Reading CP

8/14/2019 Reading CP

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MAJLIS PEPERIKSAAN MALAYSIA(MALAYSIAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL )

Course Participants Module: Reading

CONTENT PAGE

SO WHATS NEW? 2

GOT IT RIGHT? GET IT RIGHT! 3 4

ITS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE. SO, DONT GAMBLE 5 6

KNOWING WHAT YOU TEACH 7

BRIDGING THE GAP 8 10

NO TEXT IS TOO SHORT! 11 12

MOTHERS CHOICE 13

THE POINT IS 14

OF FORGOTTEN TREASURES 15

A OR C? 16

IN OTHER WORDS 16

READING COMES ALIVE 17

PACKING IT ALL18

REFLECTION GRID 19 20

800/3 PAGE 1

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SO WHATS NEW?

TASK SHEET: 1

INSTRUCTION:

Identify the changes in the Reading Component 800/3

No. ItemDescription

Old New

1. Weighting 45% 40%

2. Duration 120 minutes 90 minutes

3. Number of texts 4 6 (at least one text withgraphics)

4. Basic criteria for textselection

Length (600-700 words),level of complexity(content and language), texttype

Length (200-700 words),level of complexity (contentand language), text type

5. Genres Articles from journals,newspapers and magazines,academic texts, electronictexts

Articles from journals,newspapers and magazines,academic texts, electronictexts

6. Rhetorical style Analytical, descriptive, persuasive, argumentative,narrative

Analytical, descriptive, persuasive, argumentative,narrative

7. Number of questions 50 45

8.Question types (i) Cloze passage

(ii) Information transfer (iii) 4-option multiple-

choice questions

(i) 3-option multiple-choice questions

(ii) 4-option multiple-choice questions

_____________________________________

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GOT IT RIGHT? GET IT RIGHT!

TASK SHEET: 2

INSTRUCTION

Read the following text and answer the question that follows.

From the text, we know that marshes are important because they

A store flood water B recharge groundwater suppliesC provide water to streams


1. In the text, what do the following words refer to?

1. In the text, what do the following words refer to?

a. it refers to ______________________________

b. them refers to ___________________________

2. The person who penned this is probably a ____________________

800/3 PAGE 3

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TEXT 1

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil. It may be wet all year or seasonally wet.Wetlands fall into four categories marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. Marshes aredominated by soft-stemmed vegetation adapted to saturated soil. There are many kinds of marshes such as those ranging from coastal to inland, freshwater to saltwater. Marshesrecharge groundwater supplies and moderate stream flow by providing water to streams.They also help to reduce damage caused by floods by slowing and storing flood water.

MUET October 2005

TEXT 2

I am someone who has always loved language. I spend a great deal of time thinking about

the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea or a simple truth.Language is the tool of my trade . And I use them all all the Englishes I grew up with.

MUET October 2003


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In this article, the writer suggests that

A. insects are becoming more acceptable as foodB. Americans are no longer squeamish about bugsC. insect festivals are gaining popularity

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TEXT 3

Most Americans do not intentionally make insects a part of their diet. But in the future they might.As more strain is put on natural resources, some experts say, insects will be raised as an alternativeform of protein. David George Gorgon, a biologist and the author of The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook , saysentomophagy is a more environmentally friendly practice. If more people did their part to eat bugsand broaden their diets and not just go out and eat chicken, beef and pork the planet would be

better off, he said. It takes an incredible amount of food, water and land to raise cattle, he says,compared to raising the equivalent amount of protein in grasshoppers. Today, US children are not as squeamish about bugs as their parents, thanks to nature centres,museums and zoos throughout the country that frequently teach school programmes about insects asfood sources. Older students are learning about entomophagy too. About 12 insect festivals are heldeach year, like the Bug Bowl at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The popular festivalstarted in 1990 and attracts more than 10000 people. Besides munching on chocolate-coveredcrickets, visitors can go to an insect petting zoo, cockroach race or cricket-spitting contest. There iseven a publication packed with information and recipes on crawling invertebrates. The Food Insect

Newsletter has about a thousand subscribers ranging from students and professors and PeaceCorps volunteers.

MUET April 2006

Points to ponder

What skill is tested? Recognising and interpreting writers views, attitudes or intentions

How did you get the answer?(i) The writer is positive about insects as food. This is shown in

- paragraph1.- The phrase thanks to nature centre, as food sources


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ITS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE, SO DONT GAMBLE !

TASK SHEET: 3

INSTRUCTION:

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.

1. What supports the idea that the grey whales were no match for the hunters ?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is paragraph 2 all about?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. Did the whalers find the grey whales the most challenging to hunt? Why?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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For millennia, grey whales had wintered in Laguna San Ignacio, one of manyisolated lagoons along the Mexican coast. They were not bothered by the presenceof natural enemies around them. Then, in 1845, two whalers sailed into thislagoon and discovered that it was a breeding sanctuary.

