how to help students conquer comprehension reading section in GCSEs

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
I. Rationale:
Nowadays English has become an international language because it is widely
used in many parts of the world and in many fields of our life. In Viet Nam, English
has become a core subject at school and a compulsory subject in every GCSE.
Studying English to prepare for exams especially reading comprehension section is
a difficult problem and usually makes students discouraged. What is more, it is a
fact that questions related to comprehension reading have now become a mandatory
part of various examinations. Reading comprehension is the part which makes
students lose the most points. Most students fear the reading comprehension in
National exams. They are overwhelmed with vocabulary they don’t know the
meaning.
Reading comprehension in National exams contains 12 comprehensive questions
with 2 passages:
Passage 1 with 250-300 words in length includes 5 comprehensive questions.
Passage 2 with 350-400 words in length includes 7 comprehensive questions.
Comprehensive questions used in the two passage vary between easy and
intermediate level or high level. In the case of English language exams, answering
comprehension questions is not an easy task. To solve the questions students need a
wide range of vocabulary, and structures. I know that the majority of students
always find it hard to do this type of tests. At first sight, they do not figure out the
content of the passage, but they are not patient enough to read the passage to the
end under the pressure of time during the test. As a result, many students ignore the
passages or usually put this part aside and return to it at the end of the test time. At
that time they choose the answer at random. On the other hand, teachers rarely
show or sometimes refuse to teach students how to do the Reading Comprehension
test.
From the fact above, my concern is always how to help my students to face
the fears of comprehensive questions and enable them to answer the questions more
effectively. If they conquer the questions in reading comprehension section, the
result in GCSEs will be improved much. According to students, the part in which

students usually make the most errors is Reading Comprehension . This part may
be the most difficult and become students’ “nightmare”.
From the rationales mentioned above, I have decided to write my own
experience initiative on the topic “how to help students conquer comprehension
reading section in GCSEs”.
I hope that my experience initiative will equip my students effective
strategies to overcome challenging questions in comprehension reading and help
students of Mai Anh Tuan high school confidently come in the coming national
examination.
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II. Aims of the study
The research aims to:
- helping the 12th grade students at Mai Anh Tuan high school understand the
nature
of comprehension reading questions in national exams.
- Improving students’ reading skills by analyzing the tests in the previous national
examinations.
- Giving students some ways to confidently deal with popular types of
comprehension reading questions in national exams tests so as to complete the
tests best my students can.
- Helping students be more confident when taking the next national examination
to get full mark on this reading comprehension part of test.
III. Participants of the study:
Participants of the study were 12th grade students in three classes (12A, 12C,
12G) at Mai Anh Tuan High School. The study was carried out during the academic
year 2018 – 2019 at Mai Anh Tuan High School.
IV. Methods of study
In the process of doing the study, I used several research methods:

1. Observation:
I attended some English periods to get a general view of teaching and
learning in the 12th grade reading lessons at Mai Anh Tuan School and specifically
to find out some information related to the reason why students don’t do the tasks
correctly and effectively, and how students’ participations in the lessons are.
I gave students a number of reading practice tests, observed them doing the
tests, found out the time they spend doing reading comprehension discovered
whether they miss reading comprehension in the tests.
2. Questionnaires:
The aims of the questionnaires were:
- to discover whether students like and understand the lesson, and whether they
understand the questions clearly.
- to discover which part of tests is the most difficult, which part they are afraid of
- to know whether the ways I have given are really effective.
3. Interviews:
In this study, interviewing was used to obtain ideas and information from
students about reading skill lessons they learned.
4. Lesson plans:
Prepare the lessons carefully. Choose reading passages related to the reading
topics in textbook 12 wisely and questions usually used in GCSEs.
5. Teacher's diaries:
I had to prepare many reading exercises at various levels for the three
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classes. Therefore, after every reading practice test, I always jotted down the
results, the questions many students make mistakes.
6. Analyzing and comparison:
- After every mock test, I analyzing the students’ work and compare with the
previous

result to find out what students have achieved and what is their weakness.
PART TWO: PROBLEM SOLVING
I.
Basis of the study:
Reading comprehension, the report noted, is the result of many different
mental activities by a reader, done automatically and simultaneously, in order
to understand the meaning communicated by a text. These mental activities include:
• Predicting the meaning of a text;
• Determining the purpose of a text;
• Activation of prior knowledge in order to...
• Connect prior experiences to the text;
• Identify word and sentence meanings in order to decode the text;
• Summarize the text in order to create new meanings;
• Visualize the characters, settings, situations in the text;
• Question the text;
• Decide what is not understood in the text;
• Use strategies to improve understanding of the text;
• Reflect on the meaning of a text;
• Apply understanding of the text as needed. [1]
Reading comprehension is not learned immediately, it is a process that is
learned over time. In other words, reading comprehension takes practice. Good
reading comprehension comes only with practice. [2] Without reading
comprehension skills, they're unable to fully understand the content, predict what
will happen next. In reading comprehension test, reading skills are tested, not
vocabulary. Therefore, students need strategies, some tips to get over reading
comprehension.
II.
Basis of facts:
There is the fact that the result of English in national examinations of
students from Mai Anh Tuan High School hasn’t been dissatisfying. Undeniably, it

