READING COMPREHENSION

AND PRECIS
Semester- II

Prof. CHANA
2023/ 2024

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 - Content description of the module:
Students are introduced to advanced authentic passages selected from various
sources. Students are assisted in their understanding of the passages. Exercises
include comprehension questions, summarizing, and paraphrasing.
Students should be encouraged to react critically to the texts by expressing their
opinions and identifying the author’s standpoint, in addition to other higher-order
thinking skills (analysis, synthesis …)

This module aims to help students develop the necessary skills to read effectively
and comprehend complex written material. In particular, the module focuses on the
skill of creating précis, which are concise and accurate summaries of written
material.

Throughout the course, students will learn a range of strategies for improving
their reading comprehension, including active reading techniques and effective
note-taking. They will also learn how to identify key information and main ideas in
written texts, and how to summarize them in a précis. The module will cover the
following topics:
-Understanding the purpose and importance of précis
-Active reading techniques for improving comprehension
-Effective note-taking strategies
-Identifying key information and main ideas in written texts
-Writing concise and accurate summaries (précis) of written material
-Editing and revising précis for clarity and accuracy
-Practicing précis writing with different types of texts, including academic
articles, reports, and news articles.

- Objectives of the Module:

 Develop students' reading comprehension skills, including the ability to identify
main ideas, supporting details, and implicit meanings.
 Enhance students' ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and
create concise summaries.

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  Foster students' critical thinking skills by teaching them how to evaluate the
reliability and validity of information presented in texts.
 Expand students' vocabulary and teach them how to use context clues to
understand unfamiliar words.
 Teach students effective reading strategies, including note-taking, skimming,
scanning, and close reading.
 Prepare students for academic and professional settings by developing their
reading comprehension and précis skills in different contexts and genres.

- Skills and strategies

By the end of the course, the students should be able to :

 Skim and scan a passage i.e. identify main ideas and supporting details of written
information.
 Synthesize information from multiple sources and condense it into concise summaries.
 Analyze the structure and language of a text to understand its meaning and purpose.
 Evaluate the validity and reliability of information presented in a text.
 Apply a variety of reading strategies, including context clues, to understand and
interpret written information.
 Paraphrase and summarize a passage.
 Understand vocabulary in context.
 Make logical inference based on textual details
 Develop distinct reading sub-skills.
 React critically to the texts by expressing their opinions and
identifying the author’s standpoint.

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 EVALUATING TEXTS

With all the information that is available today, you must be on your guard as you read.
Nothing is automatically true just because it is in print or on the Web. You need to develop the
ability to read critically. That is, you need to ask questions like these about the text and about the
writer.

• Where is this material from? Is this a valid source of information?

• Who is the writer? Is he or she qualified to write about this topic?
• Can I trust the information here?
• What is the writer's purpose in writing this?
• What is the writer's point of view about the topic?
• How does this information compare to what I already know?
• Based on what I already know and believe, do I agree?

It is important to remember that ANYONE can create a web site or put information on the Web.
There are no editors to check the reliability of a writer (as in a serious newspaper or magazine).
Therefore, when you are reading articles on the Web, you need to be especially critical. Ask
yourself:

Task 1:

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Task 2:

In addition to evaluating the sources of reading materials, you need to look closely at the text
itself. In the following exercises, you will read a variety of texts to identify and evaluate different
aspects.
• Purpose—the reason the writer wrote the text
• Point of view—the writer's position on a particular subject
• Possible bias—how a writer might purposely present ideas or events in ways that favor a
particular political or religious belief
I- Determining the purpose

To evaluate a piece of writing, you need to ask not only who wrote it, but also why it was written
—the writer's purpose. The three main purposes for writing are:
• To inform—the author presents facts and explains ideas to the reader.
• To persuade—the author uses facts and opinions to argue for or against some idea.
• To entertain—the author tries to amuse or interest the reader with humor, suspense, and
stories.
A piece of writing can often fulfill more than one purpose. It can, in fact, be informative,
persuasive, and entertaining all at once. However, the writer usually has one primary purpose in
writing it.
How can you tell what the writer's purpose is?
• Look at the information in the passage. Does it contain a lot of facts? If it does, the purpose may
be to inform or to persuade.
• Look at the language in the passage.

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 - If it is neutral and objective, the purpose is probably simply to inform the reader.
- If it includes terms that are strongly positive, negative, or emotional, the purpose is probably to
persuade the reader.
• If it includes situations or descriptions that are funny, surprising, or intriguing, the writer
probably wants to entertain the reader.
Task:
Viennese Blend Coffee is a potent blend of twenty-five percent French Roast and seventy-five
percent regular roast coffees that have been blended to complement the dark and smoky flavors
of the French Roast. Viennese Blend makes an excellent after-dinner coffee, and its European
name suggests its ability to keep the conversation going long into the night. You won't actually
find a coffee like this in Vienna anymore, but we're certain that 19th century intellectuals were
drinking a similar blend as they discussed their theories of cultural evolution.
(Source: www:oeets.com/shoo, January 20, 2006)
- What is the writer's main purpose?

II- Recognizing point of view

Every writer has a point of view—or way of thinking—about the topic of their writing which has
developed out of their particular experiences and background. When you read critically, you need
to identify the writer's point of view and consider how it affects the facts or arguments that are
presented. You can identify the point of view by looking at the main idea or thesis of a passage
and then examining the kind of support that the writer gives for it.

Task:
Children and Television
According to recent statistics, the average American, including children, watches four hours of
television a day. This cannot be beneficial for the children. Among the many consequences of
this situation are the rising levels of obesity among children and the increasing risk of heart
disease and diabetes. The fact of spending long hours in front of the television also means that
they read less than in the past and this has negatively affected their level of achievement in
school. Furthermore, the violence in many programs viewed by children has led to an increase in
violent behavior on the part of children.
1.What is the writer's point of view about the topic:
2. How can you tell?

III- Recognizing bias

Bias is similar to point of view but taken a step further. A biased writer expresses a one-sided
opinion or prejudice about a person, group, or idea. He or she chooses words that can influence
the reader's feelings about the person, group, or idea. Biased writing may include some of these

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characteristics:
• It presents only one side of an argument.
• It includes only facts or examples that support the writer's opinion.
• It uses language intended to influence the reader's emotions (fear, anger, pity, outrage).
• It ridicules other opinions or views.
Bias may be present in many different kinds of writing, including news reporting, political
commentary, and even in textbooks. It may involve political or religious opinions, racial or
national groups, or other groups, people, or ideas. It is important to recognize bias in writing so
that you, the reader, can make a fair judgment about the validity of the writer's ideas.

