should take place before, during, and after their reading. It will
provide them with purpose and focus for their reading. In this strategy, students will ask
questions for several reasons, including to clarify meaning (What does this word mean? Why
did that happen?), to understand the events and characters better (Why did she do that? What
would happen if…?), and to understand the writer’s purpose (Why did they write that?).
Asking questions is especially important when a student finds themself not understanding
what is happening. Asking clarification questions helps the student to seek out the
information required to make their comprehension clearer.

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5. INFERRING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

What Is the Inferring Comprehension Strategy? Using this strategy requires the student to
become something of a textual detective. It helps students to understand things that are not
made explicit in the text. It’s what we mean when we say to students “Read between the
lines!”
Rather than simply relying on what the writer has articulated directly in the text, inferring
meaning requires the student to look for clues to figure out the meaning behind the text. This
demands critical thinking on the part of the student and pushes the student to a higher level of
comprehension.

How Can I Teach the Inferring Comprehension Strategy in the Classroom? As with
previous strategies, learning to use inferring as a comprehension strategy begins with teacher
modeling. Choose a section of suitable text, display the text on a whiteboard or give students
copies of it, and read aloud with students. At appropriate points in the text, pause and ask the
students what they think is really going on. Teachers should then provide their answer,
modeling for the students as they do so which clues in the text led them to their conclusion.

SOME USEFUL PROMPTS FOR ENCOURAGING INFERENCE INCLUDE:

• What’s really going on here?
• How do you think the character feels?
• Why do you think that happened?
• How do you know that?

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• What clues led you to that conclusion?
6. Summarizing Comprehension Strategy

What Is the Summarizing Comprehension Strategy? Summarizing means that students

retell the story or information in the text they’ve read in their own words. To do this
successfully, they need to be able to pull out the main points of the text and express these in
their own words. To summarize effectively, the student must express the gist of the text. This
requires them to identify the essential ideas and consolidate the most important elements of
the text that support these ideas.
How Can I Teach the Summarizing Comprehension Strategy in the Classroom? There
are many activities to help students gain valuable practice at summarizing their reading. One
fun activity that can be used is the $2 Sum Up. In this activity each word costs 10c and the
student only has $2, to sum up the main idea of their reading.
This game is fun, but it also helps push the student to gain a clear grasp of the material
they’ve been tasked to summarize. It also offers the student a good opportunity for writing
practice as it forces the student to keep their writing lean and tight.

7. Determining Importance Comprehension Strategy

What Is the Determining Importance Comprehension Strategy? There is a sorting

process that students must learn if they are to successfully navigate their way through the
ocean of words that await them. They’ll need to learn to continuously prioritize the
information that they come across when reading. In the determining importance reading
comprehension strategy, students look for clues in the text to help them sort the bits of
information in the text into a hierarchy of relative value.

How Can I Teach the Determining Importance Comprehension Strategy in the

Classroom? Determining importance demands that the student pays attention to all elements
of the text. They must analyze everything from headings and bullet points, to the language
used in the text right down to the word level.
A simple way to practice this in class is to provide the students with Post-It notes. After
reading a provided text, students should make notes of the various bits of information in the
text on the Post-It notes. When they have done this they can sort the bits of information
according to their overall importance relative to each other.

Turn Over a New Leaf

So, there we have it, 7 reading comprehension strategies to help students get to grips with
even the most complex of texts.
Teaching these strategies to your students can ensure they have enough tools in their toolbox
to ‘fix’ their comprehension of most texts they’ll be asked to read. If one strategy fails, then
they pull out the next one until they have eventually achieved a solid understanding of the
text.
While working on improving student reading comprehension, it is important to remind them
that the road to becoming a proficient reader demands that they don’t just give up at the first
hurdle to understanding. Nor should they plough onwards regardless of the fact the meaning
of the text has eluded them either.
With practice and over time, proficient readers develop competency in a range of strategies
that they can alternate between to unlock the meaning of even the most opaque of texts.

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Content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh. A former principal of an
international school and university English lecturer with 15 years of teaching and
administration experience. Shane’s latest Book the Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing
can be found here. Editing and support for this article have been provided by the
literacyideas team.

1.3. QAR: Questions – Anwer Relationship’s

READING STRATEGIES
=================================================

In secondary school you need to know HOW to find the information that is important
in your textbook and how to ask different types of questions and find the answers to
different question types.

QAR
IN THE BOOK
Think and Search
Right There
The answer is in several places in the
The answer is in one place in the text. You text. You put together (think and
can put your finger on it! Words from the search) different parts of the text to
question and words that answer the questions find the answer.
are often “right there” in the same sentence.
 Skim or reread 
 Look for important information 
Reread
 Piece together different parts 
Scan
Look for keywords. from the text to answer the
question. 
IN MY HEAD
On My Own
Author and You
The answer is not in the text.
The answer is not in the text.
 Think about what you already
 Think about how what you know and
know 
how what’s in the text fit together 
 Think about what you’ve read 
 Reread 
 Think about what you already know 
before 
and what the text says 
 Make connections. 

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  Predict. 

QAR Activity with ‘Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry’

Directions: Read the following passages from chapter 5 and answer the
questions.

Passage 1

“T.J., however, was surprisingly subdued when he settled into the wagon; I suppose that at
three-
thirty in the morning even T.J.’s mouth was tired. But by dawn, when the December sun was
creeping warily upward shooting pale streams of buff-colored light through the forest, he was
fully awake and chattering like a cockatoo. His endless talk made me wish that he had not
managed to wheedle his way so speedily back into Stacey’s good graces, but Big Ma, her
face furrowed in distant thoughts, did not hush him.”

Question: How did Cassie feel about T.J.’s constant talking? The answer to
this question is “right there” in the text.

Answer:
________________________________________________________________
_____
________________________________________________________________
____________

Passage 2

“Mr. Barnett walked to another counter and began filling the order, but before he finished a
white woman called, “Mr. Barnett, you waiting on anybody just now?”

Mr. Barnett turned around. “Just them,” he said, indicating us with a wave of his hand. “What
can I do for you, Miz Emmaline?’ The woman handed him a list twice as long as T.J.’s and
the storekeeper, without a word of apology to us, proceeded to fill it.”

Question: Why would Mr. Barnett be so quick to abandon the children? How
might they feel right now?

To answer this question you must think about what you know, what the
author says, and how they fit together.

Answer:
________________________________________________________________
_____
________________________________________________________________
____________

National Behaviour Support Service [email protected]

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6

Strategy – QAR National Behaviour Support Service Passage 3

“I watched him go, but did not follow. Instead, I ambled along the sidewalk trying to
understand why Mr. Barnett had acted the way he had. More than once I stopped and gazed
over my shoulder at the mercantile. I had a good mind to go back in and find out what had
made Mr. Barnett so mad. I actually turned once and headed toward the store, then
remembering what Mr. Barnett had said about my returning, I swung back around, kicking at
the sidewalk, my head bowed.”

Question: Why is Cassie so indecisive about returning to the store?

“Think and search” about this question and you’ll find the answer. It is
there in the

text, but you may have to search for it.

Answer:
________________________________________________________________
_____
________________________________________________________________
_____________

________________________________________________________________
_____________

Passage 4

“Stop, Cassie!” Big Ma said. « Stop, it’s me. We’re going home now.”
“Not ‘fore she ‘pologizes to my gal, y’all ain’t,” said Mr. Simms.
Big Ma gazed down at me, fear in her eyes, then back at the growing crowd. “She jus’ a
child—” “Tell her, Aunty—”
Big Ma looked at me again, her voice cracking as she spoke. “Go on, child . . . apologize.”

Question: Do you think that Cassie’s apologising to Lillian Jean will improve the
relationship between the Logans and the Simmes? What makes you think that
way?

The text can’t help you answer this one. You must use your experience
and opinions and answer this question “on your own”.

Answer:
________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________
_____________
________________________________________________________________
_____________
________________________________________________________________
_____________

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===============================================

Unit 2: Text Types

2.1 Recount Text

What are recounts?

Recounts are a type of story. They tell what happened in the past by
recounting a series of events one after the other in the order in which they
occurred. Usually they are about everyday, familiar events. When we tell a
recount, we reveal the significance of the people and events by sharing our
personal feelings about them.
Sometimes recounts also include unexpected events or even setbacks, but these events do
crisis for the people experiencing them. Usually listeners and readers have experienced sim
have had similar personal responses to events in their lives and the recounts are reassuring
When we tell a recount, we are telling our listeners and readers that we share with them the
predictable journey through life.

Recounts can be spoken, eg when we tell a friend what

happened yesterday. They can also be written, eg when

we write a diary.

Sometimes a recount is a whole text in itself, eg a child

telling family members what happened at school that
day. At other times it is part of another text, eg part of a
news story.

Why do we use recounts?

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 Sometimes we tell recounts to share with family and friend
happened to us and to share our personal feelings about w
other times we use recounts to record or document very ac
happened in the past.

We usually tell recounts in a creative and entertaining way. We do this by:

choosing the most interesting events from all the events that happened
'painting a picture' of the people and things taking part in the events
telling our audience what we think and feel about the events
When students tell or write recounts, they do the following things with
language:
talk about past events
put people and things into past events
locate past events in time and place
sequence events
express feelings and opinions

Where can I find recounts?

The recount is the most common story pattern and is used in everyday talk with family and friends
and in storybooks. At school we find recounts in all kinds of spoken and written texts, eg storybooks,
poems and history textbooks. Students use recounts when they write journals, or to record what
happened in science experiments.

Definition, Generic Structures, Purposes, Language Features of Recount

Texts:

Definition of Recount Text

Literally, recount means “to tell.” So recount text can be interpreted as “Text that tells”. If
we refer to the information in school books (Read: Junior High School / Senior High School),
recount text is a text that tells the reader about one story, action or activity. Its goal is to
entertaining or informing the reader. But Inside Recount Text there is no complication just
like in Narrative Text.

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Generic Structure of Recount Text

# Orientation : tells who was involved, what happened, where the events took place, and when it
happened.
# Events : tell what happened in chronological sequence.
# Re-orientation : consists of optional-closure of events/ending.

Purpose of Recount Text

The purpose of a recount is to list and describe past experiences by retelling events in the order
in which they happened. Recounts are written to retell events with the purpose of either informing
or entertaining their audience (or both)

In a simple word the purpose of recount text is To retell past experience

Language Feature of Recount Text

– Using the simple past tense, past continuous tense, past perfect tense, and past perfect
continuous tense.
– Using temporal sequence, e.g. On Saturday. On Monday, On Sunday
– Focus on specific participant, e.g. I (the writer)
– Using the conjunctions, such as: then, before, after, etc.
– Using action verb, e.g. went, stayed

Example of Recount Text about Experience with Someone

My Experience Met with Taufik Hidayat

Orientation:

Last sunday, there was Thomas cup badminton championship between Indonesa and China. It
was held on Istora Gelora Bung Karno. I went to Istora Gelora Bung Karno with my Brother, Andi.