has been considered as the “depression” in learning English map. Here are the
statistic about the results of 2017 and 2018 national examinations of Mai Anh Tuan
High School:
School year : 2017
Subject: English
Number
Class
1≤ đ2 ≤ đ 3 ≤ đ 4≤đ 5≤đ 6 ≤ đ 7≤đ 8 ≤ đ9 ≤ đ Average
of
<4
< 5 < 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 ≤ 10
students <1 < 2 < 3
12A 46
4
22
12 4
3
1
4.05
3


12B
12C
12D
12E
12G
12H
12I
12K

42
45
42
37
41
43
45
45
386

1
1
2
1 1
1
1 6

6
22
13
22
6
20
8
3
10
4

20

14
18
13
15
15
19
16
152

8
5
8

4
1
1

2
2

1

5
6
10
10
64

6
1

3
5
25

2

4

2

1

4
7
20

1
4
10

3

1

School average: 3.71
Country average: 4.46
School year : 2018
Class

Number

of
students

3.84
3.18
3.28
2.65
4.54
3.18
3.96
4.58
3.713

Subject: English

0≤đ 2≤đ 3≤ đ 4≤đ 5≤ đ 6≤đ 7≤đ
<2 <3 <4 <5 <6 <7 <8

8≤đ 9≤đ
< 9 ≤ 10

Average

12A
12B
12C
12D
12E
12G
12H

12I
12K
12M

40
2
6
18
8
2
3
1
3.800
41
2
8
15
13
2
1
3.566
35
2
16 13
4
2.920
36
1
13 18
4

3.117
34
2
17 12
3
2.829
36
6
7
5
7
6
4
1
4.761
37
2
13 16
4
2
3.130
42
5
19 17
1
2.762
47
6
11 20
7

3
3.255
46
10 14
10
7
3
2
4.030
394
22 119 150 59
23 13 7
1
3.427
School average: 3.42
Country average: 3.91
By observing and interviewing, I realized 85 percent of students from Mai
Anh Tuan School refused to read the passage or read them without intention, then
choose the answers randomly and never know whether their answers are right or
not. As a
result, students put no efforts into the part of Reading Comprehension. Meanwhile
this part accounts for approximately one fourths of the score in the whole test. It
was the facts that inspired me to do this research.
III. Reasons for students’ fear:
The major problem that makes students afraid of reading comprehension is
vocabulary. Having a good vocabulary means that it becomes much easier for the
students to understand the questions and it enables them to understand the meaning
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that the given passage is trying to imply. Having poor vocabulary can be very
disadvantageous for students, especially when attending competitive exams, which
are heavily based upon time management. They easily get flustered when they see
passages that have a harder vocabulary and meaning. It might become difficult to
understand the meaning of the passage given. When students fail to understand the
language, most of them lose interest in studying for such answers. Consequently,
students get confused and do not know what they need to find from the text and
how to choose the answers.
IV. Mistakes when doing reading comprehension tests:
Mistakes students usually make when doing reading comprehension tests:
- Too much dependence on vocabulary.
- Time manage is not suitable. Students either avoid doing reading
comprehension questions or spend too much time to translate every word.
- Always assume reading comprehension questions are all difficult. Remember
that the level of comprehensive questions can vary a lot.
V.
Tips to do reading comprehension tests:
The 10 following tips are the best ways of attacking a reading passage to get the
most correct answer in a limited amount of time.
1. Do not spend too much time reading the passage. Keep in mind that it is
not expected of every student to understand all the lines, sentences and
words of the given paragraph.
2. Be familiar with questions. There are some common types of questions in
GCSEs. Being completely familiar with questions helps students save time.
3. Don’t worry if a reading passage is on the topic we are unfamiliar.
Remember that all of the information that we need to answer the questions is
included in the passages
4. Skim the reading passage to determine the main idea and the overall
organizations of ideas in the passage.
5. Look ahead at the questions to determine what types of questions you

must answer. Each type of question is answered in a different way
6. Find the section of the passage that deals with each question.
7. Read the part of the passage that contains the answers carefully.
8. Read the options and eliminate the unreasonable options.
9. Do not spend too much time on a question we are unsure of. If we don’t
know the answer, simply guess and go on. Return to this question later if we
have time.
10.
Guess to complete the section before time is up. [3]
VI. Types of question:
Reading can be a tricky skill for English-language learners to master,
and reading passages in GCSEs can be challenging for my students. To do well on
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the reading section, students need to have a quick reading comprehension speed.
This requires an understanding of grammatical structures and knowing of various
words.
The Reading Comprehension in GCSEs is designed to measure how well students
understand what they read. Students have only about 15 minutes to read two
passages the answer 12 questions. These questions are divided into different types
of questions. Each passage usually has 3 or 4 types of questions to answer.
There are mainly seven different types of reading comprehension questions that
are tested in GCSEs:
1. Main idea question
2. Vocabulary question
3. Reference question
4. Factual question
5. Negative factual question
6. Inference question

