Ôn TN THPT môn Tiếng Anh - Chuyên đề: Strategies for the reading comprehension questions

Nội dung tài liệu: Ôn TN THPT môn Tiếng Anh - Chuyên đề: Strategies for the reading comprehension questions

1. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn STRATEGIES FOR THE READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS. A/ LÝ THUYẾT I/ KHÁI QUÁT: 1.Câu hỏi Trước khi làm bài đọc hiểu dạng này nên chú ý 3 điểm sau a) Về mặt câu hỏi: Có 10 dạng cơ bản sau: 1) Tìm ý chính của bài đọc (Main idea). 2) Xác định mục đích của bài (Purpose). 3) Tìm thông tin hỗ trợ cho câu hỏi (Support question). 4) Nhận diện cách tổ chức ý tưởng hoặc bố cục chung (General organization). 5) Xác định câu cụm từ đồng nghĩa (Restatement). 6) Suy luận/ tìm hàm ý (Inference). 7) Tìm từ đồng nghĩa/ trái nghĩa (Vocabulary). 8) Xác định thông tin không được đề cập đến trong bài (Except/ Not). 9) Tìm từ hoặc cụm từ được nói đến/ được quy chiếu đến (Reference). 10) Xác định ý nghĩa hoặc định nghĩa của một từ/ cụm từ được nêu trong bài đọc (Definition) b) Về trình tự trả lời các câu hỏi: Trong các dạng câu hỏi nêu trên, câu hỏi 1-4 là câu hỏi về các thông tin chung, câu hỏi 5- 10 là câu hỏi về thông tin cụ thể trong bài đọc. Việc phân loại câu hỏi giúp các em có hướng tiếp cận khác nhau đối với từng loại câu hỏi, trước hết là có trình tự làm như sau: Dạng câu hỏi 5 – 10 (Specific questions) làm trước, câu hỏi dạng 1- 4 (General questions) làm sau. c) Trật tự các câu hỏi: Thường sắp xếp theo trật tự thông tin của bài đọc (tức là các thông tin để trả lời câu hỏi lần lượt theo thứ tự từ đầu đến cuối bài). Đôi khi có đảo vị trí nhưng không nhiều. Việc xác định này giúp các em dễ tìm thông tin cần thiết để trả lời câu hỏi. 2. Các bước khi làm bài đọc hiểu 1.Skim the reading passage to determine the main idea and the overall organization od ideas in the passage. You do not neeed to understand every detail in each passage to answer the questions correctly. It is therefore a waste of time to read the passage with the intent of understanding every single detail before you try to answer the questions. 2.Look ahead at the questions to determine what types of questions you must answer. Each type of questions is answered in a different way. 3.Find the section of the passage that deals with each question. The question type tells you exactly where to look in the passage to find correct answers. - For main idea questions, look at the first line of each paragraph - For directly and indirectly answered detail questions, choose a key word in the question, and skim for that key word (or a related idea) in order in the passage. - For vocabulary questions, the question will tell you where the word is located in the passage. - For overall review questions, the answers are found anywhere in the passage. 4. Read the part of the passage that contains the answer carefully. The answer will probably in the same sentence (or one sentence before or after) thekey word or idea. 5. Choose the best answer to each question from the four answer choices listed. You can choose the best answer according to what is given in the appropriate section of thepassage, eliminate definitely wrong answer, and mark your best guess on the answer sheet. Questions about the ideas of the passage II. CÁC BƯỚC GIẢI CỤ THỂ: SKILL I: ANSWER MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS CORRECTLY TÌM Ý CHÍNH TRONG BÀI Hầu hết các câu hỏi đều lựa chọn đáp án đúng trong O4 đáp án đưa ra để tìm ý chính trong đoạn. Những câu hỏi đó có nhiều cách hỏi, ví dụ thí sinh có thể được yêu cầu tìm topic, tiêu đề của cả đoạn , ý cơ bản và ý chính Cách để tìm ý chính của cả đoạn là dựa vào câu chủ đề. ( thông thường được đặt ở đầu mỗi đoạn văn). Nếu bài văn chỉ có một đoạn thì ta nên nghiên cứu câu đầu tiên để tìm ra ý chính của cả đoạn.
2. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn Nếu bài văn có từ O2 đến O3 đoạn trở nên thì ta đọc câu đầu tiên của mỗi đoạn để xác định được ý chính, chủ đề và tiêu đề của bài. Nếu đọc câu đầu tiên của mỗi đoạn mà chưa tìm đc câu trả lời thì ta đọc câu cuối cùng của từng đoạn. Áp dụng theo cách DIỄN GIẢI- QUY NẠP- TỔNG PHÂN HỢP để làm loại câu hỏi này. MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION What is the topic of the passage? What is the subject of the passage? What is the main idea of the passage? What is the author‘s main point in the passage? With what is the author primarily concerned? Which of the following would be the best title? WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The answers to this type of question can generally be determined by looking at the first sentence of each paragraph. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Read the first line of each paragraph. QUESTION 2. Look for a common theme or idea in the first lines. 3. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of the passage to check that you have really found the topic sentence(s). 4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices. Eg: Passage 1: Also, a stranger may remind you of a meeting with someone. This may be because of something as simple as the fact that he or she is physically similar to someone who treated you well or badly. Your feelings about a stranger could be influenced by a smell in the air that brings to mind a place where you were happy as a child. Since even a single word can bring back a memory such as that, you may never realize it is happening. What does the paragraph discuss? A. Meanings of signals one implies towards a stranger. B. Factors that may influence one’s feelings about a stranger. C. How people usually behave to a stranger. D. Factors that cause people to act differently. => Rõ ràng, ta thấy rằng câu đầu tiên của đoạn đã bao hàm ý của cả đoạn văn “Người lạ thường gợi nhớ nơi bạn về một cuộc gặp gỡ với một người khác trước đó”. Tất cả các câu sau đều là minh chứng cho câu chốt này. Từ đó, bạn có thể thấy rằng câu đó có ý nghĩa thích hợp nhất với đáp án B “Những nhân tố có thể ảnh hưởng đến cảm xúc của bạn về một người lạ”. Passage 2: The average home library has a number of old favourite books, many unread books, and a few very useful books. The most useful one of all - besides the dictionary – is likely to be a world almanac. A good almanac includes a wealth of information – biographical, historical, and geographical. Records of all sorts – the highest, the lowest, the longest and the biggest – are all included in the almanac. The main idea of the paragraph is that ___. A. Everyone should have a home library. B. The almanac is an unread book. C. The dictionary is not the most useful book. D. An almanac includes important information. => Tất cả các yếu tố như home library, useful book, dictionary, almanac đều xuất hiện trong đoạn. Mặc dù vậy, nếu để ý kỹ bạn sẽ thấy rằng những câu ở trên là những dẫn chứng tiêu biểu để chứng minh cho câu cuối cùng “records of all sorts . are all included in the almanac” và đây chính là câu chốt của đoạn. Một cách diễn đạt khác của câu chốt này chính là “An almanac includes important information” nên D là đáp án của bài. Ngoài ra, với một số đoạn văn ý chính của đoạn lại có thể được đặt ở giữa đoạn hay có khi không nằm hoàn toàn trong bất kỳ câu nào. Chẳng hạn: Passage 3: Nothing is as useful as a flashlight on a dark night if a fire goes flat. Few inventions are as helpful to a child who is afraid of the dark. In fact, the modern flashlight brings light to many dark situations. Finding something in the back of a closet is easy with a flashtlight in hand. A camper also needs one after the light of the campfire has faded.
3. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn The main idea of the paragraph is that ___. A. Some children are afraid of the dark. B. Modern flashlight is very useful. C. You need a flashlight to find things. D. A flashlight is always beside any campers. => Cấu trúc của đoạn trên như sau: Giới thiệu – câu chốt – dẫn chứng. Do vậy ý chính của đoạn nằm ở giữa câu. Và đáp án câu trên chắc chắn là B. SKILL 2: RECOGNIZE THE ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS Dựa vào ý chính của bài đọc (main idea) và dấu hiệu chuyển đoạn (transitional signals) như “However/ Therefore/ Consequently, ). ORGZNIZATION OF IDEAS HOW TO IDENTIFY How is the information in the passage organized? THE QUESTION How is the information in the second paragraph related to the information in the first paragraph? WHERE TO FIND THE The answer to this type of question can generally be ANSWER determined by looking at the first sentence of the appropriate paragraphs HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Read the first line of each paragraph QUESTION 2. Look for words that show the relationship between the paragraphsp 3. Choose the answer that best expresses the relationship SKILL 3: ANSWER STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY A stated detail question asks about one piece of information in the passage rather than the passage as a whole. The answers to these questions are generally given in order in the passage, and the correct answer is often a restatement of what is given in the passage this means that the correct answer often expresses the same idea as what is written in the passage, but the words are not exactly the same. (Câu hỏi chi tiết thường hỏi một thông tin nào đó đã nhắc đến trong bài. Các câu hỏi nầy thường hỏi theo trật tự trước sau trong đoạn văn và chúng thường được trình bày lại- như chuyển đổi câu- , ví dụ thay vì dùng “ die”, người ta thay bằng “ pass away”) STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE According to the passage QUESTION It is stated in the passage The passage indicates that Which of the following is true ? WHERE TO FIND THE The answers to these questions are ANSWER found in the passage. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Choose a key word in the question. QUESTION 2. Skim in the appropriate part of the passage for the key word or idea. 3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully. 4. Eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices. Example 1: Many parts of the southwestern United States would become deserts again without the waters of the Colorado River. A system of thousands of miles of canals, hundreds of miles of tunnels and aqueducts, and numerous dams and reservoirs bring Colorado River water to the area. The Imperial Valley in southern California is an example of such a place; it is a vast and productive agricultural area that was once a desert. Today, 2,000 miles of canals irrigate the fertile land and keep it productive.
4. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn * canal n: kênh/ * tunnel n: hầm/ * aqueduct ,n: cống dẫn nước/ * dam ,n: đập ngăn nước/ * reservoir ,n: hồ chứa nước/ * agriculture,n - agricultural, adj: nông nghiệp 1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a way that Colorado River water gets to the Southwest? A. By truck B. In bottles C. In wells D. Through canals 2. According to the passage, the Imperial Valley A. is a desert today B. is located in Colorado C. produces a lot of agricultural goods D. does not require irrigation Example 2: The ancestors of humans had a lot more hair than the humans of today; in fact, they had thick hair all over their bodies. This thick hair was necessary for protection against the cold of the Ice Ages. As Earth got warmer, the hair began to thin out, except for on the head. The head hair has remained through the evolutionary process, both as a sort of pillow to cushion the sensitive head when it gets banged around and as a sort of hat to keep the head warm and prevent so much heat from escaping through the scalp. * To thin (nn) out, v:làm mỏng, làm thưa ra / * evolve, v- evolution, n – evolutionary, adj : tiến hóa/ * scalp, n: da đầu, lớp da đầu./ * cushion n,: cái đệm, nệm – to cushion so/sth (against/ from sth): bảo vệ ai/cái gì (khỏi phải bị ) 1. According to the passage, what happened as the temperature on Earth increased? A. The hair on the head began to thin out. B. The hair on the body remained the same. C. The hair on the body got thicker. D. The hair on the body began to thin out. 2. The author indicates that one of the purposes of hair on the head is to A. fill up pillows B. help heat escape through the scalp C. ensure that the head is warm D. make it easier to think SKILL 4: FIND “UNSTATED” DETAILS You will sometimes be asked in the reading section to find an answer that is not stated or not mentioned or not true in the passage. This type of question really means that three of the answers are stated, mentioned, or true in the passage, while one answer is not. (Trong bài đọc hiểu đa lựa chọn, đôi khi yêu cầu chúng ta tìm những câu mà đoạn văn không đề cập đến, không kể đến cũng như không đúng so với ý chính của đoạn.) “UNSTATED” DETAIL QUESTIONS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE Which of the following is not stated ? QUESTION Which of the following is not mentioned ? Which of the following is not discussed ? All of the following are true except WHERE TO FIND THE The answers to these questions are found in order in the passage. ANSWER HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Choose a key word in the question. QUESTION 2. Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the key word (or related idea). 3. Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully. 4. Look for the answers that are definitely true according to the passage. Eliminate those answers. 5. Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the passage. Example The Florida Keys area beautiful chain of almost 1,000 coral and limestone islands. These islands form an arc that heads first southwest and then west from the mainland. U.S. Highway 1, called the Overseas Highway, connects the main islands in the chain. On this highway, it is necessary to cross forty-two bridges over the ocean to cover the 159 miles from Miami, on the mainland, to Key West, the farthest island on the highway and the southernmost city in the United States. 1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida Keys? A. The Florida Keys area chain of islands. B. The Florida Keys contain coral and limestone. C. The Florida Keys are in the shape of an arc.
5. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn D. The Florida Keys are not all inhabited. This question asks for the one answer that is not mentioned about the Florida Keys. The passage states that the Florida Keys are a chain (answer A) with coral and limestone (answer B) in the shape of an arc (answer C), so these answers are not correct. The best answer is therefore answer D. The passage does not mention whether or not the keys are all inhabited. 2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway 1? (A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway. (B) It joins all of the islands in the Florida Keys. (C) It has more than 40 bridges. (D) It connects Miami and Key West SKILL 5: FIND PRONOUN REFERENTS Tìm từ quy chiếu (câu dễ) - Dấu hiệu nhận biết: “The word “them” in line 2 refers to ” - Mức độ gây nhiễu của người ra đề thường là cho rất nhiều danh từ trong cùng một câu, làm các em bối rối không biết Đại từ nào (“They/ Them/ It ”) thay thế cho danh từ nào. Cẩn thận đọc và dịch lại câu đó để tránh nhầm lẫn đáng tiếc. PRONOUN REFERENTS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE The pronoun ― ǁ in line X refers to which of the following? QUESTION WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The line where the pronoun is located is given in the question. The noun that the pronoun refers to is generally found before the pronoun. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Locate the pronoun in the passage. QUESTION 2. Look before the pronoun for nouns that agree with the pronoun. 3. Try each of the nouns in the context in place of the pronoun. 4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices. Example 5: Humans have their own names which have two different parts , or sometimes three different parts in the English speaking world. Their family has their unique family name and it sometimes means something more than just a word. It is because we can know the family background from somebody’s last name. The most common last name in the English speaking world is Smith, which was taken from the job of working with metals. A silversmith, for example, is someone who works with the metal silver. Historical records indicate that the use of this last name is at least 700 years old. Today, there are more than 3.3 million Smiths living in the United States and perhaps another million Smiths living in other English-speaking countries worldwide. 1. . Look at the word [their] in the passage and What does it refer to ? A. names B. Humans C. different parts D. English speaking world SKILL 6- ANSWER IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY In this type of question, you will be asked to answer a multiple choice question about a reading passage by drawing a conclusion from a specific detail or details in the passage. Questions of this type contain the words implied, inferred, likely, or probably to let you know that the answer to the question is not directly stated. In this type of question, it is important to understand that you do not have to "pull the answer out of thin air." Instead, some information will be given in the passage, and you will draw a conclusion from that information. (Loại câu hỏi nầy yêu cầu bạn chọn phương án trả lời mà bạn phải suy luận có lý từ một hay nhiều chi tiết trong bài, dĩ nhiên người ta không trực tiếp nói ra vấn đề mà bạn quan tâm.) IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE It is implied in the passage that QUESTION It can be inferred from the passage that . It is most likely that . What probably happened . ?
6. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The answers to these questions are generally found in order in the passage. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Choose a key word in the question QUESTION 2. Scan the passage for the key word (or a related idea) 3. Carefully read the sentence that contains the key word 4. Look for an answer that could be true, according to that sentence Example 1: The number of rings in a tree can be used to determine how old a tree really is. Each year a tree produces a ring that is composed of one light-colored wide band and one dark-colored narrow band. The wider band is produced during the spring and early summer when tree stem cells grow rapidly and become larger. The narrower band is produced in fall and early winter when cell growth is much slower and cells do not get very large. No cells are produced during the harsh winter and summer months. It is implied in the passage that if a tree has 100 wide bands and 100 narrow bands, then it is: A. a century old B. two centuries old C. fifty years old D. two hundred years old This question asks about the age of a tree with 100 wide bands and 100 narrow bands. The passage does not tell the age of a tree with 100 wide and narrow bands, but it does indicate that wide band and one narrow band are produced each year. From this, you can draw the conclusion that a tree with 100 wide and narrow bands is 100 years, or a century old. The best answer to this question is therefore answer A. SKILL 7: ANSWER TRANSITION QUESTIONS CORRECTLY TRANSITION QUESTIONS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE The paragraph preceding the passage probably QUESTION What is the most likely in the paragraph following the passage? WHERE TO FIND THE The answers can generally be found in the first line of the passage ANSWER for a preceding question. The answer can generally be found in the last line for a following question. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Read the first line for a preceding question. QUESTION 2. Read the last line for a following question. 3. Draw a conclusion about what comes before or after. 4. Choose the answer that is reflected in the first or last line of the passage. SKILL 8: FIND DEFINITIONS FROM STRUCTURAL CLUES STRUCTURAL CLUES HOW TO IDENTIFY THE What is the meaning of ―Xǁ in line Y? QUESTION The word ―Xǁ in line Y is closest in meaning to The word ―Xǁ in line Y could best to replaced by TYPES OF CLUES Punctuation comma, parentheses, dashes Restatement or, that is, in other words, i. e. Examples such as, for example, e. g. WHERE TO FIND THE Information to help you determine what something means will ANSWER generally be found the punctuation clue, the restatement clue, or the example clue. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Find the word in the passage. QUESTION 2. Locate any structural clues. 3. Read the part of the passage after the structural clue carefully. 4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices. SKILL 9: DETERMINE MEANINGS FROM WORD PARTS When you are asked to determine the meaning of a long word that you do not know in the reading sec The following chart contains a few word parts that you will need to know.
7. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn A SHORT LIST OF WORD PARTS PART MEANING EXAMPLE PART MEANING EXAMPLE CONTRA (against) contrast DIC (say) dictate MAL (bad) malcontent DOMIN (master) dominant MIS (error) mistake JUD (judge) judgment SUB (under) subway MOR (death) mortal DEC (ten) decade SPEC (see) spectator MULTI (many) multiple TERR (earth) territory SOL (one) solo VER (turn) divert TRI (three) triple VIV (live) revive SKILL 10: USE CONTEXT TO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF DIFFICULT WORDS VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING DIFFICULT WORDS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE What is the meaning of ―Xǁ in line Y? QUESTION The word ―Xǁ in line Y is closest in meaning to . WHERE TO FIND THE Information to help you understand the meaning of an unknown ANSWER word can often be found in the context surrounding the unknown word. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Find the word in the passage. QUESTION 2. Read the sentence that contains the word carefully. 3. Look for context clues to help you understand the meaning. 4. Choose the answer that the context indicates. SKILL 11: USE CONTEXT TO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF SIMPLE WORDS VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING SIMPLE WORDS HOW TO IDENTIFY THE What is the meaning of ―Xǁ in line Y? QUESTION The word ―Xǁ in line Y could best to replaced by . WHERE TO FIND THE Information to help you understand the secondary meaning of a simple ANSWER word can often be found in the context surrounding the word. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Find the word in the passage. QUESTION 2. Read the sentence that contains the word carefully. 3. Look for context clues to help you understand the meaning. 4. Choose the answer that the context indicates. Dạng câu hỏi thường gặp trong các bài đọc hiểu thi Đại học là câu hỏi tìm nghĩa tương đương của một TỪ trong đoạn văn. Học sinh thường gặp khó khăn trong việc chọn đáp án vì có những từ có nghĩa gần nhau hoặc có nhiều từ là từ mới. Để làm tốt các câu này, bạn nên xem xét kỹ mối quan hệ của từ cần tìm nghĩa với các từ, cụm từ xung quanh. Ví dụ 1: Television is one of the main subjects of conversation, at school, in offices, at home and in the street, as well as being written about in all the newspapers. At school or in offices, television is considered as a topic ___. A. for learning B. for people to talk about C. for discussion D. for entertainment => Mặc dù câu hỏi không hỏi trực tiếp, nhưng ta cũng thấy rằng điều mấu chốt của câu hỏi trên nằm ở nghĩa của từ conversation. Trong 4 phương án thì “(a topic) for people to talk about” là cách diễn đạt có ý gần nhất và đây cũng chính là đáp án đúng. Ví dụ 2: Holding your head to one side shows interest in the other, while an easy, open posture indicates that you are self-confident. What does the word "open" in the passage most closely mean? A. Unrestrained B. Relaxed C. Confined D. Unlimited => Dựa vào cụm từ xung quanh, ta thấy rằng từ open phải mô tả một tư thế khiến người khác nghĩ rằng bạn rất tự tin. Trong 4 phương án trên unrestrained (không kiềm chế), relaxed (thoải mái), confined (giới hạn),
8. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn unlimited (không giới hạn) thì chỉ có relaxed phù hợp về nghĩa mặc dù nếu không nằm ngữ cảnh thì hai từ này chẳng có mối liên hệ nào. SKILL 12: DETERMINE WHERE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS FOUND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE IN THE PASSAGE HOW TO IDENTIFY THE Where in the passage ? QUESTION WHERE TO FIND THE The answer can be in any of the lines listed in the answers to the ANSWER question. HOW TO ANSWER THE 1. Choose a key word or idea in the question. QUESTION 2. Skim the appropriate part(s) of the passage looking for the key word or idea. 3. Choose the answer that contains the key word or idea. SKILL 13: DETERMINE THE TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE HOW TO IDENTIFY THE What is the tone of the passage? QUESTION What is the author‘s purpose in this passage? In which course would this reading be assigned WHERE TO FIND THE tone Look for clues throughout the passage that show if ANSWER the author is showing some emotion rather than just pressing facts. purpose Draw a conclusion about the purpose from the main idea and supporting ideas. course Draw a conclusion about the course from the topic of the passage and the supporting ideas. HOW TO ANSWER THE Tone 1. Skim the passage looking for clues that the QUESTION author is showing some emotion. 2. Choose the answer that identifies the emotion. Purpose 1. Study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details used to support the main idea. 2. Draw a conclusion about the purpose. course 1. Study the main idea in the topic sentence and the details used to support the main idea. 2. Draw a conclusion about the course. B. PRACTICE TOPIC: ENTERTAINMENT Most of us tend to think of production when we think of mass media industries. After all, it is the output of this production – the papers we read, the cable TV shows we watch – that grab our attention, make us happy or angry, interested or bored. Moreover, most public discussion about mass communication tends to be about production. The latest gossip about that actor will be in what film, the angry comments a mayor makes about the violence on local TV news, the newest CDs by an up-and-coming group – these are the kinds of topics that focus our attention on the making of content, not its distribution or exhibition. Media executives know, however, that production is only one step in the arduous and risky process of getting a mass media idea to an audience. Distribution is the delivery of the produced material to the point where it will be shown to its intended audience. The activity takes place out of public view. We have already mentioned the NBC acts as a distributor when it disseminates television programming via satellite to TV stations. When Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. delivers its Philadelphia Inquirer to city newsstands, when Twentieth – Century – Fox moves its Musicland stores, they are involved in distribution to exhibitions.
9. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn Question 1. In this passage, “arduous” means . A. difficult B. lucrative C. lengthy D. free Question 2. The passage states that people tend to focus on production because . A. it takes place out of public view B. mass media companies do not own production divisions C. the output of mass media is intended to grab our attention D. companies can function as both producers and distributors Question 3. In this passage, to “disseminate” means to __ . A. create B. send out C. take in D. fertilize Question 4. This passage states that distribution is . A. the first step in mass media production B. the most talked-about step in mass media production C. at least as important as production D. not as important as exhibition Question 5. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to . A. tell an interesting story B. define a concept clearly C. describe a scene vividly D. argue with the reader ĐÁP ÁN 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. B Exercise 2: Curious about which digital camera is best for you? Where you can hear reggae music in Toronto? Or what the distance is to Mars? Question-and-answer sites offer an alternative to the ubiquitous search engine: a place to post a question – and then wait for another Internet user to respond. The idea isn’t new: Usenet newsgroups have let us do this for years. But Q&A sites offer features that enhance and simplify the process. All offer eBay-like feedback, where users rate the helpfulness of experts: over time, these scores become a benchmark score for determining how trustworthy someone’s answers are. Question-and-answer sites also e-mail you when an expert has responded, and they offer personalized page where you can see the questions you’ve asked, the people who have responded, and what they’ve had to say. Question 1. In this passage, “ubiquitous” means . A. difficult B. new C. common D. expert Question 2. The organization pattern of the second paragraph of the passage may be best described as A. cause/effect B. example/ illustrations C. description D. classification Question 3. The tone of this passage can best be described as . A. negative B. hysterical C. opinionated D. objective Question 4. The main idea of this passage is that . A. Question-and-answer sites have alternative to search engines. B. Usenet newsgroups have been around for years. C. The idea of question-and-answer sites is not new. D. People have a lot of questions to be answered. Question 5. The author’s purpose is writing this passage is to . A. tell a story B. give information C. persuade D. entertain ĐÁP ÁN 1. C 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. B Exercise 3: When we were in England last year, I went fishing with my friend, Peter. Early in the morning we were sitting quietly by the side of the lake when we had an unpleasant surprise. We saw a duck come along with three ducklings padding cheerfully behind her. As we watched them, there was a sudden swirl in the water.
