Reading and Writing

English – 1.1.7 Proficiency Course in English - 2022

B.A.M.S. / B.U.M.S - INSTITUTE OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINE
Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Arts
University of Colombo
(Module one)
Lesson Outcomes
At the completion of the module you will be able to,
• read and understand a variety of complex texts such as narrative, descriptive etc
• comprehend moderately complex texts with a variety of organizational patterns such as
cause and effects compare and contrast
• guess the meaning of words from the context
• identify main idea and supporting sentences in a paragraph.

Course Coordinator:
[Link] Wanasinghe

Module Prepared by:

Ms. Ishani Athukorala

Sources

Gear, J., & Gear, R. (2002). Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL® Test Book with CD-ROM.
Cambridge University Press.
[Link]
classroom-materials
[Link]
Melinda, S., Segal, R., & Segal, J. (2013, August). phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm. Retrieved
November 9, 2013, from HelpGuide: [Link]
Reading Comprehension 01

Pre reading Activity

1. Read the title of the following passage and have a look at the picture in the article and
have discussion with your friends what the article may about without reading the
passage.

2. Use these words which to complete the sentences.

( avoid, baffles, extinct, fail, ignore, unique )
a. If you…………….. something, you stay away from it.
b. If something……………… you, it is too difficult or strange to understand.
c. If a species is……………………. , it no longer exists.
d. If you…………………. to do something, you to do it but you don’t succeed.
e. If something is………….. , it is the only one of its kind.
f. If you …………… something, you pay no attention to it.
Activity 1
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Galápagos Islands lose shy superstar

1. He was on Ecuador’s bank notes and stamps, a

symbol of international conservation and often called
the “rarest animal on Earth”. He was thought to be
about 100 years old when he died, but the giant
tortoise Lonesome George may in fact have been far
older – or much younger.

2. In the 40 years he spent in a field on the Galápagos Island of Santa Cruz Island, the 90kg, metre-and-
a-half-long animal showed little interest in either man or other tortoises. Scientists’ attempts to
encourage George to mate all failed. He mostly ignored the females provided, kept his neck down in the
grass and only responded to his keeper.
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3. George was found near a water hole, but no one knows how or why he died. Scientists are still baffled
by his life in the islands 1,000km off Ecuador that inspired Darwin’s theories on evolution.

4. The last representative of a giant Galápagos tortoise subspecies, George had every reason to avoid
people. His relatives were all killed by hunters in the 19th century. George possibly has relations on a
different island, but it is likely that his whole subspecies is now extinct – the end of a 10m-year-old line.

5. US zoo vet Joe Flanagan, who knew George for more than 20 years, said: “George was the last of his
kind. He had a unique personality. His natural tendency was to avoid people. He represents what we
wanted to preserve forever. When he looked at you, you saw time in the eyes.”

6. Scientists said George was important because he inspired action to protect global biodiversity.
“Because of George’s fame, Galápagos tortoises, which were down to just a few animals, have
recovered their populations,” said Richard Knab of the Galápagos Conservancy, which runs giant tortoise
breeding programmes.

7. George will be missed for financial reasons, too: he helped attract 180,000 visitors a year to the
Galápagos islands.
Original article by John Vidal,
rewritten by Janet Hardy-Gould

1. Why George was called the rarest animal on earth?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Why does the author say that George had every reason to avoid people?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. What does US zoo vet Joe Flanagan mean by mentioning “When he looked at you, you saw time in
the eyes”?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. What is Galápagos Conservancy?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………..
5. How had George helped in protecting the global bio diversity?
.......................................................................................................................................................................
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Activity 02
a) Which of these adjectives apply to George.

a friendly b solitary

c insignificant d mysterious

e ancient f common

g symbolic h fascinating

b) Mark the following sentences as true or false.

a. Nobody knows the exact age of George.
b. He was interested in female tortoise.
c. George was important to the tourism industry

Reading Tip 01

Main idea:

The main idea of a passage or reading is the central thought or message. In contrast to the
term topic, which refers to the subject under discussion, the term main idea refers to the point or
thought being expressed.

The difference between a topic and a main idea:

Imagine yourself overhearing a conversation in which your name is repeatedly mentioned. When
you ask your friends what they were discussing, they say they were talking about you. At that
point, you have the topic but not the main idea. Undoubtedly, you wouldn’t be satisfied until you
learned what your friends were saying about this particular topic. You would probably pester
them until you knew the main idea, until you knew, that is, exactly what they were saying about
your personality, appearance, or behavior. The same principle applies to reading. The topic is
seldom enough. You also need to discover the main idea.