Events:

Before entering Istora Gelora Bung Karno, we looked the bus that took Indonesian badminton team
players. I saw taufik Hidayat, Muhammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan, Hayom Rumbaka, Angga

19
Pratama, Rian Agung, Simon Santoso, Sony Dwi Kuncoro and the other Indonesian badminton
players in that bus. They were very handsome. Then, we followed that bus to main-entrance. I
found that Taufik Hidayat left from the bus. When we wanted to get close to Taufik Hidayat, a
security guard held me back. But, I thought that security guard was familiar because He was my
old friend when I was senior high school, he was Andre. After that, he let me in, finally i could meet
Taufik Hidayat and got his signature.

Reorientation:

Then, I went back to my seat at the Istora stadium to support Indonesian team. The supporter was
very crowded. They shouted “IN-DO-NE-SI-A” during the match.

Questions for Recount:

Here is my unforgettable experience. One day I joined a story telling contest. Two of
my friends and I had been chosen to take a part in the final round at the district level.
I was very happy and eager to win the competition.

For preparation, I had to memorize and understand the story well. My teacher guided
and taught me pronunciation, facial expression and gestures. One day, before
performing, my friends and I were busy to prepare the props and costumes for the
competition. Thing that made me sad was my teacher rented the props and costumes
for my friends but not for me.

My two friends had beautiful costumes and luxurious props. Although I just wore the
simple ones, I performed my best to win the competition. The competition started. I
got number 29 and my friends got number 5 and 10. I was nervous but I showed my
best performance on stage. Lots of people took photos and videos of me.

Finally, anxiety was gone after I had finished performing. And then, the
announcement came which made three of us very uneasy. Luckily I was chosen as
the first winner. I went to the stage and all the judges congratulated me and gave a
plaque, trophy, and money. I was very happy.

What is the writer’s intention to write the text?

A. To tell his achievement

B. To win the competition.

C. To describe his feeling to the teacher.

D. To show his disappointment to teacher.

E. To tell his expectation to be the winner.

Why did the writer feel sad before the competition?

20
A. She had no luxurious gown.

B. Her teacher really cares about her.

C. Her teacher was not fair to her.

D. Her friends did not support her.

E. She only had a very simple dress.

From the text it can be concluded that . . .

A. Practice makes performance go well.

B. Being nervous helps perform well on the stage.

C. Wearing simple clothes can help win the competition.

D. It is necessary to wear beautiful costumes for the competition.

E. Beautiful costumes and luxurious props are the requirements for the competition

Reichstag
If you have an opportunity to travel to Europe, especially Germany, then take your
time to visit Berlin. Many places are worth visiting, such as the Reichstag.

The Reichstag is an internationally recognizable symbol of democracy and the

current home of the German parliament. Every year, thousands of guests visit the
Reichstag-and with good reason: it is not often that you can enjoy such an amazing
panorama while, just beneath your feet, the political decisions of tomorrow are being
made. Both as an architectural wonder and a historical testimony, the Reichstag has
an important role to play in Berlin.

The original building was designed by Paul Wallot and modelled after the Memorial
Hall in Philadelphia. Decorative motifs, sculptures and mosaics were contributed by
the artist Otto lessing. The Reichstag was completed in 1894 although it didn’t
acquire its iconic dedication to “the German People” until 1916 when the words Dem
Deutschen Volke were inscribed on its facade.

The Reichstag is easily accessible by public transport as it is situated just a short

distance from Berlin’s main rail station, the Hauptbahnhof. The number 100 bus,
which provides an unrivalled sightseeing opportunity along its route between the Zoo
Station in the West and Alexanderplatz in the East, also stops at the Reichstag, as
does the M41.

21
The nearest U-Bahn station to the Reichstag is the Bundestag. It is the middle station
of only three stations on what is surely Berlin’s shortest U-Bahn line which runs
between the Hauptbahnhof and Brandenburger Tor.

What is the writer’s intention to write the text?

A. To promote Berlin as a must visit in Europe.

B. To see the symbol of democracy in Germany.

C. To tell readers about the Reichstag.

D. To describe furniture inside the Reichstag.

E. To let people know about how good Otto Lessing was as an artist.

What is the Reichstag?

A. The Berlin Museum.

B. The Berlin famous castle.

C. The Germany’s parliament building.

D. The Europe Civilization Museum.

E. A famous TV station from Germany.

Born into a family of doctors in Kampung Ketapang, Kwitang Barat, Jakarta,

Abdulrachman Saleh also became a doctor. After finishing MULO, he studied at
STOVIA. While still a student, he was appointed assistant at the laboratory of
physiology. Graduating from STOVIA, Abdulrachman Saleh continued his work at the
lab while having his own medical practice.

Abdulrachman Saleh’s role in medicine was significant. He became a lecturer in

Jakarta, Surabaya, Malang, and Klaten. For his meritorious service in medicine,
specifically in physiology, in 1958, the University of Indonesia bestowed him the title
of “Bapak Ilmu Faal” (Father of Physiology).

Abdulrachman Saleh was a man of many interests. He was involved in youth

organizations like Boy Scouts and Indonesia Muda. He was also a member of Aero
club, and co-founded the Verenigde Oosterse Radio Omroep (VORO), an
organization of broadcasters. It was he who established the Voice of Free Indonesia,
the radio station which spread the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence to the
world

Abdulrachman Saleh was bestowed the title Father of Physiology

because?

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A. The was a lecturer in the Medical faculty of the University of
Indonesia.

B. He had significant contribution in physiology.

C. He was a lecturer as well as a doctor.

D. He was a lecturer in many parts of Indonesia E. he was a professor in

physiology.

E. He was a man of many interest

Besides medicine, Abdulrachman also had a special interest in?

A. Laboratorium assistance.

B. Aeroplane designing.

C. Broadcasting.

D. Politics.

E. Student organizations.
The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty, arguably one of New York City’s most iconic symbols, is
a popular tourist attraction for first-time visitors to the city. This 150-foot
monument was gifted to the United States from France in order to celebrate
100 years of America’s independence. The statue is located on Liberty Island,
and it is accessible by taking a ferry from either Battery Park in New York City
or Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

When Claire visited the Statue of Liberty for the first time, she instantly
admired it as a symbol of freedom. Claire made sure to make reservations
before her visit because only 240 people are permitted to climb the staircase to
the top of the statue every day. After climbing almost 400 stairs, Claire
received spectacular views of the city from the statue’s crown.

During her visit, Claire learned that the Statue of Liberty was not always the
color that it is now. She found out that because the statue’s exterior is made of
copper, the statue oxidized over time, giving it the greenish appearance it has
in present day. When it was first constructed, the statue was the same color as
a shiny penny!

After touring the Statue of Liberty, Claire spent the rest of the day in New York
City visiting other important monuments and historic landmarks. Claire left

23
New York hoping to have had the time to explore more sites, but she can’t wait
to return to the city in the future.

1. Who gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?

A. The British
B. The Spanish
C. The French
D. The Dutch
AnswerJawaban: C

2. What was the Statue of Liberty intended to celebrate?

A. Open immigration to the United States
B. A century of American independence
C. The end of the Civil War
D. Economic recovery from the Great Depression
AnswerJawaban: B

3. How many people are permitted to climb the statue’s stairs per day?
A. 150
B. 400
C. 240
D. 100
AnswerJawaban: C

4. From which part of the statue did Claire receive spectacular views of the city?
A. The mouth
B. The crown
C. The eyes
D. The nose
AnswerJawaban: B

5. Why has the Statue of Liberty changed color over time?

A. It was painted green during restorations.
B. New York’s poor air quality has eroded the statue.
C. Its copper exterior oxidized.
D. The statue is poorly maintained by the city.
AnswerJawaban: C

Las Vegas

Last April, John took a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is a popular
destination in the western portion of the United States. The town is most
popular for its casinos, hotels, and exciting nightlife.

24
In downtown Las Vegas, John spent a lot of time on The Strip, which is a 2.5
mile stretch of shopping, entertainment venues, luxury hotels, and fine dining
experiences. This is probably the most commonly visited tourist area in the
city. The Strip at night looks especially beautiful. All of the buildings light up
with bright, neon, eye-catching signs to attract visitor attention.

A stay in Las Vegas can feel similar to a visit to many popular cities worldwide.
Many of the hotels have miniature versions of important international sites and
monuments. These famous landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, Venice, and
even ancient Rome.

One day, John took a side trip outside of the city to visit the Grand Canyon,
one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The canyon offers a
breathtaking view of Nevada’s ridges and natural landscape. John especially
liked the canyon because it was removed from all of the noise and movement
in downtown Las Vegas.

John had a great time during his trip to Las Vegas. He did not win a lot of
money in the casinos. However, he managed to see a lot of amazing sites
during his visit to this city that never sleeps.

6. When did John travel to Las Vegas?

A. Last weekend
B. Last summer
C. Last spring
D. Yesterday

7. What is an activity that a tourist cannot do on The Strip?

A. Eat
B. Visit the Grand Canyon
C. Stay overnight
D. Shop

8. Which best describes the purpose of the Las Vegas Strip?

A. It is a 2.5 mile stretch.
B. It keeps tourists safe.
C. It offers a lot of activities for tourists.
D. There are too many neon lights.

9. Explain why John liked his visit to the Grand Canyon.

A. The setting was very different from downtown Las Vegas.
B. John does not enjoy spending time in cities.

25
 C. The Grand Canyon offers a breathtaking view.
D. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

10. What does it mean that Las Vegas is a “city that never sleeps?”
A. A lot of people here have sleep disorders.
B. There is too much noise here for people to sleep.
C. The neon lights keep people awake at night.
D. Las Vegas offers exciting activities at all hours.

2.1.1 Biography

Biography text is a kind of text which describes a person's life and written by someone else
in detail.
The purpose of biography text :
1. To understand a person’s story of life outside of any accomplishments this person may
be known for.
2. To enable many information and educate the readers.
2.1.2 Generic Structure of Biography Text
Orientation
=> It is the opening paragraph. It tells the background information of the
person. Usually, it consists of a person's identity such as full name,
address and date of birth.
Events
=> It is written in chronological order. This paragraph tells about the event
happened to the person.
Re - orientation (optional)
=> It consists of conclusion or a comment or the writer. It also tells about
the achievement or the contribution of the person.

