Reading Smart ---how to make inferences in reading Suzhou High School Wenjie Ye

Where do you think you are? We make inferences all the time in our life. Inferences are conclusions we draw from what we see, hear and read.

Are you smart enough?

Level 1 Level 4 Level 2 Level 3

______ 1. The boy doesn’t like monkeys. ______ 2. The boy has probably never seen animals in a zoo. ______ 3. The father is angry with the boy. ______ 4. The boy thinks the monkey is being punished. ______ 5. The boy and his father go to the zoo often. Lv1 √ √

1.Who wrote this note? 2.Where was this car parking? 3.How did the writer of this note feel? Lv1

Level 4 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Never lose sight of any available information. Tip 1

A: Boy, I’ve got to buy special food for our guests. I’ve got to spend days preparing the meal. Then I’ve got to get the right music. B: Wait a minute. We don’t have to make a production out of a small dinner party. Lv2

I climbed the stairs slowly, carrying a big suitcase, my father following with two more. By the time I got to the third floor, I was _1__ and at the same time feeling lonely. Worse still, Dad missed a step and fell, sending my new suitcases rolling down the stairs. “__2__” he screamed, his face turning red. I knew __3__ was ahead. Whenever Dad’s face turns red, look out! 1.happy, thrilled, angry, frustrated, desperate, tired, worried 2.Thank God, My goodness, Ayawa, Damn, For God’s sake 3.danger, hope, difficulty, trouble, sunshine, suffering Lv2

Level 4 Level 2 Level 3 Never lose sight of any available information. Tip 1 Tip 2 Pay special attention to the words like verbs, adj., linking words, etc.

A doctor calls a patient into his office to reveal the results of some recent test. “I have some bad news and some worse news,” says the doctor. “The bad news is that you only have 24 hours to live.” “Oh no,” says the patient. “What could be worse than that?” ___________________________________________ The doctor answers, “I’ve been trying to reach you since ________.” yesterday Lv3

____ 1. The boy wants to know why he has to be at the orphanage. ____ 2. The people at the orphanage are cruel to the boy. ____ 3. Not carrying life insurance can harm one’s family. ____ 4. The insurance company helps support the orphanage. ____ 5. _______________________ Lv3 √ √

Level 4 Level 3 Never lose sight of any available information. Tip 1 Tip 2 Pay special attention to the words like verbs, adj., linking words, etc. Tip 3 Don’t simply accept the first inference that comes to mind. And avoid reading too much into the lines.

I was in an alley dressed in light summer clothing. Coming out of the darkness at the end of the alley were hundreds of large gray rats. Their sharp teeth glistened with saliva, and their eyes glowed red with a cold fury. I turned to run away, but attacking in the other direction were a dozen angry dogs---pit bulls! And these particular pit bulls were foaming at the mouth. “Just my luck,” I muttered and did my best to wake up as quickly as possible. The implied main idea is __________ A.The writer is losing his mind. B.Gray rats and pit bulls are scary animals. C.Everyone has nightmares. D.The writer had a really bad dream. D Lv4

Level 4 Never lose sight of any available information. Tip 1 Tip 2 Pay special attention to the words like verbs, adj., linking words, etc. Tip 3 Don’t simply accept the first inference that comes to mind. And avoid reading too much into the lines. Tip 4 For the implied main idea, think carefully about the specific ideas to determine a general idea neither too narrow nor too broad.

Specific ideas: “How are you” ”Hello” ”Hi there” ”Good morning” General ideas: __________________ Specific ideas: greed, selfishness, dishonesty cowardice General ideas: __________________ Negative personal quality greetings Implied Main idea

Specific ideas: “I couldn’t take the final because my grandmother died.” “I couldn’t come in to work because I had a headache.” “I couldn’t study because I forgot to bring my book home.” The general idea is ____ A. Common remarks B. Common excuses C. Common student excuses Implied Main idea B

The average part-timer earns three dollars an hour less than the average full-time worker. Part-time workers are easily laid off. Most part-time workers get no fringe benefits. The implied main idea is ____ A.Part-timers get paid lower salaries. B.Part-time workers have second-class status. C.Workers have numerous problems. D.Part-timers make up a significant part of our working population. B Implied Main idea

Never lose sight of any available information. Tip 1 Tip 2 Pay special attention to the words like verbs, adj., linking words, etc. Tip 3 Don’t simply accept the first inference that comes to mind. And avoid reading too much into the lines. Tip 4 For the implied main idea, think carefully about the specific ideas to determine a general idea neither too narrow nor too broad.

Reading can make cats jealous.

Reading can …… broaden our horizon. enrich our knowledge. bring us pleasure. add to our experiences. allow us to live lives we can never be exposed to otherwise. What can we infer from the video?

Reading makes a full man. ---Francis Bacon

Read extensively! Read intensively! Read critically! Read Smartly!

Homework 1.Finish the reading comprehension exercise. 2.Find an interesting passage to share with your classmates next class.