CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

Unit 6 test
Reading exercise
Read the article about ‘learning journals’, written by a student called Alisha Scott, and then answer
the questions.

Learning journals
by Alisha Scott

I’ve been keeping a learning journal for three years – writing about what I’ve learnt at school every day in a
special book. I decided to try it after a study-skills lesson at school. We’d watched a video, showing different
examples of learning journals and what can go into them – everything from bullet points of key facts to lists of
resources and links to research. We had a class discussion about it afterwards, and my feeling was quite strongly
that I make plenty of notes in my class book, and I’m always reading up on interesting bits of research. I told my
tutor that I really didn’t have time for something that seemed like a repetition. But he helped me see that
actually, this way of recording information was worth exploring.
What I discovered was that a learning journal is more than just a record. It adds a further dimension to your
learning. For me, the process of writing things down means I’m reflecting – in other words, thinking more deeply
about it. Sometimes that’s just as important as getting the information in the first place, and after writing in my
learning journal about something I’ve learnt in class, I find I have a stronger grasp of it, and I remember it for
longer, too. It’s a bit like how explaining something to someone else is a good way of checking what you know.
There are all sorts of ways of writing a learning journal. I keep what’s known as a ‘connection journal’. The idea is
to focus on connections between things. For example, in science, which is the subject I engage with most, when I
learn about a new theory or a new discovery, I make notes on how these might relate to previous assumptions,
or how they might influence other things like business or exploration. There are lots of other types, though, like

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

‘change journals’, where people consider how what they’ve learnt impacts their knowledge, and perhaps
changes their approach to other subjects. It’s really a question of seeing what works for you, and you may
well find that a combination of approaches fits best. In fact, for younger students, this could be a good choice.
Trying a few will give them a good idea of what works – and what doesn’t.
I’ve filled nearly five books now, and something I’ve realised is how useful even the old ones are. Recently, I
was preparing for a class presentation, and I discovered that three classmates were planning presentations on
the same topic as me – future fuels. So, I had to find something else pretty quickly, since it was important for
me that my presentation would be on something unfamiliar, to give people something to think about. Flicking
through my learning journal, I quickly found some notes that pointed me to the perfect thing, from a lecture
we’d had on alternative food production. Rather than wasting my time panicking about what to write about,
I was able to spend my time researching this fully, and my presentation went really well!
To sum up, a learning journal can help you to organise, extend and process ideas and information. As it will also
record your development as a student, it’s great for looking back and seeing how the way in which you approach
a subject may have changed. And after all, the start of a new term is an opportunity to try out new ways of
thinking about things. So why not try keeping your own learning journal this term?

For each question, tick (ü) the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 What persuaded Alisha to start a learning journal?

A watching a study skills video

B reading some research evidence

C listening to advice from a teacher

[1]

2 In the second paragraph, Alisha says the most useful thing about keeping a learning journal is
A being able to share knowledge with others.

B developing a better understanding of a subject area.

C choosing only the most important information to include.

[1]

3 In the third paragraph, Alisha suggests that the style of a learning journal depends on

A the age of the student.

B the subject taken by the student.

C the personal preference of the student.

[1]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

4 How did an old learning journal help Alisha?

A It gave her inspiration for a project.

B It helped her identify a gap in her knowledge.

C It reminded her of the value of thorough research.

[1]

5 What does this refer to in the fourth paragraph?

A a lecture from a previous lesson

B suitable topics for a class project

C different ways of producing food

[1]

6 Why has Alisha written this article?

A to describe how to use a learning journal for effective study

B to analyse the effect of learning journals on student success

C to explain how a traditional study method has been brought up to date

[1]
[Total: 6]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

Writing exercise

You recently joined a useful after-school study group. You want to tell a friend about it.
Write an email to your friend about the study group.
In your email you should:
• say why you decided to join the group
• explain what you find helpful about it
• suggest that your friend joins the group too.
Write about 120 to 160 words.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your email and up to 9 marks for the language used.
[Total: 15]
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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

06
Listening exercise
You will hear eight short recordings. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D, and put
a tick (ü) in the appropriate box.
You will hear each recording twice.
1 What did the girl choose to write about for her project on 17th-century Europe?

A B C D

[1]
2 What did the boy do in his chemistry lesson yesterday?

A B C D

[1]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

3 What does the girl say helps her to concentrate on her studies?

A B C D

[1]
4 How does the boy learn new vocabulary?

A B C D

[1]
5 What does the teacher want the students to do in the museum?

A B C D

[1]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

6 What is the boy going to do at the start of the next art lesson?

A B C D

[1]

7 What problem is the girl having with her geography course?

A B C D

[1]
8 What new optional subject is the boy going to do?

A B C D

[1]
[Total: 8]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 6 TEST

Speaking exercise
If possible, record your response to this exercise.
Answer these questions.
• What do you think is the best way to learn a foreign language?
• Some students think that they can remember things better if they write them down by hand.
What’s your opinion?
• There is an opinion that more lessons should take place outdoors. Would you agree?
• Do you think making mistakes is just as important for students as getting good grades?
[Total: 10]
[Unit test total: 39]

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