Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
Unit 6: Test strategies
Reading tasks in tests, test strategies, most frequent
reading tasks at Language Centres of MU
1) Fill in the gaps.
This type of reading tasks is used quite often. Students have to decide which
word is missing in the given text. They fill in various words – correct tenses,
prepositions, or linking words, etc. Missing words are written either in the list
above the text, or as options below the text (multiple choice).
a) Circle the correct option. (tenses)
The University of Bologna is the oldest university in the world. It 1
________ a university since 1088. (The oldest university in England,
Oxford University, 2 ________ in 1167.) Bologna, in the north of Italy, 3
________ , a beautiful town and many tourists 4 ________ the university
each year to understand its history and traditions. The first students at
Bologna only 5 ________ law but now the university 6 ________ over a
hundred different types of courses, from agriculture to zoology. Many
famous people 7 ________ from Bologna, especially in law and science.
Perhaps the most important scientist is Copernicus (1473 – 1543).
Copernicus was an astronomer (someone who studies the planets and
stars). He 8 ________ that the earth went round the sun at a time when
everyone 9 ________ that the earth was the centre of the universe. Since
2000, Bologna 10 ________ ‘Alma Mater Studiorum’, which means ‘Dear
mother of studies’ in Latin.
1 a was b is c has been d have been
2 a started b starts c has started d have started
3 a was b is c has been d have been
4 a visited b visit c has visited d have visited
5 a studied b study c has studied d have studied
6 a taught b teaches c has taught d have taught
7 a graduated b graduates c has graduated d have graduated
8 a thought b thinks c has thought d have thought
9 a believed b believes c has believed d have believed
10 a was called b is c has been called d have been
called
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
• Find the information in the text without reading the whole text
again (scanning):
11. When was Oxford university established?
12. Why do many tourists visit the University of Bologna each year?
13. What did the first students at Bologna study?
14. What did everyone except Copernicus think about the Earth?
15. Since when is Bologna called Alma Mater Studiorum?
b) B Underline the correct preposition in this police officer’s report.
(prepositions)
1. ____________
“It’s usually quiet 1 at / on the motorway 2 at/in four 3 during / in the
morning. But not today. A gang had stolen money from a truck parked 4
at the side / at the back of the motorway.
2. ____________
Now they were going north. We waited 5 in / at junction 14 6 during / for
ten minutes. When we saw the car, we immediately followed it. The gang
knew we were 7 between / behind them.
3. ____________
More police cars joined the chase and the gang began to get frightened.
They threw the bag of money 8 off/ out of the window. They were now
driving very fast and moving from one side of the motorway 9 to / until
the other. One of the police cars managed to get 10 in front of / opposite
the gang, and soon there were police cars all 11 around / outside them.
4. ____________
As the car slowed down, one member of the gang escaped and ran away.
He was running 12 in / into a small wood 13 from / on our left. We ran
after him with the police dog and soon caught him. We asked him to lie
14 on / at the ground.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
5. ____________
It was a successful chase. Nobody was hurt and nobody got away. Some
other officers found the bag of money 15 by / at the motorway. There was
about £20,000 16 in / into the bag.”
• Match headlines to paragraphs:
A Final part of the chase
B The outcomes of the intervention
C The initial event
D Situation turning around
E Starting the intervention
c) Read the following text and choose the correct word for each gap
from the list below. There are TWO WORDS you will NOT need.
ASK, AVOID, CALM, CONFIDENT, CONSCIOUS, INTERESTED, OVERWHELMED,
PICTURE, POSITIVE, WRITE AWAY, WRITE DOWN
Steps to feeling happier!
