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Reading & Use of English (5-8) – Tips & Tasks | C1 Advanced (CAE)

Level: C1
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(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 5: Multiple Choice
(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 6: Cross Textual Multiple-Matching 
(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 7: Gapped Text
(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 8: Multiple Matching
(CAE) Reading & Use of English: Tips for Parts 5 - 8
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(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 5: Multiple Choice

Tips for Reading and Use of English – Part 5

  1. Familiarise yourself with a variety of sources, registers, topics and lexical fields. In your preparation practise reading a text quickly for an initial overall impression, then followed by a close reading of the text to prevent any misunderstanding.
  2. Read the question and underline the part of the text which answers the question. Examine the options and decide which is the closest to answering the question. Often candidates mistakenly only briefly refer to the text when answering a question and just choose an answer which sounds plausible or supports their own ideas.
  3. Check the questions that take the form of incomplete sentences carefully; the whole sentence must reflect what is written in the text and not merely the phrase in the four options provided.
  4. Read materials that express opinions, attitudes and feelings such as interviews with famous people that explore how they became successful or short stories that relate how characters interpret the circumstances they endure. Engage also in activities that focus on recognising and evaluating attitudes and opinions.
  5. Have practice in text organisation features. You may encounter a question, for example, that evaluates your ability to distinguish between a main idea and an example or one which requi res you to draw connections between an abstract argument and a concrete illustration.

(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 6: Cross Textual Multiple-Matching 

Tips for Reading and Use of English – Part 6

  1. Familiarise yourself with reading samples that express various viewpoints on a related theme, such as different reviews of the same book or some experts giving their opinion on a subject.
  2. The texts will feature a sophisticated reading level without assuming in-depth subject-specific knowledge, so develop your skills in using complex vocabulary and the structures.
  3. Read the texts to gather the general attitude of each writer on the subject being discussed. Underlining the part or parts of a text that expresses an opinion or attitude and then determining whether this is negative or positive is helpful.

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(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 7: Gapped Text

Tips for Reading and Use of English- Part 7

  1. Read the text as a whole and not to focus on each gap individually.  Often candidates select the wrong answer by choosing an option that fits the text before the gap, but neglect to check that the text after the gap continues smoothly.
  2. At times you may need to choose between two paragraphs as possible answers and will need to practice making decisions about which is the most logical paragraph to complete the gap. Practice recognising a variety of linguistic devices that mark the logical and cohesive construction of a text, such as words and phrases that indicate time, cause and effect, contrasting arguments use of pronouns, paraphrasing of vocabulary, repetition and the use of verb tenses.
  3. Be aware of the risks of approaching the gapped-text task as an exercise requiring you to identify extracts from the text and sections in the text containing the same words including names and dates. The task aims to evaluate your understanding of the development of ideas, opinions and events rather than the recognition of individual words.

(CAE) Reading & Use of English Part 8: Multiple Matching

Tips for Reading and Use of English – Part 8

  1. Practice skimming and scanning texts to prepare for the multiple-matching task. Practise examining texts for particular information required without reading every word in the text. Also practise reading under timed conditions.
  2. Note that the questions for the multiple-matching task are printed before the text so that you know what to look for in the text.
  3. Notice the particular wording of questions as these are intended to lead the reader to specific information and to disregard unnecessary information. You may find it helpful to underline key words in the questions, as this helps you to find the information in the text which contains the answers.
  4.  Sometimes a question may consist of two parts: such as an author’s surprise at being confronted by a difficult matter. You may find evidence of a hard situation in a section of the passage but fail to understand that it may be the incorrect section as no surprise is expressed in that part. it is essential that you comprehend that you need to find a paraphrased form of the whole question, not just one part.

(CAE) Reading & Use of English: Tips for Parts 5 – 8

  1. Again, read broadly in both classes and in your spare time. This will build your skill with a variety of texts. In addition, focus on the pre-reading questions to refine your prediction capabilities.
  2. Consider developing written or oral reviews of the materials you read in and out of class. Choose from shorts stories, novels, magazine articles, non-fiction books, etc. to build your skills.
  3. Familiarise yourself with the format of the Reading part of the test. Practice with sample exams. This will prepare you for what to expect in each part of the paper.
  4. As you read, it’s not important that you understand every single word. Refine your ability to deduce the meaning of unknown words based on the context. Don’t make the mistake of fretting over a single word here and there, instead of striving to develop an overall understanding of what you read.
  5. The instructions, title and sub-title of each text provide insight as to what to expect from each passage. Make use of visuals that are included; they are featured with the intent of helping you understand content that you may not be completely familiar with in the passage. These may take the form of a photo or graphic of a city or animal.
  6. Note the instructions on the first page of the question paper and for each section of the exam. Practice the technique of marking your answer on the separate answer sheet to ensure you are able to do this efficiently.
  7. Learn to manage your time while taking the test. Parts 5, 6 and 7 are given two marks per question, while Part 8 is allocated I mark per question. Remember, the test require you to process large amounts of reading in timed manner and thus you must use your time wisely.
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