7. Tone question
Each type of question has a different way to find out the answer. Once students
know these question types, they will be much better prepared to get a high score
and if they are familiar with the common types of reading questions, they are able
to take note of important parts of the passage, saving time. Here is a quick rundown of each question type you will encounter.
1. Main Idea Question
Main idea questions test your ability to capture the big picture the central
thought or significance of the passage. Main idea questions are the most common
types of Reading Comprehension questions. These questions are often asked as first
question after the reading passage.
How to identify this type of questions: Such a question may be worded in a
variety of ways, you may be asked to identify the topic, subject, title, primary idea,
main idea, main point, mainly about, mainly discus…
In most cases, the main idea will be expressed in one or two sentences in the
first paragraph. Students study the beginning to determine the main idea. Take an
example in the test of 2018 GCSE - Code: 401
In the test of 2018 GCSE - Code: 401
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
A letter of application is a sales letter in which you are both salesperson and
product, for the purpose of an application is to attract an employer's attention and
persuade him or her to grant you an interview. To do this, the letter presents what
you can offer the employer, rather than what you want from the job.
Like a résumé, the letter of application is a sample of your work and an
6


opportunity to demonstrate your skills and personality. If it is written with flair
and understanding and prepared with professional care, it is likely to be very
effective. While the résumé must be factual, objective, and brief, the letter is your

chance to interpret and expand. It should state explicitly how your background
relates to the specific job, and it should emphasise your strongest and most
relevant characteristics. The letter should demonstrate that you know both
yourself and the company.
The letter of application must communicate your ambition and enthusiasm.
Yet it must be modest. It should be neither aggressive nor compliant: neither pat
yourself on the back nor ask for sympathy. It should never express dissatisfaction
with the present or former job or employer. And you should avoid discussing
your reasons for leaving your last job.
Finally, it is best that you not broach the subject on salary. Indeed, even if a
job advertisement requires that you mention your salary requirements, it is
advisable simply to call them "negotiable." However, when you go on an
interview, you should be prepared to mention a salary range. For this reason, you
should investigate both your field and, if possible, the particular company. You
don't want to ask for less than you deserve or more than is reasonable.
(Adapted from by Linda Lee and Erik Gundersen) "Select Readings Intermediate")
Question 36: What is the passage mainly about?
A. Advice on how to find a good job
B. Things to avoid during a job interview
C. Tips for writing an effective letter of application
D. Differences between a résumé and a letter of application
[4]
In the above given passage, there are four paragraphs. Students should be sure to
read the first sentence of each paragraph to determine the main idea. The first
sentence of the first paragraph of this passage is “a letter of application”, and the
second paragraph begins with “the letter of application”. The first sentence of the
third paragraph tells of “the letter of application”. Therefore, the best choice is
answer C.
2. Vocabulary questions:
In a reading "Vocabulary question", there are a number of questions that ask

for the meaning of a word depending on the context. Students are asked to look at
one word or phrase in a reading passage and choose another word or phrase with
similar or opposite meaning and are given 4 answer options. It is helpful if students
know the meaning of the word that is being tested. However it is not always
necessary to know the meaning of the word or phrase. Using context clues and
structural clues can help students find the correct answer. It is, of course, helpful to
read the sentence that the word is in, the sentence right before, the sentence right
7


after. This area of the passage surrounding the word is called the context. Context
clues are the words, phrases, and sentences that surround the word we do not know.
Many sentences and paragraphs contain enough information to use the clues that
the
writer has left to figure out the meanings of many words we do not know.
How to identify this type of questions: Such a question may be worded in a
variety of ways, you may be asked to identify the word that could be placed, is
closest, opposite, similar in meaning….
In the test of 2018 GCSE - Code: 402
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 28 to 34.
There are many African tribes but, for many people, the Masai are the most
well-known. They are famous for their bright red clothing and their ceremonies
with lots of music and dancing. Probably, one of the most colorful ceremonies is
the festival of "Eunoto," when the teenage boys of the Masai become men.
Eunoto lasts for many days and Masai people travel across the region to get
to a special place near the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The teenage boys
who travel with them are called "warriors". This is a traditional name from the
past when young men fought with other tribes.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the teenagers paint their bodies while