The grey whales, however, were not easy prey. Protective females were demonicdefenders of their newborns. They charged whaling boats and injured or killedcrew members. Whalers had dangerous encounters with other types of whales, but

the greys were the only ones they called Devil Fish.

In the end, the greys were no match for their hunters. The whalers blocked thelagoon and turned it into a giant trap. What followed was a methodical slaughter that made the once-quiet lagoon run red with blood of dying whales. Their carcasses were floated to the beach, and the blubber was boiled on the spot for oil.Whalebone and baleen were taken to be sold for corset stays, brushes andumbrella spokes. As petroleum replaced whale oil as fuel, the greys were killed

primarily for pet food.Extracted from The Mystery of the Friendly Whales By Paula McDonald,Readers Digest, October 1995


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4. What does the word they in paragraph 2 refer to?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. What does the phrase methodical slaughter in paragraph 3 refer to?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

6. What do you think will happen to the whales in ten years time?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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KNOWING WHAT YOU TEACH

TASK SHEET: 4

Identify the skill of each question. Refer to the Test Specification.

1. What supports the idea that the grey whales were no match for the hunters ?

_______________________________________________________________________

2. What is paragraph 2 all about?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. Did the whalers find the grey whales the most challenging to hunt? Why?

_______________________________________________________________________ 4. What does the word they in paragraph 2 refer to?

_______________________________________________________________________

5. What does the phrase methodical slaughter in paragraph 3 refer to?

_______________________________________________________________________

6. What do you think will happen to the whales in ten years time?

_______________________________________________________________________

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BRIDGING THE GAP

TASK SHEET: 5

PRE-READING

List the names of the richest people in the world that you know. How did they make their fortunes?

WHILE READING

Study the chart on Chinas billionaire club and read the text on Chinas rich getting younger.Then answer the questions that follow.

Chinas billionaire club Forbes list of 10 richest people in China (net worth)

Huang Guangyu

Xu Rongmao

Larry Rong Zhijian

Zhu Mengyi

Zhang Yin

Zhang Li

Shi Zhengrong

Liu Yongxing

Guo Guangchang

Lu Guangqiu

Extracted from The Star, November 3, 2006

800/3 PAGE 8

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home appliance, retail (US$2.3bil)

real estate (US$2.1bil )

diversified (US$2.0bil )


paper making, recycling (US$1.5bil)


solar energy (US$1.43bil)

animal feed (US$1.16bil)

real estate, steel (US$1.15bil)

auto parts (US$1.14bil)


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800/3 PAGE 9

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Chinas rich getting younger

37-year-old tops Forbes list of business people

BEIJING: A 37-year-old appliance merchant topped a list of Chinas richest business people released by the business magazine Forbes, leading a group of young entrepreneurswho have profited from the countrys economic boom.

Wong Kwong-yu, founder of Gome Appliances, saw his wealth expand to US$2.3bil(RM8.4bil), driven by a jump in home-buying by Chins newly prosperous middle class,according to Forbes.

One quarter of those on this years 400 person Forbes China Rich List are under age40.

It reflects the fact that most of Chinas fortunes have been made in the past decade as

retail, Internet and real estate companies sprang up to serve a booming consumer market.

Chinas richest are a lot younger than Americas richest, said Russell Flannery,Forbes Shanghai bureau chief, at a news conference yesterday.

Chinese business magazine Caijing reported this week that Wong is under investigationfor illegal loans.

Trading of Gome shares in Hong Kong was suspended on Tuesday following the report but later resumed. The company said it had received no notice of such an investigation.Wongs name is also spelled Huang Guangyu.

No. 2 on the list was property developer Xu Rongnao, with a fortune of US$2.1bil(RM7.7bil).

He is followed by Larry Yung, chairman of conglomerate Citic Pacific, with US$2bil(RM7.3bil). Yung, also known as Rong Zhijian, was No. 1 last year.

The richest woman was No. 5 Zhang Yin, who built a paper-recycling business into Nine Dragons Paper Co, Chinas biggest maker of paperboard for packaging, at US$1.5bil(RM5.5bil).

Forbes noted that the average age of business people on its China list was 46.5,compared with 65.7 for the comparable US list.

Their fortunes were also smaller, averaging US$950mil (RM3.4bil) for Chinas 400,versus US$13.2bil (RM48.2bil) for the US list. AP


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Questions:

1. Chinas consumer market is increasing rapidly.

A TrueB FalseC Not Stated

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. The real estate business seems to contribute towards making billionaires in China.


___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

3. According to the passage, the business magazine Forbes is an American publication.


__________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. The founder of Gome Appliances is Huang Guangyu.


__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

POST-READING

If you were a billionaire, how would you spend your fortune? Why?

