Password Reading: Overview
Watch the following video to find out about the Reading paper.
Password Reading: Overview
Look at the Password Reading screen below and put the words in the correct spaces.
Finish Section Question Section Information
Password Reading: Overview
Look at the five reading question types below and match them to their explanations.
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Section 1: Order the story |
You will see paragraphs of a text and a list of headings. Match the headings to the paragraphs. There is one more heading than is required. | |
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Section 2: Complete the spaces |
You will see a text with spaces and a list of words below. Drag and drop words into appropriate spaces. There are more words than spaces. | |
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Section 3: Multiple choice questions |
You will see a text and short statements. Put the statements in the order they appear in the text. There are 2 more statements than are required. | |
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Section 4: Heading matching |
You will see a text and 8 questions. Answer the questions about the text by choosing one of the three options. | |
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Section 5: Summary ordering |
You will see seven sentences. Put these in the correct order to show the events in a story. Drag and drop each sentence into the table. |
Password Reading: Test Section 1 - Order the story
In Section 1, you have to put seven sentences in the correct order to create a story.
The first one is always done for you.
Imagine you were Sue. What would you do to get a ticket?
Write down the verbs (action words) you think will be in the story.
When you have written the words you think of, click CONTINUE.
Password Reading: Test Section 1 - Order the story
Put the seven sentences below together to show the order of events in the story. Drag and drop each sentence into the table. You will need to scroll down to see all statements. The first one has been done for you.
Sue's Ticket
| 1. Sue wanted to book a plane ticket to Madrid. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
She paid for the flight and waited for her ticket.
She realised this was why it was so cheap.
When she got the ticket, she was shocked.
Most of them were expensive, but she finally found one she could afford.
It was a children’s ticket!
She looked on the Internet for a cheap flight.
Password Reading: Test Section 1 - Order the story
Listen to the teacher and the class talking about Order the Story.
Watch as they talk about words that help with the answer.
Teacher: So today we are looking at the Order the Story exercise. Let's talk about the words in the sentences that help you find the correct order.
Maria: I think that time words are important. Like when and finally. They help us understand the order of things.
Ying: Yes, and I think the verb's tense can also help with understanding time. For example, a verb in past perfect happened before something in past tense.
Teacher: Good, so we look for words that can help us understand when actions happen. What else can we look for?
Ying: We can look at articles too. Like a, or an, and the. We use 'a' the first time we talk about something and then we use 'the' next time because we know which one it is.
Desmond: Also words like them or one are used to talk about things that have already been mentioned, they help.
Teacher: Very good, so we should look for pronouns, words that are used to refer to a noun, like they, their, them, and also articles.
Maria: And the story needs to make sense. Some things have to happen before others can happen. So I read it through from the start to the finish to check my answer.
Teacher: Ok, so you are all using important skills to find the answer. Now, let's make a note so we can remember later.
| 1. Sue wanted to book a plane ticket to Madrid. |
| 2. She looked on the Internet for a cheap flight. |
| 3. Most of them were expensive, but she finally found one she could afford. |
| 4. She paid for the flight and waited for her ticket. |
| 5. When she got the ticket, she was shocked. |
| 6. It was a children’s ticket! |
| 7. She realised this was why it was so cheap. |
Main Verbs Articles (a, an & the) Pronouns (e.g. it, one & them) Time Reference
Password Reading: Test Section 1 - Order the story
Here is a list of ways to get a good score on Order the story.
Password Tips
Look at the title and first sentence. What do you think the story is about?
Think what words might be used in the story and what order they will be in.
Now read the other sentences, are they what you expected?
Look for the verbs. They tell you what happens in the story.
Look for words that show what order things happened in, like 'when', 'then' and 'next'.
Also look for words that refer to something that was mentioned earlier, like 'it', 'she' and 'their'.
When you have finished the story, read it from start to finish and make sure it makes sense.
Password Reading: Test Section 1 - Order the story
Put the seven sentences below together to show the order of events in the story. Drag and drop each sentence into the table. The first one has been done for you.
Naoko's Phone
| 1. Last week Naoko dropped her phone in the street. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
She realised she was going to need to buy a new one.
The assistant told Naoko that they had a similar phone.
She picked it up, but immediately saw it was broken.
She decided she would come back to the store and get the phone next week.
She went to the store, but they didn't have the phone she wanted.
But she really wanted the phone she had chosen and didn't want to buy the other one.
Password Reading: Test Section 2 - Complete the spaces
In section 2, you must complete a text that has spaces in it from a selection of words below the text. First look at the words.
Do you know what they mean and what part of speech they are? Can you match them with each other?
Dreaming
. - verb - when someone uses their brain to work something out
. - verb - when someone brings back a memory in their mind
. - preposition - used to show why you are doing something
. - noun or adjective - a time that already happened
. - conjunction - used to explain why something is happening or happened
. - verb - when you discovered something you were looking for
. - adjective - when a lot of people know or have the same thing
. - conjunction or adverb - used to show what happened as a result of something else
. - preposition or adverb - when something happened earlier than something else
. - verb or adjective - when you received something or something was provided
. - verb or adjective - when you finish something or when something is finished
common for thinks past before
Password Reading: Test Section 2 - Complete the spaces
Now listen to the class talking about what type of word to use in each space.
Teacher: OK, so if we look at the gaps, what can you tell me about the words that are missing?
Desmond: I think the first one is easy, ‘a something activity’. The word describes the type of activity, so it must be an adjective.
Ying: And I think the second must be a verb. When we use ‘and’ or ‘but’ to join two things, ‘everybody dreams’ and ‘everyone something’. So we need a verb in 3rd person singular, with ‘s’.
Maria: The third must be a noun as it comes after ‘the’.
Ying: I think the next word is a joining word of some kind.
Teacher: You’re right. Joining words are used to show difference between things, like ‘although’, ‘however’ and ‘but’, or they can be used to show similarity, or reason.
Desmond: I think the last two are also verbs, but their subjects are plural, being 'people', and ‘scientists'.
Teacher: Good, so if you think about it, you can work out the type of word that fills the space, and then you have fewer to choose from.
Dreaming
Dreaming is a . activity. Everybody dreams, but not everyone . their dreams. Dreams were very important in the .. Many years ago, people thought dreams were messages from gods. People changed their lives . of their dreams. Now, people don’t . dreams are so serious. Some people think dreams do tell us something, but scientists haven't . proof for this yet.
Password Reading: Test Section 2 - Complete the spaces
Read 'Dreaming' and complete each space with one word from the selection below. Drag and drop each word into the appropriate space. There are more words than you need.
