Directorate: Curriculum FET

SUBJECT and English FAL, Grade 10

GRADE
TERM 3 Week 6 (2 – 3 periods)
TOPIC Reading Comprehension skills
AIMS OF LESSON How to skim and scan for information in a reading comprehension text.
To distinguish between the different categories of questions and how to respond to them.
Students will improve their ability to accurately respond to various types of comprehension questions.
Improve their ability to identify common abbreviations and acronyms.
RESOURCES Paper based resources.
INTRODUCTION READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS
Comprehension is the interpretation and understanding of spoken, written and visual texts.
Comprehension skills are not needed only for exam purposes - they but are life skills that need
to be developed.

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

Skim: To read through the text and the questions too quickly to get an idea of what they are about.

Scan: To look quickly through a text for specific information, for example, names of people or places.

Skim and scan the text and questions. Take note that a text can also be referred to as an
extract or a passage in the examination.
Look over the text quickly (skim) to get an idea of what the text is about. Pay attention to
the following:
• How many paragraphs there are in the extract?
• The title of the extract, which may also offer a clue to the content of the passage and the
writer’s intention;
• The headings and sub-headings;
• Who wrote the text and where it came from, if this information is given;
• Key words and names;
• Topic sentences;
• Unfamiliar, unusual or difficult words;
• The introductory paragraph – it often creates the atmosphere and provides the
setting for what is to follow; and
• The final paragraph – it usually summarises the extract. Then, quickly look at (scan) the
questions. This will give you an idea of what kind of information to look for when you read
the text again. Notice things such as:

o Names of people or places; and

o The question words and instructions.

Guidelines to assist you in reading for meaning: (Do this step by step)
1. Read through the passage quickly:
• Get an outline or a general idea of what the passage is about.
• Try to picture what you are reading. This helps you to focus and read for meaning.

2. Take note:
• The title may offer a clue to the contents and purpose of the passage.
• The author may help you to identify the time, style and (often) the subject.
• The introduction often creates the atmosphere and provides the setting for what is to
follow.
• The conclusion usually ties up the intention of the author.

3. You should ask yourself these questions:

• Who - is the writer? Who are the characters?
• What - is the main idea of the passage?
• Where - does it (the story) take place? (Setting)
• When - does it take place? (Setting – time, date, era)
• Why - has this passage been written? What is the writer’s intention?
• How - does the writer express himself? What language devices are used?
 4. Read through the comprehension questions. When you do this, keep the
passage in mind. This will give you clues that lead to the answers in the passage.
Read the questions before reading the passage.

5. Read the passage again. This time you should be aware of what has been asked.
Highlight the main idea in each paragraph – each paragraph presents a new
idea. The first sentence is often the key sentence. Words and ideas that were at
first confusing or difficult, may now become clearer in context. The more familiar
you are with the passage, the easier it should become to interpret and understand
what you are reading.

Practical Advice

• Each question usually contains a question word – underline this. For example, words like explain,
list, discuss.

• Each question usually contains a key word or key idea – circle this.

• Try to remember if you read this key word or idea near the beginning, middle or end of the
passage.

• Put your eyes into ‘search mode’ and look down the middle of the paragraph to find the
sentence containing the key word or key idea. Read the whole sentence in order to get a
complete meaning of the word/idea or the context in which the word/idea is used.

• Do not copy directly from the text, unless you are instructed to do so, but refer to it (the text) in
order to avoid careless factual or spelling mistakes. (This applies particularly to names, places,
dates or other relevant information.)

• If you are asked to supply a synonym or an antonym:

o Replace it with the same part of speech, e.g. a noun with a noun, an adverb with an
adverb.
o Take the word that you have chosen back to the passage. Replace the original word
with the synonym you have chosen and check if it is appropriate.
Answering Techniques:

It is important to interpret and follow the instructions exactly as they are given:

• Does the answer need a full sentence, a word or a phrase?

• Avoid starting sentences with conjunctions such as because, and, but and so.

• The mark allocation is usually a suggestion of the number of points that you must provide.

• Your numbering must correspond to the numbering of the questions – if the question
number is 1.1.1 you must not answer 1A

• If you are asked to describe in three sentences what the character looks like, and
you give four or more, only the first three will be marked. Any fact beyond three
will be ignored, even if it is correct. Therefore, do not write two or four sentences.

• Do not give one word answers if you are asked for a sentence.

• Each answer must be written on a new line.

• When quoting from the text, enclose the quote in “inverted commas”.

• When asked to describe the tone of any text, use one adjective, e.g. angry,
happy. (Refer to the list of tone words at Skill 5 below.)

• Edit your work to check that you have answered correctly. (Spelling and
language errors result in an unnecessary loss of marks.)

• Write clearly and neatly to avoid possible discrepancies.

Five skills that will improve your reading skills:

1. Finding the main idea.

2. Making inferences. 5 important
3. Understanding vocabulary in context. reading
4. Determining the writer’s purpose. skills
5. Determining the tone used by the writer.
ACTIVITIES Read carefully through the following text and then answer the questions based on it.