Task:
Smoke Screen
We support all sorts of policies to combat the use of tobacco. But the World Health
Organization's recently announced policy to deny jobs to smokers goes too far. The organization
announced on December 1 that it will no longer hire people who smoke or who won't pledge to
stop smoking. WHO says that its credibility is at stake because it is the world's leading opponent
of tobacco use. But there is an important distinction to be made between smoking and smokers.
The WHO policy conflates the two in a worrisome way. Smokers are an easy target. But just as
free speech rights must extend to the most unpopular views, so, too, should unsound—but private
—activities be protected from raids by the lifestyle police.
( Source: Adapted from The Boston Globe, printed in International Herald Tribune, January 4,
2006)
1. What is the writer's purpose—to inform, persuade, or entertain? How can you tell? Mark the
words or phrases that helped you decide.
2. What is the main point of the article?
3. Is the writer for, against, or neutral about the smoking ban? How can you tell?
4. Does the writer seem biased? How can you tell?

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 PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION

Recognizing the pattern of organization is an important part of reading comprehension, since

writers, too, use patterns to present their ideas in a way that makes sense. Once you recognize the
pattern, you will understand and follow their ideas more efficiently. In this unit, you will learn to
identify six common patterns that are often found in paragraphs in English:
• Listing
• Sequence
• Comparison/Contrast
• Cause/Effect
• Problem/Solution
• Extended Definition
1. Listing
In the listing pattern, the writer states the main idea in the form of a generalization and gives a list
of details or examples to support that general statement.
• Key words/phrases in the main idea: many, several, a number of, a variety of, a few, kinds of
• Signal words/phrases: for example, for instance, first, second, another, also, besides, in
addition, final, last, most important.
2. Sequence
In the sequence pattern, the writer explains the main idea with a series of events or steps in a
process that follow one after the other in time order.
• Key word/phrases in the main idea: began, account, story, process, history, sequence.
• Signal words/phrases: first, second, then, next, after, while, since, then, soon, finally, at last,
in 1965, last June, later, over time, the next step, the following week.
3. Comparison/Contrast
In the comparison/contrast pattern, the writer's main idea is a general statement about
two things and how they are similar and/or different. A comparison can include both
similarities and differences, or only the similarities. A contrast states only differences.
• Key words/phrases in the main idea: similarities, differences, both, in common, same, different,
compare, comparison.
• Signal words/phrases for similarities: similarly, also, in the same way, as, like, both, in common.
• Signal words/phrases for differences: however, but, on the other hand, although, while, in
contrast, than, conversely, yet, unlike.

4. Cause/Effect
In this pattern, the writer's main idea is that one event or action caused another event or action.
• Key words/phrases in the main idea and the signal words for details are the same and often
include: causes, leads to, is the cause of results in, creates, brings about, makes, provokes,
produces, gives rise to, contributes to, is due to, is the result of, comes from, results from, is
produced by, is a consequence of, follows, is caused by.

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 5. Problem/Solution
In this pattern, the main idea names a problem and indicates that one or more solutions. The
paragraph always consists of two parts: 1) a statement and 2) a description and explanation of
how it was solved. There are often no signal words for the details.
• Key words/phrases in the main idea: situation, trouble, crisis, dilemma or issue.
• In the body of the paragraph, key words include: solve, solution, resolved.
6. Extended Definition
In this pattern, the writer names a concept or complicated process that the paragraph will define
and explain. Usually, the main idea or first sentence of the paragraph states a dictionary definition
of the concept or process, followed by a description and/or an explanation. There are usually no
signal words for the details.
• Key words/phrases in the main idea: consists of, is, seems to be, are.
Task:

1:

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2-

3-

4- There are several different theories about the origin of the Moon. One theory, called the
fission' theory, states that early in the life of Earth, a piece broke off, and that piece became the
Moon. A second, closely related theory is that the Moon is composed of several pieces of Earth
that broke away from our planet. Yet another theory is that the Moon formed elsewhere in the
solar system and was captured by Earth's gravity.' The final theory states that a huge piece of
planetary rock struck Earth and broke up into pieces. One of the pieces became the Moon.

5- Close-up study of the planet Mars began when rockets were developed that could send
scientific instruments into space. In 1965, the first observations of Mars were done by the
American spacecraft Mariner 4, which flew near the planet to collect data and take photographs.
Four years later, more data and photographs were collected by Mariners 6 and 7 as they flew past
the planet. Then, in 1971, Mariner 9 actually went into orbit around Mars, and during the
following eleven months, sent back more than 7,000 images before contact with the spacecraft
was lost. The next major step, in 1976, was the landing of two Viking crafts on two different
areas of Mars' surface. These landers were able to send hack important data about the atmosphere
of the planet.

6- Beginning in the 1600s, astronomers had realized that their telescopes had serious limits. They
had managed to build stronger and better telescopes, but no matter how strong the new telescopes
were, they were less than satisfactory. The astronomers were able to view objects only when the
objects were in view of Earth. At the same time, however, Earth's light and atmosphere made it
difficult to see many heavenly objects. Thanks to the Hubble Telescope, this has been solved,
because the Hubble is not just a telescope. It is a digital camera on a satellite that travels about
370 miles (600 km) above Earth, making a complete orbit every ninety-seven minutes. Since
1990, Hubble has been able to take digital pictures of planets, galaxies, comets, and more, and
these are sent back to Hubble headquarters for scientists to study.

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6- A solar eclipse is an astronomical event during which the Moon seems to cover the Sun. When
the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, all or part of the Sun's light is blotted out. The
Moon, in fact, is much smaller than the Sun, but it is also a great deal closer to the Earth. As a
result, both the Sun and the Moon seem to be about the same size to us. During a total eclipse, the
Sun, the Moon, and the Earth are all in a straight line and the Moon completely hides the Sun
from view. A partial eclipse occurs when the three bodies are not exactly in a straight line. In an
annular solar eclipse, the Sun is visible as a bright ring around the Moon because the Moon is
farthest from the Earth.

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 SUMMARIZING

Another key strategy for learning and remembering the ideas in a text is to summarize what you
have read. This means rewriting the important parts in a much shorter form, using some words
from the text and some of your own words. Summarizing is especially useful for:

•Reviewing and memorizing information in textbooks for exams;

•Preparing information or ideas from different sources so you can include them in a report or
paper.