Dreaming
Dreaming is a common activity. Everybody dreams, but not everyone . their dreams. Dreams were very important in the .. Many years ago, people thought dreams were messages from gods. People changed their lives . of their dreams. Now, people don’t . dreams are so serious. Some people think dreams do tell us something, but scientists haven't . proof for this yet.
think remembers for past because found so before given done
Password Reading: Test Section 2 - Complete the spaces
Here is a list of ways to get a good score on Complete the spaces.
Password Tips
Work out the meaning of the words below the text and what parts of speech they are.
Look at the gaps in the text and decide what kind of word should go in each gap.
Make sure that the word you have chosen is the right part of speech for the gap.
If it is a noun, should it be plural or singular?
If it is a verb, is it the right tense? Is it third-person singular?
When you have finished all the spaces, read the text from start to finish, does it make sense?
Password Reading: Test Section 2 - Complete the spaces
Read 'Cricket' and complete each space with one word from the selection below. Drag and drop each word into the appropriate space. There are more words than you need.
Cricket
Cricket is the most popular summer sport in the UK and is also played in many other countries around the world. The game was first played in England in the mid-18th century, but did not become a professional sport until 100 years .. Most cricketing countries were . colonies of the British empire, which ceased to exist over half a century ago. Nowadays, there are twelve nations that . in international test cricket and a further eight which play other forms of the sport. . cricket is extremely popular in these countries, it is almost unknown in most European countries and the Americas. Cricket is a very complicated sport as it has many . and must seem strange and confusing to anyone who was not brought up playing it. Test cricket is played between international teams and one . can last up to five days! In the past, cricket was only played by men, but nowadays the women’s game is becoming more ..
game happy rules before former later vacationscommon celebrate because chapter although compete forever
Password Reading: Test Section 3 - Multiple choice questions
In Section 3, there is a long text with 8 multiple choice questions.
It is always a good idea to look at the title first and then read the questions. They are shorter than the text and give you a good idea what it will be about. Then, when you read the text, you will also know what you are looking for.
Animals In Space
1. When scientists started exploring space, they …
2. Animals were sent into space in balloons to …
3. The fruit fly experiment aimed to help scientists …
4. The fruit fly experiment showed scientists that …
5. The first dog to fly into space died because …
6. The animals that survived for the longest time in space were …
7. Today animals are taken into space to …
8. The aim of the spider video was to …
Password Reading: Test Section 3 - Multiple choice questions
Read the text 'Animals in Space' and answer the questions below. You will need to scroll down to answer all the questions.
Animals In Space
Since the 18th century animals have been used for tests on board air balloons and aircraft. They were also used in the early days of space exploration. At that time scientists had no ways of predicting what would happen to humans if they travelled into space. They had no idea whether any creatures could survive high altitude, radiation or a lack of gravity. In order to find out more, scientists sent a series of animals up into the atmosphere in balloons to test the physical demands of spaceflight. These test flights seemed to work well because the animals survived. Later, scientists sent more mammals and insects further and further into space.
The first animals to be launched into space were some fruit flies. Together with some plants and seeds they flew to an altitude of about 65 kilometres in 1947. The flight was part of an experiment to observe how living things that were exposed to rays could become damaged. Knowing these effects would help develop suitable training programmes for astronauts, which was the main reason for sending the fruit flies. The result of the experiment was extremely positive; all the flies returned to Earth alive and showed the scientists that it was possible for living things to survive in space. After this success, the experiments continued, but the scientists decided to use mammals rather than insects.
The early flights used a variety of animals including mice, dogs and monkeys. During the 1950s the Soviet Union launched a series of dogs into space. In 1957 a dog called Laika became the first living being to fly around the Earth on the spacecraft Sputnik 2. Unfortunately, she died from the high temperature and the stress caused by the experience of the journey. However, a couple of years later in 1959, two monkeys were the first to return from space flight alive. Both the USA and Russia sent monkeys into space with both positive and negative results.
In the 1960s and 70s other countries entered the space race and started sending animals into space. The French sent the first cat, which reached a height of 160 kilometres and survived the trip. In addition, the Chinese sent mice, rats and dogs which survived for varying lengths of time. However, the space flight record for an animal is held by two Russian dogs. In 1966 they spent twenty two days in space and returned to Earth safely.
After humans landed on the moon in 1969 animals were no longer required to test space flights as much. However, scientists continue to find new ways that animals can be useful in space exploration that are not about staying alive. Nowadays, a variety of living organisms are taken into space not only for research purposes, but also for education. For example, astronauts videoed two spiders on one of the shuttle flights as they were making webs and catching flies. These videos were transmitted to elementary school classrooms all over the United States so children could analyse if the spiders were behaving differently from on Earth. This is just one example of how animals continue to be useful in space exploration.
1. When scientists started exploring space, they …
2. Animals were sent into space in balloons to …
3. The fruit fly experiment aimed to help scientists …
4. The fruit fly experiment showed scientists that
5. The first dog to fly into space died because …
6. The animals that survived for the longest time in space were …
7. Today animals are taken into space to …
8. The aim of the spider video was to…
Password Reading: Test Section 3 - Multiple choice questions
Now let's look at how to find each answer. Start the audio when you are ready.
Teacher: Let’s look at where we can find the answers to each question. The first question asks about ‘when scientists started exploring space’, so let’s start reading from the beginning of the text. It says, ‘animals ... were used in the early days of space exploration’, so we are in the right place. Then it says, ‘scientists had no way of predicting what would happen to humans’, which means the last answer is not correct. Next it says, ‘They had no idea whether any creatures could survive high altitude’, which means they didn’t know if people could survive.
Now scroll down to the next question.
Question two mentions balloons, keep reading paragraph one and you soon find it. It says, ‘scientists sent a series of animals into the atmosphere in balloons’, which means the same as, ‘animals were sent into space in balloons’. So the next part of the sentence is the reason for sending them. So the answer must be ‘test the physical demands of spaceflight’, which means ‘observe what happens to their bodies’. So the middle answer is correct. The first answer isn’t correct because although it is mentioned, this was not the reason they did it.
For question three we need to look at paragraph two, and ‘fruit flies’ are mentioned almost immediately. It then mentions both ‘damage from rays’ and ‘training astronauts’, but it says the main reason was to ‘help develop training for astronauts’, so the middle answer is correct.
The answer to question four is also in the second paragraph and is very clear. The other two answers aren’t mentioned in the text.
