PREVIEWING AND PREDICTING

Reading Selection

Text 1

Previewing and Predicting

There are two skills that are essential for a good reader: previewing and predicting. When
you gather information about a book by examining its cover, you are previewing. The aim of
previewing is to help you to predict or make some “educated guesses” about what in the book. You
should develop the habit of applying these skills whenever you read.
Previewing and predicting before you read can make a big difference. You can get some
ideas about what you will read. That way you will begin to process the information far more quickly.
You will also be able to follow the writer’s idea better. Though it takes a few minutes to preview and
predict, those few minutes are well invested. You will find that later you save reading time and gain
comprehension.

Guidelines for previewing passages

To preview a passage, read only some parts:
1. Read the title.
2. Look at the picture (if there are any).
3. Read the first few sentences in the first paragraph.
4. Read the first line of the other paragraphs.
5. Read the first and last sentence of the last paragraph.

Guidelines for previewing and predicting longer passages:

1. Read the title: What is the passage about? Do you know anything about this subject?
2. Decide what kind of text it is; is it an essay, an argument, a story, an explanation? Does it seem
difficult?
3. Look at the way the text is organized; is it divided into parts? Are there sub-titles? If so, what do
they tell you about the way the subject is presented?
4. Read very quickly the first line of each paragraph or sub-division; can you tell what the passage
is about? Do you already know something about it?
5. Notice names, numbers, dates, and words that are repeated; do you recognize any of them?
6. Read quickly the last few sentences in the final paragraph; what is the author’s final point? Is it
a conclusion or a summary?

Exercise 1 Answer these questions based on text above.

1. Look at the picture below. It contains a large number of different images. With a partner, discuss
the images. How do they relate together? Can you predict what the topic of the reading will be?
2. Write down the objects you see in the following picture.

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Picture 1.1 Prediction
From : http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/predict.htm

Yesterday, there was a big snowstorm in Detroit. Many schools were closed, and people had to stay
home from work.

A. It was a warm, sunny day and the beaches were crowded.

B. It was very cold, but the snow on the trees looked beautiful.
C. Only one inch of snow fell in the downtown area.

The correct answer is choice B.

Choice A is not correct. People don't go to beaches when there is snow!
Choice C is not correct. In a big snowstorm, many inches of snow fall.

1. There were many good shows on TV last night. The Smith family stayed home.
A. They turned off the TV and went to bed early.
B. The only interesting show was about traveling by bicycle.
C. They saw a play, a music show, and the news.
Choice a is not correct. Because they just stayed at home
Choice b is not correct. Because in the TV there are many shows

2. John and Alice Babson are not happy with the school in their town.
A. Their children love to go to school.
B. The classrooms are too crowded.
C. It is a beautiful building.
Choice a is not correct. John and alice not happy with the school
Choice c is not correct. Because they don’t like the school

3. Many young people move to New York after college.

A. New York is a dangerous city.
B. It's difficult to find jobs in New York.
C. There are lots of interesting things to do in New York.
Choice a is not correct. New York is a good city
Choice b is not correct. Many people want to move to new york

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4. Fly Happy Time Airlines! Take an exciting trip to Holiday Island!
A. This trip is very expensive.
B. Holiday Island has warm, sunny weather.
C. Happy Times Airlines is never on time.

Choice a is not correct. The trip was exciting

Choice c is not correct.

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 5. Alex had trouble falling asleep last night. He was awake until 3:00A.M.
A. This morning he feels tired.
B. This morning he feels rested and ready to work.
C. This morning he is hungry.
Choice b is not correct. He feel very tired
Choice c is not correct. He had trouble with sleep

6. The roads were covered with ice and were dangerous today.
A. Sam drove home quickly.
B. Sam took a long time to drive home.
C. Sam enjoyed driving home.
Choice a is not correct. The roads in ice are dangerous
Choice c is not correct. He not enjoy the driving home

From http://www.eltplanet.net/forum/

Activity 1

Language Learning in the United States

Most people in the United States speak only one language: English. They do not learn to speak a
second language. High schools teach languages. Bu very few students learn to speak well. Why don’t
Americans speak other languages?
First, most Americans never travel to other countries. The United States is a very large country.
Americans can travel a long distance andnot leave the United States. They do not need to learn a second
language.
Second, one of the countries next to the United States is Canada. Most people in Canada speak
English. Some Americans live near Canada. They travel there often. But they do not have to learn a new
language.
Third, many people in other parts of the world speak English. IfAmericans travel to other
countries, they can speak English there, too. Some Americans think that it is a mistake to speak only
English. They believe it is very important to learn a second language. Maybe, someday Americans will
agree. Then more people will speak a second language in the United States.

