practising_fce_reading_part_1.pdf

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Practising Cambridge English First ReadingPart 1

UCLES 2012. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For furtherinformation see our Terms of Use at https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org/ts/terms

Practising FCE Reading Part 1 www.teachers.cambridgeesol.orgPage 1 of 8

Contents

A. TEACHERS NOTES ........................................................................................................ 2A1. Lesson Plan ............................................................................................................... 2

A2. Classroom Handout 1.....4

A3. Classroom Handout 2 ................................................................................................ 5A4. Classroom Handout 2 -Answer Key 6A5. Suggested homework/self study activities .................................................................. 7

B. GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES..................................................................... 8


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A. TEACHERS NOTES

Description

Time required: 45 minutes

Materials

required:

Classroom Handout 1 and 2 one copy per student

Aims: To practise the skills required for Part 1 of the First Reading Exam

in particular detailed comprehension and looking at words in context

A1. Lesson Plan

1. Give outA2. Classroom Handout 1 and write the following question on the board How

does Stephen feel about his job? Students read the passage and discuss the question in

pairs with their partner and then as a class. (Answers: Stephen is worried about his job/he

is late getting to work/he has a holiday booked but hes worried about wha t will happen if

he goes away, etc)

Timing: 10 mins

2. Give outA3. Classroom Handout 2and ask students do exercise 1 in pairs. Check the

answers with them (see A4. Classroom Handout 2 - Answer Key)Timing: 5 mins

3. Before students try to do exercise 2 (putting phrases from column A into the gaps) explain

how the context will help them to select the correct phrase.

Ask students to look at the context around the gap when choosing the phrase that fits

in the text.

Some phrases may fit grammatically but they wont make sense when you take into

account the text that comes before the gap and/or the text that follows the gap.

For exampleA But he wasnt in a very good mood; in fact, he rather liked the idea

of a few This phrase fits grammatically but it doesnt make sense if you take into

account the text around it. The phrase that follows in fact, he rather liked gives a

clue that the missing phrase is something that is neutral or positive (but probably not

as positive as rather liked), i.e. he didnt mind too much.

4. Students work in pairs to find the other correct phrases for the gaps. Go through the

answers as a class.

Timing: 10 mins

5. Ask students to do exercise 3 using the phrases from Column B and go through the

answers (see A4. Classroom Handout 2 - Answer Key).


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Timing: 5 mins

6. Write on the board:

How does Stephen feel when he sees grey hairs?

A. Hes not very bothered about them.

B. Hes worried that he might get more.

C. He doesnt think they are too serious.

D. He wishes he were a bit older.

Elicit that this is a multiple-choice question of the type that students might find in the

Part 1 of the Cambridge First Reading Exam. They know the answer to this question

as they have just answered it in exercise 3. Ask students how the answer differs from

the text (it is paraphrased so not exactly as it appears in the text).

Then ask students to look at the other options (B, C and D). Ask them whether they

think these answers are tempting what makes them tempting? (B and C have

wordspots in words that appear in the text worried and serious. D may be

tempting because of the wording of the text Stephen rather likes the idea of his grey

hairs making him look more serious so this could imply that he would like to be older

so hed have more grey hairs (howeverthis isnt stated in the text so this option is not

a key).

Timing: 5 mins

7. If there is time, ask students to work in pairs and choose one of the other questions fromexercise 3 get them to use the answer as the key and then write three other options

they can use wordspots or other ideas from the text but they must make sure that their

other options are not keys. Look at some of these multiple choice questions on the board.

Timing: 10 mins

Please note: writing a multiple-choice question is a highly-skilled job and students are not

expected to write one that is like they would get in the exam. This is really an awareness-

raising activity to show students how paraphrase is used and then how distracters may be

operating.


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A2. Classroom Handout 1

When Summer Comes by Helen Naylor

Stephen was thirty-two with dark, curly hair. He had noticed a few grey hairs that morning

when he was drying it after his shower. But he (A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in fact, he rather

liked the idea of a few which might make him look serious. But his face showed signs of

stress and worry.