Question five asks about the first dog in space, and from the text we can see that her name was Laika. If you continue reading you will see, ‘unfortunately she died from high temperature’, so, ‘it was too hot’ is the correct answer. It also mentions the ‘stress caused by the experience’ but that doesn’t match either of the other answers.
Question six asks which animals survived the longest, a cat, a rat or a dog. In paragraph four, all three animals are mentioned but it was dogs who held ‘the space flight record’ with ‘twenty two days’.
In paragraph five, it says that the way they use animals is ‘not about staying alive’, so the last answers for question seven is not correct. It then goes on to say it is for ‘education’, which means it is for ‘teaching’. Although filming is mentioned, it says nothing about improving the astronauts’ skills.
The last question is also answered in paragraph five. Allowing children to analyse the spiders’ behaviour, will improve the way the children think. The other two answers aren’t mentioned.
Animals In Space
Paragraph 1:
Since the 18th century animals have been used for tests on board air balloons and aircraft. They were also used in the early days of space exploration. At that time scientists had no ways of predicting what would happen to humans if they travelled into space. They had no idea whether any creatures could survive high altitude, radiation or a lack of gravity. In order to find out more scientists sent a series of animals up into the atmosphere in balloons to test the physical demands of spaceflight. These test flights seemed to work well because the animals survived. Later scientists sent more mammals and insects further and further into space.
1. When scientists started exploring space, they …
Paragraph 1:
Since the 18th century animals have been used for tests on board air balloons and aircraft. They were also used in the early days of space exploration. At that time scientists had no ways of predicting what would happen to humans if they travelled into space. They had no idea whether any creatures could survive high altitude, radiation or a lack of gravity. In order to find out more scientists sent a series of animals up into the atmosphere in balloons to test the physical demands of spaceflight. These test flights seemed to work well because the animals survived. Later scientists sent more mammals and insects further and further into space.
2. Animals were sent into space in balloons to …
Paragraph 2:
The first animals to be launched into space were some fruit flies. Together with some plants and seeds they flew to an altitude of about 65 kilometres in 1947. The flight was part of an experiment to observe how living things that were exposed to rays could become damaged. Knowing these effects would help develop suitable training programmes for astronauts, which was the main reason for sending the fruit flies. The result of the experiment was extremely positive; all the flies returned to Earth alive and showed the scientists that it was possible for living things to survive in space. After this success, the experiments continued, but the scientists decided to use mammals rather than insects.
3. The fruit fly experiment aimed to help scientists …
Paragraph 2:
The first animals to be launched into space were some fruit flies. Together with some plants and seeds they flew to an altitude of about 65 kilometres in 1947. The flight was part of an experiment to observe how living things that were exposed to rays could become damaged. Knowing these effects would help develop suitable training programmes for astronauts, which was the main reason for sending the fruit flies. The result of the experiment was extremely positive; all the flies returned to Earth alive and showed the scientists that it was possible for living things to survive in space. After this success, the experiments continued, but the scientists decided to use mammals rather than insects.
4. The fruit fly experiment showed scientists that
Paragraph 3:
The early flights used a variety of animals including mice, dogs and monkeys. During the 1950s the Soviet Union launched a series of dogs into space. In 1957 a dog called Laika became the first living being to fly around the Earth on the spacecraft Sputnik 2. Unfortunately she died from the high temperature and the stress caused by the experience of the journey. However, a couple of years later in 1959, two monkeys were the first to return from space flight alive. Both the USA and Russia sent monkeys into space with both positive and negative results.
5. The first dog to fly into space died because …
Paragraph 4:
In the 1960s and 70s other countries entered the space race and started sending animals into space. The French sent the first cat, which reached a height of 160 kilometres and survived the trip. In addition, the Chinese sent mice, rats and dogs which survived for varying lengths of time. However, the space flight record for an animal is held by two Russian dogs. In 1966 they spent twenty two days in space and returned to Earth safely.
6. The animals that survived for the longest time in space were …
Paragraph 5:
After humans landed on the moon in 1969 animals were no longer required to test space flights as much. However, scientists continue to find new ways that animals can be useful in space exploration that are not about staying alive. Nowadays a variety of living organisms are taken into space not only for research purposes, but also for education. For example, astronauts videoed two spiders on one of the shuttle flights as they were making webs and catching flies. These videos were transmitted to elementary school classrooms all over the United States so children could analyse if the spiders were behaving differently from on Earth. This is just one example of how animals continue to be useful in space exploration.
7. Today animals are taken into space to …
Paragraph 5:
After humans landed on the moon in 1969 animals were no longer required to test space flights as much. However, scientists continue to find new ways that animals can be useful in space exploration that are not about staying alive. Nowadays a variety of living organisms are taken into space not only for research purposes, but also for education. For example, astronauts videoed two spiders on one of the shuttle flights as they were making webs and catching flies. These videos were transmitted to elementary school classrooms all over the United States so children could analyse if the spiders were behaving differently from on Earth. This is just one example of how animals continue to be useful in space exploration.
8. The aim of the spider video was to…
Password Reading: Test Section 3 - Multiple choice questions
Here is a list of ways to get a good score on Multiple choice questions.
Password Tips
Read the title of the text and the questions first to get an idea of what the text is about.
The answers will appear in the text in the same order as the questions.
Start with the first question. What are the words in the question that will help you find the answer?
Look for where you think the answer will be in the text. When you find the correct part of the text, read it carefully.
Now, look at all the answers. Are any of them definitely wrong?
Maybe because they aren't mentioned or something else is said.
Once you find the correct answer, read it again and then the text.
Does it mean the same thing? If you are happy, do the same for the next question.
Password Reading: Test Section 3 - Multiple choice questions
Read the text 'Bottled Water' and answer the questions below. You will need to scroll down to answer all the questions.
Bottled Water
Over 600 brands of bottled water currently exist and the global market is worth several billion dollars. During the 1990s it became fashionable to purchase branded bottled water, but there are signs that this phase is coming to an end. In countries where it is safe to drink water from the tap, the amount of tap water drunk by consumers is starting to increase. In a survey by "Which Product?’ magazine in the UK, more than 85% of people were concerned with the cost and environmental impact of bottled water.
Cost is a primary factor in consumers’ decision making. In times of global recession many households need to cut back on their spending and bottled water is looking like a luxury item that can easily be replaced. Bottled water is on average over 130 times more expensive than tap water and this is something many families now find difficult to justify, especially as the cost of other items has increased. By switching to tap water the savings are clear and it is one of the easiest ways to reduce a food shopping bill.