ɪ. Summarizing a Passage
When summarizing a passage, the first step is to write a one-sentence summary of each
paragraph. Then you can combine the sentences to write a summary of the whole passage.
Steps to summarize a paragraph
• Read the paragraph all the way through to be sure you understand it.
• Write a single, complete sentence that is much shorter than the paragraph.
• Include the main idea and supporting facts and ideas.
• In the summary sentence, follow the same pattern of organization as in the paragraph.
• Do not add any facts, ideas, or opinions that are not in the paragraph
Note: The topic sentence or main idea sentence can sometimes serve as the summary sentence,
but it often needs to be changed to include important details found in the paragraph.
Example:
Read the paragraph and mark the text to show the main idea, the pattern of organization, and
the supporting facts and ideas. Then read the summary sentence that contains the most
important ideas in the paragraph.

In developing countries, poor people have suffered the most from shortages of clean water. There
are several reasons for this. First, in many developing countries, the majority of houses in poor
villages and urban slums are not yet served by a piped water system. People living in these places
often have to walk many miles to find water and carry it home in jugs and plastic containers.
Second, these people usually have few alternatives to the piped water supply. There may be water
closer by in rivers or lakes, but this is often dangerously polluted. In some areas, street vendors
sell water by the liter, but they often charge extremely high prices for water that is not always
safe to drink.

Main idea: Poor people in developing countries have suffered the most from shortages of clean
water for several reasons.

Pattern of organization: Listing

Supporting facts and ideas: - people in poor villages and urban slums are usually not served by a
piped water system.

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- These people have few other sources of fresh water.

Summary sentence: Poor people in developing countries suffer the most from shortages of clean
water because their homes do not have piped in water and they have few other sources of water.

Task
Working with another student, read each paragraph and mark the text to show the main
idea and the supporting facts and ideas. Then fill in the information below.

Wetlands
Wetlands are areas of land that are covered by water all or part of the year.
Throughout history, people have considered wetlands to be land that was wasted
and could be put to better use. For this reason, from the time of the Romans,
wetlands have been drained and filled so that the land could be used for human
activity. Wetlands have been converted into farmland, city neighborhoods, industrial
facilities, or garbage dumps. However, in recent years, scientists, environmentalists,
and even politicians have begun to realize that wetlands are a valuable part of the
environment, as well as a valuable resource for humans.

Main idea:
____________________________________________________________________________
Pattern of organization:
__________________________________________________________________
Supporting facts and ideas:
_______________________________________________________________
Summary sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________

ɪɪ. Summarizing a whole Passage

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Read the passage all the way to the end and mark the overall thesis and the supporting
points.
• Determine the overall pattern of organization.
• Write a one-sentence summary of each paragraph.
• Write a short paragraph by combining the summary sentences of the paragraphs (with
any necessary changes to connect them).
• The main idea of the summary paragraph should be similar to the thesis of the whole
passage and the pattern of organization should be the same as the overall pattern of the
passage.
→Note: Only the most important ideas and supporting points of the original passage should
be included in a summary paragraph. It should not include minor details.

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 III- INFERENCING

In many kinds of writing, the author presents facts and/ or opinions about a situation or topic
and also makes inferences from those facts and/ or opinions.
Facts are statements of information that can be verified.
For example:
- Chile is considered one of the most conservative Catholic countries in South America.
- On January 15, 2006, Chileans elected their first woman president, the Socialist
- Michelle Bachelet, with 53.5 percent of their votes.
- She is a former defense minister, a doctor, a single mother and a non-Catholic.
- Her father, a general in the army, was killed in 1973 under the military dictatorship of Pinochet.
- Her election campaign was based on promises of social and economic reform aimed at more
equality.
Inferences are educated guesses that are based on facts and/ or opinions.

A writer doesn’t tell us everything that happens, because doing so would make what we are
reading uninteresting, or because the extra information is not necessary for us to understand the
writer’s main point. Instead, the writer relies on us to make inferences as we read. When we infer,
we use clues from the text and our prior knowledge to figure out the information that is not
included.

When we make inferences, we use our background knowledge and clues from the text to fill in
information that we haven’t been told directly.

Guidelines for Building Inference Skills

 Try to read beyond the words. Fill in details, information, and ideas based on the writer’s
suggestions and your own background knowledge.
 Ask yourself questions about the text you are reading.
 If the writer describes a person, try to understand the person from how the person moves, what
the person says, and what the person looks like. You can infer things about someone’s character
from what the person does. Build a picture in your mind of what the person is like.
 If you have a hard time seeing how information fits together in a selection or what the
selection’s meaning is, try using inference skills. Sometimes a single inference can make sense of
a whole picture.
 If you cannot easily answer a question about what you have read, remember to use inference
skills. Return to the reading looking for clues that will help you figure out the answer.
 Try to predict what might happen next. From a series of events, you often can infer the

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outcome. Being able to predict outcomes is an important part of inference.
 Try to generalize about what you have read. When you generalize, you infer extended
meanings. These meanings go beyond the particular information in the reading. You form
principles, or rules, based on wha tyou’ve read.

Example:
- People in Chile are not as conservative as generally thought.
- People in Chile want changes in their society and economy.
- President Bachelet's background and experience should help her understand the problems in
Chile.
- The fact that she served as defense minister may have reassured conservatives afraid of radical
change.
- The fact that her father was killed under Pinochet probably raised her standing among leftists.

Example:

“Let me show you how I figure out meaning that is not directly stated in the text by using an
example like the following:

The sky was dark and the fog blocked out everything. I couldn’t see three feet in front of me. I
didn’t know which way to turn. I was frozen to the spot.

“The author is implying something here about mood or feeling. But nothing in this text tells me
directly about mood or feeling, but I can figure out how the character is feeling by putting myself
in his place and using my own experience. What I do is say to myself, ‘If it were me who was out
on a dark and foggy night and didn’t know which way to turn, how would that make me feel?’ I
would probably decide that in such a situation I would feel scared. If I would be scared in that
situation, then probably that is how the character in the story feels too. So, to get information the
author doesn’t state directly, I use what the author tells me but I think about my own experience
with it and make a prediction on the basis of my experience. In this case, I thought about how I
would feel in that same situation and predicted that the author wanted me to feel like that.

Tasks :

A- Suzanne looked down at the speedometer. Eighty-five. She tightened her grip on the steering
wheel. Suddenly she heard a siren behind her.

- What can you infer from this introduction?

B- The alarm went off at 6:30 as usual Something made Trish look out the
window It was just as she had hoped The street was covered, the trees were
barely visible, and nothing was moving in the white stillness There would be
no school today!

