Reading and Responding Skills
What you must control
Reading tasks in this course use short authentic-style texts: notes, emails, invitations, notices, menus, timetables and simple articles. You need fast recognition of high-frequency words and of the grammar that carries meaning: articles and gender, subject-verb agreement, prepositions with the accusative, and negation with δεν.
Practise scanning for specific information rather than translating every word. Learn the question words so you know what to hunt for: ποιος, τι, πού, πότε, γιατί, πόσο, πόσος, πώς. Learn the layout signals of Greek texts: a greeting (Αγαπητή Μαρία,), a closing (Φιλικά, Με αγάπη), headings in capitals, and dates written as 25 Μαρτίου or 25/3.
Traps in questions
True-or-false items often hinge on one small word: a text saying Δεν είναι ανοιχτό την Κυριακή is the opposite of what a skimming reader assumes. Options may repeat vocabulary from the text while changing the meaning, so match the whole sentence, not a single shared word. Watch for synonyms: the text may say φθηνό while the option says δεν είναι ακριβό. Also beware questions about a detail that appears twice with different values, such as two prices for adults and children; check which group the question names.
Rule of thumb
Underline the question word, find the sentence in the text that answers it, and draw a line between the two. If no sentence supports an option, reject it, even if it sounds sensible.
Worked example
Text: Το εστιατόριο είναι ανοιχτό από Δευτέρα μέχρι Σάββατο, στις οκτώ το βράδυ. Την Κυριακή είναι κλειστό. Question: Είναι ανοιχτό το εστιατόριο την Κυριακή; Answer: Όχι, είναι κλειστό. The negative sentence in the text directly supports the answer, and the answer keeps the negative form.