2.1.3 Linguistic Features of Biography Text

Use simple past tense
Example : He was born on August 17, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Use time sequence
Example : His parents were divorced when he was three years old.
Focus on specific participant

26
Example : Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky
(USA). He worked on the farm of his father.
Use action verb
Example : He did different types of jobs before he settled as a highly
successful lawyer.
Example of the biography text :
source : http://englishwithsmiles.blogspot.com/2017/05/biography-text.html
Faraday studied the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a DC electric current. While
conducting these studies, Faraday established the basis for the electromagnetic field concept
in physics, subsequently enlarged upon by James Maxwell. He similarly discovered
electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and laws of electrolysis. He established that
magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between
the two phenomena. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation
of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became
viable for use in technology.
As a chemist, Michael Faraday discovered benzene, investigated the clathrate hydrate of
chlorine, invented an early form of the Bunsen burner and the system of oxidation numbers,
and popularized terminology such as anode, cathode, electrode, and ion.
Although Faraday received little formal education and knew little of higher mathematics,
such as calculus, he was one of the most influential scientists in history. Historians of science
refer to him as the best experimentalist in the history of science. The SI unit of capacitance,
the farad, is named after him, as is the Faraday constant, the charge on a mole of electrons
(about 96,485 coulombs). Faraday’s law of induction states that magnetic flux changing in
time creates a proportional electromotive force.
Faraday was the first and foremost Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution
of Great Britain, a position to which he was appointed for life.
Albert Einstein kept a photograph of Faraday on his study wall alongside pictures of Isaac
Newton and James Clerk Maxwell.
Faraday was highly religious. He was a member of the Sandemanian Church, a Christian sect
founded in 1730 that demanded total faith and commitment. Biographers have noted that a
strong sense of the unity of God and nature pervaded Faraday’s life and work.
5. What was Michael Faraday expert?
A. science, history and religion
B. chemistry, electricity and calculus
C. electronic, technology and religion
D. chemistry, physic and mathematics
E. physic, technology and photography

6. Which of the following statements closely relates to Michael Faraday?

A. Michael Faraday dedicated his life in science and religion.
B. Michael Faraday was downhearted his life in science.
C. Michael Faraday concentrated his life in technology.

27
D. Michael Faraday was one of successful scientists.
E. Michael Faraday poured his science in technology.
7. Based on the first paragraph, we conclude that ….
A. Faraday and James found the similar electromagnetic
B. Faraday found the electromagnetic induction
C. James discovered a DC electric current
D. James invented the motor technology
E. Faraday found the motor technology

Picasso was one of the most outstanding and important artists of the 1900’s. He is best known for his
paintings. Almost every style in modern art is represented in Picasso’s works.
Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain as the son of an art teacher. He studied painting from his
father and his college level course of study at the academy of arts in Madrid.
From about 1895 to 1901, he painted realistic works in a traditional stylE. He, then, entered what was
called the Blue PerioD. During this time, he only used shades of blue in his paintings to show the
poverty he saw in Barcelona.
After 1908, he entered into the style of cubism. Among his well-known cubist paintings are “Three
Musicians” and “Man with a Guitar”.
Picasso died in Moughins, France in 1973. He was really great artist.

. Why did Picasso become so popular? because ….

A. he was the most outstanding artist of the 1990’s.

B. he was known for his great paintings
C. he painted in traditional style.
D. he was son of an art teacher.
E. he studied in art school.
9. According to text, Picasso ….
A. died in Spain 1973.
B. was born in Malaga, Italy.
C. was famous for his painting style.
D. had a father who worked as an art teacher.
E. finished his study at the academy of Arts in Madrid.

10. What can be inferred from the text?

A. Picasso’s father was not good at art.
B. Picasso passed away at the age of 92.
C. Picasso was unpopular artist of 1990’s.
D. Blue Period shows the prosperity in Barcelona.
E. For 8 years, Picasso painted realistic works in a traditional style

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior born 5 February 1992, commonly known as Neymar, is a Brazilian
footballer who plays for La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team, as forward or
winger.
At the age of 19, Neymar Jr won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award, after coming
third in 2010. He followed this up by winning it again in 2012. In 2012 Neymar received nominations
for the FIFA Ballon d’or, where he came 10th, and the FIFA Puskas Award, which he won. He is
known for his acceleration, speed, dribbling, finishing and ability with both feet. His playing style has
earned him critical acclaim, with fans, media and former players drawing comparison to former Brazil
player Pele, who has called Neymar “an excellent player”.
Neymar joined Santos 2003 and after through the ranks, he was promoted to their first team squaD.
He made his debut for Santos in 2009 and was voted the Best Young Player of the 2009 Campeonato
PaulistA. Further honours followed, with Neymar being voted best player as Santos won the 2010

28
Campeonato Paulista, and also being top score in the 2010 Copa de Brasil with 11 goals. He finished
the 2010 season with 42 goals in 60 games as his club achieved the DoublE. Neymar was again
voted best player of the year in 2011 as his retained the state title and Santos also winning the 2011
Copa Libertadores in which Neymar scored 6 goals in 13 appearances. He also playeda key role in
securing a continental Double for his team, Santos’ first since 1963. He received the Bronze Ball in
the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, with Santos making it to the final, where they were defeated 4-0 by
Barcelona.

11. What happened to Neymar in 2011?

A. He made his first debut
B. He moved to FC Barcelona
C. He received the FIFA Puskas Award
D. He scored 6 goals in 13 appearances
E. He helped Brazil to win their 11th title
12. The main idea of paragraph 3 is…
A. Neymar played for Santos
B. Neymar joined Santos
C. Neymar played the best
D. Neymar received awards
E. Neymar scored many goals

13. “…who has called Neymar an excellent player” (paragraph 2). The word ‘excellent’ is closest in
meaning to …
A. Confident
B. Fantastic
C. Magnificent
D. Skillful
E. Generous

2.2 NARRATIVE TEXT

- The definition, purposes, generic structures andexample of Narrative text

A. The definition of narrative text

Narrative text is a story with complication or problematic events and it tries to find the
resolutions to solve the problems. An important part of narrative text is the narrative mode,
the set of methods used to communicate the narrative through a process narration.

B. The purpose of narrative text

The Purpose of Narrative Text is to amuse or to entertain the reader with a story.

C. Generic Structures of Narrative Text

1) Orientation

29
Sets the scene: where and when the story happened and introduces the participants of the
story: who and what is involved in the story.

2) Complication

Tells the beginning of the problems which leads to the crisis (climax) of the main
participants.

3) Resolution

The problem (the crisis) is resolved, either in a happy ending or in a sad (tragic) ending

4) Re-orientation/Coda

This is a closing remark to the story and it is optional. It

consists of a moral lesson, advice or teaching from the writer

D. Example of Narrative Text

Long, long ago, when the gods and goddesses used to mingle in the affairs of mortals, there was a
small kingdom on the slope of Mount Wayang in West Java. The King, named Sang Prabu, was a
wise man. He had an only daughter, called Princess Teja Nirmala, who was famous for her beauty
but she was not married. One day Sang Prabu made up his mind to settle the matter by a show of
strength.
After that, Prince of Blambangan, named Raden Begawan had won the competition. Unfortunately,
the wicked fairy, Princess Segara fell in love with Raden Begawan and used magic power to render
him unconscious and he forgot his wedding. When Sang Prabu was searching, Raden Begawan saw
him and soon realized that he had been enchanted by the wicked fairy. The fairy could not accept
this, so she killed Raden Begawan. When Princess Teja Nirmala heard this, she was very sad. So a
nice fairy took her to the Kahyangan.

1. Which one of the following statements is false about Sang Prabu?

A. Sang Prabu was a father of his only daughter
B. Sang Prabu was a king of a kingdom in West Java
C. Sang Prabu was taken to Kahyangan by a wicked fairy
D. Sang Prabu was a wise man
E. Sang Prabu didn’t have a son
2. Why the wicked fairy did used her magic to make Raden Begawan unconscious?
A. She didn’t like Raden Begawan
B. She didn’t want Raden Prabu marry the princess
C. She wanted Teja Nirmala to forget about her wedding
D. She didn’t want the prince of Blambangan marry the princess
E. She didn’t want the prince of Blambangan feel love with her
3. What do you think will happen if gods or goddesses cannot mingle in the affairs of people in the
earth at that time?
A. Princess Segara will have married with Raden Begawan
B. Sang Prabu will not hold strength competition
C. Raden Begawan will not die

30
D. Teja Nirmala will stay in the Kahyangan
E. Wicked Fairy will not take Raden Begawan’s life
4. So a nice fairy took her to the Kahyangan. (Paragraph 2) The word her in the sentence refers to…
A. The wicked fairy
B. The nice fairy
C. Princess Nirmala
D. Prince Teja
E. The prince of Blambangan

5. The similarity between fairy and human according to the text.

A. The place they live
B. The jealousy that they posses
C. The way they don’t feel a love
D. The strength they have
E. Their life that is immortal

Once upon the time, there lived on the island of Bali a giant-like creature named Kbo Iwo. The people
of Bali used to say that Kbo Iwo was everything, a destroyer as well as a creator. He was satisfied
with the meal, but this meant for the Balinese people enough food for a thousand men.
Difficulties arose when for the first time the barns were almost empty and the new harvest was still a
long way off. This made Kbo Iwo wild with great anger. In his hunger, he destroyed all the houses
and even all the temples. It made the Balinese turn to rage.
So, they came together to plan steps to oppose this powerful giant by using his stupidity. They asked
Kbo Iwo to build them a very deep well, and rebuild all the houses and temples he had
destroyed. After they fed Kbo Iwo, he began to dig a deep hole.
One day he had eaten too much, he fell asleep in the hole. The oldest man in the village gave a sign,
and the villagers began to throw the limestone they had collected before into the hole. The limestone
made the water inside the hole boiling . Kbo Iwo was buried alive. Then the water in the well rose
higher and higher until at last it overflowed and formed Lake Batur. The mound of earth dug from the
well by Kbo Iwo is known as Mount Batur.