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1 Was it 6:30 a m or 6:30 p m ? __________________ How do you know?
___________________________________________________________________________________
2 What had happened during the night?
______________________________________________
3 What sentence gives you a clue that Trish had anticipated what happened?
____________
__________________________________________________________________________

C- Jerome spoke softly to Petey, but it was of no use He squawked all the way
to the vet Jerome carried Petey’s cage inside, and Petey screamed every
word he knew at the dogs and cats in the waiting room The vet put on gloves
and checked Petey all over He then pronounced him fit as a fiddle and said,
“See ya next year, Pete ”

1 Was specific type of pet do you think Petey is and why?

______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2 Why did the vet use gloves when handling Petey?
____________________________________
3 Did Petey visit the vet for a routine exam or because he was injured?
__________________
How do you know?
_____________________________________________________________

D- When the teacher praised her for the good job she did, Mildred lowered her eyes and blushed.
She said, “Oh, it was nothing. Anybody could have done it.” when the teacher continued to praise
her, Mildred got even more red in the face.

Teacher: ______________________________________________________________________

E- Read the following passages carefully and write YES or NO after each statement that can be
inferred from each passage.
Thai is one of the oldest languages in East and South – East Asia. According to linguists,
it may even predate Chinese, at least in its prototypical form. Many of the so – called “loan –
words” thought to be borrowed from Chinese by the Thais actually have an Austro – Thai origin.
At any rate, Chinese and Thai have many similarities, since both are monosyllabic tonal
languages.
In standard central Thai the meaning of a single syllable may be altered using five
different tones: normal or middle tone, low tone, high tone, rising tone, and falling tone.
In 1283, King Ramkhamhaeng introduced the Thai script, recently developed in relation
to the spoken language. It consists of 44 consonants (but only 21 separate sounds) and 48 vowels
and diphthong possibilities (32 separate signs) and is of Sanskrit origin.
There are no plurals in Thai as well as tenses. A word or two is usually added to
determine the past, present or future. If you run into difficulties, remember to speak slowly and

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clearly, stick to the simple present tense and don’t use slang or idioms. “th” and “z” don’t appear
at all, while some Thai sounds are not commonly used in English either.
In Thai there is a “politening” word attached to the end of anything you say. For men it is
“Krap”, for women it is “Kha”. The words have little if any direct translation but a Thai will
think very highly of you if you use it.
Written Thai proceeds from left to right, thought vowel signs may be written before,
above, below, or after consonants, depending on the sign.
(From http://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/Thai_Culture/Thai_Language/index.html)

1. Many people enjoy learning Thai. _____________________________

2. Thai people will be impressed when foreigners attempt to speak Thai with politeness markers.
_________________________________________
3. Some aspects of grammar, like plurals, do not play an important role in the Thai language.
_______________________________________
4. Trying to speak Thai quickly can lead to communication problems. ____________
5. King Ramkhamhaeng created the Thai alphabet. ______________________
6. Some Thai words have no literal translation and meaning in English. ____________
7. Thai is an older language than Chinese. _____________________
8. The Chinese and Thai languages share the same origins. _____________________

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 TOPIC, MAIN IDEA & DETAILS

Every text has a 'topic' and an accompanying overall 'main idea' or 'main message' about
the topic that the writer wishes to pass to the reader.
An example of this might be that the topic of a text is 'safety at work', but the main idea
is that 'new safety-at-work standards are urgently needed and these are the reasons why'.
Longer texts are organised into paragraphs. The main idea of the whole text can often be
found in the introductory paragraph to the text, or in the concluding paragraph, or even
somewhere in between. It might not be written directly and explicitly in a sentence in the text, but
will become clear as you read the text.
The main idea of a paragraph is the author’s idea about the topic. It is always a complete
sentence that includes both the topic and the idea that the author wishes to express about the
topic.
Each paragraph, or section of the text, contains other main ideas that support the main
idea as a whole. These supporting main ideas can be found in each paragraph. There is usually,
but not always, one main idea per paragraph. The main idea of the text is really what the writer
wants to tell us. It's the writer's purpose for writing the text, so it is important that we understand
it.
What are details?
Details support the main ideas of the text. They may be facts, experiences of the writer
that support· the main idea, examples, or other references. Details are not the most important

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things the writer wishes to tell us, but they do support the writer's main idea overall. Details are
often found as supporting sentences to the main idea in each paragraph.

Task 1:

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Task 1:

Task 2:

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Possible ways to identify the main idea in a passage:

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-

Task 1:

Topic: ………………………………………………………………………..

Main idea: ………………………………………………………………………..

Task 2:

Topic: ………………………………………………………………………..

Main idea: ………………………………………………………………………..

Task 3:

Planets in the Solar System There are eight planets in the Solar System, and each one is very
different. Some planets, like Jupiter and Saturn are very large. Others, like Mercury and Mars
are smaller. Jupiter has moons that are larger than Mercury. The planets also have different
atmospheres. Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn have atmospheres of hydrogen and helium. The
atmosphere on Venus is made up of carbon dioxide. Earth has a nitrogen and oxygen
atmosphere. Neptune’s atmosphere is mostly hydrogen. The planets also have different

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 temperatures. Uranus is the coldest and Venus is the hottest.
https://www.hasdk12.org/cms/lib/PA01001366/Centricity/Domain/1178/planets-main-idea.pdf

1. Write the main idea of the paragraph in your own words.

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Write the supporting ideas for the main idea.
a. _______________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________

PARAPHRASING

A. What is Paraphrasing?
In writing, paraphrasing means rewording an excerpt (a block of text). The excerpt is usually a
single sentence or paragraph. You might also paraphrase something you hear or see, such as a
lecture or a video.
When you paraphrase, you use your own words to rephrase the original thought or
information. When paraphrasing, avoid using more than two or three words in a row in the same
way as the original
B. Keys To Paraphrasing
When paraphrasing in writing, it is not enough to change a few of the original words. You
also need to change the sentence structure and style of the excerpt (syntax) to make it your own.
Here are some methods to try.
C. What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing?
• Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source.
They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original
author.

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 • Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A
paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source.
• Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words. It must attribute
summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are shorter than the original and take a broad
overview of the source material.
D. Make a few of these changes each time you paraphrase.
1. Use synonyms to change some of the original words.
2. Change the parts of speech for some of the original words.
3. Change information that is in the active voice to the passive voice (or third person to second
or first person).
4. Change the order of how the information is presented.
5. Eliminate any unnecessary words (e.g., reduce clauses).
6. Turn simple sentences into complex sentences (e.g., create relative clauses).
7. Combine or divide thoughts or sentences to change the structure.

