Multiple-choice questions
Which reading technique helps you understand the general meaning of a text quickly?
A) Scanning
B) Skimming
C) Intensive reading
D) Close reading
Answer: B – Skimming
Explanation: Skimming involves reading quickly to understand the overall message of a text. Readers usually focus on titles, headings, introductory paragraphs and concluding sentences rather than every word.
Predicting means anticipating possible information or events before or during reading.
Answer: True
Explanation: Readers can make predictions before reading by examining titles and illustrations, or during reading by considering events and new information.
A character repeatedly checks the clock, bites their nails and avoids eye contact. The author never says that the character is anxious. What strategy helps you understand the character's feelings?
Inferring. Readers use textual clues and background knowledge to draw conclusions.
You need to find a particular date, name or statistic in a long article. Which technique should you use?
A) Extensive reading
B) Close reading
C) Scanning
D) Intensive reading
Answer: C – Scanning
Scanning helps readers locate specific information without reading the entire text. Readers move their eyes quickly over the page, searching for particular keywords, numbers, dates or names.
An inference is always a fact because it is based on evidence found in the text.
False
An inference is a reasonable interpretation based on textual clues and background knowledge, but it is not necessarily a confirmed fact.
Explain the difference between cause-and-effect and problem–solution text structures. Give an example of each.
Answer
Cause-and-effect explains why something happens and what consequences follow.
Problem–solution identifies an issue and proposes ways to address it.
Which reading technique is most suitable for analysing grammatical structures, vocabulary and the precise meaning of a short academic passage?
A) Extensive reading
B) Intensive reading
C) Skimming
D) Scanning
Answer: B – Intensive reading
Explanation: Intensive reading involves careful examination of a relatively short text. It helps learners understand vocabulary, grammar, sentence structures and specific information in detail.
If a statement contains a verifiable fact, the entire sentence must be objective, even if it includes words expressing personal judgement.
False. A sentence can combine objective facts with subjective opinions. For example, in "The magnificent building was constructed in 1995," the construction date is verifiable (objective), whereas "magnificent" expresses personal judgement (subjective). Therefore, the presence of a fact does not make the entire sentence objective.
You read the title, subtitle and first paragraph of an article before deciding whether to read the whole text. Which two strategies are you combining?
answer
Predicting and skimming.
Explanation
The title and subtitle help you anticipate content; the first paragraph gives you a quick overview.
A student reads a novel for pleasure without stopping to analyse every unfamiliar word. Which approach is being used?
A) Close reading
B) Intensive reading
C) Extensive reading
D) Scanning
Answer: C – Extensive reading
Explanation: Extensive reading involves reading longer texts for pleasure, general understanding or information. The main focus is fluency and overall comprehension rather than detailed linguistic analysis.
Two readers may reach different conclusions about a character's motivation, and both interpretations may be acceptable if they are supported by relevant textual evidence.
TRUE
Inference allows different reasonable interpretations, provided they are grounded in the text.
Analyse the relationship between the main idea and supporting details in this paragraph: 'Online learning offers flexibility. Students can access recorded lectures at any time, study from different locations and review difficult topics at their own pace.'
Answer: Main idea: online learning offers flexibility. Supporting details: access to recorded lectures, studying in different locations and reviewing topics at an individual pace.
Which technique would be most appropriate for examining how an author uses metaphors, repetition, sentence structure and word choice to create a particular effect?
A) Skimming
B) Scanning
C) Extensive reading
D) Close reading
Answer: D – Close reading
Explanation: Close reading examines the relationship between language and meaning. Readers analyse literary devices, vocabulary, structure and stylistic choices to understand how an author communicates ideas and creates effects.
The Independent Reading Project
A university student reads three academic books over a semester. After completing each book, the student writes a short reflection describing the central arguments, important themes and personal responses. The student does not examine every paragraph or analyse the grammatical structure of individual sentences.
Statement: This activity can be classified as extensive reading even though the materials are academic and the student produces written reflections.
True
Extensive reading focuses on understanding the overall meaning of longer texts. Students do not analyse every unfamiliar word, grammatical rule or sentence structure. The main goal is to develop reading fluency, vocabulary and general comprehension.
You read a 700-word text and explain its central message in two sentences without including minor examples. Which skill are you demonstrating?
Summarising.
A summary condenses the main ideas while leaving out less important details.