6. Which the following fact is true about Kbo Iwo?

A. Kebo Iwo ate a little amount of meat
B. Kebo Iwo is a destroyer that cannot make anything
C. Kebo Iwo was angry because his food was stolen by Balinese people
D. Kebo Iwo destroyed all the house but not the temple
E. Kebo eat food was equal for food of thousand people
7. Why did Kbo Iwo feel angry to the Balinese people?
A. Because Balinese people ate his meal
B. Because Balinese people took his food so his barns was empty
C. Because Balinese people didn’t give him food
D. Because Balinese people were in hunger
E. Because Balinese people turned to rage
8. According to the story, if Kbo Iwa is never existed in Bali island, what do you think will happen?
A. There will be no Bali island
B. Bali People will never be angry
C. All Bali people will live in a prosperous way
D. We are not able see the beauty of Lake Batur
E. Mount Batur will not be a sacred place now

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9. “So, they came together to plan steps to oppose this powerful giant……”(Paragraph 3). The
antonym of the word “oppose “ is….
A. Support
B. Defeat
C. Turn Against
D. Beat
E. Change
10. What is mount batur?
A. A lake build by Kbo Iwa
B. A well dug by Kbo iwa
C. The mountain build by Kbo Iwa
D. A mound of earth dug from the well by Kbo iwa
E. A home build by Balinese people to Kbo Iwa

A long time ago, very few people lived in the New Territories. There were only a few villages. If the
people wanted to go from one village to another, they often had to pass through wild and unsafe
forest.
One day, a farmer’s young wife went to the next village to visit her own mother and brother. She
brought along her baby son. When it was time for her to leave, her brother said “ it is getting
dark. Let my son, Ah Tim go with you though the forest.”
So Ah Tim led the way and the young woman followed behind, carrying her baby. When they were in
the forest, suddenly they saw a group of wolves. They began to run to avoid the danger, but Ah Tim
kicked against a stone and fell down. At once the wolves caught him. The young woman cried to the
wolves, “ please eat my own son instead.” Then, she put her baby son on the ground in front of the
wolves and took her nephew away. Everyone understood that this was because the woman was very
good and kind. She had offered her own son’s life to save her nephew.
They ran back to the house and called for help. All men in the village fetched thick sticks and went
back with her into the forest. When they got there, they saw something very strange. Instead of
eating the woman’s baby the wolves were playing with him.

11. What separated between one village to another a long time ago in the New Territories ?
A. Another village
B. Mountains
C. Forests
D. Hills
E. Towers and logs
12. Who was Ah Tim ?
A. The young woman’s brother
B. The young woman’s son
C. The young woman’s brother and nephew
D. The young woman’s brother’s son
E. One of the men who fetched a stick
.
13. Who walked in front when they were in the forest ?
A. Ah Tm
B. The woman
C. The woman’s son
D. Her brother’s nephew
E. The baby and his mother

32
14. How could the wolves catch Ah Tim ?
A. He was afraid
B. He was stumbled by a stone
C. He ran slowly
D. The woman cried
E. The wolves were good runners
15. The woman gave her son to the wolves because
A. She loved her nephew than her son.
B. She thought about how her brother would be
C. She wanted her son was eaten by the wolves
D. She was crazy
E. She kept a grudge on his brother
16. What did the villagers bring sticks for ?
A. For the weapon to beat the wolves
B. To bring the woman’s nephew
C. For the fire woods.
D. For play
E. For building a house for the woman.
17. “ all men in the village fetched thick stick … “ The word “ fetched” has a similar meaning to :
A. Received
B. Caught
C. Got
D. Hit
E. Lifted

2.3. Descriptive Text

33
Definition, Structure Text, Characteristics Text , Example and Exercise of

Descriptive Text

2.3.1 The Definition of Descriptive Text

Descriptive text is a text which says what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to
describe and reveal a particular person, place, or thing.

2.3.2 Structure Text (Generic Structure)

Descriptive text has its own rules in writing, including in the structure or composition of
which must be written in order. If you are prompted to create descriptive text, then make
sure the structure is as follows:

1. Identification

This section in the first paragraph - the goal is to identify something to be described or
depicted. Explanation easy, Identification serves to introduce the reader about the object or
something that we have described before we tell about its properties. The goal is not to get
one of those readers.

2.3.3 Description

This section in the second paragraph and so on - contains the properties inherent in
something that you already introduced to the reader in the first paragraph.

Characteristics of Descriptive Text

34
These characteristics are important for you to take into account when writing the
descriptive text is not wrong. So make sure you use the following features when using the
genre will write descriptive text :

1. Using the Simple Present Tense.

Why use the simple present tense? this is because we will describe a fact or truth that is
attached to something or someone. And one of the functions of the simple present is
to illustrate a fact or truth (eg fact: the sun is hot). Therefore, you should always use the
first form of the verb (verb-1). Your example will illustrate the properties of your new car:
The color of my car is black, it can run up to 500 km / hour.
2. Because of its function is to describe something by explaining its properties, then the
text will be found many descriptive adjectives (adjective), as handsome, beautiful, tall,
small, big, or if the adjective is derived from the verb, then you will find additional -ve, -ing, -
nt in tow,
3. In the descriptive text we will often find Relating verb (copula) which is (as in
characteristic number 1). In Indonesian is often interpreted as "is". Because the purpose or
function descriptive text is to describe, then definitely we will often find the word was (is).
His name is Andy (his name was Andy), his height is 160 cm (height is 160 cm).
Example of Descriptive Text
My Beloved Teddy Bear

(Identification)
I have a favorite doll. It is an original Teddy Bear from America. My boyfriend gave it to me
as my birthday present last year. I was very happy. I put it on a cabinet next to my bed.
Sometimes I use it as a pillow.

(Description)
My Teddy Bear is very big, and the colour is cream. It is about 180
and the width is about 50 centimeters. When I put it on my
bed it will occupy half of it. It is almost as big as my body. It is made
of typical kind of fabric called rasfur. The head is round with the size of
25 centimeters. It has two ears which located on top of its head. The shape
of the ear is half circle and the size is half of my palm. The colour of
its eye is dark brown. I think it is made of glass since I can see through
it. It has a blue shirt encircling its body. On the sole of each
foot, there is a paw pattern made of smooth fabric.

35
Orchard Road

Orchard Road is a Boulevard which becomes business and entertainment center in

Singapore. Orchard Road is surrounded by a lush tropical and flower gardens which
are beautiful. At first, Orchard Road is just a suburban street lined with orchards,
plantations nutmeg, and pepper farming. However, in the 1970s, it turned into a
shopping center in Singapore. In 1960 and 1970 entertainment industries began to
enter this road. Shopping centers such as mall and Plaza was built in 1974.

Orchard Road runs along about 2.2 km. This road is one-way street flanked by a
variety of shopping malls, hotels and restaurants. The shopping area which is nearly
800,000 square meters provides a wide range of Things, food, and entertainment. In
this area there are many options that can satisfy visitors from all walks of life starting
from the luxury branded things to the Popular branded, from exclusive restaurants to
fast food.

There are so many ways that can be accessed to get to Orchard road such as: by
taxi, bus or drive your own car. For those who are driving to Orchard Road can be
entered from the west through the Napier Road. Vehicles from Dunearn Road can
turn to left at the intersection of the Marriott Hotel junction. Vehicles that come
from Paterson can turn right onto Orchard Road. Orchard is always crowded so you
have to be careful in order not to get lost.

1. The text mainly focuses on

a. Singapore
b. Orchard Plantation
c. Plaza and Mall
d. Orchard road as business and entertainment center
e. Shopping Center

2. Which statement is TRUE?

a. At first Orchard Road is a crowded settlement
b. Orchard road became business and entertainment center since 1974
c. Vehicles from Dunrean road turn to the left at intersection of the Marriott Hotel
junction
d. Orchard road is infamous place at Singapore
e. Orchard road is not surrounded by flower garden

3. In the third paragraph the writer describes about?

a. The location of Orchard Road
b. The things that we can see at orchard road
c. The direction to get to Orchard Road
d. The history of Orchard Road
e. The distance of Orchard Road

36
4. Words “it” in line 4 refers to?
a. The plantation
b. Luxury branded things
c. The plaza
d. Singapore
e. Suburban street

5. The word “satisfy” in line eighth has the closet meaning with?
a. Pleased
b. Free
c. Frighten
d. Threat
e. Loved

Petruk Cave

Petruk cave is one of the leading tourist attractions in Kebumen, Central Java. The
cave is located in the dukuh Mandayana Candirenggo Village, Ayah District, Kebumen
regency. In the petruk cave there is no lighting that illuminates the cave. It is still very
natural cave so that petruk cave is very dark to be entered. Petruk cave’s name is
taken from the punokawan of puppet characters that is Petruk. The cave Named
Petruk cave because the length of cave is as long as petruk’s nose.

In the cave there are 3 floors that are the first is a basic cave, Hindu caves and Petruk
cave. The base cave is a short cave which is just 100 meters away. The cave is used for
tourist attractions. Hindu cave is part of the cave that is usually used to put offerings
to the ancestor. Inside Petruk cave there are so many stalactites and stalagmites
which are really awesome. If you want to explore this cave, you must be led by guides
who are ready to take you through the cave. After arriving at the end of the cave, you
can see the beach or waterfall located near at the end of the cave

6. What is the text purpose?

a. To inform readers about tourism in Kebumen
b. To entertain reader about Petruk Cave
c. To explain the reader about floors in Petruk Cave
d. To Introduce The Local tourism in Kebumen
e. To describe Petruk Cave

7. Why did Petruk cave named as one of character in Punokawan puppet?

a. Because the cave is belong to Petruk
b. Because Petruk is the first explorer of the cave
c. Because Petruk is buried at the cave
d. Because the cave’s length is as long as Petruk’s nose
e. Because the cave’s depth is as deep as Petruk’s hair

37
8. Which part of Petruk Cave which used for place to put foods for ancestor?
a. In the basic cave
b. In petruk cave
c. In Hindu cave
d. In front of the cave
e. Inside the cave

9. What is stalactites means?

a. A type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves
b. Types of formation that lay on the floor of caves
c. Types of food given to ancestor
d. Someone who guide the visitor in the cave
e. Kind of animals in the cave

10. What is “lead” means in paragraph 2?

a. Guide
b. Take
c. Bring
d. Put
e. Place

UNIT 3: Cloze Procedure

3.1 What is a cloze procedure?

A cloze exercise is a type of reading comprehension activity. It has a passage of text
with missing words - children need to fill in the blank spaces using words from a list
or word bank. The words are usually removed at regular intervals, such as every five
words.

They're similar to but different from gap-fill exercises, where words are chosen and
removed to practise a specific language point.

3.2 What is a cloze exercise useful for?

Taking a cloze exercise tests a child's vocabulary, spelling and language skills all at the same
time. It encourages children to think carefully about word choice so that they can pick out
the word that best fits the blank space.
In order to choose the word that's best suited to the missing space, children have to read
and understand the surrounding text as well. This is a test of reading comprehension - can
they decipher the meaning well enough to understand which word needs to be added to
complete the text? This teaches children to look at context clues and make use of them.

38
Cloze exercises also help children to think critically and analytically about what they're
reading. When deciding which word to put in the blank space, children will have to decide
what kind of word will fit into the sentence - should it be an adjective, verb or noun?
Choosing the correct one shows an understanding of grammar and language.A cloze
procedure is a great exercise for teachers to give to their pupils. Not only does it help with
their reading, but it's also a fun way to learn about a topic. The text often provides useful
information for a child to learn and really makes them think about what they're reading as

they have to fill in the gaps.

