KULLIYYAH OF EDUCATION
SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025
TEACHING READING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
EDLE 4207 TEACHING READING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
SECTION 1 (GROUP 7)
FRY READABILITY
LECTURER’S NAME :
PROF. DR. ISMAIL BIN SHEIKH AHMAD
PREPARED BY:
NAME MATRIC NUMBER
FARAH IZZATI BINTI ABD JALIL 2012318
NUR SA’ADAH BINTI ABU HASAN 2118968
NUR ADIBAH BINTI MOHAMAD DALI 2124130
1.0 TEXT
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the
dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her
Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. 3
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for
the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor
and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold.
He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm
8
here to help you, maam.
Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan
Anderson."
10
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan
crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time
or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. 13
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to
him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She
couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. 16
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him.
Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful
things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about
20
being paid. This was not a job for him.
This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had
given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never
occurred to him to act any other way. 23
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw
someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed,
and Bryan added, "And think of me." 26
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and
depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the
28
twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat,
and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy
looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar
to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had
a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The
lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain
and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little
36
could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress
quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped
right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. 47
The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written
on the napkin.
49
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me
51
anything. I have been there too.
Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me
back, here is what you do: “Do not let this chain of love end with you."
53
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. 54
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the
56
waitress made it through another day.
That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking
about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known
how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was
60
going to be hard....
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she
gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all
63
right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
There is an old saying "What goes around comes around." 64
Resource:
William, Arthur, and James Wong. Further New Model English Essays. Batu Caves, Selangor
Darul Ehsan. Malaysia, Crecent News (KL) SDN. BHD., 2014, pp. 1–372.
2.0 FRY READABILITY FORMULA
Step A : Counting the average number of syllables per 100 words (Horizontal)
1. Select all the syllables contained in each of the three 100-word segments from the text,
which are in the beginning, the middle and towards the end of the text.
1st segment = 124 syllables
2nd segment = 123 syllables
3rd segment = 127 syllables
2. In order to get the average number of syllables per 100 words, add up all the figures for
all the three segments and divide the total by three :
Total for all figures of the three segments : 124 + 123 + 127 = 374
Average number of syllables per 100 words = 374/ 3 = 124.67
= 124.7
Step B : Counting the average number of sentences per 100 words (Vertical)
1. Select three 100 word segments from the text, which are in the beginning, the middle and
towards the end of the text.
2. Count the words contained in the last sentence for each segment and also count the words
contained in the last sentence which are only included in the 100 words segment. Then,
put the numbers according to the formula:
1st segment :
Words included in the 100- word segment = 13/ 13 = 1
Words contained in the last sentence
2nd segment =
Words included in the 100- word segment = 13/ 21 = 0.62
Words contained in the last sentence
3rd segment =
Words included in the 100- word segment = 10/10 = 1
Words contained in the last sentence
3. Count the number of sentences contained in each of the segments and add it up with the
figure ( for each segment) that you get from the previous step. Put all the figures
according to the formula:
1st segment = 1 + 8 = 9
2nd segment = 0.62 + 5 = 5.62
3rd segment = 1 + 7 = 8
4. In order to get the average number of sentences per 100 words, add up all the figures for
the three segments and divide the total by three according to the formula:
Total for figures of the three segments = 9 + 5.62 + 8 = 22.62
Average number of sentences per 100 words = 22.62/ 3 = 7.54
Step C: Plot the graph based on the figures in Step A and Step B
X = (Average number of syllables per 100 words) = 124.7
Y = (Average number of sentences per 100 words) = 7.54
From the graphs, we can conclude that the text is suitable for grade 5 students or in
the Malaysian educational system, Standard 5 students.
3.0 QUESTIONS BASED ON THE EIGHT SUBSKILLS
(A) Word Meaning (M)
1. Underline the nearest meaning of the word given
a) Sputtering (Occurred/ Spluttering/ Stuttering )
b) Frightened (Scared/ wondered/ worried)
c) Skinning ( Changing/ Scraping/ Pushing)
(B) Word In content (WIC)
1. Circle the word that is suitable to be use in the same context of the word given in
the text
a. Stranded (Stop/ Walk/ Stuck)
b. Awful (Horrible/ good/ confusing)
c. Wondered (Think/ Questioned/ answered)
C. Literal Comprehension
Read the story and answer the following questions based on the information provided in
the text. Your answer must be based on the information provided in the story “What
Goes Around Comes Around”.
