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Part 1
Reading Skill:Understanding the Text Structure

Section A Exploratory Reading

Example 1

Match the definitions in the left column to the terms of text structure in the right column.

Explanations

1.C.Event is developed as time goes by.

2.E.Once the action is taken,a certain result should be born.

3.B.Raise a problem and offer the solution.

4.A.Explain the detailed steps of completing one task.

5.F.Represent the feature of one object.

6.D.Compare several items,and find the differences and similarities.

Example 2

Read the passages.Identify their text structures.Write information from the passage into the appropriate graphic organizer.

continued

Passage 1—Bobby Fischer

Robert James Fischer was born in Chicago but unlocked the secrets of chess in a Brooklyn apartment right above a candy store.At the age of six he taught himself to play by following the instruction booklet that came with his chess board.After spending much of his childhood in chess clubs,Fischer said that,“One day,I just got good.”That may be a bit of an understatement.At the age of 13 he won the US Junior Chess Championship,becoming the youngest Junior Champion ever.At the age of 14 he won the US Championship and became the youngest US Champion in history.Fischer would go on to become the World Champion of chess,but he would also grow to become his own worst enemy.Instead of defending the title,he forfeited it to the next challenger without even making a move,and the rise of a chess superstar ended with a fizzle.

Passage 2—The Great Recession

Many people are confused about why American economy went to shambles in 2008.The crisis was actually the result of a combination of many complex factors.First,easy credit conditions allowed people who were high-risk or unworthy of credit to borrow,and even people who had no income were eligible for large loans.Second,banks would bundle these toxic loans and sell them as packages on the financial market.Third,large insurance firms backed these packages,misrepresenting these high-risk loans as safe investments.Fourth,because of the ease of acquiring credit and the rapid growth in the housing market,people were buying two or three houses,intending to sell them for more than they paid.All of these factors created bubbles of speculation.These bubbles burst,sending the whole market into a downward spiral,causing employers to lose capital and lay off employees.Consumer spending then plummeted and most businesses suffered.The economy is like a big boat,and once it gets moving quickly in the wrong direction,it’s hard to turn it around.

Passage 3—Chemical and Physical Changes

All matter,all things can be changed in two ways:chemically and physically.Both chemical and physical changes affect the state of matter.Physical changes are those that do not change the make-up or identity of the matter.For example,clay will bend or flatten if squeezed,but it will still be clay.Changing the shape of clay is a physical change,and does not change the matter’s identity.Chemical changes turn the matter into a new kind of matter with different properties.For example,when paper is burnt,it becomes ash and will never be paper again.The difference between them is that physical changes are temporary or only last for a little while,and chemical changes are permanent,which means they last forever.Physical and chemical changes both affect the state of matter.

Passage 4—Save the Tigers

Dr.Miller doesn’t want the tigers to vanish.These majestic beasts are disappearing at an alarming rate.Dr.Miller thinks that we should write to our congress people.If we let them know that we demand the preservation of this species,maybe we can make a difference.Dr.Miller also thinks that we should donate to Save the Tigers.Our donations will help to support and empower those who are fighting the hardest to preserve the tigers.We owe it to our grandchildren to do something.

Passage 5—Screen Protector

Before applying the screen protector,clean the surface of your phone’s screen with a soft cloth.Once the surface of your screen is clean,remove the paper backing on the screen protector.Evenly apply the sticky side of the screen protector to your phone’s screen.Smooth out any air bubble trapped on between the protector and the phone screen.Enjoy the added protection.

Passage 6—The Best PB&J Ever

When I got home from school after a long boring day,I took out the peanut butter,jelly,and bread.After taking the lid off of the jars,I spread the peanut butter on one side of the bread and the jelly on the other,and then I put the two pieces of bread together.After that,I enjoyed it while watching“Cops”on the TV.I swear,that was the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I ever ate.

Explanations

1.Chronological:Passage 6—The Best PB&J Ever

●First Event:I got home and took out the peanut butter,jelly and bread.

●Second Event:I spread the peanut butter and jelly and the bread,and put them together.