3.1 Tips for Passing a Cloze Exercise

Help your child or your pupils pass their cloze test by using these handy tips.

Read the whole text through before choosing any words from the word bank. While one
word might seem like a good fit for a blank space at the start of the text, it might fit better
elsewhere. It's also essential to have a solid understanding of what the whole text is about.
Remember to think of grammar and syntax. Does this blank space need a noun, adjective or
verb? This will help children to narrow down which words can grammatically fit in the blank,
then they can choose the one that makes sense in context.
Use a pencil when writing. This way, if they change their mind about where a word should
go, they can easily erase it and start again.
Start with the ones you're most confident about first. If there are some blanks they're not
sure about, encourage them to add the ones they are sure about first. This will help with the
process of elimination.
Carefully read through the words in the word bank. Do they know what each of the words
mean? If not, encourage them to use their knowledge of spelling rules and the context to
estimate their meanings.
Once the cloze exercise is fully filled in, read it back. This is a good way to check whether it
makes sense. Reading aloud is the best way to check that all the words have been put in the
right places.
3.2 Example of Cloze Procedures
There are two types of cloze exercises: cloze paragraphs and cloze words.

Cloze Paragraphs
This cloze exercise about giraffes has blank spas in each sentence. There's also a
word bank at the top, filled with words that would fit these blank spaces.

39
After reading The Diary of Anne Frank, a student is asked, “Who is Anne Frank?” To answer
the question, the student simply recalls the information he or she memorized from the
reading.

With the implementation of Common Core, students are expected to become critical
thinkers instead of just recalling facts and ideas from text. In order for students to reach this
potential and be prepared for success, educators must engage students during instruction
by asking higher-order questions.

40
UNIT 4: Higher-order Questions (HOQ)

Higher-order questions are those that the students cannot answer just by simple
recollection or by reading the information “verbatim” from the text. Higher-order questions
put advanced cognitive demand on students. They encourage students to think beyond
literal questions.

Higher-order questions promote critical thinking skills because these types of questions
expect students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information instead of simply
recalling facts. For instance, application questions require students to transfer knowledge
learned in one context to another; analysis questions expect students to break the whole
into component parts such as analyze mood, setting, characters, express opinions, make
inferences, and draw conclusions; synthesis questions have students use old ideas to create
new ones using information from a variety of sources; and evaluation questions require
students to make judgments, explain reasons for judgments, compare and contrast
information, and develop reasoning using evidence from the text.

Higher-order Questions Research

According to research, teachers who effectively use a variety of higher-order questions can
overcome the brain’s natural tendency to develop mental routines and patterns to limit
information, which is called neural pruning. As a result, student’s brains may become more
open-minded, which strengthens the brain.

According to an article in Educational Leadership (March 1997), researchers Thomas

Cardellichio and Wendy Field discovered that higher-order questions
increase neural branching, the opposite of neural pruning. In addition, these researchers
found that teachers can promote the process of neural branching through seven types of
questions.

Hypothetical thinking. This form of thinking is used to create new information. It causes a
person to develop an answer based on generalizations related to that situation. These
questions follow general forms such as What if this happened? What if this were not true?,
etc.
Reversal thinking. This type of thinking expects students to turn a question around and look
for opposite ideas. For example, What happens if I reverse the addends in a math
problem? What caused this? How does it change if I go backward?, etc.
Application of different symbol systems. This way of thinking is to apply a symbol system to
a situation for which it is not usually used, such as writing a math equation to show how
animal interaction is related.
Analogy. This process of thinking is to compare unrelated situations such as how is the
Pythagorean Theorem related to cooking. These questions typically ask How is this like ___?
Analysis of point of view. This way of thinking requires students to consider and question
other people’s perspective, belief, or opinion in order to extend their minds. For instance, a
teacher may ask a student, What else could account for this? or How many other ways could
someone look at this?

41
Completion. This form of thinking requires students to finish an incomplete project or
situation that would normally be completed. For example, removing the end of a story and
expecting the students to create their own ending.
Web analysis. With web analysis, students must synthesize how events are related in
complex ways instead of simply relying on the brain’s natural ability to develop a simple
pattern. For example, How extensive were the effects of _____? Or Track the relationship of
events following from ___ aretypes of web analysis questions.

The researchers concluded that this type of questioning can lead to better critical thinking
skills. “They can analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and interpret the text they are reading at
complex levels. They can process text at deep levels, make judgments, and detect shades of
meaning. They can make critical interpretations and demonstrate high levels of insight and
sophistication in their thinking. They are able to make inferences, draw relevant and
insightful conclusions, use their knowledge in new situations, and relate their thinking to
other situations and to their own background knowledge. These students fare well on
standardized tests and are considered to be advanced. They will indeed be prepared to
function as outstanding workers and contributors in a fast-paced workplace where the
emphasis is on using information rather than just knowing facts.”

Higher-order Questions and Explicit Direct Instruction

The Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) model incorporates a variety of higher-order questions
in order to encourage and increase critical thinking skills.

The LEARNING OBJECTIVE component in EDI is the only question that is at a low level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy. The reason for this is because the content during this portion of the
lesson is not at a high level. Also, the students have not been taught the high-level content.
Typically, the question asked to students is “What are we doing today? or What is our
Learning Objective?”

The CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT component includes a variety of higher-order concept-related

questions because the content is at a high level. Here is a list of higher-order questions that
are asked during this EDI component:

In your own words, what is (insert the concept being taught)?

Which is an example of ________? Why?
What is the difference between the example and the non-example?
Why is this an example of ______?
Give me an example of ______.
Draw an example of ______.
Match the examples to the definition of ______.
Which picture/poster shows an example of _______?

The SKILL DEVELOPMENT component asks higher-level thinking-process questions after

modeling the skill.
How did I know how to (insert skill modeled)?
How did I know that this was the correct answer?
How did

42
There’s price and or a good other http://viagra24-pharmacyonline.com/cenforce-
online.html old them… Online. That’s, I. Rich next seem skin http://viagra24-
pharmacyonline.com/levitra-oral-jelly-online.html wait and was is my tested.
I use to ensure that I knew how to find the _____?
How did I know how to interpret the answer?

The GUIDED PRACTICE asks higher-level process questions that require the students to
show their thought process when performing the skill.

How did you know how to __________?

How did you know that this was the correct answer?
How did you use to ensure that you knew how to find the _____?
How did you know how to interpret the answer?
Which steps was most difficult for you? Why?

The RELEVANCE component includes higher-level evaluation questions.

Does anyone have any other reason as to why this is important?
Which reason is the most relevant to you? Why?

The CLOSURE component includes high-level questions such as:

What did you learn today?
How did the lesson meet the Learning Objective?
How will this lesson benefit you in the future?
If higher-order questions promote critical thinking skills, as research shows, then higher-
order questions should be included throughout instruction. The EDI model offers a good
way to do just that!

4.1 TOEFL Strategies and TIPS

4.1.1 General Strategies for Listening ITP TEST:

In the short conversations, pay attention to the speakers’ stress and intonation patterns. These
will often give you information about the speakers’ intended meaning.

In the extended conversations, pay attention to the answers to questions asked by either of the
speakers. These may include details that will be tested or indicate the importance of certain
subject matter.

In the extended conversations and mini-talks, pay attention to new words or concepts
introduced by the professor. These will often be tested.

Choose the best answer based on what is stated or implied by the speakers.

Listening for Basic Understanding

43
  Increase vocabulary by listening to and reading English every day.
 Focus on the content and flow of spoken material. Do not be distracted by the
speaker’s style and delivery.
 Anticipate what a person is going to say as a way to stay focused.
 Stay active by asking yourself questions (for example, what is the main idea that the
professor is communicating?).
 On sections of a piece of paper, make column headings labeled “Main Idea,” “Major
Points,” and “Important Details.” Listen carefully, and take notes while listening.
Continue listening until all important points and details are written down, and then
review them.
 Listen to a portion of a lecture or talk and create an outline of important points. Use
the outline to write a brief summary. Gradually increase the amount of the
presentation you use to write the summary.

Listening for Details

 Think about what each speaker hopes to accomplish. What is the purpose of the
speech or conversation? Is the speaker apologizing, complaining, or making
suggestions?
 Notice each speaker’s style. Is the language formal or casual? Is the speaker’s voice
calm or emotional?
 What does the speaker’s tone of voice tell you?

 Notice the speaker’s degree of certainty. How sure is the speaker about the
information? Does the speaker’s tone of voice indicate something about his or her
degree of certainty? Watch a recorded TV or movie comedy. Pay careful attention to
the way stress and intonation patterns are used to convey meaning.
 When listening to a lecture, think about how the information is organized. Listen for
signal words that indicate the introduction, major steps or ideas, examples, and the
conclusion or summary. Words and phrases such as “first,” “for instance,” “next,” and
“finally” indicate the progression of ideas in a lecture.
 Identify the relationships between ideas. Possible relationships include cause/ effect,
compare/contrast, and steps in a process. Words and phrases such as “however,” “on
the other hand,” and “in addition” indicate the relationship between concepts.
 Listen for words that show connections and relationships between ideas.
 Listen to recorded material. Stop the recording at various points and predict what
information or idea will be expressed next.
 Create an outline of the information discussed, either while listening or after listening.

What are some tips to help pass the TOEFL ITP listening exam?
Highlight the keywords in the listening questions and answers.

44
Practice listening as much as possible – spoken radio, audio books, documentaries etc
Listen for ‘signal’ words that will help you know if your answers are in the part.
Study vocabulary to help you.
Complete a practice test to help understand the exam format.
Practice transferring your answers to the answer sheet.

Links for practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGDN8-pw18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNuGvTzKqI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9lZs7OSsXE

Structure and Written Expressions:

What are some tips to help me study for the TOEFL ITP
Structure and Written Expression paper?
Study, study study!
Complete English grammar exercises to help you practice.
Take a past paper and get used to using an answer sheet.
Take a practice test and time yourself. This will be key to your success.
Highlight keywords in the questions
Stay calm and don’t panic.
If you don’t know the answer, pass it and go back to it later.
If you really don’t know, take a guess. It’s best not to leave answer questions unanswered.

Question #1

Advocates __________ on aquarium hobbyists to buy only fish bred in captivity.

A. have called
B. are called
C. calls
D. is calling

Question 2

Up to 90 percent of saltwater aquarium fish __________ to the U.S. are caught using
cyanide.
A. import
B. importing
C. imports

45
D. imported

Question #3
Proponents see endless __________ for the use of solar energy, but others raise questions
about cost, efficiency, and durability.
A. possible
B. possibilities
C. possibles
D. possibility
(Answers = 1. A; 2. D; 3. B)

Question 1

Tourists -------- when large numbers of middle-class people -------- to join the more wealthy
aristocratic travellers.
A have originated / had begun
B had originated / began
C could have originated / have begun
D originated / began
E were originating / are beginning
The wounded hunter -------- on the ground for almost an hour when,
coincidentally, he -------- by another hunter, who must have keen eyes.

