For social sciences section 11 and 12
Sentence completion
Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct word or phrase.
1. I need a quiet place to study. Where______ (I should/ ought to I/ should I) go?
2. The airline allows only two pieces of luggage. You _____ (had better not/ better not/
had not better) pack too much or you will have to take some of it out at the airport.
3. A: I think that the grade my teacher gave me on my test is wrong.
B: Really? You _____ (ought talk/should to talk/ought to talk) to her after class today.
4. It is raining and I don‘t want to get my dress wet. I (had better not bring/had better to
bring/had better bring) an umbrella.
5. A: I‘m very hot.
B: You _____ (should take off/ought take off/better had) your coat.
6. I did not understand much in the last lecture. I ____ (ought read/had better read/had
read better) more on the topic.
Completing short dialogues
In pairs, take turns and give advice to each other using the cues given below. Use the
three ways
of giving advice you practiced above. The first one has been done for you as an
example.
1. Aman: I want to speak English more fluently.
Muna: You should practice speaking every day.
2. Aman: I‘m adding weight recently.
Muna: ___________________________________________________________.
3. Aman: My parents send me money but I‘m always broke.
Muna: __________________________________________________________.
4. Aman: I‘m not feeling well.
Muna: ___________________________________________________________.
5. Aman: I can‘t study in the dorm. The other students talk too much.
Muna: ___________________________________________________________.
6. Aman: I want to join a good department next year.
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
Muna: ____________________________________________________________.
7. Aman: I find it difficult to get up early in the morning.
Muna: ____________________________________________________________.
8. Aman: I spend a lot of time watching television every day.
Muna: _____________________________________________________________.
9. Aman: I‘m feeling bored this afternoon.
Muna: _____________________________________________________________.
10. Aman: I keep losing my mobile phones. I lost two mobile phones last month alone.
Muna: _________________________________________________________
Reading for Study
Reading is a fundamental aspect of academic work. It is likely to be the major way to
gather
information about the discipline you are studying and it is a very valuable skill to
enhance and
develop at university or college. One of the routes to develop the ability to think about
and
describe the world in terms of a particular approach is through reading. Reading will
provide an
understanding of the academic discipline being studied. Ultimately it will be one of the
keys that
unlock the door to a career as a business manager, psychologist, engineer, chemist,
teacher,
scientist and so on. As well as guiding you through your course, it will be an invaluable
learning
tool in the world of employment. Reading opens up the possibility of gaining access to
and an
understanding of the thinking of all the people who have developed models and theories
or
written about a particular discipline.
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
One of the principal objectives of reading for study is to gather ideas and information
and to
assimilate them into your own view of the world, and then to be able to express that
view
through the assessment program or in seminars. Only by doing this can you understand
a subject. During your time at university or college you will need to approach your
reading very
intelligently and diligently by putting considerable effort into it.
As a student it is important to recognize that reading may be the most demanding work
you do at
university or college and that a huge volume of reading will be required to pass a
course. Almost
certainly reading strategies need to be developed in order to get through the amount of
reading to
be done. For some people it may be a matter of changing perceptions about reading.
For
example, on entering a library some students will think ‗Oh no, look at all these books to
read!,
while others will think ‗Oh wow, look at all these books to read – where shall I start? Let
me get
going!‘.
Over the years authors have identified, described and analyzed the issues relevant to a
particular
area of study, such as business, philosophy, botany, education and psychology. Within
each
discipline theorists examine a subject from a number of viewpoints, identifying key
themes and
issues and embodying certain assumptions. One of the particular advantages of
reading is that in
many instances it is possible, through books, to read the original works of an author.
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
The written
word is still the main way of accessing academic debate in all fields of study. Through
reading, it
is possible to discover the fundamentals and essential aspects of a subject, its basic
assumptions,
the facts upon which it is built and how these are examined and approached.
Purposes for reading
A student will read for many different reasons, and it is important to remember that the
way reading is approached should change depending on the purpose. Glancing through
a newspaper to pick out the main news items is quicker than and different from reading
for study, and both involve a variety of skills. A newspaper often gives only a cursory
coverage of a topic, ignoring the details. A textbook may require detailed study to extract
the essential knowledge it contains.