●Third Event:I enjoyed eating and watching TV at the same time.

2.Compare and Contrast:Passage 3—Chemical and Physical Changes

●Ways Similar:All things can be changed in two ways.

They both affect the state of the matter.

They cause some changes on the subject matter.

●Ways Different:Physical changes do not change the make-up or identity of the matter;Chemical changes turn the matter into a new kind of matter with different properties.

Physical changes are temporary.

Chemical changes are permanent.

3.Sequence / process:Passage 5—Screen Protector

●Clean the surface of your phone’s screen.

●Remove the paper backing.

●Apply the sticky side of the screen protector.

●Smooth out air bubble.

4.Cause and effect:Passage 2—The Great Recession

●Cause 1:Four factors created bubbles of speculation.

●Cause 2:Bubbles burst,consumers and most businesses suffered.

●Effect:2008 Economic Recession

5.Problem and solution:Passage 4—Save the Tigers

●Problem:Tigers are vanishing rapidly.

●Solution 1:Write to the Congress to show our demand for preservation of this species.

●Solution 2:Donate to Save the Tigers to support and empower the preservation.

6.Chronological:Passage 1—Bobby Fischer

●First Event:Bobby Fischer taught himself to play chess by following the instruction booklet at 6.

●Second Event:He won the US Chess Championships when he was a teenager.

●Third Event:He failed in the World Champion when grew up.

Reading Skill:Understanding the Text Structure

The term“text structure”refers to how information is organized in a passage.The structure of a text can change multiple times in a work and even within a paragraph.Students are often required to identify text structures on reading tests;therefore,it is important that they are given exposure to the various patterns of organization.There are generally seven commonly used patterns of organization.

1. Cause and Effect :The results of something are explained.

e.g.The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America.Interestingly,the dodo wasn’t startled by gun shot.Because of this,frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting.Unable to sustain these attacks,the dodo was hunted to extinction.

2. Chronological :Information in the passage is organized in order of time.

e.g.Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water.Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

3. Compare and Contrast :Two or more things are described.Their similarities and differences are discussed.

e.g.Linux and Windows are both operating systems.Computers use them to run programs.Linux is totally free and open source,so users can improve or otherwise modify the source code.Windows is proprietary,so it costs money to use and users are prohibited from altering the source code.

4. Order of Importance :Information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority.

e.g.Here are the three worst things that you can do on a date.First,you could tell jokes that aren’t funny and laugh really hard to yourself.This will make you look bad.Worse though,you could offend your date.One bad“joke”may cause your date to lash out at you,hence ruining the engagement.But the worst thing that you can do is to appear slovenly.By not showering and properly grooming,you may repulse your date,and this is the worst thing that you can do.

5. Problem and Solution :A problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained.

e.g.Thousand of people die each year in car accidents involving drugs or alcohol.Lives could be saved if our town adopts a free public taxi service.By providing such a service,we could prevent intoxicated drivers from endangering themselves or others.

6. Sequence /Process Writing :Information is organized in steps or a process is explained in the order in which it occurs.

e.g.Eating cereal is easy.First,get out your materials.Next,pour your cereal in the bowl,add milk,and enjoy.

7. Spatial /Descriptive Writing :information is organized in order of space(top to bottom,left to right).

e.g.when you walk into my bedroom there is a window facing you.To the right of that is a dresser and television and on the other side of the window is my bed.

Section B Trying Your Hand

Consolidation Exercise 1

Read the following passages and identify how the information in each paragraph is organized.

1.Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in a many different colors and flavors.Two of my favorite flavors are strawberry and chocolate.Though both of these flavors are delicious,strawberry may contain pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not.Even though more chocolate ice-cream is sold across the country annually than strawberry,each flavor tastes great inside of a milk shake.

2.The ice-cream shop around the corner from my house has the best ice-cream in the city.When you first walk inside,there is a long chrome counter with matching stools extending to alongside the far wall.Right where the counter stops,the booth seating begins.There are lots of old-timey knickknacks on the walls and chrome napkin holders on all the tables.My favorite part of the shop is behind the counter glass,where they keep all of the icecream flavors.A rainbow of delicious sugary flavors is kept cool and delicious behind the counter glass.

