How to become a better reader

Why is reading important when you are

learning a new language?
Reading helps you learn to think in the
new language.
Reading helps you build a better
vocabulary.

Reading makes you more comfortable with

written English. You can write better English if
you feel comfortable with the language.

Reading may be the only one way for you to use

English if you live in a non-English-speaking
country.

Reading can help you plan to study in an

English-speaking country.

Working on your own Reading Skills

When you read, you use many different skills.
You need to work on them one at a time. Here
are six important skills you will work on:
Previewing and Predicting
Asking questions as you read.
Guessing what new words mean.
Finding the topic and the main idea.
Understanding patterns in English.
Using signal words.

PREVIEWING
How to preview a short pasaje:
Look the tittle.
Look at the pictures (if there are any).
Read the first few sentences in the first
paragraph.
Read the first line in the other paragraphs.
Read the last sentence of the last
paragraph.
Watch for names, dates, and numbers.

A BUSY STUDENT
Tomiko is happy to be a student in New York. She is
studying English at Columbia University. She plans to finish
her English course in June. Then she will work on her
masters degree at New York University.
Tomiko likes the many beautiful buildings in New York.
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She also likes the people in New York.
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Best of all, Tomiko loves theaters in New York.

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Tomiko is far from her home in Japan. But she is not sad.
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. She is very busy and happy
in New York.

Now look at the questions and circle the best answer.

Dont look back at the passage.
This passage is about
a) an American student in New York.
b) a Japanese student in New York.
c) a Japanese student in Japan.
d) a Japanese man studying in New York.
Tomiko is
a) unhappy
b) happy
c) lonely
d) not busy

She goes to plays in

a) large theaters
b) small theaters
c) New York
d) All of the above
Tomiko has
a) few interests
b) few friends
c) many interests
d) nothing to do