Test-taking Techniques for English-Speaking Countries Today (1) – UK

1. Presented by Ding Xiaohong dingxiaohong@beiwaionline.com Test-taking Techniques forEnglish-Speaking Countries Today (1) – UK

2. Outline • I. Final Exam Focus • II. Final Exam Structure • III. Exam-taking Techniques for some Question Types • IV. Prepare for the Exam • V. Review

3. I. Final Exam Focus

4. Final Exam ---- Introduction Final Exam (80%): ---- Form: written ---- Duration: 2 hours ---- Content coverage: 50% from textbook & 50% outside textbook

5. Final Exam --- Exam Focus

6. End of Part I

7. II. Final Exam Structure

8. Final Exam Structure (1)

9. Final Exam Structure (2)

10. Final Exam Structure (3)

11. End of Part II

12. III. Exam-taking Techniques for some Question Types

13. Exam-taking Techniques for some Question Types (1) Some questions types: • Reordering of jumbled sentences • Rematching & reordering of jumbled paragraphs • T/F • Blank-filling • Short answer questions • Long answers to form guided summary

14. Reordering of jumbled sentences---- Guide Read through all the sentences first; Recognizing the first sentence is important; Recognize the logic relations between sentences; If available, make use of the conjunctions; If available, make use of the story sequences; Make use of the key words in each sentence. Techniques for Question Type 1

15. Example of Question Type 1---- Question Example 1: “Reordering of jumbled sentences” A. Their brother was a failed painter and alcoholic, and two Other sisters died in childhood. B. As such, they were poor, but educated and respectable. C. Perhaps the most famous literary family in British history are the Bront sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Ann. D. All four remaining children were tragically to die before the father. E. They were the daughters of the vicar of a village church in Harworth in Yorkshire.

16. Techniques for Question Type 1---Clues Example 1 (continue) Clues for example 1: (C-E-B-A-D) • Recognize that proper names (e.g. Charlotte etc.) appear first in C --- 1st in order; • ‘They’ in E --- 2nd in order, then refer to those names mentioned first in C. • ‘As such’, a logical connector, in B --- 3rd in order,, confirms the logical connection between family background (E) & children’s education level (B). • Then, ‘their’ in A refer to 3 ‘sisters’ mentioned in C & ‘daughters’ in E. • ‘all four children’ in D sums up the characters mentioned earlier, thus the last in order.

17. Techniques for Question Type 2 Rematching & reordering of jumbled paragraphs----Guide • Understand the question requirements; • Read through the paragraphs & 1st sentences; • Match the 1st sentence with the paragraph; • Make use of the 1st complete paragraph given to you; • Recognize the logic relations between paragraphs; • If available, make use of the conjunctions; • If available, make use of the story sequences; • Make use of the key words in each sentence.

18. Techniques for Question Type 2 ---clues Example 2:‘Rematching & reordering jumbled paragraphs’ (refer to sample test paper on e-platform for source) http://www.beiwaionline.com/remote/TESTPAPER/enbace1011.htm • ‘Topic sentence function’ of 1st sentence in each paragragh; • A clear sequence is the origins of sports; • Obvious sequence signals are also available: the most popular- the next most popular; another influence – a third influence…

19. Techniques for Question Type 3 T/F ---- Guide • Read through the statement; • Understand fully the statement; • Be familiar with the course content; • Check the statement with facts of the tutorial texts; • Make decisions.

20. Example of Question Type 3 Example 3: T/F The other mother-tongue languages in Britain are all dialects of English. You need to ask: What are the mother-tongue languages besides English in Britain? ---- Welsh, Scottish Gaelic & Irish Gaelic Are they dialects of English? ---- no, they’re 3 indigenous languages

21. Techniques for Question Type 4 Blank-filling ---- Guide • Read through the given choices; • Be familiar with the course content; • Make use of the context to determine the type of words for the blank; • Choose from the possible choices.

22. Example of Question Type 4 Example 4: Blank-filling The post-war_____ to Britain were looking for opportunities for work and _____. Many of them came from the _____ sub-continent. Pakistanis often bought little corner-shops as ____ businesses, which explains ‘paki-shop’ as a new term for ‘corner-shop’, although this is a politically ____ term.

23. Techniques for Question Type 5 Short Answer Questions---- Guide • Understand fully the questions first; • Locate the relevant places in the text; • Organize your language ---- Be concise, but to the point;

24. Example of Question Type 5 Example 5: ‘Short Answer Questions’ (refer to sample test paper for source passage) http://www.beiwaionline.com/remote/TESTPAPER/enbace1011.htm 33. What can you have a literature without? Clues: Locate the place:1st paragraph; Understand the difference between ‘literature’ & ‘literacy’; Answer: Literacy

25. Techniques for Question Type 6 Long answers to form guided summary ---- Guide • Understand the questions fully; • Locate the relevant place in the text; • Be concise, but to the point; • Join the answers using the words given.

26. Example of Question Type 6 Example 6:‘Long answers to form guided summary’ (refer to sample test paper for source text) http://www.beiwaionline.com/remote/TESTPAPER/enbace1011.htm 38. In the late 1800s, what did Britain’s economy dominate? (join with next answer, using ‘and’) 39. …what did her ships control? (join with next answer, using ‘which’) Clues: Understand the questions & requirements Locate the relevant place – 1st paragraph Organize your language Answer:(38) In the late 1800’s, Britain’s economy dominated the world (39) and her ships controlled the seas.

27. End of Part III

28. IV. Prepare for the Final Exam

29. Do you really need to prepare? Do you really need to prepare? If you have learned by doing the tasks in the course and got actively involved in both online and offline study activities (eg tutorials, progress reports and assignments, chatrooms, etc.), you can achieve a satisfying result in your final exam without much pre-exam preparation. The learning process determines the learning product.

30. Why do you need to prepare? Then why do you need to prepare? • To reinforce what you have learned • To identify weaknesses • To boost your confidence • To get familiar with the final exam

31. Exam Preparation Resources (2) Unit-based review • Helps you focus • Helps you review and reinforce what you’ve learned in the unit Unit-based assessment • Monitors your learning process • Evaluates your learning result • Finds problem if any Sample Exam paper • Gives you a chance to do a trial run • Gives you the chance to study it in detail

32. Exam Preparation Resources (3) Strongly Suggested! Course Review ---- Tutorial 9 • Helps you focus • Helps you review and reinforce the major themes and ideas • Familiarizes you with final exam item types • It’s a condensed version of the tutorials

33. Exam Preparation Resources (4) Then what do you find in Tutorial 9? • Exercises resulting in a summary of the Core Text • Exercises leading to a review of the major ideas in Extension Texts • Question types you’re going to meet in the final exam • Feedback following the exercises

34. How to Review a Unit (1) General steps in reviewing a unit: 1. Check the unit objectives; 2. Understand fully the core text & extension texts; 3. Check the e-platform unit review; 4. Check your understanding of major themes against unit self-assessment; 5. Solve your problems ifany.

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