Task:

Paraphrase the following statements:

- It is not illegal in some cultures to be married to more than one woman, but the monogamous
relationship is the most common.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Some 10 million girls a year are married off before the age of 18 across the world, according
to a UNICEF report released this year.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Japan has long had deep misgivings about immigration and has tightly controlled the ability of
foreigners to live and work here.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Although only about one-tenth of the world’s population lives there, sub-Saharan Africa remains
the hardest hit region, accounting for 72 percent of the people infected with HIV during 2000.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease caused by a bacterium transmitted by ticks (small

bloodsucking arachnids that attach themselves to larger animals). The disease is usually
characterized by a rash followed by flu-like symptoms, including fever, joint pain, and
headache.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Angier (2001) reported that malaria kills more than one million people annually, the
overwhelming majority of them children in sub-Saharan Africa.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

PART II: PRACTICE TEXTS

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 PRACTICE TEXT: 1
I. Before you read
Work with a partner and discuss the questions below.
1. Do you use different technologies to learn outside the classroom?
2. How will classrooms be greatly influenced by different technological tools in the future?
3. Do you think that technologies such as AI will replace future classrooms?
4. Look at the photos and paintings below. Describe each educational system in the pictures.
Which one do you prefer?

Read the text quickly. With your partner, try to match the following themes (1-4) with the
paragraphs (A-D).
1. Teachers now have big chances to share.
2. Technologies may replace the traditional classroom altogether.

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3. Cutting-edge innovative technologies are in use.
4. You can’t use technologies all the time because of their cost

Learning outside the classroom

A. From cloud computing to virtual reality, technology is transforming the traditional learning
path. New technologies such as the cloud, tablets and virtual reality (VR) have the potential to
transform education, putting students in charge of their learning. Already some teachers have
adopted the “flipped classroom”, in which students direct their own learning at home, while class
time is used for answering questions. Could these technologies replace the traditional classroom
altogether? Students learning outside classrooms.

B. Free cloud offerings such as Google’s G Suite for Education have made it easy to share
information. Teachers can store resources – newspaper articles, instructional videos, podcasts –
on the cloud, enabling students to access that information from home, in a café or even on the
bus. Additionally, students can file assignments that teachers can instantly access and mark.
Mobile technology, particularly in the form of tablets, is also helping to displace the idea that
learning has to take place in the classroom. A 2014 report on learning technologies in further
education from the Association of Colleges and the Association for Learning Technology found
that tablets were “an excellent technology for enriched pedagogy”, citing their benefits in
“interactive lectures, field trips and wet labs”. Equipped with cameras and audio recorders,
tablets are also ideal vehicles for the increasingly popular e-portfolio: a method of recording and
showcasing a student’s work, whether it’s a video of the student carrying out a practical task,
such as cutting hair, or observations from their placement employer.

C. Widespread adoption of mobile technology is hampered by cost, however. As John Traxler,

Professor of Digital Learning at the University of Wolverhampton, points out: “Once you get past
compulsory education, you’ve got to address the question of equity: tablets are expensive, so
either you ask students to bring their own, with the result that only the rich students do, or the
institution buys them, and it can’t afford to.” But the broader trend is away from traditional
classroom-based teaching. In essence, online distance learning has mushroomed in recent years,
enabling students to gain both work-based qualifications and full degrees without attending a
physical institution. While that’s harder to achieve in areas where students need to acquire
practical skills, technology can still add value. Prospects College of Advanced Technology in
Essex, for example, has installed a virtual reality suite that will enable its construction students to
practise new skills, such as carrying out an electrical installation in a virtual setting before
moving on to trying them in a real-world setting. Although the classroom-based model has lasted
for hundreds of years, web-based, mobile and virtual technologies are taking learning in a new
direction. We could finally be about to see the end of classroom-based teaching and the dawn of
an era of independent learning.

D. Here are some examples of technology in use. Cloud computing includes free educational
suites from Google and Microsoft that enable schools to store other files on the web so that

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students and teachers can collaborate inside the classroom and out. A tablet’s versatility means
students can learn anywhere at any time, whether it’s taking photos on a field trip, videoing
themselves practising a talk or using a language app to hone their speaking skills. These are
called tablet computers. Game simulations enable students to learn practical skills by doing them,
but without risk: this is particularly useful in higher education for students of medicine, dentistry
or optometry. Wearable headsets work with virtual reality to immerse students in an experience.
In contrast, wearable cameras can capture learning and headbands that measure brain signals to
let teachers know if students are distracted. Wearable laboratories allow students to run
experiments online and repeat them if they get them wrong – useful for students who are home-
taught or who want to revise what they’ve learnt in college. In VR, students can immerse
themselves in a learning experience, whether it’s putting themselves in the place of an Apollo
astronaut as he lands on the moon or walking around a virtual building site identifying safety
issues. Augmented reality software enables students to point their mobile camera at an object and
see a video or animation superimposed on the screen, bringing alive everything from history to
car maintenance. 3D printers enable students to create prototypes for their design ideas, objects
for use in science experiments, or solid geometric shapes to help them understand mathematical
concepts. Tools such as Skype and FaceTime expand students’ horizons by enabling them to talk
to students and teachers in other countries, or have face-to-face consultations with an expert. This
technology is called video conferencing. Another area is the telepresence robot teacher, which
has been piloted in the US. It is a 1.2-metre stand with a screen and a camera: the remote teacher
can see, hear and talk to their students.

After you read

Rread the text carefully, and find answers to each of the following questions:
1. Do you think that new technologies will transform education? How?
2. What can be inferred from the speech of Professor John Traxler?
3. What is the impact of the spread of online distance learning?
4. What can you understand from the College of Advanced Technology in Essex?
5. What did you learn from the reading passage about the tools that learners can use to learn
outside and inside the classroom?
6. Why is a private company giving away a service for free that requires constant upkeep and
maintenance?
Indicate whether the following statements are True or False, and justify your answers:
1. Technology has the essentials to step up education.
2. Google G Suite offers educators enough storage space.
3. Tablets did not reinforce methodology.
4. Some technologies are changing the way people are learning

Choose and match the innovative technologies in the box with their uses below.
Cloud computing, Tablet computers, Simulations, Wearables, Virtual laboratories, Virtual
reality, Augmented reality, 3D printing, Video-conferencing, Robots.

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1. : enables schools to store other files on the web.
2. : Students video themselves practising a talk or using a language.
3. : enable students to learn practical skills by doing them.
4. : work with virtual reality to immerse students in an experience.
5. : allow students to run experiments online.
6. : Students can immerse themselves in a learning experience.
7. : enables students to point their mobile camera at an object and see a video or animation
superimposed on the screen.
8. : enables students to create prototypes for their design ideas.
9. : enabling learners to talk to students and teachers in other countries.
10. : Teachers can see, hear and talk to their students.

Discussion.
With your partner, discuss what Professor Taxler means when he said:
“… tablets are expensive, so either you ask students to bring their own, with the result that only
the rich students do, or the institution buys them, and it can’t afford to.”