1. What was Bryan Anderson driving when he stopped to help the old lady?
2. Why was the old lady stranded on the side of the road?
3. What did Bryan Anderson ask the old lady to do while he helped her?
4. What did the old lady do after finishing her meal at the cafe?
5. What was written on the napkin left by the old lady?
D. Drawing Inferences From Single Strings (ISS)
Based on the story above, answer the questions below by using the information stated in
the text.
1. Why did the old lady feel initially hesitant when Bryan approached her?
2. Why did Bryan refuse payment from the old lady?
3. What can be inferred from the waitress’s attitude despite her struggles?
4. What does the ending reveal about Bryan Anderson’s character?
(E) Drawing Inferences from Multiple Strings
Read the following sentences carefully. Based on the story, what can you infer about the old lady
from these sentences?
1. Bryan helped the old lady fix her flat tire.
2. The old lady left a note for the waitress saying, "Do not let this chain of love end with
you."
(F) Interpretation of Metaphor
1. What is meant in the story by:
a) Chain of love (Line 53)
b) Slipped right out the door ( Line 46)
c) She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't
erase. (Line 32)
2. Copy out a sentence from the story where Bryan is actively helping the old lady by
fixing her car.
G. Finding Salients Or Main Ideas (S)
1. What is the primary lesson or message conveyed by the story?
a. People should always expect repayment for kindness
b. Small acts of kindness can create a lasting impact
c. Life is full of challenges
d. Trust is difficult to build but easy to lose
2. Which of the following best describes the main connection between the characters
in the story?
a. A shared sense of hardship
b. A chain of generosity and gratitude
c. A mutual struggle for survival
d. A desire for acknowledgment and praise
3. What main ideas does the story emphasize about helping others?
a. Helping others is a duty and an obligation
b. Helping others should always be rewarded
c. Helping others spreads positivity and hope
d. Helping others is only for those who can afford it
H. Forming Judgement (J)
1. In your opinion, what would be the best solution for the old lady to do if no one
stops to help her?
a. Leave the car and walk back home
b. Wait until other people come to help her
c. Drive home with her flat tyre car
d. Call a mechanic
2. Based on the whole story, why do you think what goes around will come around?
a. Actions have consequences; the good or bad you do will come back to
you.
b. We must do good things and hope to get something in return
c. Life is a cycle, and events repeat themselves.
d. People will treat you the way you treats others
4.0 APPENDICES
4.1 Distribution of type of questions according to the 8 subskills.
Hypothesised Hierarchy Of Subskills And The No. of Questions
Corresponding Questions
Word Meaning (M) 3
Word In Context (WIC) 3
Literal Comprehension (L) 5
Drawing Inferences From Single Strings (ISS) 4
Drawing Inferences From Multiple Strings (IMS) 1
Interpretation Of Metaphor (M) 4
Finding Salients Or Main Ideas (S) 3
Forming Judgements (J) 2
Total Number of Questions 25
4.2 Answer Scheme
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
A. a) Spluttering
b) Scared
c) Scraping
B. a) Stuck
b) Horrible
c) Questioned
C. 1. A Pontiac
2. She had a flat tire.
3. Bryan asked the old lady to wait in the car to stay warm.
4. The old lady left a note on a napkin and four $100 bills.
5. The old lady wrote on the napkin, "You don't owe me
anything. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm
helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what
you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
D. 1. The old lady felt scared because he looked poor and hungry,
and no one had helped her for a long time.
2. Bryan believed in helping others without expecting anything
in return as he had been helped by others before.
3. The waitress was kind and cheerful even though she was
heavily pregnant and likely under financial stress.
4. Bryan is the waitress’s husband and his selfless nature
indirectly benefited his own family through the old lady’s act
of kindness.
E. 1. The old lady is thoughtful and grateful. She deeply
appreciated Bryan's help and wanted to continue the spirit of
kindness by helping the waitress. This shows that she
believes in paying kindness forward and values helping
others.
F. 1. a) The idea of passing on acts of kindness to others.
1. b) The old lady quietly and quickly left the cafe without
being noticed.
1. c) The waitress had a naturally positive and kind personality.
2. "Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two." (Line 11)
G. 1. B
2. A
3. C
H. 1) D
2) A