their mothers start to build a place called the "Osingira," a sacred room in the
middle of the celebrations. Later, the senior elders from different tribes will sit
inside this place and, at different times, the boys go inside to meet them. Later in
the day, the boys run around the Osingira, going faster and faster each time.
The teenagers also have to alter their appearance at Eunoto. Masai boys'
hair is very long before the ritual but they have to cut it off. In Masai culture, hair
is an important symbol. For example, when a baby grows into an infant, the
mother cuts the child's hair and gives the child a name. At a Masai wedding, the
hair of the bride is also cut off as she becomes a woman. And so, at Eunoto, the
teenage boy's mother cuts his hair off at sunrise.
On the final day, the teenagers meet the senior elders one more time. They
get this advice: "Now you are men, use your heads and knowledge." Then, people
start to travel back to their homes and lands. The teenagers are no longer
warriors. They are adult men and now they will get married and have children.
Later in life, they will be the leaders of their communities.
(Adapted from "Life" by John Hughes, Helen Stephenson and Paul Dummett)
Question 29: The word "warriors" in paragraph 2 mostly means ______.
A. dancers
B. fighters
C. musicians
D. travelers
Question 32: The word "alter" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. differ
B. change
C. maintain
D. distinguish[4]
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Question 29 asks the meaning of the word “warriors”. To answer this question,

we should look at the sentence following the word “warriors”. “this is …”
indicates the definition or explanation of “warriors” is going to follow. The
information following “a traditional name from the past when young men fought
with other tribes”. See the four given options: A. dancers - B. fighters - C.
musicians - D. travelers . So the best answer is B.
Question 32: Do the same as question 29. We look at the sentence following the
word “alter”. The information following “Masai boys' hair is very long before the
ritual but they have to cut it off.” There is a change. See the four given options: A.
differ - B. change - C. maintain - D. distinguish. So the best answer is B.
Another example for clues from part of word for vocabulary questions:
In the test of 2018 GCSE - Code: 405
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 28 to 34.
Body language is a vital form of communication. In fact, it is believed
that the various forms of body language contribute about 70 percent to our
comprehension. It is important to note, however, that body language varies in
different cultures. Take for example, eye movement. In the USA a child is
expected to look directly at a parent or teacher who is scolding him/her. In other
cultures the opposite is true. Looking directly at a teacher or parent in such a
situation is considered a sign of disrespect.
Another form of body language that is used differently, depending on the
culture, is distance. In North America people don't generally stand as close to
each other as in South America. Two North Americans who don't know each
other well will keep a distance of four feet between them, whereas South
Americans in the same situation will stand two to three feet apart. North
Americans will stand closer than two feet apart only if they are having a
confidential conversation or if there is intimacy between them.
Gestures are often used to communicate. We point a finger, raise an eyebrow,
wave an arm – or move any other part of the body – to show what we want to say.
However, this does not mean that people all over the world use the same gestures

to express the same meanings. Very often we find that the same gestures can
communicate different meanings, depending on the country. An example of a
gesture that could be misinterpreted is sticking out the tongue. In many cultures
it is a sign of making a mistake, but in some places it communicates ridicule.
The dangers of misunderstanding one another are great. Obviously, it is not
enough to learn the language of another culture. You must also learn its nonverbal signals if you want to communicate successfully.
(Adapted from by Judy Rapoport, Ronit Broder "Reading Academic English" and
Sarah Feingold)
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Question 31: The word "misinterpreted" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning
to ______. [4]
A. misunderstood
B. misspelled
C. misbehaved
D. mispronounced
Question 29 asks the meaning of the word “misinterpreted”. To answer this
question, we notice that the word “misinterpreted” contains the word part “mis”,
which means error, and the word part “inter”, which means “between”, “among”.
See the four given options: A. misunderstood - B. misspelled - C. misbehaved - D.
mispronounced. So the best answer is A.
Below are lists of some common word parts.
Word part
Meaning
Word part Meaning
-dictsay
postafter
-gresswalk
prebefore

-jectthrow
subunder
-peldrive
transacross, through
-portcarry
-anthrophuman
-scrib-, -script- write
-chrontime
-tractpull
-dempeople, crowd
-vertturn
-morphform, shape
cotogether
-pathfeeling
deaway, off
biolife
disnot
geoearth
interbetween, among
-phon
sound
3. Reference questions:
In a "Reference" question, students are asked what the bold word refers to. If
it's a pronoun then you need to identify what word the pronoun is replacing. It is
very important to understand that a noun is generally used first in the passage and
the pronoun that refers to it comes after. Therefore, in order to answer a reference
question we should look before the pronoun to find the noun.
How to identify this type of questions: Such a question may be worded in a
variety of ways, you may be asked to identify word to which “it”, “they”, “them”,
“those”, “one”, “which” refer.

