Reading Strategies ~ FCE & CAE

GENERAL

1. If you don't know why you chose that answer, you're probably wrong.
2. Read the Tip Strip and use these tips for all exercises that you do of this type.

KEYWORDS

1. Read the text carefully - don't worry if you don't understand every word.
2. Underline KEYWORDS in the Question then find the part of the text where the Answer is and underline to words there.
3. You need to look for the MEANING. The words in the Question and Answer won't be the same, you'll need to find the SYNONYMS; similar words or phrases / expressions with similar meanings.
4. Underline the reason for your answers - you should put the number of the Question beside the words which you underlined.

DECIDE WHAT IS MISSING

1. Try to answer the Question (or complete the sentence) before you look at the options.
2. What type of word is missing? What part of grammar? Adjective, noun, number, etc.
3. Is it a verb tense? Is there an article, auxiliary verb or participle missing?
4. Conjunctions: and, or, but, if, though, etc.
5. Relative pronouns: that, which, who, where, when, etc.
6. Prepositions of place: under, over, up, down, on, in, etc.
7. Phrasal verbs: the verb part or the prepositional part?
8. Prepositional verbs: listen to, want to, love to, have to, and so on....
9. Pronouns: this, that, these, those, what can all be considered pronouns or determiners (such, also) "a" , "the".
10. Comparatives: (not) as big as, as tall as, smaller than,
11. Linkers!
    
12. The answer must fit grammatically. SEE NOTETAKING TIPS.

TOPIC and LANGUAGE LINKS

1. Topic and Language links come before and after each sentence.
2. eg a pronoun must take the place of a noun that was mentioned before, or rather it links back.
3. If "the" is used, it normally links back to some specific word, eg: "I bought A car. THE car is red." Definite article links back to indefinite article.
4. Firstly, secondly, finally, etc are all words that indicate sequence.
   
5. Then, so, because of this, all indicate sequence.
6. However, Despite, In spite of, But all indicate CONTRAST and SEQUENCE.
7. Look for the linking words.