One of the early reasons for the switch to bottled water was the taste of the chemical chlorine. Chlorine was added to tap water to make it safer to drink and in some locations where levels of chlorine were high, consumers complained about an unpleasant tang. Companies that produced bottled water exploited this fact to promote their product. Their advertising message proved very appealing to consumers in the health conscious 1990s who switched to bottled water in large numbers.
However, bottled water is not necessarily healthier than water from the tap. Two minerals important to human health that are often found in water are calcium and magnesium. The authorities that regulate the public water supply in many countries have carried out a large number of studies comparing brands of bottled water with water from the tap in different regions. These studies have revealed no evidence that bottled water contains higher levels of these essential minerals than tap water.
It is interesting to note that in blind tastings most consumers find it almost impossible to distinguish between water from the tap and from the much more expensive bottles. ‘Which Product?’ magazine conducted a tasting using two well known brands and tap water. The results were rather surprising; not a single participant correctly identified all three. If there is no discernible difference in quality, there is little incentive for consumers to continue to buy something so overpriced.
Another major concern for consumers is the ecological impact of purchasing bottled water, especially the carbon footprint. Not least, there is the environmental cost of extracting the water in the first place. Ironically, a large amount of water is actually used in the manufacturing process and it is estimated that twice the amount of water is wasted as produced. Once it is in the bottle, getting the water to the shops is time consuming and costly as many of the sources, such as springs and natural wells, are in remote locations.
Consumers have become increasingly concerned about how far various products travel to get to our supermarkets. When it was revealed that bottled water can sometimes come from as far away as Fiji, many started to reconsider their choices from an environmental perspective. Coupled with the fact that bottled water is predominantly packaged in plastic bottles, it is clear that bottled water can easily conflict with the ideals of ‘responsible’ consumerism.
In response to this development, bottled water companies have begun to add an ethical dimension to their products. These companies donate money from each bottle sold to fund clean water projects in countries that need it. The aim is to appeal to consumers for whom ethical purchasing is important, while making a difference and improving life for the poor. However, ‘opponents have questioned the impact of such schemes on reducing the environmental impact of production.
It is uncertain how the bottled water industry will develop over the next few years. In some countries consumption is still increasing and replacing previously popular carbonated soft drinks. In other countries consumption is being challenged by the return to tap water. Issues such as water taxation, regulation of advertising and recycling will continue to dominate the discussion as bottled water companies attempt to reverse the growing popularity of tap water.
1. People are becoming worried about drinking bottled water because …
2. People now drink more tap water because …
3. Research by regulators found that …
4. The results of the 'Which Product?' blind tasting showed that …
5. The production of bottled water …
6. Bottled water companies have tried to become more socially responsible by …
7. In the future, sales of bottled water will …
8. What is the aim of the article?
Password Reading: Test Section 4 - Heading matching
In section 4 of Password Reading, you have to read a text and match headings to each paragraph.
The first one is always done for you. Look at the heading and first sentence of the paragraph.
A useful skill for communication
An important part of human conversation is learning to recognise facial expressions.
'An important part' of something is 'useful'; 'human conversation' is 'communication' and 'recognising facial expressions' is something you have to learn, so it is a 'skill'.
Now look at some other headings, think of other ways they could be said, and write them down.
A system for noticing facial expressions
The importance of being cautious
Different facial expressions across cultures
Not all expressions are easy to notice
When you have written the words you think of, click CONTINUE.
Password Reading: Test Section 4 - Heading matching
Read the text 'Facial Expressions'. Match one heading to each paragraph below it. There is one more heading than you need.
The first one has been done for you. You will need to scroll down to complete the task.
Facial Expressions
This has already been answeredAn important part of human conversation is learning to recognise facial expressions. This helps us to follow what people are thinking and know more about what they are feeling. As a result, it improves our ability to understand other people in more detail. There are many factors that affect our ability to notice different expressions on people’s faces. These factors include the type of expression, the conversation topic, the culture or the relationship between people.
One distinction that is worth developing is the ability to tell the difference between macro and micro expressions. A macro expression is when we express a feeling on our whole face. This usually lasts for between half a second and four seconds. We usually make these expressions when we are in a comfortable situation with familiar people. On the other hand, a micro expression lasts for only a fraction of a second. In fact, we often miss them just by blinking our eyes. These expressions often hide our emotions.
Emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and surprise can easily be seen on a person’s face. This could be due to the fact that they are strong feelings and tend to be the same across cultures. Whereas these emotions are easy for most people to detect in faces, others are less clear. According to David Beltran Guerrero, a researcher at the University of La Laguna, an example is the expression of happiness. Because the smile is not only used to express happiness, it changes people’s views.
Smiling can show happiness, but it is also used to express politeness or being part of a group. In contrast, it can be used to hide negative feelings such as being embarrassed or nervous. Studies have tested the uses of smiling. For example, in one study people were shown images with smiling faces, mouths, and eyes expressing non-happy emotions. They had to compare them with faces where mouths and eyes expressed the same emotion. The aim was to find out how far the smile affects the recognition of unclear expressions.
Beltran points out that how a smile influenced people in the study depended on the task they had to do. The smile had the most influence when people had to recognise facial expressions only. In this task people found it difficult to see unclear expressions and noticed the smile much more. However, another task involved putting facial expressions into categories such as happy, sad, or angry. In this task the smile affected people’s decisions less.
Being able to read faces is a useful skill for people who work in some professions. Teachers, health workers and business people can benefit from developing their skills in noticing facial expressions. The best way is to have an approach to this. Firstly, you need to identify a ‘normal’ face for someone when you first start talking with them. Then, as you carry on talking you can start to notice the macro and micro expressions that that person uses. Over time this method will help you to see facial expressions more quickly and easily.
Developing the way you understand facial expressions takes time, but also involves certain rules. Firstly, it is important to remember that a facial expression does not explain what caused this feeling, only that it is happening. Being patient is also part of developing this skill; you will not always be able to instantly see the facial expression and you may get it wrong. So, do not think you know how someone is feeling just by their facial expressions. Finally, pay attention to the effects of culture. Although many facial expressions are universal, some can depend on cultures so be aware of this.
Password Reading: Test Section 4 - Heading matching
Now listen to the students talking about how they found their answers.
Teacher: So, let’s take a look at the answers. The first paragraph already has a heading, so who’s going to do the second one?
Ying: This one isn’t difficult. The paragraph talks about ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ expressions. So this is ‘two types of facial expression’.
