📖 Reading Comprehension
Understand different types of texts — identify the main idea, analyse details and deduce meaning from context.
Read these three extracts. For each one, identify: (a) the type of text, (b) the author's main purpose. Extract 1: 'Dear Editor, I am writing to express my concern about the recent increase in car traffic in our city...' Extract 2: 'Scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea fish that can survive at extreme depths. The creature, found in the Pacific Ocean...' Extract 3: 'She stood at the window, watching the rain fall. Nothing had been the same since he left, and she knew, with a certainty that frightened her, that nothing ever would be again.'
Read: 'Despite winning three international awards, Maya still arrived at the ceremony alone, quietly slipping into the back row before anyone noticed her. When her name was called, she seemed genuinely surprised.' Q1: What can we infer about Maya's personality? Q2: Find a word that shows she did not want attention. Q3: Why might the writer use the word 'genuinely'?
Read: 'A recent study involving 5,000 participants found that students who slept at least 8 hours per night scored on average 23% higher on memory tests than those who slept 6 hours or less. Furthermore, the group with adequate sleep showed significantly lower stress hormone levels.' Q1: What was the study's main finding? Q2: Give two differences between the two groups. Q3: What does 'furthermore' indicate about the relationship between the two findings?