In the test of 2017 GCSE - Code: 403
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
Most weddings in Japan start with a religious ceremony in which usually
only family members attend. Afterwards, a banquet is customarily held to which
many people, including friends and colleagues, are invited. To celebrate the
happy occasion, guess give the bride and groom goshuugi - gift money in special
envelopes. Goshuugi from friends is usually 20,000 yen or 30,000 yen.
A typical Japanese wedding party starts when the bride and groom enter
10


the banquet hall together, and take their seats on a slightly raised platform facing
their guests. Invited guests are seated closer to the bride and groom, with family
and relatives seated further in back. The bride's and groom's bosses usually give
congratulatory speeches then their friends sing in celebration. Other wedding
highlights include a candle ceremony where the couple holds a candle while
greeting their guests at each table, and the cutting of the wedding cake.
Afterwards, the bride and groom thank their parents with a speech, then leave to
end the party.
In the past, dishes that supposedly brought good fortune, such as prawns
and sea breams, were served in abundance. So much of the food was ordered that
guests ended up taking the surplus home. Today, the majority of the weddings
serve just enough for everyone. Additionally, before leaving, guests would
traditionally receive souvenir gifts called hikidemono.
Many wedding ceremonies take place at wedding halls or hotels. Rough
estimates show that it costs about 3 million yen to host a wedding party for 80
guests. During Japan's economic bubble, overseas weddings and flamboyant
receptions with special effects, such as smoke machines and having the bride and
groom fly in on gondolas, were very popular. But these days, couples choose to

tie the knot in various ways, from not having any ceremony to having a modest
affair, or still going all out.
(Source : http : //www.
hitagdnatimes.com)
Question 38. The word "their" in paragraph 2 refers to ________. [4]
A. the couple's
B. the parents'
C. the relatives'
D. the friends'
Question 38 asks about the referent of the possessive adjective “their”. To find out
the answer, we have to look before the possessive adjective “their” to find the
plural nouns that “their” could refer to. “Other wedding highlights include a
candle ceremony where the couple holds a candle while greeting their guests at
each table, and the cutting of the wedding cake”. Look at the four given options: A.
the couple's - B. the parents' - C. the relatives' - D. the friends'. So the correct
answer is A
4. Factual questions
Questions of this type focus on specific ideas or pieces of information
presented in the passage. They require a more focused reading than main idea
questions. The questions also measure your ability to differentiate ideas. Because
the correct answer usually express the same idea as what is given in the passage,
but the words are not exactly the same.
How to identify this type of questions: Such a question may be worded in a
variety of ways: According to the passage, It is stated that…, It is indicated that…
The answers to these questions are directly stated in the passage.
In the test of 2017 GCSE - Code: 402
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Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer

sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 28 to 34.
Children all around the world love to read comic books. Maybe they like to
read the kind of comic books that come out once a month, like Spiderman or
Batman, or maybe they like manga-style comic books. That means that publishers
who make comic books need to keep in touch with the things young people like
to do. One thing that many young people today are interested in is technology, so
of course kids want to read digital comic books on electronic devices.
Let's take Japanese manga as an example. There are lots of people around
the world who enjoy reading manga. However, in the past, it was difficult to find
translated versions of manga in comic bookstores. But that did not stop manga
fans. Some fans who could translate Japanese into their own language started
translating manga themselves. Then they scanned the pages of manga books and
uploaded the scanned pages to the Internet with their translation. This practice
has become so popular. People in the comic book industry made up a name for it.
By combining the words scan and translation, they call it "scanlation", and it is a
big problem today. The people who do scanlation usually share their manga for
free, so readers do not buy manga books. Writers, artists, and publishers all end
up losing money because of scanlation. Another problem is piracy in the comic
book industry. Illegal copies of old and brand new comics alike have been hurting
comic book sales.
Despite the progress made in converting comics to digital formats,
hardcopy comic books are still by far the most popular format among fans. In the
meantime, comic book publishers and stores will just have to keep an eye on their
buyers' habits. As the popularity of digital books for e-readers and tablets grows,
the popularity of digital comic books will grow as well.
(Source: Reading Advantage by Casey Malarcher)
Question 30. According to paragraph l, Spiderman is the name of _______.
A. a TV programme B. a comic book C. an electronic device
D. a child
Question 31. According to paragraph 2, the practice of "scanlation" mostly

involves ______.
A. selling translated manga books
B. scanning and translating manga books
C. scanning uploaded manga books D. translating uploaded manga books
Question 32. According to the passage, in the past, some manga fans who knew
Japanese translated manga because _____________.
A. it was enjoyable to translate Japanese books
B. they wanted to make a name for themselves
C. it was difficult to buy translated manga books
D. they wanted to read manga for free
Question 33. According to paragraph 2, who could benefit from scanlation?
12