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Tips to identify the main idea:

1. As soon as you can define the topic, ask yourself “What general point does the author want to
make about this topic?” Once you can answer that question, you have more than likely found the
main idea.

2. Most main ideas are stated or suggested early on in a reading; pay special attention to the first
third of any passage, article, or chapter. That’s where you are likely to get the best statement or
clearest expression of the main idea.

3. Pay attention to any idea that is repeated in

different ways. If an author returns to the same
thought in several different sentences or paragraphs,
that idea is the main or central thought under
discussion.

4. Once you feel sure you have found the main idea,
test it. Ask yourself if the examples, reasons,
statistics, studies, and facts included in the reading
lend themselves as evidence or explanation in
support of the main idea you have in mind. If they
do, your comprehension is right on target. If they
don’t, you might want to revise your first notion
about the author’s main idea.

5. The main idea of a passage can be expressed any number of ways. For example, you and your
roommate might come up with the same main idea for a reading, but the language in which that
idea is expressed would probably be different. When, however, you are asked to find the topic
sentence, you are being asked to find the statement that expresses the main idea in the author’s
words. Any number of people can come up with the main idea for a passage, but only the author
of the passage can create the topic sentence.
[Link]

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 Activity

Read the following paragraph and identify the main idea and the supporting details and complete
the following diagram.

The computer is one important feature from technology, which is often

used by people to increase their knowledge. Books are no longer the main way
to improve the understanding of a specific matter. Universities are acquiring
more and more computers to facilitate the students’ life, and to provide faster
communication. Students use internet a lot which gives them right information
without the need to go to the library. For example if a person needs to do a research about a
particular topic, instead of going to the library he can gather good and diverse information using
internet. Consequently he would finish his research faster than doing it in the library by hand.
Thus, technology which created the computer has definitely helped people to get a better
knowledge.

Supporting detail
……………………………………………… Supporting detail
……………………………………………………

Conclusion Main Idea (Topic Sentence) Supporting detail

…………………………………… …………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………

Supporting detail
Supporting detail
……………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………..

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Reading Comprehension 02

Read the following text and answer the questions below.

Mike Mackay says he is going to the army when he is old enough and he thinks that it
will be a brave and noble thing to do. But I think that all wars are wicked and stupid and when I
see all those poor people in Vietnam on television I feel really sick. What point in killing
innocent people just for a piece of land which is what most wars are about from what I can
gather. And how can the soldiers bring themselves to shoot and bomb other people? [Link]’s
son is a soldier and when he comes home and walks up in the street in his uniform I often look at
him and just cannot imagine him wanting to kill anyone or actually firing a gun at somebody.
He is perfectly ordinary from what can I see and once even bought me an ice cream. They say it
is orders that make them do it, but what kind of orders are they to tell you to do a thing like that?
No soldier is a hero in my view. In fact all soldiers are just like sheep. And there again, I know
you cannot imagine anyone who looks like a hero more than Mike Mackay does. He is strong
and I do not deny this, but there is more to being a hero than that.

1. Who can be the narrator of the passage?

………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Why does the narrator not regard soldiers as heroes?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Whom the soldiers are compared to and why?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. According to the narrator, what the most wars are about.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The narrator says rather than just being strong there is more to being a hero. What are the
qualities that you would expect in a hero?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
….…………………………………………………..………………………………………
6. Suggest a title to the passage.
………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Activity 02

1) Mark the following sentences as true or false.

a. Mr. Brown’s son is a tough person in the ordinary life.
b. The narrator does not think that going to the army is a noble thing.
c. The narrator thinks that a hero should not be strong.

2) Here are some words and expressions from the text. Read the sentences from the
passage in which these words are used and underline the most suitable answer
which explains the meaning of them well.

i. But I think that all wars are wicked and stupid and when I see all those poor
people in Vietnam on television I feel really sick.
A. The writer uses poor to show that,
 The Vietnamese suffer from poverty.
 He sympathizes the Vietnamese
 The Vietnamese are not happy.

B. The writer uses the phrase ‘feel sick ’to show that
 He is not well.
 He feels angry of himself.
 He wants to vomit.

ii. And how can the soldiers bring themselves to shoot and bomb other people?
 To move themselves from one place to another.
 To force themselves
 To become rude

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Reading Tip 02

One of the difficulties that you face in reading may be the inability to understand what you read
primarily due to unfamiliar vocabulary that you come across while reading.

Don’t worry if you do not know the meaning of some words, because:

a). You may be able to guess the meaning from the context.

b). There may be no questions about them.

c). The meaning of a sentence may not be greatly changed if a difficult word is
misunderstood or omitted completely.

d). Don’t waste your time stopping to think about a single difficult word. Read right
through the passage and find out what it is about. Later on you can see whether the
difficult word is important or not.