Start to build up a new 1 ________ of yourself. Make a list of your 2
________ attributes – words like kind, generous, attentive. Then list
your skills – things like playing the piano, great cook etc. Then say them
out loud to yourself. 3 ________ your most trusted friend for some
encouraging statements about yourself. Keep a journal and 4 ________
all the good things that happen to you and good things that people say to
you. Make a 5 ________ decision to rid yourself of negative thoughts and
to 6 ________ too much self-criticism. This * will help you become more
7 ________ and positive. When you feel 8 ________ by events, don’t
panic. If you can keep 9 ________ , you have a better chance of getting
through difficult times.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
• What word classes do these words in bold belong to (use the
context)?
attributes
attentive
loud
rid
overwhelmed
• What is the subject of this sentence?
________ your most trusted friend for some encouraging statements
about yourself.
• What does this * refer to (highlight in the text)?
d) Complete the text with a verb from the list below in the correct
form.
FORGET, HAVE, INCLUDE, MAKE
When I was a child, I remember 1 ________ an imaginary friend. Her
name was Jill. My parents tell me that they needed 2 ________ her when
they were discussing plans with me such as where we were going on
holiday. My sister used to tease me about Jill, but she was very important
for me. When I changed school, I tried 3 ________ about her, but she
remained part of my life until I was about ten. My sister now has children
of her own, and says she regrets 4 ________ fun of me all those years
ago.
• What word class does “imaginary” refer to? Write at least two
related nouns:
• Find a synonym to “make fun” in the text:
• Which word can be exchanged for “remain” to keep the same
meaning: waited, stayed, stopped to be, continued
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
2) True and false statements
e) Read the article and decide whether statements 1 – 7 are true or
false according to the text. Write T or F next to each statement.
Happiness
Whatever anyone says, there doesn’t appear to be any universal
blueprint for happiness. While it is encouraging that happy people seem
to have characteristics in common, the fact remains that one person’s
definition of heaven might be another’s idea of hell.
Thus Person A might be happiest when she is stressed at work, dealing
with problems and meeting deadlines, whilst Person B prefers other
activities, spending her leisure time painting and travelling. Just to add to
the confusion, happiness tends to be related to a particular situation at a
particular time – a career choice, relationship or even an impulse buy that
makes us happy one day might make us perfectly miserable the next.
Bearing this in mind, maybe it’s time to loosen our grip on the fantasy of
the perfect life and start concentrating on what we want – and what we’ve
got. Far from being the ultimate goal, happiness might simply be the
product of a fulfilled, centred life. Moreover, outward achievements are
often less important than we think: whilst these achievements may
impress other people, they may not make you happy. At the end of the
day, how we choose to be happy is how we choose to be ourselves – once
you have sorted that out the rest should fall into place.
1 There is no agreement on what makes people happy.
2 Person A is more contended with her lifestyle than Person B.
3 Feelings about important events in our lives can change very quickly.
4 We should stop thinking about our own wishes.
5 Happiness can occur when you are focusing on other things.
6 Other people’s high opinion of your work will give you inner satisfaction.
7 Happiness is connected with a sense of your own identity.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
• What does “blueprint” (par. 1) mean? Which word class is it?
• Which word can be exchanged for “whilst” (par. 2) to keep the
same meaning?
• What word class is “buy” (par. 2)?
• What is the subject of this sentence?
Far from being the ultimate goal, happiness might simply be the product
of a fulfilled, centred life.
• What word class is “outward” (par. 3)? What does it mean? Find
some synonyms:
3) Fill in the gaps in the text with the following words.
loan deposit bank checking standing savings
interest trustworthy debit income job mortgage
bank transactions automated teller machines overdraft
credit real installments
How banks work
A 1) _______ is a financial institution which deals with money 2)
_________. In a bank, you can borrow money
in the form of a bank 3) _______, or you can put your money in a bank,
in other words, 4) ________ money. In both cases, you need to open a 5)
_________ account.
There are two main types of bank accounts. They are a checking account
and a savings account. You can use the 6) _________ account to pay
your everyday bills. The 7) _________ account is used for depositing your
extra money to a bank. The percentage that the bank pays you for using
your money is called 8) _________.