A has been lying / is spotting

B has lain / will be spotted
C will have lain / had been spotted
D had been lying / was spotted
E was lying / spotted
As the tree was too high to climb, the mischievous boys ---------- their ball
down only by throwing sticks at it.

A would have knocked

B were able to knock
C will have to knock
D may have knocked
E could knock
---------- you have made minimal progress, it is by no means the kind of
progress that you need to make.

A What
B Despite
C In addition to
D On behalf of
E While
Soils are the result of -------- interacting processes -------- bring different
materials together.

46
A a few / by which
B such / as
C some / that
D most of / which
E a good deal of / in which
I’m ready to do ---------- I can do to help you -------- your hardship.

A anything / overcome
B whatever / overcoming
C what / to be overcoming
D that / to have overcome
E nothing / having overcome
Despite my insistence, Adam didn’t tell me -------- he didn’t like me and my
family.

A why
B even if
C whose
D the reason
E about whom
She keeps saying that she has got -------- patience with kids, but forgets that
she didn’t have -------- before she gave birth to her own kids.

A enough / as much
B too many / any
C such / none
D so / some
E more / neither
If I -------- the choice of making either an oral or a written report, I -------- the
second alternative.

A gave / could pick

B had been given / might pick
C would have given / had picked
D have been giving / will pick
E were given / would pick
A combination of imagination and determination -------- Peter -------- entirely
new lines of research concerned with the way animals survive extreme
environmental conditions.

A allow / developing
B have allowed / being developed
C were allowed / to have developed
D allowed / to develop
E will allow / to be developing

47
Question 11
A combination of imagination and determination -------- Peter -------- entirely new lines of
research concerned with the way animals survive extreme environmental conditions.
A allow / developing
B have allowed / being developed
C were allowed / to have developed
D allowed / to develop
E will allow / to be developing

Question 12
The scientist who -------- Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned mammal, -------- a licence
on Tuesday to clone human embryos for medical research.
A has created / has been granted
B had created / granted
C created / was granted
D will be creating / has granted
E used to create / had been granted

Question 13

My mother is making a steady recovery from flu and ------- hospital by next week.
A could have left
B is leaving
C has left
D will have left
E must have left

Question 14
-------- a celebrity arrives in Istanbul, the first question reporters ask them is ------- they like
Istanbul.
A During / whether
B Every time / how
C Whenever / what
D Until / if
E When / wherever

Question 15

The results of last weekend’s poll have ------- to be announced and officials
say it could be -------- week before they are.

48
A so far / every
B still / each
C already / every other
D even / most
E yet / another

Question 16
She failed to get anyone to repair the taps for her at the weekend, -------- could she do it on
her own.
A as
B nor
C only if
D so
E though

Question 17

The neutral mutation rate is known -------- widely along human chromosomes, -------- to
mutational hot and cold regions.
A to be varying / to lead
B varying / led
C to have varied / being led
D having varied / having led
E to vary / leading

Written Expression
Directions: In questions 16-40, each sentence has 4 underlined words or phrases. The
underlined parts of the sentence are marked (A), (B), (C) and (D). Identify the underlined word
or phrase that must be changed in order for the sentence to be correct. Then, on your answer
sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the
answer you have chosen.

Example I Sample Answer

ABCD

Guppies are sometimes call rainbow fish due to the bright colors of the males. ABCD

The sentence should read, “Guppies are sometimes called rainbow fish due to the bright colors of the
males.”Therefore, you should choose (A).

Example II Sample Answer

49
ABCD

Serving several term in the United States Congress, Shirley Chisholm became a ABC

respected political figure. D

The sentence should read, “Serving several terms in the United States Congress, Shirley Chisholm became a
respected political figure.”Therefore, you should choose (B).

Now begin work on the questions.

32

EEErro

Error Analysis
17. The (A) brain composed of a mass of softly (B) gray matter (C) in the
skull that (D) controls our intelligence.

18. Polluter (A) is a topic of such importance (B) today that even elementary
school children are well informed (C) about its (D) dangers.

19. Best (A) represented in a famous oil painting (B) by da Vinci, The Last
Supper it (C) is an important part of the history (D) of Christianity.

20. Together with (A) his friend Little John, Robin

Hood are (B) fondly (C) remembered (D) today by millions of people.

21. In Vermont, the (A) sap the maple tree is (B) the primary (C) ingredient in (D)
producing maple syrup
After to have (A) won (B) the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for A Bell for Adano, John
Hersey wrote (C) a nonfiction book about (D) the bombing of Japan.

23. The smallest hummingbirds beat (A) their wings 70 times (B) a second (C) and
are about two inches (D) long.

24. Quality, price, and located (A) are (B) often considered to be (C) the primary
concerns in buying (D) a house.

25. The name (A) “America” comes from (B) Amerigo Vespucci, who (C) was a
16th-century Italian explorer (D)

50
26. Marie Curie won (A) two Nobel Prizes for their (B) discoveries of radioactivity (C)
and radioactive (D) elements.

The developing (A) of the submarine was hindered by the (B) lack of a
power source (C) that could propel (D) an underwater vessel.

28. Although humans have highly developed (A) brains, most (B) animals
have acuter (C) senses than them (D)

29. The movement of the stars (A) was first noticed by early (B) travelers, who (C)
used the stars to guide its (D) way across the sea.

30. Those who (A) have seen what (B) is believed to be (C) Noah’s Ark says it is the
largest (D) than a modern battleship.

What tips can you give me to help study for the TOEFL ITP reading paper?

Study academic word lists. This will really help with vocabulary.
Use reading skills to help understand words you don’t understand e.g. read the whole
sentence and use your understanding of the sentence in general to understand any words
you are not sure of.
Make keywords in the reading questions before you start reading. This saves time!
If you can’t find an answer, skip it and go back when you have answered other questions.
Don’t waste time on it!

Keep an eye on the time!

You don’t want to run out of it.
Time yourself on past papers, and become used to the format of the exam.
Finally, READ! As much as you can, as often as you can!

READING FOR TOEFL

Practice Questions 1–10

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward
across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free
seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It massive in size and extremely
complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of
delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs
sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forest, and passes
over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2
million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on
H-shaped steel racks called “bents,” long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course
high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky

51
ground and return to the surface later on. The patters of the pipeline’s up-and-dow route
is determined by the often harsh demands of the artic and subarctic climate, the tortuous
lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen
ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder
is buried anywhere form 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the
properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8
billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by
private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil
companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil
rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction
fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate,
supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a
certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed
and is operating.

The passage primarily discusses the pipeline's

A. operating costs
B. employees
C. consumers
D. construction

The word "it" in line 5 refers to the

A. pipeline
B. ocean
C. state
D. village

According to the second paragraph, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline
each
A. day
B. week
C. month
D. year

The phrase "Resting on" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

A. Consisting of
B. Supported by
C. Passing under
D. Protected with

The author mentions all of the following in the third paragraph as important in determining
the pipeline's route EXCEPT the

52
A. climate
B. lay of the land itself
C. local vegetation
D. kind of soil and rock

The word "undertaken" in line 31 is closest in meaning to

A. removed
B. selected
C. transported
D. attempted

According to the last paragraph, how many companies shared the costs of constructing the
pipeline?
A. three
B. four
C. eight
D. twelve

The word "particular" in line 35 is closest in meaning to

A. peculiar
B. specific
C. exceptional
D. equal

According to the last paragraph, which of the following determined what percentage of the
construction costs each member of the consortium would pay?
A. How much oil field land each company owned
B. How long each company had owned land in the oil fields
C. How many people worked for each company
D. How many oil wells were located on the company's land
Where in the passage does the author provide a term for a layer of soil that always remains
frozen?
A. Line 4
B. Line 15
C. Line 23
D. Line 37

UNIT 5. TOEIC

What’s the TOEIC?

TOEIC stands for the Test of English for International Communication. It tests your
ability to understand work-related writings, instructions and conversations,
in spoken and written English.
Remember that the TOEIC Listening & Reading Test does not have a speaking part
— so that’s one less thing to think about. Plus, it’s not a pass or fail test. This means

53
that simply taking the test will make you stand out (be noticed) among candidates
(applicants) who haven’t taken it.
Format: Multiple choice, pencil and paper
There are two sections: listening section (100 questions) and reading section (100
questions).
Length: 2.5 hours
The listening section is 45 minutes, the reading section is 75 minutes and then there
are 30 minutes to answer non-scored questions about yourself.
Score: 10 – 990
A higher score is a better score. In the reading and listening parts you can earn 5 –
495 points each, and then the two scores are added together for your final score. A
score above 785 is very good, but sometimes employers aren’t necessarily looking
for a score that high, depending on the tasks of the job. Granted, you’re going to
want to aim to score above 550.
Here’s a table that shows how different TOEIC scores align with the European CEFR
levels (A1-C1), plus a description of each level. And here’s an even more detailed
description of the score levels.
Cost: $75 – $85 USD
The cost of the exam depends on your country. Contact a local test center to find out
your fee.
How to sign up: Education Testing Service (ETS)
The organization that makes the test is the ETS. Contact your local test center for
sign-up details. We recommend downloading their Examinee handbook (for free)
and looking at the other resources available on their website (practice tests, for
example).

TOEIC Listening and Reading Format: What It

Means for You
Let’s take a closer look at the format of the TOEIC Listening and Reading exam:

Part 1. Listening comprehension — 100 questions (45 minutes)

– Photographs
– Question-response
– Conversations
– Short talks

Part 2. Reading comprehension — 100 questions (75 minutes)

– Incomplete sentences
– Error recognition or text completion
– Reading comprehension
See the problem here? There’s more time for the reading part, which means that
you’ll need to be very focused during the listening test, because there aren’t any
replays. It’s fast, which is why test takers usually study and practice more for the
listening part.
But you’ll still need to practice for the reading section, too. While there are no essays
to write, some questions will test your grammar and vocabulary.

54
Also, some reading questions will use many different business communication
methods (e-mails, newsletters, etc.) that are connected together. This will test your
ability to find, gather and understand information from different sources.
So, unless you find out that you’re better at listening than reading, it would be best to
focus on listening when you study.
What will help you get better at listening and the other skills needed for success on
the TOEIC?
Here are 10 tips that will show you how to be best prepared for the TOEIC.