PRACTICE TEXT: 2
Before you read
In groups of four, discuss these questions.
1. Do you often use public transport?
2. How could the transportation system be improved in Morocco?
3. What means of transportation would you recommend for a visitor to Morocco? Why?

While you read

Quickly read the text. With your partner, try to match the following
themes (1-4) with the paragraphs (A-D).
1. Public transport began to be a popular form of transportation.
2. Using public transport started to decline in some American cities.
3. Two of the most commonly addressed areas of public transport are cost and the environment.
4. Some public transportation systems are superior to travel by private automobile.

Worldwide transport

A. Although there are 600 million cars on the Earth, there are also 7.8 billion people. This means
that the majority of people use various kinds of transportation. Traveling to work, school or the
market means being a straphanger, that is, one who depends on public transport rather than
having a private car. Half the population of New York, Toronto and London do not own cars.

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Public transport is used by most people in Asia and Africa. Everyday underground trains carry
155 million passengers. The global public transport market is worth $428 million every year. A
century and a half after the invention of the internal combustion engine, private car ownership is
not the norm.

B. However, public transportation, according to many, is the opposite of fame. It is used by

people who face difficulty. In much of North America, taking public transport is a sad experience.
Those who use public transportation face many problems, and using a car gets you to your
intended place more quickly.

C. This should not be the case. If it is done right, public transportation can be faster, more
comfortable and cheaper than the private car. In Shanghai, magnetic levitation trains take people
quickly to the airport at a third of the speed of sound. In French towns, electric-powered
streetcars run silently. From Spain to Sweden, Wi-Fi equipped high-speed trains are connected to
metro networks, allowing travelers to work on laptops as they prepare for meetings. In Latin
America, China and India, working people ride fast-loading buses that move like subway trains.
And some cities have changed their streets into cycle-path freeways, making great advances in
public health and safety and making their neighborhoods better places to live in.

D. If you believe the scientists of demography, this transit trend is powerful. People who reached
adulthood around the end of the century, who now outnumber baby boomers, tend to favor cities
over suburbs, and they are more willing than their parents to ride buses and subways. Part of the
reason is their ease with their iPods and MP3 players. Even though there are more teenagers in
the country than ever, only ten million have a driver’s license. Baby boomers may have been
raised in the suburbs, but as they retire, an important number is favoring older cities and
compact towns where they have the choice of walking and riding bicycles. Older people also are
more likely to use transit, and by 2025, there will be 64 million Americans over the age of sixty-
five. Dwellings in older neighborhoods in Washington D.C., Atlanta and Denver are already
getting huge price benefits over suburban homes. The experience of European and Asian cities
shows that if you make buses, subways and trains suitable, comfortable, fast and safe, an
astonishingly large percentage of citizens will choose to ride rather than drive.

After you read

Read and find out answers to each of the following questions.
1. What is the impact of using public transport in Asia and Africa?
2. Which choice does the author directly give as an advantage of car travel in North America?
3. Mention some of the advantages of using trains.
4. Explain how the science of demography affects the use of various types of transport.
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false, then justify your answer.
1. Public transport began to be a popular form of transportation.
2. Using public transport started to decline in some American cities.

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3. European countries are the best in the field of public transportation.
4. People without a job use public transportation less than people with jobs outside their homes.

DISCUSSION: With your partner, discuss what the following statement means.
“The biggest addiction a person can have is discovering the unknown. Once it takes hold, there is
no getting out, and the only way to get your fix is by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
and exploring new horizons, cultures, and places.”

PRACTICE TEXT: 3

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A. Marriage is a recognized union between two people; a male and a female, called spouses,
which establishes rights and obligations between them. It is also known as matrimony or
wedlock. This union can be recognized through social norms and laws or a ritual, and it also
accepts the indisputable rights that any children born or adopted within that union have. People
around the world have been performing marriage ceremonies for a long time, with each culture
adding something special and unique.

B. The wedding starts with pre-wedding ceremonies, such as the engagement ceremony, where
the bride and the groom exchange rings. Then there is the Mehendi Ceremony held at the bride’s
house, where her palms, wrists and feet are decorated for the wedding. On the wedding day, the
husband and wife put flower garlands around each other’s necks, which symbolizes the bride’s
acceptance of her husband. The traditional wedding is followed by many other traditions, such
as, for example, stealing the groom’s shoes. The bride’s sisters play a trick by stealing the shoes
once the groom has entered the wedding tent, so the groom must bribe them in order to get his
shoes back.

C. In Japan, wedding ceremonies are traditionally held in Shinto shrines. Painted white from
head to toe, the bride also wears a white kimono (Japanese clothing). During the ceremony, the
bride puts on a white hood to hide her “horns of jealousy” that she feels towards her mother-in-
law. She declares herself a maiden, and promises to become a gentle and obedient wife.
Throughout the celebration, Japanese brides change their costumes several times, so they also
wear a red kimono, and a more modern dress.

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As a symbol of the newly established union, the happy couple drinks sake, a Japanese alcoholic
drink made from rice. In this tradition, known as san-san-kudo, the bride and groom each take
three sips from three different sake cups. Their parents do the same, which bonds their families
together.

D. According to Welsh wedding tradition, a man should carve a wooden spoon and give it to the
woman he loves. If she wears it, that means they are engaged. Another wedding custom in Wales
suggests that brides should be kidnapped by their families shortly before their wedding day, so if
the groom comes and rescues her, that means they will be married.
Welsh brides also put myrtles (a flower) in their bouquet, because it symbolizes love. The
bridesmaids receive a cutting of the myrtle and, if they plant it and see it bloom, they will also
marry soon.

⭐ 2.3. After you read

Read and find out. Now read the text carefully, and find answers to each of the
following questions:
1. What will happen to the Welsh bridesmaid if her myrtle cutting blooms?
2. Where is the Mehendi ceremony in India held?
3. How is the bride’s jealousy hidden in Japan?
Circle the correct answer to each question.
1. The word “bribe” means .
A. giving someone money to try to make them do something
B. performing a traditional ritual
C. being made to do something
2. In India, the bride’s sisters a trick on the groom.
A. act B. make C. play
3. Drinking sake is a symbol of the established union.
A. freshly B. recently C. newly
4. Welsh men a wooden spoon for their engagement.
A. carve B. cut C. sculpt
Indicate whether the following statements are True or False and justify your answer:
1. “During a traditional Japanese wedding, the bride wears both a white and a red kimono.”
2. “Welsh brides also put myrtles (a flower) in their bouquet, because it symbolizes love.”
3. Based on the information in this lesson, which statement is false?
A. In Wales, the bride is kidnapped by her own family before the wedding.
B. In Wales, the bride is kidnapped by the groom’s family before the wedding.