Determining meaning from the context.

1) Even though we do not know the meaning of a particular word in a passage, it may be
possible to determine the meaning from the context.

Try to guess the meaning of the word which is highlighted.

 The teacher gave me a scowl when I walked in late.

We can guess that the teacher was upset when she saw that her student was late for the class.

Although we can’t get the exact meaning of scowl from the context we can guess that it is a way
of showing displeasure.

2) It is not always possible to get a clue to a meaning of a word from the context of the
immediate sentence.
 Ashen scowled when he saw Aunt Lily.

Unless we don’t know how Ashen feel about Aunt Lily, we cannot guess the meaning of “scowl”
in the sentence. However other sentences in the passage may indicate his opinion of Aunt
Lauren and these could give a clue to the meaning.

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  Ashen scowled when he saw Aunt Lily. Whenever she came to visit, happy family
conversations turned into angry family arguments.
We can guess that Ashen may be upset about the visit of Aunt Lily, because of the way she
affects family conversations. Therefore, we can guess that “scowl” refers to a way of
showing displeasure. His displeasure might be indicated by his facial expression or body
posture.
3) Sometimes a word is defined by a word or a phrase in the passage.

 A scowl came over Ashen’s face when he saw Aunt Liliy. Whenever she came to
visit, happy family conversations turn into angry family arguments. His look of
displeasure deepened when he noticed that she was carrying an overnight bag with
her.

We can guess from the passage that “scowl” is a facial expression. The situation indicates that it
is a disagreeable look. The phrase his look of displeasure refers to the word scowl and thus gives
us the meaning that, “scowl” is a facial expression of displeasure.

Reading Comprehension 03

Pre-reading Activity.
Activity 1

Read the title of the reading passage and have a class discussion around the following questions.

 What are social media?

 What are the social networking sites that you know?
 Do you have a personal profile in any social media network?
 Make list of things that you post on your wall of your personal profile.
Activity 2

Underline the words that you may find out in the text.

publicise sacrifice to upload industry comment network

post profile stadium online treatment experiment
privacy burden to air equality to telecast personal

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Read the following passage and answer following questions

Social Media- Use it to create your own unique personal brand.

The era when social media served solely as a

gossip sharing tool is long gone. Today there is
no denying the popularity of sites such as
Facebook and Myspace, especially among
teenagers. While these sites are a great way to
stay abreast of the latest news in each others’
lives, one should be aware of the responsibilities
that come with publishing such personal
information online.

1. Today a Facebook profile is literally a representation of who you are - your history, your
personality, your likes and dislikes and aspirations. It is the ideal tool with which a
prospective employer, university or even future partner can get an idea of what kind of
person you are. According to 2008 Kaplan study, one in ten college admissions officers in
the USA routinely check out college applicants’ Facebook and Myspace pages. And some
38% of them found posts and pictures that reflected poor on those prospective students,
thus depriving them of a valuable opportunity in life.

2. Instead of making Facebook a space for idle chit-chat and indulgence, one could turn it into
a powerful tool to create and sell your unique personal brand. Make it a vehicle through
which you can publicise your strengths and talents. Let your profile be more than just
another page in the Facebook ocean – use it to air your personal beliefs, what you stand for

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 and aspire to be. Are you an aspiring photographer? Post your best works on your profile. A
budding writer? Make notes on Facebook and share them with your [Link] a
profile picture with care and be sure to publish quotations and views that represent your
own thoughts. Make FB a representation of the self rather than making it a free space
where you thoughtlessly present all your idiosyncrasies , thus portraying yourself in the
negative light in the eyes of many.

3. Be mindful of the language you use when commenting on the profiles and pages of others.
At a time when everything is made public by social networking sites it is even more
important to be kind, compassionate when remarking on another’s distress and to avoid
insincere gushing at another’s appearance.

4. An incomplete personal profile on a web site such as LinkedIn may brand an individual
forever as an irresponsible, outdated person who is not fully aware of using such
programmes. At the same time, uploading inappropriate pictures of oneself in such
websites, could destroy one’s carrier forever, also endangering your personal safety in
attracting the wrong type of people for all the wrong reasons.

5. Twitter is another social media tool that serves as a double edged sword that cut both
ways. While useful and meaningful tweets can raise you in the esteem of others, loud and
obnoxious political arguments, attacks on other people can ruin your entire image in an
instant.

6. Social media is indeed a useful tool, yet one that must be used with care and above all
responsibility in order to join its full benefits.