1. Evaluate Your Level for Free

The best way to start is to download the TOEIC Examinee Handbook and try to read
it up to page 7. Then stop! (Otherwise you’ll accidentally read printed transcripts of
the audio questions of the online sample test provided by ETS).
Then, take the sample test from the ETS site to evaluate both your listening and
reading skills. Then, take a rest.
After 1-2 days, take a second test of 45 TOEIC training questions that’s online for
free.
Compare the results between these two tests. Did you do better the second time?
Congratulations! We’ll see how that’s even possible in tip #2.
If you didn’t improve between the practices, don’t worry — we have ways (tips #3
and #4) to help everyone get better.
In any case, make sure you check all commented answers that show up once you
finish the 45 TOEIC training questions test. These comments will explain why wrong
answers were wrong, and why correct answers were correct. This is very useful
information to have.
While the ETS sample test doesn’t come with commented answers, the ETS site
links to official, ETS-approved but paid online preparations that do.
It’s your decision whether or not you want to pay for that.
One other great — and free — source of information is the TOEIC Facebook page.
Every week, they publish a tip on preparing for the test, together with sample
questions and comments.

2. Use “Practice Effects” to Your Advantage

“Practice Effects” are real and scientifically proven: the second time you do
something, you become better at it. Take a test once, and then take a similar one
sometime later. Chances are very good that you’ll improve just because you’re now
familiar with the technique of test-taking, even if you don’t do anything else to
prepare for the second test.
The weird thing is that this works for almost any skill. It works for throwing a ball,
playing the violin, driving a car and even kissing. (My mom would add that it works
for doing the dishes as well, but I say this has yet to be proven true…)
The great thing about the TOEIC is that you can take it as many times as you like.
Your previous score(s) won’t affect the most recent one. However, it does cost time
and money. So, the best plan is to practice taking the exam.
A good study method is to use a lot of written and audio questions that have
commented answers (answers with comments explaining why other answers are
right/wrong).

55
You need to be doing as many practice questions as you can. That extra work you’ll
put in will change everything.
Now that we’ve seen how practice can work like magic, let’s see what we can do
to make it more fun.

3. Put Some Fun into Your Practice

The more you practice, the better you’ll get.

The better you practice, the easier it all gets. You’ll practice better when things are
more interesting for you!
It’s okay to spend time studying without the practice tests.
This is especially true if this studying time involves watching a TV show in English
and trying to understand what’s happening.
It’s best to watch a show that you’ve already seen, and be sure to pick a show that
has work-related scenes.
“The Office” and “House of Cards” constantly feature business conversations, and
have actors who speak very clearly. Kevin Spacey’s accent in “House of Cards” is
very close to the American male voices you’ll hear on the test.
You could also watch this old Tex Avery cartoon called “Symphony in Slang,” in
which a cartoon character tells the story of his life — but using only idioms, which
are literally put into animated images. So when the character says he put his foot in
his mouth, you see him literally (actually) put his foot into his mouth. But you also
understand from the animation what the expression truly means (in this case, that
the character had said something wrong, silly or embarrassing).
Once you get comfortable, and can understand conversations on your favorite U.S.
TV shows without subtitles, you can move on to listening to an English radio
station. This will bring you closer to the real conditions of the listening exam (no
images, just audio).

4. Look for the Best Possible Answer, Not the Right Answer

So what’s the difference between a “right answer” and the “best possible answer?”
A right answer usually means that there’s only one correct answer and all the other
choices are wrong.
But when you need to find the best possible answer, there could be many correct
answers. The best answer is supported by facts found in the exam material. Your job
is to find out which answer is best, based on what you’ve heard, read or seen. We’ll
call that the context.
So how does it work?
Often, the test will ask you to infer something from a conversation or chain of
documents.
“To infer” means to deduce, to derive, to draw conclusions based on facts and
reasoning” (not opinions). Inferring is not guessing, though, because you must have
facts and reasons to support your answer.
So when the TOEIC asks you what you can infer from a conversation, it wants you
to find at least two valid clues in the text or in the conversation that support
your conclusion.
Let’s look at this extreme example:

56
You hear a conversation between two coworkers. They discuss their schedule,
complain about long hours and say they want to quit their current jobs and find better
ones.
The test asks what you can infer from the conversation. It tell you to pick the best
summary (short description) and gives you some options. Here’s one:
1. Long hours may affect (have influence over) your overall work productivity (how
well you work).”
At first this looks okay. There’s nothing wrong with that statement. It’s probably true
in most cases. The verb “to affect” is even used correctly (as we’ll verify in #6). It
looks like an answer that could be right.
But the conversation summary doesn’t mention the co-workers’ productivity — how
much they get done at work. So the choice, while a true statement, isn’t the best
possible answer based on the context of the situation.
This is why the safest method is to check the text (or for the listening part, your
notes), to see if they support your answer.
A great way to practice doing this is to ask yourself why each of the other answers is
not as good as the best one. We’ll do that with Joey and Chandler in the next tip.

5. When You’re Unsure, Don’t Panic, Look for Clues

So remember how I said I’d never leave you high and dry? Let’s find out what I
meant by that.
In “Friends” episode 6 (season 2) “The One Where Joey Moves Out,” Joey and
Chandler (who’ve been roommates for years) have a fight. Joey, who now has
enough money to live alone in a bigger apartment, tells Chandler he’s going to rent
another place. Chandler doesn’t seem too happy about it.
Joey notices that Chandler isn’t very happy. Joey’s worried that moving out will leave
Chandler without a roommate. Here’s the dialogue (the conversation) between them:
Joey: Hey, are you cool with this? I mean, I don’t want to leave you high and dry.
Chandler: No, I’ve never been lower or wetter. I’ll be fine. I’ll just turn your bedroom
into a game room.
When Chandler answers, “I’ve never been lower or wetter,” he’s making a play on
words by saying the opposite of “high” (low → lower) and “dry” (wet → wetter). This is
like what Tex Avery did with idioms in the cartoon we mentioned in #3. But that’s not
what the expression “high and dry” truly means.
To figure out what it means, let’s look at what we can infer (conclude) from what we
know. So which of the following can be safely inferred from the text and the dialogue
above?
Chandler is afraid he will experience high variation in temperature.
Joey is concerned because he is leaving Chandler without a roommate.
Joey is really slow at packing his stuff.
Chandler is about to look for another roommate.
Joey is going to get more dates.
So (1) isn’t a good choice because we know that we’re looking at an idiom, and not
the actual meaning of the words.
(3) isn’t good either because there’s nothing in the text or dialogue that says Joey is
packing.
(4) may become true in the next episodes, but if you only look at what we know,
there’s nothing that says Chandler is already thinking about looking for another
roommate. In fact, Chandler said he’ll turn Joey’s room into a game room.

57
(5) Although living alone in a bigger apartment can help improve your love life, that
would just be a guess. The text never mentions Joey’s dating life. Can you see why
this option is a “fake” good answer? Joey’s always going to get more dates, but this
isn’t the best possible answer, using what we know from the conversation.
So our best possible answer is (2) — Joey is concerned because he is leaving
Chandler without a roommate. Why?
The text says that Joey is worried, which is a synonym of “concerned.” Plus, in the
dialogue, Joey asks Chandler if he’s okay (cool) with Joey moving out.
So from this example, we can infer — and not guess — three things:
What matters is what’s actually written or said in the exam material.
You don’t need to know all the words and idioms to understand a conversation if you’re
given the context. Since the TOEIC will always give you context, if you come across a
word or expression that you don’t understand, don’t panic! Don’t try to guess, but
instead look for clues (hints). They’re there.
To “be left high and dry” means to be left helpless, without options or in a difficult position.
Joey’s worried he’ll be doing this to Chandler when he moves out, because Chandler will be
in a difficult situation. Who’ll help pay rent? Where will Chandler find a new roommate?
Remember, use only the information in the exam. That’s where you can look for
helpful clues.

6. Watch Out for Words That Sound or Are Spelled Almost the Same

The TOEIC will try to trick (fool) you.

It may ask you to choose a grammatically correct sentence from a list of possible
options.
Consider this potential answer: “Long hours may effect your overall work
productivity.”
Don’t choose this answer. It sounds alright but it’s not grammatically correct. There’s
a similar sounding verb, to affect, that should be used in that sentence instead. Take
a look:
To Affect is a verb that means “to have influence on/over,” as in, “Long hours affect my
mood.”
Effect is a noun that means “consequence,” or “result,” as in, “This post will have a
good effect on my TOEIC score.”
There are two things you can do to make sure you don’t get tricked:
(1) Get used to similar sounding words before the test. You can start with a written
list of similar sounding words, and then move on to a list of business terms that
comes with a recording of the pronunciation for each word.
The TOEIC is easier to take when you’re familiar with many work-related words. If
you don’t have much time, you can focus on words that appear the most times in the
test. This document has a list of words that show up often on the TOEIC (page 169).
(2) Rely on words that you know for sure. Use them to figure out the overall meaning
of the sentence. Then. infer from the context what the other, less familiar words
could mean.
For instance, if the dialogue takes place at a restaurant, the waiter will ask if anyone
wants to have apple pie for dessert — not desert (dry sand). (Remember: It’s better
to have more for dessert. The dry and hot, sandy desert only has one “s” because
the other died of thirst.)

58
7. Don’t Use Your Dictionary Too Much and Practice Listening

The TOEIC is timed. Even if you were allowed to bring a dictionary, there just
wouldn’t be enough time for you to look up every word you’re not sure about.
Instead, you’ll need to be able to determine (figure out) the meaning of an unknown
word or idiom using context.
Use the words and information provided, and trust your gut (instincts / initial
reaction).
We think it’s best to use a dictionary as little as you can. Use a dictionary less and
less as you get closer to your test date.
In the listening section, since there’s no body language or visual information to help
you, you’ll need to focus on two elements: the tone and the verb tenses. The tone
is not the same as the accent.
An accent is the way people talk from a certain place. Remember, the “I” in TOEIC
stands for “International,” which means the listening part will have voices with mild
American, Australian, British and Canadian accents. The accents vary, but ETS
makes sure there are no real extremes.
Tone, on the other hand, is the change in pitch (higher or lower) when someone is
speaking. It’s used to express questions, affirmations and negations. Identifying the
tone requires practice, but the TOEIC audio won’t try to trick you with tone.
Another hint can be found in verb tenses or changes in tenses. These show that
something has happened or is going to happen, and the testers want to make sure
you notice it. So, you need to write down anything you hear about the time. For
example: yesterday, last week, within a month, tomorrow, in a couple of days, soon,
shortly, it won’t be long, etc.

