HigherClose Reading

Close Reading skills can be improved by practice; however there is something that many pupils do not realise: there are techniques that you can learn! Your NABs and exam ask similar types of questions and recognising those questions can give you a real advantage.

TRY THIS! Olny srmat poelpe can.I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearer at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, maens it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Just as the human mind does not read individual letters, you do not need to know all of the words in a passage to work out the meaning as a whole.

This also raises something fundamental about Close Reading skills – have you thought about the way you read?

If you are a fast reader there is a good chance you are careless, skipping not only letters but words.

You may need to modify the way you read to improve your Close Reading skills.

Teachers know that many pupils who do not know the answer to something can suddenly know what to do when the passage is read aloud to them.

Why is this? They did not read carefully – it had nothing to do with their comprehension and everything to do with sloppy reading!

Context QuestionsUnderstanding QuestionsLink Questions

Learning Objectives for Contextual Questions•To identify contextual clues surrounding unknown words within a text.•To categorise unknown words (verb, noun, singular, plural etc)•To identify the meaning of unknown words and explain the connection between the word and the passage.•To use the set formula to successfully answer contextual questions within close reading papers.

Copy down things in green boxes!!

Look at the following passage and answer the questions

“Ben quickly entered the didot and cleaned the various misturaes he had been using to repair the wuipit. He had often thought that this job was extremely yullning. However, he had to admit that this time things seemed to be a bit easier. When he finished, he put on his redick and went back to the study to relax. He took out his favourite pipe and settled into the beautiful new pogtry. What schnappy. Only 300 yagmas!”

Questions

1) Identify unknown words in the first sentence.2) What types of words are these? ( nouns, adjectives, prepositions…)

3) Along with this identification, what else would help us to arrive at a meaning for these unknown words?

“Ben quickly entered the didot and cleaned the various misturaes he had been using to repair the wuipit.”

Questions4)Pick out other clue words from the first sentence which help to identify the meaning of the unknown words.

Example: “misturaes” - the clue word is “repair”, which suggests that this is some sort of tool used to mend or fix something that is broken. You should not use words from the text in your explanation. As is the case with many formats to answering Close Reading questions, use this formula: Context Questions Formula

State meaning + Explain how surrounding sentences helped you to arrive at the meaningRemember! Copy down

things in green boxes!!

“Ben quickly entered the didot and cleaned the various misturaes he had been using to repair the wuipit. He had often thought that this job was extremely yullning. However, he had to admit that this time things seemed to be a bit easier. When he finished, he put on his redick and went back to the study to relax. He took out his favourite pipe and settled into the beautiful new pogtry. What schnappy. Only 300 yagmas!”

Questions

5) Show how the context of the passage helps you to arrive at the meaning for the words in red.

Now let’s use English to do the same thing!

For the following extracts:•State the meaning of the words in red•Show how you arrived at this meaning

She was five years old, due to start school in three months time. It was a torrid, but beautiful day and she was playing between the film of shimmering heat. It was the kind of heat that could wear a mere mortal down his bare bones. I saw her lying on her stomach in the grass, picking daisies and making daisy chains with laborious pleasure. The sun burned on her pale red hair and made her skin look very white, but she continued with a dogmatic determination. (based on “Harry” by Rosemary Timperley)

Extract 1

‘Torrid’ means very hot and dry. the passage refers to it being a very hot day ‘a film of shimmering heat’, which is ‘torrid, but beautiful’, the word ‘but’ suggesting that it is unpleasantly hot.

We can tell this because

She was five years old, due to start school in three months time. It was a torrid, but beautiful day and she was playing between the film of shimmering heat. It was the kind of heat that could wear a mere mortal down his bare bones. I saw her lying on her stomach in the grass, picking daisies and making daisy chains with laborious pleasure. The sun burned on her pale red hair and made her skin look very white, but she continued with a dogmatic determination. (based on “Harry” by Rosemary Timperley)

Extract 1

‘Laborious’ means requiring a lot of time and effort.the passage refers to her making daisy chains with a ‘dogmatic determination’ which suggests that she is working continuously and concentrating hard on her task.

We can tell this because

The Good natured young man hurried away, and Philip full of petulant rage, attempted to keep his childish temper in check, as he flooded her with a final stream of advice and injunctions- where to stop, how to learn Italian, when to use mosquito nets, what pictures to look at.

(Based on an extract from “Where Angels Fear to Tread.”)