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Activity 1

Answer the following questions.

a) What did the 2008 Kaplan study find out?

b) Name four social networking sites given in the text.
c) Read the article carefully and complete the following table to show how people use social
media and how it should be used.
How do people use social media? How should social media be used?

Activity 2

State whether following statements are true or false.

a) Even today people use social media as a gossip sharing tool.

b) Twitter has both advantages and disadvantages.
c) In social media networks, one should protect the image of others while protecting his.
d) Social media have no influence on those who use them .

Activity 3
Write in your words what is meant by the following expressions as they were used in the
passage.
a) Double edged sword
……………………………………………………………………………….
b) Portraying yourself in a negative light of many
………………………………………………………………………………..

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 c) Facebook ocean
……………………………………………………………………………….
d) Is long gone.
……………………………………………………………………………….
Reading Comprehension 04

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses

little or no actual danger. Common phobias and fears include
closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects,
snakes, and needles. However, we can develop phobias of
virtually anything. Most phobias develop in childhood, but
they can also develop in adults.

If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t
control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious.
And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and
overwhelming.

The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it —

inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle. If you have claustrophobia, for
example, you might turn down a lucrative job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the
office. If you have a fear of heights, you might drive an extra twenty miles in order to avoid a tall
bridge.

Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It’s important to know that phobias
are common. Having a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy! It also helps to know that phobias are
highly treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.

“Normal” fear vs. phobias

It is normal and even helpful to experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear is an adaptive
human response. It serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic “fight-or-flight”

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response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to respond quickly
and protect ourselves.

But with phobias the threat is greatly exaggerated or

nonexistent. For example, it is only natural to be afraid of a
snarling Doberman, but it is irrational to be terrified of a
friendly poodle on a leash, as you might be if you have a dog
phobia.

I. Pre Reading Activity

01. Discuss
i. What is meant by the word phobia?
ii. Are you suffering from phobia? If so, what
type of phobia do you have?
iii. What is the reason for the phobia you have?

02. Refer to a dictionary and match the following words with the given meaning.

a) Fight or flight to affect someone very strongly

b) Unreasonable causing stress and anxiety
c) Intense fear being extremely afraid of something
d) Exaggeration fight back or escape in a dangerous situation
e) Overwhelm not guided by or based on good sense.
f) Nerve-wracking a statement that represents something as
better or worse than it really is
II. While Reading Activity

1. Underline the correct answer.

i. What is the most probable time period phobias can develop?
a) During the childhood
b) During the youth
c) During the old age

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 ii. According to the passage, what do people do when they are afraid of
something?
a) They change the life style
b) They go mad
c) They try to be alone
iii. Give an example to claustrophobia.
a) Being afraid of riding the elevator
b) Being afraid of delivering a speech
c) Being afraid of getting medication

iv. What is meant by claustrophobia?

a) Fear of enclosed spaces
b) Fear of dogs
c) Fear of needles

v. What is the first step to overcome phobia?

a) Understanding your phobia
b) Understanding that it can be cured
c) Understanding that it is something common

2. Answer the following questions.

a) What is phobia ?
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………

b) Name three types of phobias that were mentioned in the listening passage.
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………

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 c) What is the example given in the passage to differentiate the normal fear from
phobia?
……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………….

d) Is being afraid to something, a normal situation? Why do you say so?

……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
III. Post Reading Activity
1) Discuss in groups

Think that there is a woman who is afraid of spiders. Due to this she cannot be left alone at
home. Whenever she sees a spider she gets terrified and then faints. This is a big problem to her
husband. Suggest some ways of how she should overcome her fear for spiders.

Reading Comprehension 05

Children with Down Syndrome can turn useful citizens

1. March 21 has been declared as World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) by the United Nations
General Assembly. This declaration signifies inviting attention of countries, to ensure
welfare and development of intellectual and physical abilities of individuals with Down's
Syndrome (DS).

2. Medical scientists and organisations working with those affected by DS elaborated different
aspects of Down Syndrome emphasising the areas needing attention. John Langdon Down
explains that Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder in the human body.

3. The body of a normal human being consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes which contain
genetic materials determining inherited characteristics from parents. Down Syndrome occurs
when a child has a partial or full extra copy of chromosome 21 from his mother or father.
This additional material causes to create the abnormal characteristics of Down Syndrome
obstructing the natural course of mental and physical development of a person.

