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Reading Comprehension: Strategies for B1+ Texts
At Bachillerato level, you are expected to understand authentic texts of moderate complexity - newspaper articles, short essays, blog posts, advertisements, instructions, and narrative extracts. The key is to develop strategic reading skills.
Reading strategies
1. Skimming (reading for gist)
Read quickly to get the general idea. Focus on titles, subtitles, first sentences of paragraphs, and concluding sentences. Do NOT stop at unknown words.
2. Scanning (reading for specific information)
Search for particular facts, numbers, names, or dates without reading every word. Your eyes "scan" the text like a searchlight.
3. Intensive reading (detailed understanding)
Read carefully, paying attention to every word, structure, and detail. Used for exam questions that ask about specific meaning, implication, or inference.
4. Guessing meaning from context
When you encounter an unknown word, use clues from the surrounding text:
- Grammatical clues: Is it a noun, verb, adjective? What role does it play in the sentence?
- Semantic clues: What is the topic? What meaning would make sense here?
- Word formation clues: Can you identify a prefix, suffix, or root you know?
- Contextual clues: Are there synonyms, antonyms, or definitions nearby?
Ejemplo
Text: "The ubiquitous smartphone has transformed how we communicate, work, and entertain ourselves."
You may not know "ubiquitous." Clues: it is an adjective (before a noun), the sentence describes how smartphones have transformed EVERYTHING, suggesting they are found EVERYWHERE. "Ubiquitous" = present everywhere, omnipresent.
Common question types in exams
- True/False/Not Given: Does the text say this? Can you find evidence?
- Multiple choice: Read ALL options before choosing. Eliminate obviously wrong answers.
- Matching: Match headings to paragraphs, or match information to people/categories.
- Short-answer questions: Answer in your own words unless told otherwise. Keep it brief.
- Vocabulary in context: The meaning of the word AS USED IN THE TEXT (not its most common meaning).
Recuerda
For True/False/Not Given questions: TRUE = the text explicitly says this. FALSE = the text explicitly says the opposite. NOT GIVEN = the text does not mention this at all. "Not Given" is NOT the same as "probably false."
Ejercicios
1. Read the following text and answer the questions using the strategies discussed:
"The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. It is not a solid island of rubbish, as many people imagine, but rather a diffuse soup of microplastics spread across an area roughly twice the size of Texas. These tiny plastic fragments come from larger items that have been broken down by sunlight and waves. Marine animals often mistake them for food, which can lead to starvation and toxic contamination."
a) What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? (Skim for gist)
b) How big is the area? (Scan for specific information)
c) What does "diffuse" probably mean in this context? (Guess from context)
d) True, False, or Not Given: "The Garbage Patch is a solid island."
e) True, False, or Not Given: "It was discovered in 1997."