Extract 2

‘petulant’ means sulky or bad-tempered. We can tell this because the word‘rage’ and the phrase ‘childish temper’ tell us that he is angry and behaving in an immature manner.

‘injunctions’ means instructions or orders. We can tell this becausethe passage refers to ‘a stream of advice’ and then lists a series of orders, starting with ‘where’, ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘what’.

Extract 3Only hunger brought him in at noon, but then, sandwich in hand, he was back searching, his face both fearful and pleased, excited and depressed, a furious charge and counter-charge evaporating his sweat as he traversed the room.

‘traversed’ means travel across or through. We can tell this because

the passagedescribes the man coming ‘in at noon’ and then going ‘back searching’ which suggests that he has come into and crossed the room.

I seem finally to be learning what you were always trying to teach me, that my own country is exotic and even as perilous as Algeria. It is impossible to survive it without a good mind and a fully functioning gun.

Extract 4

‘perilous’ means dangerous. We know this because the passage tells us that it ‘is impossible to survive’, implying that there is great danger in the country.

Extract 5Harry Waldsworth’s job entails using complex technology and Microsystems to collate and disseminate information for investment bankers at Goldman Sachs. Much of the information is specialised and it requires a certain level of intellect just to understand it, let alone decode it. He is highly intelligent, motivated and was close to being selected for MI5. He also has Asperger’s Syndrome.

‘disseminate’ means spread or disperse widely. We know this because thepassage tells us that Waldsworth’s job requires him to collect and analyse information and then ‘disseminate’ it for bankers, suggesting that this means sharing it with them.

Learning Objectives for Understanding Questions•To identify the difference between fact, opinion, debatable, non-debatable, subjective and objective topics.•To translate words of a similar meaning to create the same meaning. (In your own words)•To identify Link questions and know how to answer them

Good writers, particularly journalists, are skilled at manipulating opinion.

You need to know the difference between fact and opinion – it isn’t always really obvious.

FACT OR OPINION? Using one sentence, write down what you believe to be the difference between a fact and an opinion.

FACT OR OPINION? Using one sentence, write down what you believe to be the difference between a fact and an opinion.

Look at the following statements:

1.Brazil is almost definitely going to win the World Cup.

2.Tony Blair was Prime Minister.

3.Acupuncture relieves arthritis.

4.Girls outperform boys at school.

Quickly, agree with a partner which of the above statements are facts and which are opinions.

SUBJECTIVE OR OBJECTIVE?

There are also two types of opinion:

Subjective opinion: relies upon an individual’s knowledge of a subject and what they believe to be right or wrong.

Objective opinion: looks at a subject from several different points of view, without bias.

Look at the statements below. Decide which are subjective and which are objective:

1. Based on the opinions of several prominent doctors in the field, Dr Clause came to the conclusion that the disease must be cancer.

2. I feel that there is not enough opportunity for pupils to participate in sport during their high school years. This is an opinion that is shared by many.

3. It could be argued that tax should be raised to provide better facilities for society. Others would counter this argument by stating that the same money could be spent improving services for the individual in a private system. (Dr Stanfield, Tax Expert)

Subjective and Objective CommentsDo not quote a subjective comment as evidence, present it as an opinion and be aware of a different viewpoint. Look to see who is making the comment and think about where their loyalties might lie! Trust no-one in writing!

How Do You Answer “In Your Own Words” Questions?

These questions test that a candidate has a varied enough vocabulary to use different words to convey the same meaning.

Example

The boys jumped across the river at its narrowest point.

could be translated to

The young men traversed the stream at the easiest place to cross.

Look at the following extracts and translate the meaning into your own words:

1.The jockey had won several races on the same horse.

2.Children should be seen, but not heard.

3.The fire swept through the building inflicting massive damage to both life and materials.

4.Elocution is vital to the defense of the English language from Americanisms.

5.Circumlocution is a device used by politicians to avoid the truth.

6.Brevity would lead to a better experience, especially when the subject is irksome.

Possible Answers1.The jockey had won several races on the same horse.

The rider had been victorious in several contests on the same horse.

2.Children should be seen, but not heard.Young people should not make a lot of noise when they appear in public.

3.The fire swept through the building, inflicting massive damage to both life and materials.

The building burned rapidly, killing people and destroying resources.

Possible Answers4.Elocution is vital to the defense of the English language from Americanisms.

It is very important to speak clearly if we are to prevent English being corrupted by American pronunciation and turns of phrase.