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4. Researchers are still struggling to learn the exact cause for this chromosomal disorder. There
are different arguments such as late marriages, having a large number of children, marriages
between cousins and postponing parenting. There is no firm conclusion agreed by scientists
on the exact cause of this genetic disorder. It is estimated that there are about seven million
people with DS at present around the world. The incidence of DS varies from country to
country, but the average figure is one child with DS for every 850 births. It is observed that
there is a fair number of children with DS in Sri Lanka as well.

5. The common physical appearances of children associated with DS are flat face, small ears,
and upward slanting eyes, protruding tongue, short limbs, weak muscles and loose joints.
These children are slow in performing physical activities, developing motor skills, mental
behaviour and personality development. Physical features and behavioural characteristics
vary from child to child. Due to development of medical technology and clinical treatments
the life expectancy rate of persons with DS has increased from nine years in 1910 to the
range of 50-60 years at present. Social stigma attached to these children also has
constructively changed over the years.

6. Organisations and medical researchers working with affected children have proved that
children with DS can flourish if opportunities are provided. We have to help children with
DS to participate in social activities fruitfully. The first step should begin at home by
creating a conducive environment with good parenting practices. Children with DS expect
love and care from parents and family members. Parents need to understand this and provide
affection and extra care for the child and get him to learn self care skills such as dressing,
washing, taking meals. The rest of the family members need to look after the child.
Intervention programs since early stages of the infant creating access to speech, occupational
and physical therapy have proved effective.

7. Early intervention programs focusing developmental delays of children provide the basis and
develop prerequisites for reaching next steps when the child grows old. Pre-schooling is
another element that can play a vital role after early intervention [Link] with

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 Down Syndrome are fond of developing relationships with those of the same age. At the
preschool the child would develop language skills, motor skills and making friends.

8. The next stage is inclusive education that would give them opportunities for further
development of working as a team making friendship with normal fellow students, attending
recreational activities and understanding the world outside home. During their teens directing
them for vocational training such as gardening therapy will improve a wide range of skills.

9. Children with Down Syndrome are susceptible to heart defects, sleeping problems and
thyroid disorders. Parents need to draw attention arranging appropriate medical treatment in
time for such ailments.

10. Genetic counselling for couples who postpone parenting is also an important aspect,
encouraging them to have children at an early stage of their life. Constructive public attitudes
towards the individuals with DS will also help these children involve in social activities with
self esteem. Physical isolation from the rest of the society obstructs them improving their
impairments of cognitive abilities and physical growth. Since a young age itself, they need to
be integrated into the society from preschool to schools, healthcare system, recreational
clubs, and social and community organisations, stage by stage, so that they reach targets and
develop their full potentials into adulthood. We should not look down on them as feeble
persons and a burden to society. Children with DS have abilities to undertake challenges.
They have a special light within them and let it shine.

Adapted from Spectrum, Sunday Observer. (23rd of March, 2014)

1. Mention whether following statements are true or false.

i. In Sri Lanka, the number of children who suffer from Down Syndrome is very less. ( )
ii. The researchers have found out the exact reasons for chromosomal disorder which
leads to Down Syndrome. ( )
iii. The individuals suffering from DS are more likely to be affected by other diseases. ( )

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2. Underline the correct answer.
i. What is the purpose of UN declaring 21st of May as the World Down Syndrome Day?
a) To find out the exact causes to Down Syndrome in order to minimize the number of
children born with down syndrome.
b) To ensure welfare and development of intellectual and physical abilities of individuals
with Down's Syndrome
c) To provide genetic counseling for couples to have children at the early stage of their life.
ii. How does a child get Down Syndrome?
a) When he gets an additional copy of chromosome 21from his mother or father.
b) When he doesn’t get a copy of chromosome 21from his mother or father
c) When he gets a copy of chromosome 21from his mother or father
iii. How many people suffer around the world from Down Syndrome?
a) Fifty thousand people
b) Seven million people
c) Eight hundred and fifty million people
3. Write short answers to following questions.
i. What are the possible causes for Down syndrome?
……………………………………………………………………………………..
ii. How do children with Down Syndrome differ in physical appearance to others?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
iii. What is the attitude of the writer towards the individuals with Down Syndrome?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Match these words to their correct definitions as they were used in the reading passage.
a. Social Stigma (Line 7, para.04)
b. Conducive (Line 4, para. 06)
c. Obstruct (Line 4, para.10)
1) Favorable, contributing or helping
2) To make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation
3) to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
4) To impede, retard, or interfere with; hinder

English – . . roficiency ourse in English , IIM,

Department of English anguage eaching, Faculty of Arts, University of olombo.
age
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English – . . roficiency ourse in English , IIM,

Department of English anguage eaching, Faculty of Arts, University of olombo.
age