A. Readers
B. Publishers
C. Writers
D. Artists
[4]
Question 30. We skim through the passage to find the part of passage that includes
“Spiderman”: The answer is found in the statement: “Maybe they like to read the
kind of comic books that come out once a month, like Spiderman or Batman”.
Look at the four given options: A. a TV programme - B. a comic book - C. an
electronic device - D. a child. The correct answer is B.
Question 31. We skim through the passage to find the part of passage that includes
“scanlation”: The answer is found in the statement: “By combining the words scan
and translation, they call it "scanlation"”. The correct answer is B.
Question 32. We skim through the passage to find the part of passage containing
the information. The answer is found in Paragraph 2 – line 2,3,4: “However, in the
past, it was difficult to find translated versions of manga in comic bookstores. But

that did not stop manga fans. Some fans who could translate Japanese into their
own language started translating manga themselves.” Look at the four given
options, and decide the answer. The correct answer is C.
Question 33. We skim through the passage to find the part of passage containing
the information. The answer is found in Paragraph 2 – line 8,9: “so readers do not
buy manga books. Writers, artists, and publishers all end up losing money because
of scanlation.” Look at the four given options, and decide the answer. The correct
answer is A.
5. Negative factual questions:
In a negative factual question, we are asked to find an answer that is not
stated or not mention or not true in the passage. We can recognize a negative
factual information question by either the word “NOT” or “EXCEPT” in the
question. In this type of question, there are three true answers and one is not true or
not mentioned in the passage.
In the test of 2017 GCSE - Code: 401
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
Different cultures follow their own special customs when a child's baby
teeth fall out. In Korea, for example, they have the custom of throwing lost teeth
up on the roof of a house. According to tradition, a magpie will come and take the
tooth. Later, the magpie will return with a new tooth for the child. In other Asian
countries, such as Japan and Vietnam, children follow a similar tradition of
throwing their lost teeth onto the roofs of houses.
Birds aren't the only animals thought to take lost teeth. In Mexico and
Spain, tradition says a mouse takes a lost tooth and leaves some money. However,
in Mongolia, dogs are responsible for taking teeth away. Dogs are highly
respected in Mongolian culture and are considered guardian angels of the people.
Tradition says that the new tooth will grow good and strong if the baby tooth is
13

fed to a guardian angel. Accordingly, parents in Mongolia will put their child's
lost tooth in a piece of meat and feed it to a dog.
The idea of giving lost teeth to an angel or fairy is also a tradition in the
West. Many children in Westem countries count on the Tooth Fairy to leave
money or presents in exchange for a tooth. The exact origins of the Tooth Fairy
are a mystery, although the story probably began in England or Ireland centuries
ago. According to tradition, a child puts a lost tooth under his or her pillow before
going to bed. In the wee hours, while the child is sleeping, the Tooth Fairy takes
the tooth and leaves something else under the pillow. In France, the Tooth Fairy
leaves a small gift. In the United States, however, the Tooth Fairy usually leaves
money. These days, the rate is $1 to $5 per tooth, adding up to a lot of money
from the Tooth Fairy!
(Source: Reading Challenge 2 by Casey Malarcher & Andrea Janzen)
Question 41: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about
the tradition of tooth giving in the West?
A. Lost teeth are traditionally given to an angel or fairy.
B. Children put their lost teeth under their pillows.
C. Children hope to get money or gifts from the Tooth Fairy.
D. Children give money to the Tooth Fairy.
[4]
In this question, there are three true answers that are stated in the passage, and one
not true. Skim the passage and find out the parts of reading that contain key words
of the options. Option A can be found in the first line of paragraph 3; Option B can
be found in line 3, 4 of paragraph 3; Option C can be found in line 6,7 of paragraph
3; The correct answer is D.
6. Inference question:
Inference questions deal with ideas that are not stated in the passage.
Inference questions prompt you to make a logical jump from the statements
expressed in the passage to a conclusion that should be true if the statements in

the passage are all true. Inference questions usually contains the words: implied,
inferred, likely, probably. Remember that the answer is not directly stated in the
passage. From the information given we have to draw a conclusion. The correct
answer will require a logical hop. Do not give unwarranted conclusion or use our
own knowledge of the topic. What need doing is reading the section of the passage
that the question asks about and then figure out which of the answer choices must
be true if the statements in the passage are true.
In the test of 2017 GCSE - Code: 414
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, c, or D on your answer
sheet lo indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 35 to 42.
Tropical rainforests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an
unsustainable rate. Some scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical
14


forests were being destroyed at a rate of approximately 28 hectares a minute, or
about 14 million hectares each year - an area about the size of the state of
Wisconsin. This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately
16 million hectares were destroyed each year, largely due to a reported decline of
deforestation in the Amazon River Basin in the early 1990s. However, satellite
images indicate that rates may have rebounded in the late 1990s as burning in the
Amazon increased again.
Over the past three decades alone, about 5 million square kilometers - or 20
percent of the world's tropical forests - have been cleared. During this time,
deforestation in tropical Asia reached almost 30 percent. High rates of
deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and animal
extinction because many rainforest species cannot survive outside their pristine
rainforest habitat. Some scientists estimate that dozens of rainforest species are
becoming extinct every day.
Causes of deforestation vary from location to location, but certain patterns