5.Circumlocution is a device used by politicians to avoid the truth.Politicians often use many words where fewer would do in order to be

evasive about the correct version of facts.

6.Brevity would lead to a better experience, especially when the subject is irksome.

The concise and exact use of words would lead to improved practice, particularly when the topic is tedious and annoying.

Understanding Questions FormulaIdentify the answer from the text + translate it into our own words

Look at the following examples and answer the question in your own words.

Remember, if you see (U) at the end of the question, you will be expected to use your own words and not those of the passage.

Extract 1

The boy’s behaviour was clearly effusive. Like a volcano he bubbled and finally exploded in a torrent of expletives. There was no sign of remorse as his tantrum seemed to climax. By this time he had gone too far and a Depute had to be called in order to save the victims from his tirade.

• What was the boy’s attitude and how was this demonstrated? U (2)(The relevant words have been underlined to help you)

• Suggest what might have happened had the Depute not been called? U (2)

Extract 1

The boy’s behaviour was clearly effusive. Like a volcano he bubbled and finally exploded in a torrent of expletives. There was no sign of remorse as his tantrum seemed to climax. By this time he had gone too far and a Depute had to be called in order to save the victims from his tirade.

• What was the boy’s attitude and how was this demonstrated? U (2)(The relevant words have been underlined to help you)

The boy was furious and his anger was out of control, described using the metaphor of an exploding volcano. The word ‘torrent’ describes his ‘tirade’, a raging flow of swearing and aggression, likening it the uncontainable lava from the volcano. The people he is shouting at are described as ‘victims’, suggesting that the boy is terrorising them.

Extract 1

The boy’s behaviour was clearly effusive. Like a volcano he bubbled and finally exploded in a torrent of expletives. There was no sign of remorse as his tantrum seemed to climax. By this time he had gone too far and a Depute had to be called in order to save the victims from his tirade.

• Suggest what might have happened had the Depute not been called? U (2)Although the tantrum has ‘seemed to climax’, suggesting it had reached its most explosive point, the Depute is described as coming to ‘save the victims of his tirade’, which would suggest that there would have still been more ranting and shouting for them to suffer if he had not been called.

Extract 2

The government must crack down on reckless motorists by encouraging the spread of roadside cameras, boosting the number of traffic police and ensuring speed limits are enforced more strictly, a report from MPs urged yesterday.

• What three things must police do in order to crack down on reckless motorists? U (2)The police must:

• promote further widespread use of speed cameras beside roads;• increase the quantity of officers patrolling the roads;• make sure that drivers who exceed speed limits are appropriately punished.

Extract 3

NASA is to launch an audacious deep-space mission to save the ailing Hubble telescope, the giant orbiting camera that has provided scientists with stunning images of far-off planets and the dawn of time.

The space agency yesterday reversed a decision made after the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster to abandon the $1.5 bn (about £768m) structure to a premature and fiery end on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere within the next few years.( Guardian 1/11/06)

• What kind of mission is NASA launching? U (1)• What advantages has the Hubble telescope given to Scientists? U (2)• What was the fate of the 2003 Columbia shuttle? U (1)

Extract 3

NASA is to launch an audacious deep-space mission to save the ailing Hubble telescope, the giant orbiting camera that has provided scientists with stunning images of far-off planets and the dawn of time.

The space agency yesterday reversed a decision made after the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster to abandon the $1.5 bn (about £768m) structure to a premature and fiery end on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere within the next few years.( Guardian 1/11/06)

• What kind of mission is NASA launching? U (1)A daring / bold / risky mission

Extract 3

NASA is to launch an audacious deep-space mission to save the ailing Hubble telescope, the giant orbiting camera that has provided scientists with stunning images of far-off planets and the dawn of time.

The space agency yesterday reversed a decision made after the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster to abandon the $1.5 bn (about £768m) structure to a premature and fiery end on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere within the next few years.( Guardian 1/11/06)

• What advantages has the Hubble telescope given to Scientists? U (2)It has given scientists amazing pictures (‘stunning images’) ofdistant (‘far-off’) planets and the start of the existence of the universe (‘the dawn of time’).

Extract 3

NASA is to launch an audacious deep-space mission to save the ailing Hubble telescope, the giant orbiting camera that has provided scientists with stunning images of far-off planets and the dawn of time.