HOME ALONE WITH THE WORLD

1. Black Coffee is one person who isn’t minding the lockdown very
much. In fact, if you’d been touring for the past four to five years
you probably wouldn’t mind being holed up at home either. “It’s
been amazing just to stay in and do nothing,” Nkosinathi
Maphumulo tells me over the phone. He says it’s providing him with
the opportunity to eat lamb chops and mash with his son — their
favourite lockdown meal.
2. Then again, when the world-famous South African DJ says “stay in and do nothing” he doesn’t
really mean it. He formed part of the line-up for the Global Citizen One World: Together at Home
relief concert that took place last month. Held in support of the World Health Organization’s
Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic across the
globe, the concert was hosted by Lady Gaga and featured international stars like Elton John, John
Legend and Chris Martin and, a little closer to home, Cassper Nyovest, Sho Madjozi and Nomzamo
Mbatha.
3. “The world needs all the help it can get and as artists we’re doing our best to see how we can
assist,” he says.
4. Black Coffee is a man who puts his money where his mouth is. This hasn’t been the only occasion
he’s used his DJ skills to raise funds during this difficult time. He’s also launched a weekly “Home
Brewed” live stream to raise funds for relief charities.
5. So far he’s worked with organisations such as KFC’s Add Hope programme and the Red Cross.
He’s planning on doing two more sets and says it’s been amazing to see people enjoying the
music and supporting relief efforts at the same time.
6. The pandemic has put his worldwide tour dates on hold, including a performance at Coachella,
the annual music and arts festival held in California. But in between all of this, he, like many
people, holds regular Zoom meetings.
7. With the music side of his career on hold, he says his company, Flightmode Digital, is his main
focus. As an investment company, its aim is to seek out and invest in African start-ups.
8. There are numerous questions around how Covid-19 will change the way the world works: how
people will travel, work and interact with the world around them once things “return to normal”.
But while the global music industry is being impacted in a huge way, he says he doesn’t see it
changing in the long run.
 9. “I don’t think it’s going to change; it’s going to go back to normal. I just think it’s going to take time
to go back to what it was. The entire industry — the dance music, the club scene — is created in a
certain way and, yes, people are on lockdown all around the world but they can’t wait to get out
and go back to it. But we all have to wait until it’s safe to do so.”
10. Unfortunately, he says, it’s one of the industries that will suffer the most because it will be one of the
last to reopen.
11. Maphumulo says now is a good time to release new music — with people at home, eager for new
online content and music to listen to. Not missing a beat, he’s just released his latest single,
SBCNCSLY, on which he collaborated with singer/songwriter Sabrina Claudio, someone he says is
great to work with.
12. “She’s amazing — I’ve been a fan for a while. It’s been a great experience. To have the song
available, from just talking about it to walking into the studio with nothing but ideas and now
having it out there. I’m happy with it.”
13. This single will form part of Black Coffee’s latest album, which he says is coming out in August. The
album will include a number of collaborations – among the many names he mentions are Pharrell
and Kelly Rowland.
14. It’s not every day you can have a chat with an international star like Black Coffee, so I have to ask:
where did his stage name come from?
15. “During my varsity days I had a girlfriend from Zambia who called me Black Coffee. It was a pet
name and when I was looking for a DJ name I thought, ‘Why not use Black Coffee?’ It has nothing
to do with music.”
16. As I sip my own cup of coffee I wonder if he knew that roughly 25 years on, for many people his
nickname would have become synonymous with music. Then again, back when I first saw him live
in 2010 I didn’t think we’d be discussing his favourite lockdown meal in 2020 while I’m lounging on
my bed doing an interview as part of a “normal work day”.
- Sunday Times Lifestyle magazine 9 May 2020
A reading comprehension tests exactly what it says: your ability to understand what you have read. You
will have to answer a variety of questions which could be categorised in the way it is done below.

QUESTIONS WHICH REQUIRE YOU TO FIND / RETRIEVE INFORMATION

1.1 How does Black Coffee earn a living? (1)

1.2 Which group of people was going to benefit from Black Coffee’s fund-raising efforts (1)

1.3 Quote a phrase of not more than three consecutive words which tells us that Black Coffee does
not believe that the music industry will be permanently affected by Covid -19 (1)
QUESTIONS TESTING YOUR ABILITY TO INFER OR FIGURE OUT

1.4 What does the expression “holed up at home” (paragraph 1) suggest about the experience of
being at home? (2)

1.5 Refer to paragraphs 4 and 11:

Give the meanings of the idiomatic expressions:
a. “puts his money where his mouth is” (par. 4) (1)
b. “not missing a beat” (par. 11). (1)
c. Explain why “not missing a beat” is a particularly appropriate expression to use in this
context. (2)

1.6 What does the term “African start-ups” refer to in paragraph 7. (2)

1.7 Explain the expression “live stream” in paragraph 4. (2)

1.8 Refer to paragraph. 13.

The album will have a number of “collaborations”. Explain this expression in your own words. (2)

QUESTIONS TESTING VOCABULARY

1.9 What do you think a pandemic (par. 2 & par 6) is? (2)

1.10 The adjective “amazing” is used several times in this text – provide an equivalent, more original
expression for the context in which it is used in paragraph 5. (1)

1.11 What do the following abbreviations stand for:

a. WHO
b. KFC (par 5)
c. DJ (par 2) (3)

1.12 Provide the correct form of the word “varsity” (par. 15) (1)
 HIGHER-ORDER QUESTIONS

1.13 Discuss the irony in paragraph 16. (3)

1.14 Discuss the paradox in the headline. (3)

OPEN – ENDED QUESTION

The text would not have any specific information which would help you to respond. You will have to
deduce based on the information given.

1.15 Why do you think Black Coffee would have chosen a name that had “nothing to do with music”
(par 15)? (2)

TOTAL MARKS: 30

CONCEPTS AND • Skimming; Scanning

SKILLS • Reading for information
• Techniques to read and understand better.
VALUES • Reinforcing the importance of reading regularly
• Striving purposefully towards achieving your goals
• Do not allow your circumstances to determine your destiny
• Encouraging generosity, volunteerism and the spirit of humanitarianism