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 PRACTICE TEXT: 4

Before you read

Discuss these questions with your classmates.
1. Have you ever watched or heard about the Nobel Prize?
2. Who is the Nobel Prize awarded to?
3. How many types of the Nobel Prize are there? What are they?
While you read
Quickly read the text. With your partner, try to match the following descriptions (1-4) with
the paragraphs (A-D).
1. The management structure of the Foundation.
2. A will turned into a reality.
3. The fields of the Prize.
4. Tasks of the Nobel Foundation.
The Nobel Foundation: a mission towards prosperity of humanity
A. The Nobel Foundation was founded as a private organisation on 29 June 1900, specifically to
manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. It is based on Nobel’s last will and
testament. At the time Nobel’s will led to much skepticism and criticism, and thus it was not until
26 April 1897 that his will was approved by the Storting ( The Storting is the supreme legislature
of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. Soon
thereafter they appointed the members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that was to award the
Peace Prize. Shortly after, the other prize-awarding organizations followed; Karolinska Institutet
on 7 June, the Swedish Academy on 9 June and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 11
June. The next thing the Nobel Foundation did was to try to agree on guidelines for how the
Nobel Prize should be awarded. In 1900 the Nobel Foundation’s newly created statutes were
promulgated by King Oscar II.
B. The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: Nobelpriset, Norwegian: Nobelprisen) are prizes awarded
annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska
Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make
outstanding contributions in the fields of chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology or
medicine. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was established in 1968 by the
Sveriges Riksbank, the central bank of Sweden, for contributions to the field of economics. Each
recipient, or “laureate”, receives a gold medal, a diploma, and a sum of money, which is
decided annually by the Nobel Foundation.
C. In 1905 the Union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved, which meant the responsibility
for awarding Nobel Prizes was split between the two countries. Norway’s Nobel Committee
became the awarder of the Peace Prize, while Sweden became the awarder of the other prizes.
D. In accordance with Nobel’s will, the primary task of the Nobel Foundation is to manage the
fortune Nobel left after him in a fund. Another important task of the Nobel Foundation is to

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represent the Nobel Prize to the outside world and to take charge of informal activities and issues
related to the awarding of the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Foundation is not involved in any way in
the process of selecting the Nobel laureates. In many ways the Nobel Foundation is similar to an
investment company in that it invests money in various ways to create a solid funding base for the
prize and the administrative activities. The Nobel Foundation is exempt from all taxes in Sweden
(since 1946) and from investment taxes in the United States (since 1953). Since the 1980s, the
Foundation’s investments began to earn more money than previously. At the beginning of the
1980s, the award money was 1 million SEK. However, in 2008, the award money had increased
to 10 million SEK.
After you read Read and find out answers to each of the following questions.
1. Identify the main reason behind setting up the Nobel Foundation.
2. Who is responsible for awarding the Nobel Prizes annually?
3. In what fields is the prize awarded?
4. Describe how the Nobel Foundation is similar to an investment company.
Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE, then justify your answers.
1. The Nobel Prize Foundation is a private organization in the 19th century.
2. The Foundation has twenty important tasks.
3. The Nobel Foundation was established before the Karolinska Institute.
4. Norway’s Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Fill the table either with the number/ date or with the event.

Find out what these words and phrases mean from the text:

Discussion: discuss the following quotation:

“Curiosity is an important motivation.”

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 PRACTICE TEXT: 5
Before you read
Activity (1) Discuss these questions with your classmates.
a. What is meant by climate change?
b. Think of some causes leading to climate change.
c. Look at the photo. What does climate change mean to you? ⭐
While you read
This is a reading text about climate change. There is not a day that goes by when the topic of
climate change does not lead the headlines. This text enables you to be familiar with some basic
information about this dangerous phenomenon.
Activity: Quickly read the text and try to match the following themes (1-6) with the paragraphs
(A-F).
1. It takes decades to feel climate change.
2. The Earth’s lifetime has experienced drastic climate change.
3. We are covered with a heavy blanket.
4. Farmers’ effect on the earth.
5. Terms that lead to misconceptions.
6. Consequences of changes in animal habitats.
Reading text:
A- Temperature change may be a common concern for many individuals. The weather will vary
daily or perhaps from hour to hour. On the other hand, the climate in a region typically takes an
extended period time to vary. Climate refers to the average temperature and conditions in a
specific place over a long time, measured in years. Climate doesn’t change daily or even month
to month; instead, it typically takes hundreds, thousands, or millions of years to change.
B- It is evident that the weather of our planet varies in different places. As an example, the
climate within the desert is hot and dry, while in a rainforest, it’s typically hot and wet, and in
some mountainous regions and other places, it is cold year-round. In today’s world, the phrase
“climate change” is common, and it usually refers to the process in which the earth’s temperature
goes up and up, which is commonly known as warming. Most people will agree on the weather;
however, climate change or global warming results in disagreement.
C- The Earth has experienced significant fluctuations in temperature over its 4.5-billion-year
history; therefore, that in itself is not a reason to start freaking out. There’s an awareness among
all scientists that the climate changed frequently throughout the first 4.5 billion years. However,
it’s also an indisputable fact that the Earth’s average temperature has increased by 1.33°C over
the past hundred years between the 1900s and the 2000s. Reviewing the past two hundred years,
it has increased by 1.8°C. This might not sound like a huge change, but it will transform the
world.
D- If you examine the Earth, you may realize that it is covered like a greenhouse: a “glass-
covered” building that absorbs the warmth from the sun, which some farmers use to grow plants.
Greenhouses are very hot. Of course, the world isn’t lined with glass; however, the “greenhouse