Now try to answer the following question without looking back at the text you just read.

1) Most Americans never learn to speak ….

A. English
B. a second language
C. to people in other countries
D. fluently
2) Most Americans speak only English because ….
A. they can’t learn another language
B. they never travel to other countries
C. other languages are not important
D. they do not have language classes at school.
3). In other parts of the world ….
A. everyone speaks English.
B. no one speaks English
C. many people speak English
D. everyone speaks a second language.

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 4). Some Americans think it is a mistake to ….
A. learn other language
B. speak only English
C. travel to other countries
D. go to school.

Activity 2

Try to answer the following question without looking back at the text you just read.

Body on Ice

In very cold part of the world, scientists study the past. They find animal frozen in the ice.
The animals look alive, but they are not. They were frozen many years ago.
Russian scientist found a large animal called a mastodon in the ice. It looked like an elephant.
But it was larger, and it has lots of hair. In fact, the elephant is the mastodon’s younger cousin.

In 1984, American scientists were working near the North Pole. They found the body of a man
frozen in the ice. This man went to the NorthPole in 1846. He died and his friends buried him in the
ice. Today, his body looks the same. The body did not change at all in the ice.
These facts interest doctors. They have some patients who are very sick. No one can help this
patients. But some day, there may be a new medicine for them. These doctors want to save people
for the future. Maybe patients can be frozen until there is medicine to help them.

1) Scientists are studying the past ….

A. in the ice
B. in the laboratory
C. in 1848
D. in Russia

2) Russian scientists found ….

A. a man in the ice
B. a large animal in the ice
C. it was too cold
D. nothing interesting

3) American scientists worked ….

A. in Russia
B. in the laboratory
C. near the North Pole
D. with a mastodon

4) Doctors think frozen bodies ….

A. are too cold
B. are near the North Pole
C. are interesting
D. are mastodons

Activity 3
Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Italy.They were made in
Cremonia, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violinssound better than any others. They even sound
better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the Italian
violins. But they are not the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones. Why are these old Italian
violins are so special? No one really knows. But many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it’s the age of the violins. They say that today’s violins will also sound
wonderful someday. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old
violins from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer. There must be something different
about Cremona or those Italian violin markers.

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 Other people think this secret to those violins is the woods. The wood of the violin is very
important. It must be certain kinds of trees. Itmust not be too young or too cold. Perhaps the
violin markers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.

Now try to answer the following question without looking back at the text you just read.
1) The best violins ….
A. are modern
B. were lost many years ago
C. were made in Italy 200 years ago
D. were made by scientists

2) Some people think that modern violins ….

A. will sound better in the future
B. will sound worse in the future
C. sound wonderful
D. are too old

3) Other people think Italian violin markers ….

A. did not know much about violins
B. were lucky
C. used many kinds of wood
D. knew something special

Activity 4

In Europe men don’t usually wear skirts. But the Scottish nationalcostume for men is a
kind of skirt. It is called a kilt. The Scottish like tobe different. They are also proud of their
country and its history andthey feel that the kilt is part of that history. That’s why the men
stillwear kilts at old-style dances and on national holidays. They believethey wearing the
same clothes that Scottish man always used to wear. That’s what they believe. However, kilts
are not really so old. Before1730, Scottish men wore a long shirt and blanket around their
shoulders. These clothes got in the way when the men started to workin the factories. So, in
1730 a factory owner changed the blanket into askirt: the kilt. That’s how the first kilt was
made.

Then, in the late 1700s Scottish soldiers in the British Army began to wear kilts. One
reason for this was national feeling: the Scottish soldiers wanted to look different from the
English soldiers. The British Army probably have a different reason: a Scottish soldiers in a
kilt was always easy to find! The Scottish soldiers fought very hard and they became famous.
The kilt was part of the fame, and in the early 1800s men all around Scotland began to wear
kilts.

1) A kilt is ….
A. a kind of shirt
B. a kind of blanket
C. a national holiday
D. a kind of skirt

2) The first kilt was made ….

A. in Paris
B. in the British Army
C. by a factory owner
D. by a Scottish family

3) Scottish family wore kilts partly because of ….

A. the colors
B. the weather

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C. national feeling
D. the style

Name : Dhea Tri Amanda

NIM : 22018193