10. Website: www.thptthuanthanh1.bacninh.edu.vn We caught a glimpse of the vicious jaws of a pike – a fish which is rather like a freshwater shark – and one of the ducklings was dragged below the surface. This incident made Peter furious. He vowed to catch the pike. On three successive mornings we returned to the vicinity and used several different kinds of bait. On the third day Peter was lucky. Using an artificial frog as bait, he managed to hook the monster. There was a desperate fight but Peter was determined to capture the pike and succeeded. When he had got it ashore and killed it, he wieghed the fish and found that it scaled nearly thirty pounds – a record for that district. Question 1.Why do you think Peter was sitting quietly by the lake? A. He was watching the ducks. C. He was waiting for the pike to appear. B. He wasn’t very talkative. D. He was fishing Question 2. To what does surprise in line 3 probably refer? A. to the duck. B. to the ducklings. C. to the action of the pike. D. to the time of the day. Question 3. What were Peter’s feelings about the incident two days later? A. He caught and killed the pike. C. He vowed that he would catch the remaining ducklings B. He remained determined to catch the pike. D. He caught a frog and used it as bait for the pike. Question 4. How much was the pike worth? A. about thirty pounds. B. about two hundred and forty dollars. C. the passage contains no information on this point. D. the passage says that the fish scaled nearly thirty pound. Question 5. Which of the following titles best sums up the whole passage? A. Mysterious disappearance of ducklings. C. Record pike caught by an angry fisherman. B. Revenge on a duck. D. Huge pike caught by fisherman after desperate struggle at sea. ĐÁP ÁN 1. D 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C Exercise 4: Animation traditionally is done by hand-drawing or painting successive frame of an object, each slightly different than the proceeding frame. In computer animation, although the computer may be the one to draw the different frames, in most cases the artist will draw the beginning and ending frames and the computer will produce the drawings between the first and the last drawing. This is generally referred to as computer- assisted animation, because the computer is more of a helper than an originator. In full computer animation, complex mathematical formulas are used to produce the final sequences of pictures. These formulas operate on extensive databases of numbers that defines the objects in the pictures as they exist in mathematical space. The database consists of endpoints, and color and intensity information. Highly trained professionals are needed to produce such effects because animation that obtains high degrees of realism involves computer techniques from three-dimensional transformation, shading, and curvatures. High-tech computer animation for film involves very expensive computer systems along with special color terminals or frame buffers. The frame buffer is nothing more than a giant image memory for viewing a single frame. It temporarily holds the image for display on the screen. A camera can be used to film directly from the computer’s display screen, but for the highest quality images possible, expensive film recorders are used. The computer computers the positions and colors for the figures in the picture, and sends this information to the recorder, which captures it on film. Sometimes, however, the images are stored on a large magnetic disk before being sent to the recorder. Once this process is completed, it is replaced for the next frame. When the entire sequence has been recorded on the film, the film must be developed before the animation can be viewed. If the entire sequence does not seem right, the motions must be corrected, recomputed, redisplayed, and rerecorded. This approach can be very expensive and time – consuming. Often, computer-animation companies first do motion tests with simple computer-generated line drawings before selling their computers to the task of calculating the high-resolution, realistic-looking images.