tend to be consistent across all forests. Logging companies in search of valuable
rainforest hardwoods, or, less often, oil companies in search of petroleum, are
often the first to enter a remote area of rainforest. Some logged forests, if left
alone, can regenerate in a few decades. But typically, they are not left alone – the
roads built by logging companies often provide access for landless farmers to
enter a new area, as well as a means to transport agricultural crops to market. For
every I kilometer of new roads built through a forested area, 4 to 24 square
kilometers are deforested and colonized.
Once the loggers leave the land, a typical cycle of destruction ensues.
When the landless farmers arrive, they clear the land for planting. Poor rainforest
soils produce a low crop yield, especially after a couple of years. At that point the
farmers often sell their lands to cattle ranchers or large plantation owners. After
nutrients have been exhausted and soils compacted by cattle, lands are then
abandoned and often laid to waste. Rainforest does not readily regenerate on
these lands without human intervention. Meanwhile, the colonist farmers and
cattle ranchers move to a new piece of land made accessible by logging roads,
where the cycle of deforestation begins again.
(Source: Microsoft @ Encarta @ 2009. @ 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation)
Question 42. What can be inferred about rainforests from the passage?
A. Rainforest destruction can be reduced with the help of cattle ranchers.
B. Human beings are the main contributor to deforestation in tropical regions.
C. Most tropical rainforests have been sold to plantation owners.
D. The cycle of rainforest destruction will come to an end. [4]
To answer this question, we have to find out the key words in the question, look
through the part of passage containing the information. In Question 42, key word:
15


“rainforest”. It is in the first paragraph. Read the paragraph, look the four given
options, the correct answer is B

7. Tone question:
Tone questions ask about the expression of a passage and about the ideas in a
passage that may be expressed through its diction. Students may be asked to deduce
the author’s attitude to an idea, a fact, or a situation from the words that he or she
uses to describe it. You may also be asked to select a word that accurately describes
the tone of a passage. For instance, the tone can be critical, questioning, objective,
or enthusiastic, positive >< negative, neutral, supportive, skeptical,
argumentative, informative, ironic, sarcastic, humorous, outraged, angered.
In the test of 2017 GCSE - Code: 403
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 13 to 50.
Humans are bringing about another global-scale change in the atmosphere:
the increase in what are called greenhouse gases. Like glass in a greenhouse,
these gases admit the Sun's light but tend to reflect back downward the heat that
is radiated from the ground below, trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. This
process is known as the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is the most significant
of these gases - there is 25 percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today
than there was a century ago, the result of our burning coal and fuels derived
from oil. Methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs are greenhouse gases as well.
Scientists predict that increases in these gases in the atmosphere will make
the Earth a warmer place. They expect a global rise in average temperature
somewhere between 1.0 and 3.5 degrees Celsius in the next century. Average
temperatures have in fact been rising and the years from 1987 to 1997 were the
warmest years on record. Some scientists are reluctant to say that global warming
has actually begun because climate naturally varies from year to year and decade
to decade, and it takes many years of records to be sure of a fundamental change.
There is little disagreement, though, that global warming is looming.
Global warming will have different effects in different regions. A warmed
world is expected to have more extreme weather, with more rain during wet
periods, longer droughts, and more powerful storms. Although the effects of

future climate changes are unknown, some predict that exaggerated weather
conditions may translate into better agricultural yields in areas such as the
western United States, where temperature and rainfall are expected to increase,
while dramatic
decreases in rainfall may lead to severe droughts and plunging agricultural yields
in parts of Africa, for example.
Warmer temperatures are expected to partially melt the polar ice caps,
leading to a projected sea level rise of 50 centimeters by the year 2050. A sea
16


level rise of this magnitude would flood coastal cities, force people to abandon
low-lying islands, and completely inundate coastal wetlands. Diseases like
malaria, which at present are primarily found in the tropics, may become more
common in the regions of the globe between the tropics and the polar regions,
called the temperate
zones. For many of the world's plant species, and for animal species that are not
easily able to shift their territories as their habitat grows warmer, climate change
may bring extinction. [4]
(Source: Microsoft Encarta @ 2009. A 1993-2008 Microsofi Corporation)
Question 50. Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?
A. Sarcastic B. informative
C. Ironic
D. Argumentative
To determine the tone of a passage, we have to look for any indications of emotion
on the part o` the author. In this passage, the writer writes about scientific fact,
doesn’t give any indications of emotion, only give information. So the correct
answer is B
The following chart outlines the key information that students should
remember about main idea questions:

Types of question How to identify
Where to find How to answer
the answer
1. Main idea
• the topic
- the
first 1. Read the first
question
line of each
• the subject
paragraph
• main idea
- the
first paragraph.
• main point
sentence of 2. Look for a
common theme
• primarily
each
in the first lines.
concerned?
paragraph.
3. Pass the eyes
• mainly about?
quickly over the
• best title
rest
of
the
• mainly discuss?

passage
4. Eliminate and
choose the
best answer.
2. Vocabulary
generally found 1. Find the word
-...could be replaced
question
by punctuation in the passage.
-…closest/ opposite
clues,
2. Read the part
-…means
restatement
of passage after
-…similar
clues, example the
structural
clues.
clues carefully.
3. Eliminate and
choose the
17


•

•

Reference

question

- “it”, “they”, “them”, - generally
“those”,
“one”, found before
“which” refer to …
the pronoun
given
in
question.