The space agency yesterday reversed a decision made after the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster to abandon the $1.5 bn (about £768m) structure to a premature and fiery end on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere within the next few years.( Guardian 1/11/06)

• What was the fate of the 2003 Columbia shuttle? U (1)The shuttle was destroyed in an accident during a mission

Extract 4

Four years ago, ministers gave the go-ahead to a scheme whose scope was breathtakingly ambitious. They wanted to transform the NHS into a high-tech, computerized service, connecting more than 30,000 Gps to nearly 300 hospitals. A key part of it was the plan to put the medical records of 50 million patients on a single database.

• What was the aim of ministers four years prior to the current situation? U (2)• What was the most important aspect of this plan? U (1)

Extract 4

Four years ago, ministers gave the go-ahead to a scheme whose scope was breathtakingly ambitious. They wanted to transform the NHS into a high-tech, computerized service, connecting more than 30,000 Gps to nearly 300 hospitals. A key part of it was the plan to put the medical records of 50 million patients on a single database.

• What was the aim of ministers four years prior to the current situation? U (2)

They wanted to change the NHS into a service which used advanced information technology to link many local community doctors (GPs) to a large number of hospitals.

Extract 4

Four years ago, ministers gave the go-ahead to a scheme whose scope was breathtakingly ambitious. They wanted to transform the NHS into a high-tech, computerized service, connecting more than 30,000 Gps to nearly 300 hospitals. A key part of it was the plan to put the medical records of 50 million patients on a single database.

• What was the most important aspect of this plan? U (1)

Medical histories and information about 50 million individuals would be kept centrally in one structured set of data.

Link QuestionsJust as with the links in a chain, the link sentence must connect to the topic discussed in the previous paragraph AND the topic to be discussed in the paragraph to come. Without the link sentence, the piece of writing has no flow or progression.

Formula for Link questions They are usually worth two marks:

naming the previous topic AND quoting the part of the link sentence which relates back to it.

2nd mark =

1st mark =

AND quoting the part of the link sentence which relates

forward to it.

naming the topic about to be discussed

Her mother left her at the age of five. As a result, she was forced to fend for and pay for herself: ensuring she had enough to eat; clothes to wear and shelter from the elements.Despite her harsh childhood, Emma’s ancestry linked her to wealth and social standing. Her grandmother was Lady of the local clan, with a grand manse and estate to her family name, which was renowned throughout the country.

Example:

Question: Show how the sentence in italics acts as a link within this piece of writing.

• Which part refers back?• Which part refers forward?

Her mother left her at the age of five. As a result, she was forced to fend for and pay for herself: ensuring she had enough to eat; clothes to wear and shelter from the elements.Despite her harsh childhood, Emma’s ancestry linked her to wealth and social standing. Her grandmother was Lady of the local clan, with a grand manse and estate to her family name, which was renowned throughout the country.

Example:

Question: Show how the sentence in italics acts as a link within this piece of writing.

• ‘Despite her harsh childhood’ links back to the previous paragraph where the author looks at the poverty Emma experienced, following the untimely death of her mother. She was

responsible for herself and had to find her own food, clothe herself and find her own lodgings. (1 Mark)• ‘ancestry linked her to wealth and social standing’ acts as a link forward, allowing the

author to mention the fact that, two generations previously, her family had owned a large home with a great deal of land. They were very well known and admired in their area – a family at the head of other families in the area. (1 Mark)

Answer:

More often than not, the link sentence is:• found at the beginning of a paragraph, • with the first half linking backwards to the previous topic • and the second half linking forward to the topic to come.

Using the linking questions formula, show how the red, underlined sentence acts as a link within the following passages:

Extract 1:

The company said it had studied more than 50 other potential sites for a reservoir, from Cricklade in the West to Bicester in the North. It chose Abingdon from a shortlist of six because it was remarkably flat, the geology was right – clay – it was close to the Thames and near to the railway line which will be needed to bring in construction materials.Perhaps, more importantly than all the beneficial elements of this choice, it was not heavily populated. Only around 20 households stand to lose their homes. But the nearby villages of Steventon, Drayton and East Hanney will suffer years of disruption. Homes will have to be rebuilt and families will need to be re-housed. Also, buildings and businesses vital to the local area, such as libraries, schools and supermarkets, will need to be relocated.• ‘the beneficial elements’ refers back to the reasons why this site was chosen

which are outlined in the previous paragraph (1 mark) • ‘not heavily populated’ refers forward to the fact that there are ‘only 20 households’ which will lose their homes. (1 mark)

Extract 2:

The couple separated acrimoniously last year after 20 years. Friends said Yorke was mild mannered, a keen sportsman and ‘the last person to do something like this’, and neighbours all spoke highly of him. Despite this outward appearance of calm and normality, privately he was tortured by the break-up of his family. Spiraling into depression, he became obsessed with guns and carried out target practice in his back garden, leading up to the shooting of his wife.