Maria: The next one is ‘not all expressions are easy to notice’, because the paragraph says some emotions ‘can easily be seen’ but then it uses the word ‘whereas ... others are less clear’ which shows that ‘not all are easy to notice’.
Desmond: For the next one, you need to know that a ‘study’ is like an ‘experiment’, the only other words that help are ‘the aim was to find’, which was the reason for doing the experiment. I think the next one is the same. There are two synonyms of the word ‘power’ in the text. ‘Influence’ and ‘affect’ both mean to have power over someone or something.
Ying: It was my turn. This one is more complicated. The text talks about people ‘developing their skills’ then it explains how to do this. So this paragraph is about developing ‘a system for noticing facial expressions’.
Maria: The last paragraph is a warning not to expect to find it easy or to always be right, so it is telling you to be cautious, or careful.
Facial Expressions
This had already been answeredAn important part of human conversation is learning to recognise facial expressions. This helps us to follow what people are thinking and know more about what they are feeling. As a result, it improves our ability to understand other people in more detail. There are many factors that affect our ability to notice different expressions on people’s faces. These factors include the type of expression, the conversation topic, the culture or the relationship between people.
One distinction that is worth developing is the ability to tell the difference between macro and micro expressions. A macro expression is when we express a feeling on our whole face. This usually lasts for between half a second and four seconds. We usually make these expressions when we are in a comfortable situation with familiar people. On the other hand, a micro expression lasts for only a fraction of a second. In fact, we often miss them just by blinking our eyes. These expressions often hide our emotions.
Emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and surprise can easily be seen on a person’s face. This could be due to the fact that they are strong feelings and tend to be the same across cultures. Whereas these emotions are easy for most people to detect in faces, others are less clear. According to David Beltran Guerrero, a researcher at the University of La Laguna, an example is the expression of happiness. Because the smile is not only used to express happiness, it changes people’s views.
Smiling can show happiness, but it is also used to express politeness or being part of a group. In contrast, it can be used to hide negative feelings such as being embarrassed or nervous. Studies have tested the uses of smiling. For example, in one study people were shown images with smiling faces, mouths, and eyes expressing non-happy emotions. They had to compare them with faces where mouths and eyes expressed the same emotion. The aim was to find out how far the smile affects the recognition of unclear expressions.
Beltran points out that how a smile influenced people in the study depended on the task they had to do. The smile had the most influence when people had to recognise facial expressions only. In this task people found it difficult to see unclear expressions and noticed the smile much more. However, another task involved putting facial expressions into categories such as happy, sad, or angry. In this task the smile affected people’s decisions less.
Being able to read faces is a useful skill for people who work in some professions. Teachers, health workers and business people can benefit from developing their skills in noticing facial expressions. The best way is to have an approach to this. Firstly, you need to identify a ‘normal’ face for someone when you first start talking with them. Then, as you carry on talking you can start to notice the macro and micro expressions that that person uses. Over time this method will help you to see facial expressions more quickly and easily.
Developing the way you understand facial expressions takes time, but also involves certain rules. Firstly, it is important to remember that a facial expression does not explain what caused this feeling, only that it is happening. Being patient is also part of developing this skill; you will not always be able to instantly see the facial expression and you may get it wrong. So, do not think you know how someone is feeling just by their facial expressions. Finally, pay attention to the effects of culture. Although many facial expressions are universal, some can depend on cultures so be aware of this.
Password Reading: Test Section 4 - Heading matching
Here is a list of ways to get a good score on Heading matching.
Password Tips
Read the list of headings and think about their meaning and other ways to say the same thing.
Read the topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph, and see if there are any obvious answers.
Remember that the heading is about the paragraph as a whole, it should be the main idea of the paragraph and not just a small detail.
Once you have selected the headings you found easily, look at the remaining paragraphs and headings more closely.
If you cannot decide which heading goes with which paragraph, make a guess. Don't leave any paragraphs without a heading.
Password Reading: Test Section 4 - Heading matching
Read the text 'International Tourism'. Match one heading to each paragraph below it. There is one more heading than you need.
The first one has been done for you. You will need to scroll down to complete the task.
International Tourism
This has already been answeredThroughout history, a few wealthy people have always been able to travel to distant parts of the world to see famous places, experience different cultures and taste different kinds of food. But today tourism has become a truly popular global leisure activity. Over a billion people travel as tourists every year and tourism has developed into a key industry for many countries.
So where do all the international travellers choose to go for their holidays? Figures published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization suggest that last year France had more foreign visitors than any other country. The population of France is 65 million, but over 85 million people visited. This was at least 15 million more visitors than went to the United States in second place. The other destinations making up the top five included China, Spain and Italy.
France is especially popular because it has such an extensive variety of attractions. The country’s myriad landscapes include the high mountain peaks of the southeast and the broad sandy beaches in the west and south. France also boasts some of Europe’s finest wilderness areas ranging from the spectacular Camargue region in the south to the rugged Atlantic coastline in the north-west. This means that France can offer year-round tourism with ski resorts for the winter months and seaside resorts for the summer. Even the smallest town can usually offer an interesting local museum and some historic architecture.
Even though tourism is more important to the French economy than the car industry, the average expenditure per visitor lags far behind every other country in the top five. Eight out of ten of France's visitors come from other European countries and tend to be rather frugal. Many camp and buy food from supermarkets in preference to going to hotels and restaurants. Visitors to Germany spend twice as much each day as visitors to France.
The capital, Paris, is known as one of the world’s foremost cities. There are hundreds of cultural attractions and diverse eating and drinking experiences on offer, but according to the UN study only one in six visitors in France actually spends any time there. Those that do take in the city stay on average for just over two and a half days. With the French economy in recession and the unemployment rate in Paris in double figures, there is a pressing need to encourage sightseers to stay longer.
Part of the problem may be the city’s poor reputation for customer service. In an effort to make Paris more convivial for tourists, a guide has been published for hospitality workers with advice on greeting visitors from around the world. It explains that Germans like to shake hands, the Chinese are happy with a smile while Americans like to be called by their first names.
It seems that Bangkok in Thailand has now overtaken London, England as the most visited city in the world. Bangkok's visitor numbers have been rising over recent years with Chinese tourists accounting for much of the growth. This has been attributed to the general rise in tourism from China and the increasing availability of relatively cheap direct flights between China and Thailand. Shopping is a serious pursuit for the Chinese in Bangkok while the most popular historic attraction is the Grand Palace.