800/3 PAGE 10

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NO TEXT IS TOO SHORT

TASK SHEET: 6

PRE-READING ACTIVITY

Look at the box and underline words that describe emotions.

cruel horrors stress glad unhappy failed

joyful excited nervous afraid success proud

WHILE READING ACTIVITY

Read the text below and answer the questions in the text box.

A HAPPY ENDING AT LAST

Anita Desai knows from cruel experienceabout the horrors of competing for big literaryawards. Three times the renowned Indian novelisthas been a finalist for the MAN Booker Prize for fiction, and three times she fails to win it. But lastweek , says Desai the stress was worse than ever

because this time the finalist was her daughter,Kiran. Roused by her sister-in-law at 5 a.m. October 11, Anita turned on the television to see that Kiran atage 35, had become the youngest woman ever to winthe Booker. I want it so much for her, says Anita,speaking from the family residence from New Delhi.its far more intense to have my daughter listed andwin than to be shortlisted for it myself. I would have

been more unhappy than her had she not won.Accepting the prize for her second novel the

Inheritance of Loss , Kiran thanked her mother,whose committed support during the eight years ittook to write the book even lead Kiran to describeAnita as its `co-author although her mother, likeany proud parent, demurs. I dont know why shekeeps talking about me, says Anita.

Extracted from Time , October 23, 2006

800/3 PAGE 11

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Comprehension Check

1. What do you think AnitaDesai does for a living?

2. Which word describesAnitas reputation as afamous novelist?

3. Who woke her up on Oct 11?Why?

4. Rewrite the sentence whichmeans. Anita is under evengreater pressure now that her daughter is a nominee.


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WHILE READING ACTIVITY

Look at the questions in the text box and identify the skill each question tests.

Question Skill

1. Why does Kiran describe her mother as her co-author?

2. What do you think is the writers view of Anita Desai?

3. Why would Anita have been more unhappy than her [daughter] had she not won?

4. Do you think A Happy Ending at Last is anappropriate title? Why

POST-READING ACTIVITY

Compose a poem to express your appreciation for your mother. You plan to include this poem in aMothers Day greeting card. Your poem should not be longer than 3 stanzas.

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PRE-READING ACTIVITY

MOTHERS CHOICE

TASK SHEET: 7

INSTRUCTION :There are many local herbs and plants which have medicinal properties. Think of some of themand complete the table below.

Local herbs/ plants Uses

Misai Kucing To reduce high blood pressure

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WHILE READING ACTIVITIES

THE POINT IS

TASK SHEET: 8

INSTRUCTION :Read the paragraph carefully and then choose the statement that best summarises the main idea of the paragraph. Indicate your choice by ticking the appropriate box. Work with a partner.

Paragraph 1

Adapted from Going Places, March 1999

800/3 PAGE 14

1. Not all species of plants with medicinal properties are used asherbal remedies.

2. Out of the many species of plants with medicinal properties, someare used as a womens tonic and to alleviate illnesses.

3. In recent years, the investigation and development of herbal

medicine have been encouraged and are no longer confined to therural areas.

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Malaysian rainforests support about 1200 species of plants with medicinal properties,of which 60 are commonly used in traditional remedies. For example, kacip fatimah

( Labisia pumila ) is widely used in postnatal care, as a womens tonic, and for gynaecological problems. And a powder made from the root of mata ayam ( Ardisiacrenata ) can alleviate fever and diarrhoea. Until recently, the use of indigenous rainforest

plants for medicinal remedies was confined largely to rural folks and the traditionalmedicine men. However, change is underway. From the mid-1990s, the government hasencouraged investigation and development of herbal medicines.


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OF FORGOTTEN TREASURES

TASK SHEET: 9

INSTRUCTION: Read the text and answer the sign-posted questions with your partner.

1 Money doesnt grow on trees, so goes the saying. But Malaysian

researchers are busy proving otherwise. Numerous rainforest trees and plantslong known for their medicinal values are now proving to have monetary valueas well.

2 Malaysian rainforests support about 1200 species of plants with medicinal properties, of which 60 are commonly used in traditional remedies. For example, kacip fatimah ( Labisia pumila ) is widely used in postnatal care, as awomens tonic, and for gynaecological problems. And a powder made from theroot of mata ayam ( Ardisia crenata ) can alleviate fever and diarrhoea. Untilrecently, the use of indigenous rainforest plants for medicinal remedies wasconfined largely to rural folks and the traditional medicine men. However,change is underway. From the mid-1990s the government has encouragedinvestigation and development of herbal medicines.

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3 The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) has been directed by the HealthMinistry to gear its research towards establishing the effectiveness of natural products. Through the IMR, the ministry has also set up a Task Force on HerbalMedicine to investigate the development of pharmaceuticals from medicinal

plants.

