Reading: finding information in short everyday texts
What A2 reading looks like
Level 1 texts are short and everyday: notices, signs, menus, timetables, adverts, text messages, emails and articles of a few sentences. You are not expected to understand every word - you are expected to find the information a question asks for.
Skills to practise
- Skimming for the main idea: read the first and last sentence of a short text to get the gist.
- Scanning for detail: move your eyes quickly to find a name, price, time or date.
- Vocabulary in context: guess a new word from the words around it.
- Reference words: know what it, they, this and there point back to.
- Purpose and reader: decide who wrote the text and why (a warning, an invitation, an advertisement).
Traps to watch
- The word-match trap. An option repeats a word from the text but says something different. Check the whole meaning, not one word.
- False vs not given. If the text says the opposite, the answer is false/no. If the text says nothing about it, the answer is not given. Do not use your own knowledge.
- Time pressure. Answer the easy questions first; never leave a blank.
Worked example
Sign: “Swimming pool: adults only before 9 a.m.” Question: Can children swim at 8 a.m.? The words children and swim appear, but adults only excludes them, so the answer is No. Read the whole sentence before you choose.