Although it is useful to compare tourist figures around the world, there have to be doubts about the reliability of some of the statistics. The quality and extent of tourism data varies considerably by country with different methods being employed around the world. The data are usually provided by tourism ministries and central banks, and the United Nations has been providing training programmes to countries in Africa and Central America to help them improve the standard of information that they provide.
Password Reading: Test Section 5 - Summary ordering
Writing a good summary of a text is a real skill. You need to be able to write the main points of the text in a way
that lets the reader know what the whole text is about. Read the text and make a note of the main points below.
The problems of invasive species
Often an ‘invasion’ conjures images of planes flying overhead or hordes of soldiers, but there’s actually a type of invasion that happens more frequently and more stealthily than those of fighting. This is the type of devastation caused by a ‘non-native’ species of animal or plant moving to a new environment. So severe can these effects be, these species are known as ‘invasive species’. They are one of the top reasons for biodiversity loss and have caused around a fifth of all animal extinctions.
Some of these invasive species were introduced to new habitats on purpose. This may be in a misjudged attempt at bettering natural conditions, or for more commercial purposes. However, what has often been forgotten in this kind of scenario is that a new species doesn’t just come alone. It also brings with it all the parasites and pathogens that are in and on it. In addition to this, the new introduced species sometimes has a competitive advantage over other species in the area which then means that existing species may be in danger of loss of numbers, or total eradication within the area.
This may seem like a bold statement, but one instance of the vast and rapid power of species introduction can be seen in the comb jelly introduction to the Black Sea. With just one single introduction in 1992, the comb jelly wiped out the entire anchovy population of that sea. This was because the comb jellies reproduced at a fierce rate and had little competition with other marine life around them. Their food was the anchovies and within that time they changed the food web in the black sea and created a deficit in the biodiversity of the area.
Another example is the North American mink introduction to Europe. This was a purely commercial venture as mink became popular in the early 1900s. Fur farms opened up in Europe to cater for demand throughout Europe and had North American minks shipped over for such purposes. However, some minks escaped the farms. Being bigger and with a quicker reproduction than their European counterparts, the American minks spread quickly in the wild throughout Europe. This has affected many species, in particular sea birds who lay their eggs on islands, as the American mink can swim to these islands and often steal the eggs of these birds.
Not all invasive species have been ‘introduced’ however. Some of the most damaging cases of invasive species have happened accidentally as a by-product of travel and international trade. One of the most famous examples of this is the black rat. The black rat spread to Europe from Asia in the first century, hidden amongst goods on trade routes. This had a profound effect many times in history, as the black rat carried with it a flea, which carried the plague. This was a disease that wiped out many human populations in Europe, spread by the movement and increase of these rats, showing how invasive species are not just a danger for plants and animals, but also to humans too.
Whether or not this danger can be curbed is a challenging issue. The concept of a native habitat is a difficult one, because this movement of species has been happening for thousands of years, meaning that we cannot be sure whether a species is native or non-native to an area. This kind of species that cannot be categorised is called a cryptogenic species. One way to solve this issue is to begin collections of species found in local areas. Although this can’t help with identifying species in the past, it can work as a cataloguing system for future studies, meaning that in a hundred or even a thousand years, researchers will be able to track the changes to certain ecosystems.
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to introduce species. Not all introduced species are invasive, some can be extremely beneficial for an area. There are, for example, many introduced trees which have served as habitats for birds therefore sustaining their populations. The main concern must be that the species and the environment they are entering into must be studied carefully to keep an ecological balance. It is difficult to deny that the world’s most invasive species is human beings. As the introducers and directors of nature to an extent, we must think carefully about the world and reduce not only the effects of changes brought about by adapting natural orders, but also the effects that we ourselves create in everyday life, by such simple activities as building, consuming and polluting.
Password Reading: Test Section 5 - Summary ordering
Read the text 'The problems of invasive species'. Use the statements below to make a summary of the text. ONE of the statements is INCORRECT according to the whole passage. First identify the CORRECT statements.Next put them in the order in which the information appears in the passage. You will need to scroll down to complete the task.
The problems of invasive species
Often an ‘invasion’ conjures images of planes flying overhead or hordes of soldiers, but there’s actually a type of invasion that happens more frequently and more stealthily than those of fighting. This is the type of devastation caused by a ‘non-native’ species of animal or plant moving to a new environment. So severe can these effects be, these species are known as ‘invasive species’. They are one of the top reasons for biodiversity loss and have caused around a fifth of all animal extinctions.
Some of these invasive species were introduced to new habitats on purpose. This may be in a misjudged attempt at bettering natural conditions, or for more commercial purposes. However, what has often been forgotten in this kind of scenario is that a new species doesn’t just come alone. It also brings with it all the parasites and pathogens that are in and on it. In addition to this, the new introduced species sometimes has a competitive advantage over other species in the area which then means that existing species may be in danger of loss of numbers, or total eradication within the area.
This may seem like a bold statement, but one instance of the vast and rapid power of species introduction can be seen in the comb jelly introduction to the Black Sea. With just one single introduction in 1992, the comb jelly wiped out the entire anchovy population of that sea. This was because the comb jellies reproduced at a fierce rate and had little competition with other marine life around them. Their food was the anchovies and within that time they changed the food web in the black sea and created a deficit in the biodiversity of the area.
Another example is the North American mink introduction to Europe. This was a purely commercial venture as mink became popular in the early 1900s. Fur farms opened up in Europe to cater for demand throughout Europe and had North American minks shipped over for such purposes. However, some minks escaped the farms. Being bigger and with a quicker reproduction than their European counterparts, the American minks spread quickly in the wild throughout Europe. This has affected many species, in particular sea birds who lay their eggs on islands, as the American mink can swim to these islands and often steal the eggs of these birds.
Not all invasive species have been ‘introduced’ however. Some of the most damaging cases of invasive species have happened accidentally as a by-product of travel and international trade. One of the most famous examples of this is the black rat. The black rat spread to Europe from Asia in the first century, hidden amongst goods on trade routes. This had a profound effect many times in history, as the black rat carried with it a flea, which carried the plague. This was a disease that wiped out many human populations in Europe, spread by the movement and increase of these rats, showing how invasive species are not just a danger for plants and animals, but also to humans too.
Whether or not this danger can be curbed is a challenging issue. The concept of a native habitat is a difficult one, because this movement of species has been happening for thousands of years, meaning that we cannot be sure whether a species is native or non-native to an area. This kind of species that cannot be categorised is called a cryptogenic species. One way to solve this issue is to begin collections of species found in local areas. Although this can’t help with identifying species in the past, it can work as a cataloguing system for future studies, meaning that in a hundred or even a thousand years, researchers will be able to track the changes to certain ecosystems.