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effect” refers to the retention of the sun’s heat in the Earth’s lower atmosphere by greenhouse
gases. Climate change can be the result of some causes that can’t be prevented and have little or
nothing to do with individuals. However, there are other causes that certainly seem to be
associated with human behaviors. Fossil fuels are natural materials found in and on the Earth, like
oil, coal, and natural gas. Once they are burned, the gases are emitted into the atmosphere, which
adds to the “blanket” covering the Earth.
E- Farmers additionally contribute to the greenhouse effect. There are over 1.5 billion cows in the
world, and they release methane gas daily, adding more to the “blanket” covering the Earth.
Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that is absorbed by the trees and forests
throughout the globe, and then released as oxygen. Sadly, the cutting down of trees and forests to
make way for farms, roads, oil mines, and dams further results in the greenhouse effect and a
thicker “blanket.” This method is termed deforestation.
F- It is incredibly obvious that a hotter climate will negatively affect the Earth. It may lead to
heavier precipitation, uncommon season changes, heat waves, etc. Animals living at the north or
south poles, such as polar bears and seals, suffer from the melting of their natural habitats as a
result of hotter temperatures. As a result of the hotter climate, orangutans in the rainforests are
losing their homes, and ocean turtles are losing nesting beaches as a result of rising ocean levels.
In developing countries, farming faces increased rain, floods, and droughts; additionally, certain
types of food could become scarce, unavailable, or costlier for individuals to buy. In summary,
climate change has occurred since before humans’ existence on Earth; however, the average
temperature has increased over the past two hundred years. Many scientists believe that this is a
result of human behavior, and changing a number of those behaviors can have a positive effect on
climate change and global warming.
Read and find out.
Now read the text carefully, and find answers to each of the following questions:
1. How can you tell that the earth’s climate is changing in different places?
2. The process of the Earth getting warmer refers to
3. List some of the gases that have spoiled the earth’s environment.
4. Explain how a warmer climate affects our planet.
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false, and justify your answer:
1. On average, the Earth has become warmer over the past 200 years.
2. According to scientists, climate change is affecting our planet; it was discovered 200 years
ago.
3. Fossil fuels cause global warming.
4. There are a variety of climates on Earth.

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Discussion: Explain in your own words what the following sentence means:
“It doesn’t make sense to start freaking out about it now.”

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 PRACTICE TEXT: 6
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.
1 [1] The average computer user has between 5 and 15 username/password 2
combinations to log in to email accounts, social networking sites, discussion boards, news 3 and
entertainment sites, online stores, online banking accounts, or other websites. For 4 people who
use email or other internet applications at work, the number of required 5 username/password
combinations may surpass 30. Some of these accounts demand that you 6 use a specific number
of symbols and digits, while others require you to change your 7 password every 60 days. When
you add to this list the codes needed to access things like 8 ATMs, home alarm systems,
padlocks, or voicemail, the number of passwords becomes 9 staggering. The feeling of frustration
that results from maintaining a memorized list of 10 login credentials has grown so prevalent that
it actually has a name: password fatigue. 11
[2] Having to remember so many different passwords is irritating, but it can also be 12
dangerous. Because it is virtually impossible to remember a unique password for each of 13 these
accounts, many people leave handwritten lists of usernames and passwords on or next 14 to their
computers. Others solve this problem by using the same password for every account 15 or using
extremely simple passwords. While these practices make it easier to remember 16 login
information, they also make it exponentially easier for thieves to hack into accounts. 17
[3] Single sign-on (SSO) authentication and password management software can 18 help
mitigate this problem, but there are drawbacks to both approaches. SSO authentication 19 can be
used for related, but independent software systems. With SSO, users log in once to 20 access a
variety of different applications. Users only need to remember one password to log 21 in to the
main system; the SSO software then automatically logs the user in to other 22 accounts within the
system. SSO software is typically used by large companies, schools, or 23 libraries. Password
management software, such as KeePass and Password Safe, is most 24 often used on personal
computers. These software programs—which have been built into 25 many major web browsers
—store passwords in a remote database and automatically 26 “remember” users’ passwords for a
variety of sites. 27
[4] The problem with both SSO authentication and password management software 28 is
that the feature that makes them useful is also what makes them vulnerable. If a user 29 loses or
forgets the password required to log in to SSO software, the user will then lose 30 access to all of
the applications linked to the SSO account. Furthermore, if a hacker can 31 crack the SSO
password, he or she will then have access to all of the linked accounts. Users 32 who rely on
password management software are susceptible to the same problems, but they 33 also incur the
added threat of passwords being compromised because of computer theft. 34
[5] Although most websites or network systems allow users to recover or change 35 lost
passwords by providing email addresses or answering a prompt, this process can waste 36 time
and cause further frustration. What is more, recovering a forgotten password is only 37 a
temporary solution; it does not address the larger problem of password fatigue. 38

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 [6] Some computer scientists have suggested that instead of passwords, computers 39 rely
on biometrics. This is a method of recognizing human users based on unique traits, 40 such as
fingerprints, voice, or DNA. Biometric identification is currently used by some 41 government
agencies and private companies, including the Department of Defense and 42 Disney World.
While biometrics would certainly eliminate the need for people to 43 remember passwords, the
use of biometrics raises ethical questions concerning privacy and 44 can also be expensive to
implement. 45
[7] The problems associated with SSO, password management software, and 46
biometrics continue to stimulate software engineers and computer security experts to search 47
for the cure to password fatigue. Until they find the perfect solution, however, everyone 48 will
simply have to rely on the flawed password system currently in place.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1) Give a suitable title to the text:
_____________________________________________________________________
2) The passage discusses all of the following solutions to password fatigue except
a. writing the passwords down on a piece of paper
b. voice-recognition software
c. KeePass d. using very simple passwords
e. intelligent encryption
3) From the options given below, circle the best synonym for
i. staggering (line 9) a. continuing b. shocking c. increasing d. unsurprising
ii. mitigate (line 18)? a. predict b. postpone c. investigate d. lessen e. complicate
4)What do the underlined words in the text replace?
1. this problem: (line 14)___________________________________________________
2. She: (line 31)___________________________________________________________
3. it: (line 37)_____________________________________________________________
5) Tick the appropriate answer(s) According to the passage, SSO authentication software may be
safer than password management software because …
a. stolen personal computers contain passwords memorized by a user’s web browser
b. if a user of password management software forgets his or her login credentials, the user
can no longer access any of the applications protected by the password
c. hackers who access password management software can gain access to all of the
applications protected by that password
6) Based on the text, explain why the writer believes that the fact of remembering so many
passwords is irritating.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7) Which of the following statements from the passage represents an opinion, as opposed to a
fact?

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 a. “For people who use email or other internet applications at work, the number of
required username/password combinations may surpass 30.”
b. “The feeling of frustration that results from maintaining a memorized list of login
credentials has grown so prevalent that it actually has a name: password fatigue.”
c. “Having to remember so many different passwords is irritating, but it can also be
dangerous.”
d. “Additionally, recovering a forgotten password is only a temporary solution; it does not
address the larger problem of password fatigue.”
e. “The problems associated with SOS, password management software, and biometrics
continue to stimulate software engineers and computer security experts to search for the cure to
password fatigue.”
8) Using your own words, explain what is meant by “password fatigue” in the text
9) Paraphrase the following statement “Until security experts find the perfect solution, however,
everyone will simply have to rely on the flawed password system currently in place.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10) summarize the first paragraph in ONE sentence
_____________________________________________________________________________

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