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4 Several studies have also been conducted by universities and other government agencies. Universiti Sains Malaysia has been researching plantsused in traditional medicine since 1980. Recently, with the co-operation of other Malaysian universities and institutes, it found that tongkat ali traditionally valued as an aphrodisiac could also be used to treat malaria.Another important finding by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is a compoundderived from the wood of an indigenous tree, which successfully shrinks cancer tumours in rats.

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255 But there is little point in discovering valuable rainforest remedies if the

ingredients become extinct within a few years due to deforestation or over-collection. In view of this, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) istesting herb cultivation on trial plots in the forests and on disused land, and byinter-cropping in plantations. The Malaysian Agriculture ResearchDevelopment Institute (MARDI) also does research on growing medicinal herbsat its various stations throughout Malaysia. At its Hilir Perak station researchersare presently cultivating over 200 species of medicinal plants and have collecteda large body of knowledge about potential uses for these herbs.

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6 It is found that most ingredients can be cultivated, but about 15 per cent including tongkat ali, kacip fatimah and mengkunyit refused to growanywhere except in the rainforest. Consequently, many local manufacturers inthe burgeoning herbal products industry raise these herbs on small plots in theforests.

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7 Discovering Malaysias herbal wealth has not only increased understandingand appreciation of the local flora but it has also given rise to a flourishing localherbal products manufacturing industry. This has made it all the moreimportant that Malaysia should conserve and sustain its unique rainforests.

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Adapted from Going Places , March 1999A OR C?

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Locate 3statementswhichindicatethat thegovernmentwishes toexploit the

medicinalvalue of plants.

What doesthe wordthis refer to?

What twoplantsmentionedhavemedicinalproperties?

What is the

main ideahere?

Why do youthink theIMR wasdirected toconduct theresearch? Name some

of theillnessesthat can becured withtraditionalherbs.

According tothe passage,what would

be the impactof deforestationon rainforests?

Why are peoplemore awareof the localflora?


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TASK SHEET: 10

From the text it is apparent that the writer expresses his appreciation for the medicinal valuesof rainforests as well as his grave concern for the future of these forests.

INSTRUCTION :Reproduced below are phrases used by the writer. Together with your partner examine each

phrase carefully. Write A if you think the phrase expresses appreciation and C if it signalsconcern.

1) change is underway. ( )

2) But there is little point ... ( )

3) but about 15 percent refused to grow anywhere ( )

4) now proving to have monetary value ( )

5) Malaysia should conserve and sustain ( )

6) ... the ministry has also set up a Task Force on Herbal Medicine ( )

IN OTHER WORDS

TASK SHEET: 11

INSTRUCTION:Find words in the text that convey the meanings listed in the table below. The paragraph in whichthe word is found is identified for you.

Paragraph Word Meaning2 medications2 relieve or help in reducing pain, discomfort or illnesses3 to pitch something at a certain level4 native or originating where something is found5 growing crops or plants6 growing or expanding7 supply with necessities and support

POST-READING ACTIVITY

READING COMES ALIVE

TASK SHEET: 12

MATERIALS REQUIRED:o Aloe Vera

800/3 PAGE 16

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o Cucumber o Turmerico Pandan leaveso Hibiscus leaveso Ginger o Hennao Papayao Pegagao Serai

INSTRUCTIONS:

Work in groups of 4.

Discuss the uses of the herb/ plant that your group has received.

Based on your discussion above or answers in the pre-reading activity, demonstrate howthe herb / plant can be used to treat an ailment/enhance beauty.

WORKSHOP

PACKING IT ALL

TASK SHEET: 12

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

800/3 PAGE 17

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Past-year 800/3 Reading papers

Teachers Guide to MUET

Test Specifications

INSTRUCTIONS:

Work in groups of 4.

Refer to a past-year 800/3 Reading paper and prepare a complete lesson.

Include a pre-reading activity, 2 or 3 while reading activities and a post-reading activity.

Prepare the answer key.

REFLECTION GRID

TASK SHEET

AIM: To reflect on what you have done throughout the Reading session.

ORGANISATION: Individual work

800/3 PAGE 18

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Content/Activity What I have learntfrom this task

What I plan to doin my MUET class

Notes

SO WHATS NEW?

GOT IT RIGHT? GET ITRIGHT!

ITS NOT A GAME OF

CHANCE. SO, DONTGAMBLE

KNOWING WHAT YOUTEACH

BRIDGING THE GAP

NO TEXT IS TOO SHORT!

MOTHERS CHOICE

Content/Activity What I have learntfrom this task

What I plan to doin my MUET class

Notes

THE POINT IS

800/3 PAGE 19

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OF FORGOTTENTREASURES

A OR C?

IN OTHER WORDS

READING COMES ALIVE

PACKING IT ALL

800/3 PAGE 20

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Reading CP

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