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to introduce species. Not all introduced species are invasive, some can be extremely beneficial for an area. There are, for example, many introduced trees which have served as habitats for birds therefore sustaining their populations. The main concern must be that the species and the environment they are entering into must be studied carefully to keep an ecological balance. It is difficult to deny that the world’s most invasive species is human beings. As the introducers and directors of nature to an extent, we must think carefully about the world and reduce not only the effects of changes brought about by adapting natural orders, but also the effects that we ourselves create in everyday life, by such simple activities as building, consuming and polluting.
| 1. Introducers of species haven’t put enough thought into potential effects. |
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| Some commercial ventures had significant effects on local life. | Every species has moved areas at some point in history. | One species was swiftly eradicated from an entire area. | The movement of species is not a onesided issue. | It is difficult to fully understand all the movements of species. |
Password Reading: Test Section 5 - Summary ordering
Teacher: Section 5: Summary ordering, is the most challenging part of Reading. For this you need to use all the skills you have be using for the other sections. First you should read the text and get an understanding of the main ideas, and the order they appear in. Then it’s a good idea to look at the summary parts and see if you can find any synonyms of words in the text. Remember that a summary may combine several points into one and generalise about it. When you are looking at the summary parts, also decide if there are any that you don’t think are correct. They may contain information that was not in the text, or they might be about an unimportant detail, so don’t get distracted by them. When you think you have found a part of the summary, check the text to see if they match. You have to find six correct answers and put them in the same order that the information appears in the text. Some summary parts may cover more than one paragraph in the text and some paragraphs may not form part of the summary. When you have finished, read the summary from start to finish and check that you are happy with it. And once you have done that, the Password Reading will be over.
0. Introduction.
Often an ‘invasion’ conjures images of planes flying overhead or hordes of soldiers, but there’s actually a type of invasion that happens more frequently and more stealthily than those of fighting. This is the type of devastation caused by a ‘non-native’ species of animal or plant moving to a new environment. So severe can these effects be, these species are known as ‘invasive species’. They are one of the top reasons for biodiversity loss and have caused around a fifth of all animal extinctions.1. Introducers of species haven’t put enough thought into potential effects.
Some of these invasive species were introduced to new habitats on purpose. This may be in a misjudged attempt at bettering natural conditions, or for more commercial purposes. However, what has often been forgotten in this kind of scenario is that a new species doesn’t just come alone. It also brings with it all the parasites and pathogens that are in and on it. In addition to this, the new introduced species sometimes has a competitive advantage over other species in the area which then means that existing species may be in danger of loss of numbers, or total eradication within the area.2. One species was swiftly eradicated from an entire area.
This may seem like a bold statement, but one instance of the vast and rapid power of species introduction can be seen in the comb jelly introduction to the Black Sea. With just one single introduction in 1992, the comb jelly wiped out the entire anchovy population of that sea. This was because the comb jellies reproduced at a fierce rate and had little competition with other marine life around them. Their food was the anchovies and within that time they changed the food web in the black sea and created a deficit in the biodiversity of the area.3. Some commercial ventures had significant effects on local life.
Another example is the North American mink introduction to Europe. This was a purely commercial venture as mink became popular in the early 1900s. Fur farms opened up in Europe to cater for demand throughout Europe and had North American minks shipped over for such purposes. However, some minks escaped the farms. Being bigger and with a quicker reproduction than their European counterparts, the American minks spread quickly in the wild throughout Europe. This has affected many species, in particular sea birds who lay their eggs on islands, as the American mink can swim to these islands and often steal the eggs of these birds.4. The movement of species is not a onesided issue.
Not all invasive species have been ‘introduced’ however. Some of the most damaging cases of invasive species have happened accidentally as a by-product of travel and international trade. One of the most famous examples of this is the black rat. The black rat spread to Europe from Asia in the first century, hidden amongst goods on trade routes. This had a profound effect many times in history, as the black rat carried with it a flea, which carried the plague. This was a disease that wiped out many human populations in Europe, spread by the movement and increase of these rats, showing how invasive species are not just a danger for plants and animals, but also to humans too.5. It is difficult to fully understand all the movements of species.
Whether or not this danger can be curbed is a challenging issue. The concept of a native habitat is a difficult one, because this movement of species has been happening for thousands of years, meaning that we cannot be sure whether a species is native or non-native to an area. This kind of species that cannot be categorised is called a cryptogenic species. One way to solve this issue is to begin collections of species found in local areas. Although this can’t help with identifying species in the past, it can work as a cataloguing system for future studies, meaning that in a hundred or even a thousand years, researchers will be able to track the changes to certain ecosystems.6. Conclusion.
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to introduce species. Not all introduced species are invasive, some can be extremely beneficial for an area. There are, for example, many introduced trees which have served as habitats for birds therefore sustaining their populations. The main concern must be that the species and the environment they are entering into must be studied carefully to keep an ecological balance. It is difficult to deny that the world’s most invasive species is human beings. As the introducers and directors of nature to an extent, we must think carefully about the world and reduce not only the effects of changes brought about by adapting natural orders, but also the effects that we ourselves create in everyday life, by such simple activities as building, consuming and polluting.X. Every species has moved areas at some point in history.
Not used.Password Reading: Test Section 5 - Summary ordering
Here is a list of ways to get a good score on Summary ordering.
Password Tips
Read the text to understand the main ideas.
Look at the summary parts and see if there are any synonyms of words from the text.
See if there are any summary parts that weren't mentioned in the text, are incorrect, or just an unimportant detail.
Choose the six summary parts that you think are right and decide what order the information appears in the text.
Put the parts in the order you think they go and read the summary from start to finish.
Password Reading: Test Section 5 - Summary ordering
Read the text 'Don’t Forget the Elderly'. Use the statements below to make a summary of the text. TWO of the statements are INCORRECT according to the whole passage. First, identify the CORRECT statements. Next, put them in the order in which the information appears in the passage. You will need to scroll down to complete the task.
Don’t Forget the Elderly
In the modern world, where consumption, media and technology focus more and more on the youth and their lifestyles, it can be hard to remember the importance of the elderly. Yet, this demographic is fast increasing and with this come profound social effects, both negative and positive, which need to be addressed, and quickly.
