2014春阅读练习册概要1.doc

Spring 2014 Semester Steps to Improving English Reading Skills Exercise Book Instructor Name Student No. Department Class No. References John Langan. 2008. Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills. Shanghai: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. Step 1 Vocabulary in Context There are four kinds of context clues: Examples (marked by words like for example, for instance, including, and such as); Synonyms (words that mean the same as unknown words); Antonyms (words that mean the opposite of unknown words); General sense of the sentence (clues in the sentence or surrounding sentences about what words might mean). Exercises I. Directions: For each sentence below, underline the examples that suggest the meaning of the italicized word. Then write the letter of the meaning of that word in the space provided. ____1. Today was a day of turmoil at work. The phones were constantly ringing, people were running back and forth, and several offices were being painted. A. discussion B. confusion C. harmony ____2. Some mentally ill people have bizarre ideas. For instance, they may think the TV is talking to them or that others can steal their thoughts. A. limited B. ordinary C. odd ____3. Nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, have highly developed senses that enable them to function in the dark. A. feathery B. living C. active at night II. Directions: Each sentence below includes a word that is a synonym of the italicized word. Write the synonym of the italicized word in the space provided. ____1. Airport security guards must observe people’s demeanor so as to notice any suspicious conduct. ____2. I asked the instructor to explain a confusing passage in the textbook. She said, “I wish I could, but it’s obscure to me, too.” ____3. In the same way that the arrival of the mechanical equipment meant fewer farm jobs, the advent