8. Practice Listening to English Spoken at Conversational Speed

Because the test is timed, and because there are no replays of the audio parts, you’ll
have to take notes while listening to the audio.
Don’t try to write down everything you hear! It can’t be done, even by native
speakers. Instead, write down as many key words as you understand. Try to figure
out the location, the context, the time and dates, the names and the verb tenses (or
changes in tenses).
This takes time. We need to be patient and practice listening to conversations in
English with different accents.
To start getting used to different accents at a normal pace, you can check out
this website, Transcribeme! It provides audio samples of different English accents.
The company has a number of audio transcription tests aimed at checking a
person’s ability to transcribe (type what you hear). You can take these tests just for
fun (and for free), if you wish.
It’s not exactly like the real exam, since you can play the conversation or speech as
many times as you want. However, it’s great listening practice for your ears, and it’ll
help you get used to different accents.
Another great way to practice listening is the Bloomberg live radio. There are a few
good benefits to using this as a study tool:
The hosts usually speak very clearly.
The same advertisements are played over and over again, and they usually contain business-
related words.

59
They often announce the time during the radio show, saying “it’s 58 past the hour,
now.” Check the time on your computer as you hear this, to see if you heard correctly.
If you’re a bit lost in the beginning, start with videos that you can replay, such as
interviews. Don’t be afraid to open the transcript (written text of everything spoken in
the video), whose link is below the replay.

9. Know the Spoken Instructions Before the Test

On the listening test, you’ll hear instructions before a group of questions is played.
Knowing these instructions before the actual test means you won’t need to focus on
them so much during the test. You can then use that extra bit of time to look at the
written questions for the audio part.
Here are the spoken instructions for the listening part:
“You will hear ten short talks given by a single speaker. For each short talk, read the
three questions and the four answer choices that follow each question. Select the
most appropriate answer. Mark your answer by circling (A), (B), (C), or (D). You will
hear each short talk only once.”
And then:
“Questions 71 through 73 refer to the following report/talk/conversation.”
Finally the conversation or speech begins. The speaker won’t be the same person
who told the instructions. This change of speaker means that you need to start
taking notes.
There’s always going to be a general question, but the other questions are more
specific. This means you need to take good notes, especially when you hear dates,
numbers, places, locations, names or professions.
It’s not easy, I know, but with time and practice you’ll get there.

10. Prepare for Poor Sound and Extreme Temperatures

Be aware that the sound during the test may not be as clear as the sound from your
home computer speakers, as the ETS Examinee handbook does continue to refer to
audio-cassettes (page 2).
You could be unlucky and have low volume or not the best audio. So, just in case,
you might want to turn down (lower) the sound of the practice questions and of your
favorite radio station. That way, if the sound is low on the actual test, you can survive
because you’ll be prepared.
I didn’t leave you high and dry, but the ETS center might leave you lower and wetter,
depending on where and when you take the test. The room could be too hot or too
cold, so wear layers of clothes that you can put on or take off.
I took the TOEFL in the heart of a cold Parisian winter. The boiler (heater) was out of
service and it was snowing outside, so we all wore our coats, gloves and scarfs
during the exam. Be prepared for the worst!
So, folks, we’re near the end of this post. Almost. I’ll close with five important facts to
remember about the TOEIC, and then list some vocabulary from this post that you’ll
see on the exam.

Facts to Remember About the TOEIC

60
The exam scores are for employers. The TOEIC shows employers how well you
understand work-related English — spoken and written — expressed in various accents
(British, American, Australian, Canadian).
Use context clues. The TOEIC will always give you context, clues and hints that support the
best answer. You’ll just need to find them.
Prepare for various test conditions. The TOEIC test conditions, such as timing, temperature
and poor sound quality matter a lot. It’s best to be prepared for anything.
Hold onto your score report. Official exam centers don’t have to keep your test results for
more than two years, nor can they give you another copy of your results at the end of that
time period. This is meant to encourage regular evaluation of your English level, but not all
employers require such frequent testing. So, make sure you keep your score report,
because it’s much better than not having one at all.
You get better every time you practice. TOEIC is used by some companies as a learning tool,
meaning companies know that just taking the test makes their employees improve their
English. You should use that fact to your advantage and know that each practice session you
take is an improvement in itself.

Choose the correct answer

1. The software developers __________ investigated the latest problem.

A. are just
B. have already
C. still
D. have yet

2. The executives pointed to immigration __________ the biggest drivers of the domestic
market.

A. as leading
B. rather than
C. as one of
D. resulting in

3. The flight arrives __________ Tokyo in three hours.

A. in
B. at
C. on
D. into

4. The new law will encourage growth in the export market _________.
A. next year
B. possible
C. in fact
D. sometimes

5. ________ the end of year results were published, the managers got their bonuses.

61
A. When
B. Because
C. While
D. If

6. The company expects to see ___________ breakeven and a 15 cent a share loss in the
second quarter.

A. more than
B. approximately
C. more or less
D. somewhere between

7. The new service was expected to be a success; __________ very few customers upgraded
their accounts.
A. although
B. yet
C. just
D. moreover

8. He is excited about the new promotion and looking forward to ________ more responsibilities.
A. taking on
B. take on
C. getting up
D. taking in

9. Property taxes ________ about 40 percent of the overall tax revenue the state collects.

A. make
B. account for
C. are at least
D. are raised by

10. While the stock ________ the staff worked in the evenings.

A. was checked
B. has been checked
C. check
D. was being checked

11. My line manager wants the meeting __________ immediately.

A. arrange
B. arranged

62
C. be arranged
D. to arrange

12. Strong exports ___________ in driving first-quarter growth, rising 35 percent from a
year earlier.

A. instrumental
B. played a big role
C. played a hand
D. effectively

13. The report showed that overall prices are up 3.1 percent _________ 12 months.

A. during the last

B. in the following
C. since the last
D. periodically over

14. All the orders got _________ on schedule.

A. delivering
B. to deliver
C. to be deliver
D. delivered

15. Commercial builders downplayed __________ a bust in the superheated housing

market.
A. concerning
B. the concern of
C. concerned that
D. concerns about

In this part, there are ten texts and 40 multiple choice questions.
You are going to read some reading passages, each with 2-5 questions. For each
question, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.
Are you setting up a small business? Worried about the costs of renting office space
and employing the right people?
Rebus Virtual Office World can help you. With our Basic Office Deal, we can set up
a virtual office for you practically overnight.
We will give your business a professional image and our polite, friendly staff will
handle your calls and present your business in the best possible way. We can provide
you with: a professional business address, a local phone number and we will also
handle mail.
For a more personal approach, with the option of forwarding mail and messages to
your home address, don’t hesitate to ask us about our Premier Office Deals.

1 Where is the text from?

63
A. A message from a business to a current client
B. An advertisement for a new business service
C. An email from one business worker to another
D. A newspaper article about a new business’s success

2 What does the service provide?

A. Off-site staff to perform general office duties

B. A site where several businesses can locate their offices
C. Advice on how to make your business more professional
D. Temporary staff for local businesses

3 Which of the following is not included in the Basic Office deal?

A A polite receptionist
B A mail-forwarding service
C A professional address
D A telephone-answering service

In this part, there are ten texts and 40 multiple choice questions.
You are going to read some reading passages, each with 2-5 questions. For each
question, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.
Dear Helen,
I would like to congratulate you on organising such an excellent and informative
workshop. I know a lot of people learnt a great deal from it. Can you pass on my
thanks to Doctor Friedman for his fascinating talk on Staff Motivation? I realise how
lucky we were that he was able to find the time for us. The feedback from the staff
was very positive. Let’s hope we actually see an improvement in staff motivation as
a result!
By the way, I’m missing my list of addresses of the delegates who attended. Did I
happen to leave it in your office? It’s just that I haven’t seen it since our meeting on
Friday.
Thanks again for a great day,
Anne

4 What is the main objective of the message?

A to inform
B to accuse
C to make a request
D to praise

64
5 What can be implied about the workshop?

A All the delegates were staff from the same office.

B It included several talks.
C It lasted one day.
D Motivation was the only topic discussed.

6 What can be implied about Dr Friedman?

A He works in the same office as Anne.

B He has a very busy schedule.
C He is a leading expert on staff motivation.
D Anne knows him better than Helen does.

7 What has happened to the address list?

A Anne has lost it.

B Anne has found it.
C Anne has sent it to Helen.
D Anne has completed it.

In this part, there are ten texts and 40 multiple choice questions.
You are going to read some reading passages, each with 2-5 questions. For each
question, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.
Here’s a mouth-watering cookie recipe for you to try at home. You will need two
cups each of margarine, white sugar and brown sugar; four eggs, four cups of flour, 1
teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt and a cup of milk chocolate chips. First of
all, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a large bowl and cream
together the margarine and sugar until they are smooth. Then add the eggs, one by
one. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and add the salt. Finally add
the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets
and bake for eight to ten minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool for one
hour before eating.

8 Which of the following is NOT an ingredient in the recipe?

A cream
B flour
C eggs
D margarine

9 What must the cook do first?

65
A Put the margarine and sugar in a bowl
B Turn on the oven
C Sift the flour
D Break the eggs

10 Which of the following items is needed to make this recipe?

A a microwave
B a sieve
C a saucepan
D a knife

11 Which of the following ingredients is added last?

A salt
B baking powder
C chocolate chips
D eggs

In this part, there are ten texts and 40 multiple choice questions.
You are going to read some reading passages, each with 2-5 questions. For each
question, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.
A new ruling which came into effect last week requires some homeowners to
purchase new smoke alarms. The ordinance states that there should be a fire alarm
installed in every bedroom of the house, and these alarms must comply with certain
safety standards. Some local residents are displeased at these new
regulations. Gwen Ellis of McKinley says that to meet with the new regulations, she
has to buy five new alarms to replace the ones she installed just six months
ago. With fire alarms costing up to $20 apiece, this is an unwelcome ruling for many
people. Fortunately, the McKinley Fire Department is offering grants for
homeowners and will provide and install new fire alarms free of charge. If you have
small children or are older than 65 years of age, you may be eligible for these. The
McKinley Fire Department has 5,000 smoke alarms to give away. To inquire about
obtaining a free alarm, or to find out whether you qualify, call 692-569-0372.

12 Which of the following is true about the new rule?

A Every house should have five fire alarms.

B All fire alarms must be of a certain quality.
C All fire alarms need to first be approved by the Fire Department.
D All fire alarms must be less than six months old.

13 How much do five fire alarms cost?

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A $20
B $100
C $120
D $4

14 Which of the following people may be able to receive a free fire alarm?

A an elderly couple
B a family of two adults and two teenagers
C a woman living alone
D a man who owns his own home

15 What does the number 5,000 refer to?

A the number of people who are eligible for free smoke alarms
B the number of smoke alarms which need to be replaced in the town of McKinley
C the number of smoke alarms which have already been installed by the Fire
Department
D the number of smoke alarms which are available free to certain people

16 Why did Gwen Ellis have to buy new smoke alarms?

A her old alarms stopped working

B she now has a young family
C her previous alarms didn’t meet the safety regulations
D she has just moved into a new house

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