Stephen left the flat just before seven. He was earlier than usual this morning because he

wanted to (B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., but it seemed as if everyone else had the same idea

the roads were busy and there had been an accident half way along Sussex Gardens. He

waited impatiently while the police (C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but by the time arrived at work,

he was late and (D) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He locked the Saab and went into the cool building. The offices of Jardine and Makepeace,

advertising agents, were on the fourth floor of a modern block with wonderful views over

Regents Park. But this morning, when Stephen found himself climbing the stairs (the lift

(E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . again), he would happily have given up the views for an office

on the ground floor.

Please let everything go smoothly today, he said to himself as he (F) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . up

the stairs. Stephen was worried about work the agency had lost an important client this

week. He felt that Charlie Jardine, the agency boss, (G) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A couple of

days before, hed passed by Charlies office and had heard him saying on the phone, Yes,well, Ill have to talk to Stephen about that. He was the one working on their new

advertisement. Stephen hadnt heard any more but he thought that Charlie sounded a bit

angry.

He wondered if it was a bad time to go on holiday perhaps his job would disappear when

he was away. But he didnt want to miss the break and in any case, Anna (H) . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . if he suggested cancelling. So he said nothing to her about his worries. He often

found it hard to talk about his problems, even with Anna. Who knows why, she was usually

willing to listen.

Helen Naylor, When Summer Comes, 1999 Cambridge University Press, reproduced with permission

www.cambridge.org/gb/elt/catalogue/subject/project/pricing/isbn/item1161057/?site_locale=en_GB


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A3. Classroom Handout 2

EXERCISE 1

With a partner, look at the expressions in column A.

Do you know what they mean?

Can you match them to a paraphrase in column B?

Column A Column B

1. kill him a. get to somewhere

2. avoid the rush hour b. say he is responsible

3. was out of order c. be really unhappy with him

4. sort it out d. not be very bothered

5. not mind too much e. not particularly happy

6. not in a very good mood f. not get stuck in traffic

7. blame him g. solve the problem

8. make your way h. wasnt working

EXERCISE 2Put the phrases from column A in the gaps in Classroom handout 1 (A-H). You may

need to change the expressions slightly so they make sense.

EXERCISE 3

Now look at the questions below about the text. Try to answer the questions using phrases

from column B above.

1. How does Stephen feel when he finds grey hairs?

2. Why did Stephen leave early for work?

3. How does Stephen feel when he arrives at work?

4. What is wrong with the lift?


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A4. Classroom Handout 2 Answer Key

EXERCISE 1

1c, 2f, 3h, 4g, 5d, 6e, 7b, 8a

EXERCISE 2

(A) didnt mind too much

(B) avoid the rush hour

(C) sorted it out

(D) not in a very good mood

(E) was out of order

(F) made his way

(G) blamed him

(H) would kill him

EXERCISE 3

1. Hes not very bothered.

2. So he didnt get stuck in traffic.

3. Not particularly happy.

4. It wasnt working.


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A5. Suggested homework/self study activities

1. For homework, you could ask students to choose another question from exercise 3 andchange it to a multiple-choice question.

It is good to encourage students to read fiction as this kind of text is often used in this part

of the reading paper. Encourage your students to look for readers that they find

interesting. You can find samples of some readers on some publishers websites. For

example, Cambridge University Press allows you to read samples of some of its readers

at:

http://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Camb

ridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_US

2. You could ask your students to choose one of the sample chapters from the website

above and write some questions about it (like the questions in Exercise 3 not multiple-

choice questions) They could then bring these questions to the next class and give them

to another student who could then read the sample chapter they are based on and answer

the questions.
http://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Cambridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_UShttp://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Cambridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_UShttp://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Cambridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_UShttp://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Cambridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_UShttp://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/custom/item2505731/Cambridge-English-Readers-Sample-chapters/?site_locale=en_US


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B. GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

1. If you want to create a similar lesson to this, find a B2-level reader to base your lesson on.

Look on the back of the reader to find the level (B2 level is usually level 4).

Select phrases/expressions from the text that may be challenging to your students (see

exercise 1 for examples of phrases/expressions that are good to target).

2. Another good source of level-appropriate expressions can be found at The English

Vocabulary Profile. You need to register to use this at

http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&It

emid=5

You can then do a search on phrases at B2 level (see screen shot select B2 and in

Advanced Search Category select phrases) this can help you pinpoint language that

your students may be tested on in the Cambridge First exam and create similar exercises

to the ones done in this lesson.
http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5http://www.englishprofile.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5

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