3.Freezer burn may have wasted more ice-cream than sidewalks.If you don’t know,freezer burn is when ice crystals form on the surface of ice-cream.These ice crystals can ruin the texture and flavor of the ice cream.But you can prevent freezer burn.Since freezer burn is caused when melted ice-cream is refrozen,rather than eating your ice-cream from the container as it melts,scoop your ice-cream into a bowl and put the container back in the fridge immediately.Doing this ought to help you solve your issues with freezer burn.

4.No one knows the true origin of ice-cream,but the first published ice-cream recipe appears in“Mrs.Mary Eales’s Receipts”,a cook book that was printed in London in 1718.Sometime around 1832,an African American confectioner named Augustus Jackson created multiple ice cream recipes and invented a superior technique to manufacture ice-cream.Ice-cream soda was invented around 1874,but the real breakthrough may have been at the 1904 World’s Fair in St.Louis,Missouri,when the American ice-cream cone was unveiled!

5.Making an ice-cream is not easy.Cream and sugar have to first be mixed in a frozen container.Ingredients may be added at this point,if desired.The mixture must be stirred and whipped until the cream and sugar mixture is frozen.Depending on the equipment,this may take as long as an hour.After the ice-cream is prepared,it must be kept frozen until it is ready to be enjoyed.Making ice-cream is difficult,but most people would agree that it is worth the trouble.

6.Have you ever had an ice-cream headache?That’s when a painful sensation resonates in your head after eating something cold(usually ice-cream)on a hot day.This pain is produced by the dilation of a nerve center in the roof of your mouth.The nerve center is overreacting to the cold by trying to heat your brain.Ice-cream headaches have turned many smiles to frowns.

7.One time my mom and I made ice-cream.We added sugar and cream into a big glass bowl.We kept it frozen in the middle of a bigger glass bowl.While it froze,I stirred the mixture with a hand mixer.It was the first time that had I used one and it splattered ice-cream mixture all over the kitchen.The rest of the mixture finally froze,so we ate some ice cream,and then put the remaining portions in the freezer so that it wouldn’t get freezer burned.That was a good day.

8.It was the most beautiful banana split that I had ever seen.In the middle of the bowl,there were three scoops of ice-cream:chocolate,strawberry,and vanilla.On top of the icecream were a banana and a thick web of chocolate and caramel sauces.A huge puff of whipped cream covered the sauces and a handful of crushed nuts dappled the whipped cream.On top of it all was a cherry,but I’ve never liked the soggy squish of cherries.

9.When it comes to making ice-cream,you can do it the traditional way,by stirring it in a frozen container,or you can use liquid nitrogen to freeze your mixture.There are some advantages to using liquid nitrogen.Since liquid nitrogen freezes the mixture faster,the crystal grains are smaller,giving the ice-cream a creamier texture.The downside is that ice-crystals grow faster in ice-cream prepared using liquid nitrogen,so it must be stored at much colder temperatures.Both methods produce a distinct texture,and both are delicious.

Explanations

1.E.This paragraph compares two of my favorite ice-cream flavors to get the similarities and differences between those two flavors.

2.A.This paragraph detailedly describes in detail the best ice-cream shop in town.

3.D.This paragraph discusses how to solve freezer burn when making ice-cream.

4.F.This paragraph introduces the history and development of ice-cream.

5.B.This paragraph illustrates the process of producing ice-cream.

6.C.This paragraph explains the reasons of feeling a headache after enjoying ice-cream.

7.B.The author organizes the process of making ice-cream with his mother in order of time in this paragraph.

8.A.The author presents the banana split he once made in details in this paragraph.

9.E.The author compares the ways of making ice-cream,listing the pros and cons of each in this paragraph.

Consolidation Exercise 2

Read the following passages,write a sentence explaining the main idea of each text and Identify the graphic organizer representing the text structure for each paragraph.