Factual
question

- According to the - Found
in
passage….
order in the
- It is stated in the passage.
passage…
- The
passage
indicate…
- Which
of
the
following is true …

5. Negative
question

- …not stated…
- not mentioned…
- not true…
- Except …
- Not discussed…

- Found
in
order in the
passage.

best answer.
1. Locate
the
pronoun in
the passage.
2. Look before
the pronoun
for
nouns
that
agree
with it.
3. Put each of
the nouns in
the place of
the pronoun.
4. Eliminate
and choose

the
best
answer.
1. Choose the key
word in the
question.
2. Skim in the
part of the
passage for the
key word or
idea.
3. Read sentence
containing the
key
word
carefully.
4. Eliminate and
choose the best
answer.
1. Choose the
key word in
the
question.
2. Skim in the
part of the
passage for
the
key
18

6. Inference
question:

7.

Tone
question

-It is implied…
-It can be inferred..
-…most likely…
-probably happened

- …tone…
- …attitude….

-Generally
found in order
in the passage.

Generally
found in the
whole passage,
parts of passage

word
or
idea.
3. Read

sentence
containing
the
key
word
carefully.
4. Look
for
the
true
answers
and
eliminate
them.
5. Choose the
answer not
true,
not
mentioned
in
the
passage.
1. Choose the
key word in
the question.
2. Scan
the
passage for a
related idea.
3. Read

sentence
containing
the key word
carefully.
4. According to
the sentence,
look for an
answer that
could be true
1. Skim the
passage looking
for clues that the
author
is
19


where
the
author
expresses
emotion rather
than
just
presenting facts
PART THREE: CONCLUSION

showing some
emotion.
2. Choose the

answer
that
identifies
the
emotion.

I. Study results
In the academic school years 2018-2019, I have been using the above ways
when revising for GCSE in 12A, 12G, 12C. After every reading practice test I
realized my students’ reading skill was improving. The result of the test is
becoming better and better. Especially my students are now not afraid of reading
comprehension, don’t ignore it, don’t do reading comprehension at random because
at least, they know how to read, they know the types of question used in GCSE reading comprehension and how to answer different types of question.
I gave students questionnaires and got the following result:
Q 1. Do you understand questions asked in GCSE–reading comprehension
section?
a. yes
b. no
c. a little
Question
Choice
Notes
a
b
c
Do you understand questions asked in GCSE– 0% 12.0%
88.0%
reading comprehension section ?
From the table, this might be concluded that my students know what they
have to find in the reading passage.

Q 2. Do you ignore reading comprehension section in tests or do it without
intention?
a. yes
b. sometimes
c. no
Question
Choice
Notes
b
c
d
Do you ignore reading comprehension section in 3,5% 20.5% 76.0%
tests or do it without intention?
Q 3. Do you think the ways I have given to you are helpful?
There was only 9 students (equivalent 7 percent) said that the ways hasn’t
changed their reading ability. The other 115 students (equivalent 93 percent) agreed
that the ways help them much more confident to face reading comprehension
section in tests and they liked the ways a lot because the ways help them
understand questions in reading comprehension section without taking much time,
they know how to answer them.
20


The statistic of the result in the latest mock test shows that reading skill is
becoming better and better. The full mark in GCSE – reading comprehension (2
passages) is 2.4 points:
Class Number of students 0
0.4→0.8 1.0 → 1.8
2.0 →2.4
12A 40

0
4
31
5
12G 42
0
6
30
6
12C 42
0
8
33
1
II. Suggestions:
With these findings, I hoped that they could help my students at the Mai Anh Tuan
high school improve the result of English in the next GCSE.
III. REFERENCES
The materials that have been greatly valuable to my study are from:
+ [1]: Strategies to Increase Reading Comprehension – ThoughtCo
+ [2]: Study Skills Guide: Improve Reading Comprehension Skills
+ [3]: Longman: Complete course for TOEFL tests.
+ [4]: the examples to illustrate my thesis are all in GCSE tests in 2017, 2018.
+ Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, University of Science - TOEFL,
Preparation Course, Reading Comprehension.
THE CONFIRMATION OF THE HEAD Thanh Hoa, June, 3rd 2017.
TEACHER
I assure this experience initiative
was written by myself, was not
coppied from the other’s work.

The writer,

Bui Thi Hang

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