When reading, for example, it is possible to: a) read an instruction book with the
intention of immediately applying the information in order to play a new stereo, use a
cooker, repair a car; b) read an enjoyable, exciting novel for escapism, as quickly as
possible, with no need to worry about remembering any of the story afterwards; c) skim
through the pages of a magazine for the latest developments; or d) scan the pages of a
newspaper to absorb the main headlines that day, disregarding the advertisements
altogether.
There are, of course, different ways of tackling reading, which will vary according to
both the reading material and the particular task and focus. Reading is, after all, one of
the basic tools of work for students. It is crucial that reading skills are developed so that
you are able to get the most out of reading and importantly to make the best use of it.
There are many techniques that can be used to gain a detailed understanding from a
textbook or article, to identify the main themes or issues, or to get a general overview.
The reading skills that you have already developed can be put to good use in academic
study.
New students may neglect to use abilities which are at their disposal in the repertoire of
skills developed in their everyday lives, but that are often taken for granted and
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
overlooked. Reading is a skill which is often taken for granted. It is easy to believe that it
no longer requires any thought or effort. However, the fact is that reading is concerned
with understanding the meaning that the author is trying to communicate; not just a
matter of recognizing words on a page. When studying, it is important to think about
why you are reading and to realize your need for a variety of approaches. It can be only
too easy to read without thinking about it, because a reading list has been provided by
the instructor or you think that reading is a necessary requirement of your course.
Most people tend to feel that the way to read a book, an article or information on a
personal computer is to start at the beginning and read through to the end. At first this
tends to be the approach that many students adopt with books, opening the textbook
and starting to read from chapter one until he or she loses interest, finds it too difficult,
falls asleep, or in some cases finishes the book with relief. This method is unlikely to be
the approach which brings the most benefit when studying at university.
(Slightly adapted from Payne and Whittaker, 2000)
Answer the following questions using the information in the text above.
a. Why may reading be the most demanding work at university or college?
b. In what way is the written word common to every field of study?
c. What are some of the ways in which we read?
d. How do our ways of reading vary?
e. How do students who say ‗Oh no…‘differ from those who say ‗Oh wow…‘regarding
their perceptions of reading?
f. What do the writers mean by ―Reading is a skill which is often taken for granted‖?
3. Say whether the following statements are ‗True or ‗False. Support your answers with
evidence from the text.
a. Students had developed reading skills when they come to university.
b. Our reading purpose changes according to our approach to reading.
c. Reading is the only way of gathering information about one‘s field of study.
d. Reading an instruction book in order to apply the information immediately and
reading an enjoyable novel for escapism both employ the same reading skill.
e. The writers believe that reading requires thought and effort.
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
f. At university, it is very useful for students to start at the beginning and read through to
the end of a book.
4. What do the words in bold type refer to in the text?
1. …it will be an invaluable learning tool… (paragraph 1)
2. Only by doing this… (paragraph 2)
3. …and how these are examined… (paragraph 4)
4. …and both involve a variety of skills (paragraph 5)
5. …in their everyday lives… (paragraph 7)
Take appropriate notes from the reading text and complete the following guided
summary.
Reading seems to be the main_________________________________. It is a very useful
skill______________________________. It is through reading that academic disciplines
_______________________________________. One major objective of reading at university or
college is ________________________________________. This means that students need to
__________________________________________ in order to be successful in their university
studies. It is also important to note that the approach to reading varies according to
_______________________, and there are different ways of tackling reading based on
______________________________________. Thus, to make the best use of their reading,
students need to _________________________ in addition to using the abilities that they
already possess when they come to university.
Completing sentences
Complete the gaps using either the present perfect or past simple form of the verbs in
the
brackets.
1. Yesterday we ______ (play) football after class.
2. The boys _____ (clean) the car. It looks new again.
3. We _____ (just, read) the book. Now we can watch the film.
4. I first _____ (meet) my best friend three years ago.
5. None of my family members _______ (ever, visit) another country before.
6. She ______ (buy) her car when she was working in a business company.
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For social sciences section 11 and 12
7. Things _____ (change) a great deal at our company. When we first ____ (start) working
here three years ago, the company _____ (have, only) six employees. Since then, we
____ (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers.
8. In the last hundred years, traveling _____ (become) much easier and more
comfortable.
In the 19th century, it _____ (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered
wagon. The trip _____ (be) very rough and often dangerous. The situation _____
(change) a great deal over the last century. Now you can fly from New York to Los
Angeles in a matter of hours.
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