There is a popular perception that treatment of the elderly varies from region to region. It is believed that in Eastern countries with their Confucian traditions, the norm is to treat elderly people respectfully. An older member of the family is one to be cared for and revered, while aging parents see their children as extensions of themselves; an investment in their future. In contrast, in the Western world the supposed norm is to let elderly people look after themselves. Commonly, older people are moved into special care homes or live alone, perhaps with few or no family visitors. Even those families who do visit elderly relatives tend not to do so frequently.
Such perceptions may once have been accurate, but have started unravelling recently due, in part, to social changes affecting the vast majority of countries around the world. It could certainly be claimed now that the distinction between Eastern and Western practices in relation to the family are beginning to blur. The growth of industrialisation in many countries in the last one hundred years has seen a great migration to urban areas, causing adult children to live further away from their elderly parents as they concentrate on furthering their careers.
As a result of this erosion of the family structure, governments have had to find other ways to deal with the lost generation of elderly citizens. In China, a law has now been passed which stipulates that elderly parents must be visited, no matter how far away they are. In South Korea in the 20th century this move from family to individual meant that the country had to develop a Public pension system to cater for the elderly. In South Korea now, one in five over 65s lives alone. These problems are also magnified when we consider the burgeoning number of people living into their old age.
In Japan, the number of elderly is already great — adult nappies now outsell the baby variety - and there is no sign of the growth in numbers slowing down. In fact, predictions suggest that by 2020, over 7% of the Japanese population will be 80 years old or over. Coupled with a low birth rate, this spells increasingly difficult economic strains in terms of supporting an aging population for which the government is now trying to find solutions.
Western cultures have also seen a similar change in terms of support for the elderly. Whereas in the past the elderly used to be looked after within the family home, the growth of the nuclear family (two parents, two children) and the development of care homes (whether private or state owned) has seen the elderly more likely to be in the hands of strangers, or no hands at all. On the other hand, although in some Western countries state provision has found it difficult to deal with the strain of this situation, there is an increasing wealth in this demographic. In the UK, this is called the ‘Grey Pound’; increasingly companies choose to market to this demographic as they have built up a great deal of disposable wealth and influence from their careers. We can see this in the advertising of luxury tours, lifestyle items, even films.
Professor Edward Jenkins from the University of Eastern England has been undertaking a long term qualitative study on the elderly across cultures. He reports that, “Although there are minor changes in the situation of the elderly in different countries, such as individual means of wealth or state provision of support, there is one overarching factor that those we've interviewed have brought up time after time, and this factor is loneliness. Without doubt, elderly people without the support of friends and family around them feel lonely.”
| 1. Old people are often forgotten about these days in favour of focussing on the young. |
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| People need to think more about what they can do for themselves as they become older rather than relying on others to provide them with support. | Transformations in the way societies are organised has caused time honoured family structures to fragment in many countries. | In a number of places, the elderly represent a relatively well-off, economically powerful section of society. | The established belief is that cultural differences account for variations in the treatment of elderly people around the world. |
| It can be a problem that the elderly demographic has grown as there are financial burdens associated with this growth. | Regardless of their nationality, social class or other individual circumstances, many old people experience feelings of isolation. | Throughout the world, the elderly are becoming disillusioned with their treatment by the younger generations. | In certain countries, governments have taken special measures to deal with the levels of support given to the elderly. |
Password Reading: Summary Sheet
Password Reading
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Sections: 5
Section 1: Order the story
You will see seven sentences. Put these in the correct order to show the events in a story. Drag and drop each sentence into the table.
Tips
- Look at the title and first sentence. What do you think the story is about?
- Think what words might be used in the story and what order they will be in.
- Now read the other sentences, are they what you expected?
- Look for the verbs. They tell you what happens in the story.
- Look for words that show what order things happened in, like 'when', 'then' and 'next'.
- Also look for words that refer to something that was mentioned earlier, like 'it', 'she' and 'their'.
- When you have finished the story, read it from start to finish and make sure it makes sense.
Section 2: Complete the spaces
You will see a text with spaces and a list of words below. Drag and drop words into appropriate spaces. There are more words than spaces.
Tips
- Work out the meaning of the words below the text and what parts of speech they are.
- Look at the gaps in the text and decide what kind of word should go in each gap.
- Make sure that the word you have chosen is the right part of speech for the gap.
- If it is a noun, should it be plural or singular?
- If it is a verb, is it the right tense? Is it third-person singular?
- When you have finished all the spaces, read the text from start to finish, does it make sense?
Section 3: Multiple choice questions
You will see a text and 8 questions. Answer the questions about the text by choosing one of the three options.
Tips
- Read the title of the text and the questions first to get an idea of what the text is about.
- The answers will appear in the text in the same order as the questions.
- Start with the first question. What are the words in the question that will help you find the answer?
- Look for where you think the answer will be in the text. When you find the correct part of the text, read it carefully.
- Now, look at all the answers. Are any of them definitely wrong?
- Maybe because they aren't mentioned or something else is said.
- Once you find the correct answer, read it again and then the text.
- Does it mean the same thing? If you are happy, do the same for the next question.
Section 4: Heading matching
You will see paragraphs of a text and a list of headings. Match the headings to the paragraphs. There is one more heading than is required.
Tips
- Read the list of headings and think about their meaning and other ways to say the same thing.
- Read the topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph, and see if there are any obvious answers.
- Remember that the heading is about the paragraph as a whole, it should be the main idea of the paragraph and not just a small detail.
- Once you have selected the headings you found easily, look at the remaining paragraphs and headings more closely.
- If you cannot decide which heading goes with which paragraph, make a guess. Don't leave any paragraphs without a heading.
Section 5: Summary ordering
You will see a text and short statements. Put the statements in the order they appear in the text. There are 2 more statements than are required.
Tips
- Read the text to understand the main ideas.
- Look at the summary parts and see if there are any synonyms of words from the text.
- See if there are any summary parts that weren't mentioned in the text, are incorrect, or just an unimportant detail.
- Choose the six summary parts that you think are right and decide what order the information appears in the text.
- Put the parts in the order you think they go and read the summary from start to finish.
Reading suggestions
To improve your performance in Password Reading you must understand all the features of written texts. To improve your understanding you should read as much as you can. When you read, it is important that you try to work out the meaning of new words before you look them up. However good your English, there will be words that you don't know, and developing the skill to work out what a word means is an important reading skill. Also pay attention to which words are often used together, and to common idiomatic phrases. You also need to look at how tenses, signposting and reference words are being used, and how they affect the meaning. Finally, pay attention to the organisation of the text. The use of topic sentences and paragraphing are very important to make the meaning of a text clear to the reader.