• ‘this outward appearance of calm and normality’ refers back to the description of the man in the previous paragraph as ‘mild mannered’ and ‘the last person to do something like this’ (1 mark)• ‘privately he was tortured by the break-up of his family’ refers forward to the

description of his negative behaviour which is outlined in the rest of the paragraph (1 mark)• ‘despite’ also signals a contrast / change in direction between his normal behaviour

outlined in the previous paragraph and his abnormal behaviour in the next paragraph (1 mark)

Extract 3:

Mr MacDonald, from Edinburgh, wore full tartan regalia as he was installed in a ceremony in Fort William, the clan’s heartland. He claimed the title after he was recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon, which deals with heraldic matters, and the Court of Session in Edinburgh.Despite what appears to be a high level of acceptance of Mr MacDonald’s position, some of his critics say he has no right to the title. They note that he comes from an illegitimate side of the family and argue that his ancestor Alexander was born out of wedlock in 1832.• ‘what appears to be a high level of acceptance of Mr MacDonald’s position’

refers back to the MacDonald’s recognition by the Court of the Lord Lyon and the Court of Session in Edinburgh in the previous paragraph (1 mark)• ‘some of his critics say he has no right to the title’

• ‘despite’ also signals a contrast / change in direction between the acceptance of MacDonald’s position outlined in the previous paragraph and the lack of acceptance in the rest of the paragraph (1 mark)

refers forward to the reasonsoutlined in the rest of the paragraph as to why he should not hold the title (1 mark)

Extract 4:‘First-time buyers are continuing to find ways of getting a toehold on the property ladder, showing just how popular home-ownership is to many young people,’ CML director general Michael Coogan said.Despite this, higher income multiples, coupled with higher interest payments as a proportion of income, suggest that they are stretching themselves to do so. The research follows fears of a rise in home repossessions among young people. The Citizens Advice Bureau said that 770,000 people had missed a mortgage payment this year, and that many of them were young first-time buyers.

• ‘Despite this’ refers back to the popularity of home ownership among young people outlined in the previous paragraph (1 mark)• ‘stretching themselves to do so’refers forward to the evidence, such as missed

mortgage payments, that they are stretching themselves which are outlined in the rest of the paragraph (1 mark)

Extract 5:

‘Almost half of adults are expected to continue using credit cards when they retire, raising fears of a debt crisis among pensioners. Forty-five percent of people are expecting to continue to use cards when they retire, according to research by the insurance group AXA, despite evidence that today’s pensioners are increasingly suffering from debt problems. The majority of pensioners struggle to maintain their lifestyle on such a small budget, having to cut back in essential areas such as grocery shopping and heating bills.Despite the problems of surviving on a basic weekly state pension, people are still dreaming of a golden retirement, AXA says. About 28million adults expect to take at least one holiday a year after they retire, with 27million also hoping to escape on weekend breaks or day trips. A large portion of their weekly budget would also be spent on indispensable items, such as cigarettes and the National Lottery.

Extract 6:

‘Large numbers of pigs are to be released into the New Forest to forage for an exceptionally bountiful harvest of acorns, which are poisonous to ponies and cattle that roam the ancient woodland. Each year ‘commoners’, as local landowners are known, are allowed to let pigs roam freely for a 60-day period, known as Pannage. The animals feast on green acorns, which are harmful to the New Forest ponies and cattle that graze the area. Due to the colder, wetter, windier weather normally associated with Hampshire, the amounts of acorns produced by a single oak tree are minimal. Therefore, usually no more than 200 pigs are required to deal with this problem of nature.However, despite the low acorn count and pig requirement due to poor weather conditions of previous years, a call has gone out to local farmers to provide as many pigs as possible because this year’s crop is so heavy, probably as a result of the hot, dry weather. Soaring summer temperatures and fewer frosty spells have initiated a change to the production of acorns in Hampshire. It is estimated that three times the usual number of pigs will be necessary to deal with the 50,000 acorns expected to be produced by each single mature oak in the forest. As the forest covers an area of 70,000 acres, there is an abundance of oak trees.’