1.You may think it’s bad to forget your homework,but what if you forgot who you were?Amnesia is a condition where a person loses some of their memories,like details about their personal identity,but still may remember how to do things,like playing the piano.One type of Amnesia is called post-traumatic amnesia.Post-traumatic amnesia is usually due to a head injury(like a serious fall or knock on the head).The degree of memory loss may be related to the force of the injury.A simple whiplash may cause a person to forget the moments before the accident,but a more severe injury may cause a greater loss.For example,the victim may not remember who certain people are or may forget details about their own identities.

2.Ansel Bourne was a preacher,carpenter,and most likely an inspiration for the name“Bourne”in the movie and novel series,“The Bourne Identity.”Up until 1857,Bourne had been a carpenter,until he was called to religion.After 1858,he worked as a evangelical preacher,until 1887.He set up shop in Norristown,Pennsylvania,as a candy maker using the name A.J.Brown.Three months later,he woke up not knowing where he was,with no memory of the previous months.The case of Mr.Bourne has fascinated psychologists,and some film makers,for years.

3.The term“Amnesia”refers to complete or partial memory loss.Almost all of us will experience some form of Amnesia in our lives,even if it’s just a simple case of verbal amnesia,like forgetting someone’s name.Fortunately,there are things that you can do to prevent amnesia.Here is a list of foods that you can eat to improve your memory:almonds,walnuts,bananas,honey,apples,and black pepper.Though these foods may not reverse post-traumatic amnesia,they should improve your memory in daily life if you eat them regularly enough.

4.What do“Finding Nemo”and“Robocop”have in common?Not much,except that they both feature characters who suffer amnesia.Amnesia is a common plot device in movies and TV shows,but how accurate are these depictions?In television and movies,memory loss caused by a knock to the head(post-traumatic amnesia)is shown as fairly common,when it is actually quite rare.Unlike in movies and television shows that feature amnesia,most knocks to the head will not produce memory loss.In reality,memory loss or amnesia is much more likely to occur as the result of a stroke,brain infection,or brain surgery.So while amnesia causes people or characters to lose memories in both film and reality,characters are usually“fixed”by taking another knock to the head.In reality,people are not cured so simply.

5.What would you do if you awoke one day and discovered that you could not create new memories?You might remember everything that occurred in your life up to the point of an injury,but could not form new memories beyond that.This condition is called“anterograde amnesia”,and it is difficult to treat,but doctors and therapists recommend these steps:first,use technology to help.A cell phone with a calendar reminder can do much to offset this condition.Second,use helpers.Having people to assist with daily tasks,like paying bills,will prove quite helpful.Lastly,seek therapy.While there is no cure for anterograde amnesia,memory training may help the afflicted live a more normal life.Currently,there are no chemical medications or drugs that will alleviate this condition.

6.The brain is the most complicated system in the human body.The brain is separated into two hemispheres or halves.From front to back,the brain is further divided into three parts:the forebrain,the midbrain,and the hindbrain.The forebrain is where most reasoning,thinking,and emotional activity occur.It is also where most memories are stored.The midbrain controls reflexes and process sensory information(sight,touch,taste,etc.)The hind brain processes basic survival functions,like breathing and maintaining heart beat.The brain is truly the most amazing system in the human body.

Explanations

1.This paragraph describes post-traumatic amnesia.It is organized as cause and effect.

2.This paragraph describes the strange case of Ansel Bourne.It is organized chronologically.

3.This paragraph describes how you can improve your memory through diet.It is organized as problem and solution.

4.This paragraph compares and contrasts real life amnesia and amnesia as depicted on television and in movies.It is organized as compare and contrast.

5.This paragraph describes ways in which a person with anterograde amnesia could treat their condition.It is organized as sequence /process or problem and solution.

6.This paragraph describes the parts of the brain.It is organized spatially. vk88YS/D0W2DbsdSNy2k6kbsLW0x4dVszCun6Sim/z6mKQEr7P53MbEWOCHzN84B

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