Once you have opened an account, the bank can issue a 9) __________
card – a personal plastic card with an individual number and your
signature on it – with which you can pay for goods and services.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
You can also use your debit card to withdraw cash from
10)___________ (ATMs) as well as make online purchases and money
transfers. Sometimes banks allow you to withdraw more money than what
is available in your account. This is called 11) __________.
If you decide to take a loan from a bank, you will have to show the bank
your good financial 12) __________. That is you need to prove that you
have a regular 13)__________ or some other reliable source of
14)_________. If the bank considers you a 15)__________ borrower, it
will issue a 16)___________ card which you can use to buy things such
as a car. If you decide to buy 17)_______ estate, such as a house, you
can take a mortgage loan from a bank. 18) ________ means that you
pledge your property to the bank as a security for the loan. If you fail to
pay the 19)__________, the bank may confiscate your real estate in
compensation for damages.
a) “ISSUE” belongs to 2 word
classes. Which are they?
What are the meanings for each
word class?
Which word class is used in the
text?
b) There are three compound words
(words made of smaller words)
within the words to fill in the
text. Which are they? What
words do they consist of? What
word classes are they?
Taken from https://english-lesson-plan.com/data/upload/files/Money.pdf
4) Read the text and fulfil the tasks.
Desert art
1) The mysterious desert drawings known as the Nasca lines have puzzled
people since they first became widely known in the late 1920s. Before air
travel in Peru began, it was impossible to get a clear view of the giant
drawings of the spider, monkey and hummingbird. Yet the Nasca people
who made these patterns 2,000 years ago couldn’t have seen them from
above.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
2) One of the first formal studies of the lines was by Maria Reiche. She
spent half a century working for their conservation and was convinced that
the lines must have been part of an astronomical calendar. Other people
thought they might have been ancient Inca roads or irrigation systems.
3) This region of Peru is one of the driest places on Earth and yet
successful societies, including the Nasca, lived here. Water must have had
an incredible significance to these societies, so perhaps the lines were
related to this. It has also become clear that there are many huge
drawings in the area, not just the ones on the flat desert plain. Many are
much older than the Nasca figures themselves, so the same group of
people can’t have created them. It now seems that the Nasca lines may
have been part of a long tradition of ceremonial activities connected to
water and religious beliefs.
a) Choose most appropriate keywords for part 1 (think of words that
would best and most clearly help you remember the meaning for
later!):
DESERT DRAWINGS AIR TRAVEL MYSTERIOUS PATTERNS
GIANT NASCA CLEAR VIEW
b) Which sentence is the closest to the gist (main meaning) of part 3?
Some figures were made by Nasca people and some by other, older
people.
There are many huge drawings in the area but they are not connected to
Nasca.
Water was very important for Nasca so the figures were probably
connected to it.
The Nasca lines are a part of a traditional ceremony but there is no idea
about the reason.
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders, SPUAJ001
Academic Reading for Students with Learning Disorders Unit 6: Reading tasks, test strategies,
practising various test reading tasks Teiresiás MU 2017. Supported by Fond rozvoje MU 2016. Intended
solely for classroom use and self-study.
c) Answer according to the text:
Why did the Nasca lines become famous in the late 1920s?
________________________________________________________
Were all the drawings created by the same people?
___________________________
What do you think “irrigation systems” mean?
_______________________________
d) Find answers for these questions:
1) Choose the correct pronunciation of “desert” in part 1:
/dɪˈzəːt/ /ˈdɛzət/ /diːˈsɔːt/
2) Which phrase could substitute for “puzzled” in part 1 without a
change in meaning?
BROUGHT BEEN ADORED BY ATTRACTED
CONFUSED
3) What word class is “giant” in part 1? _____________
4) Underline the subject (3 words) of the following sentence:
Before air travel in Peru began, it was impossible to get a clear view of
the giant drawings.
5) What does “significance” in part 3 mean and what word class is it
(explain/give a synonym in English)?_________________________
________________________________________________________
6) What word class is “ceremonial” in part 3? _____________