English Proficiency for Teachers (ELP)

Unit 2: Reading Comprehension

Introduction

Reading is essential in the higher level education such as college. You need to achieve extra mile
of developing your comprehension skills for you to learn and discover new things. The primary
mode of knowledge and information acquisition and learning is through reading. You have to
read more for you to learn more.

In such case then, there is a need to develop your skills in reading. These skills are
interconnected. Mastery of these skills facilitates easier comprehension of the different reading
texts. These skills are not imbibed and acquired overnight. It is gained through practice,
practice, and more practice.

Thus, in this unit, you will be given to the chance to help yourself develop and acquire some of
the needed skills in reading, and reading strategies as well.

Instructional Objectives

After learning this unit, I am able to:

1. Decipher meaning of a word using context clues;

2. Comprehend reading text by identifying the main idea of the text;

3. Read text comprehensively by noting to details;

4. Comprehend text by inferencing; and

5. Make sense of meaning using prediction.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Before going farther, complete the activity below.

Direction: Supply the missing word in each statement.

1. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever ________." — Frederick Douglass
 2. "To learn to read is to _______ a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a _______."

— Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

3. "Today a reader, tomorrow a _________." — Margaret Fuller

Answers: (1) free (2) light, spark (3) leader

Did you get them right? It’s alright if did not get them all.

Analyzing the meaning of the above statements, they convey one message and that is –
what good things reading could give us. Do you agree?

Expanding Knowledge

At this point, we will enrich what you have gained in reading. Make now yourself ready.

Lesson 1: Sensing Meaning through Context Clues

One thing that is ringing in your mind right away is – what are context clues?

Let me share to you the meaning of it from dictionary.com:

Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual
word within a book. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to
which it refers or it may follow in the next sentence. Because most of our
vocabulary is gained through reading, it is important that we are able to recognize and
take advantage of context clues.
 There will always be many situations wherein learning support materials such as dictionaries
and the like are not within your reach due to some reasons. So you have to figure out the
meaning of particular word or statement based on the hints (technically, in reading we call it
redundancies) available as given by the author or writer.

Let me use this example:

The researchers discovered several specie of crustaceans, including crabs, lobsters, and
shrimp.

In the statement above, the word crustaceans is clarified by giving examples of it, which are
crabs, lobster, and shrimps.

There are several types of context clues:

Context Clues Meaning Example

Definition Outright statement of the Law is the set of rules that

meaning of a word. we have established to
make it easier for us to live
with one another.

Restatement Giving the meaning of a He was a hirsute individual,

word in a less precise form with long hair streaming
than a dictionary definition. down his back.

Synonym A word having the same or Euthanasia or mercy killing

nearly the same meaning as is a debatable issue.
another word in the text.
Simile A figure of speech in which Her eyes are like bright
essentially two unlike things stars that glistened in the
are compared using like and sky.
as.

Comparison Noting similarities between Like other reference books

a word in question with in the library, the thesaurus
other more familiar words. is a helpful guide for
writers.

Example/Illustration One that represents the A crime or offense such as

group or whole to illustrate rape, forgery, kidnapping,
the meaning of a word. and treason is punishable
by law.

Appositive A construction in which a Arson, a malicious burning

noun or noun phrase is
of another person’s
placed with another as an
property, is widely
explanation.
recognized as a serious
crime.

Antonym A word meaning the When there is a problem,

opposite of another word. her father is silent, but her
mother

is too garrulous that the

whole neighborhood knows
about it.

Structural Analysis Word parts that give direct The manager did not get
clues to meaning. These are the money in the envelope
roots, prefixes, suffixes, which
compounds that are broken
proves that he is
down into parts and
incorruptible.
analyzed.

Source: Personal collection of instructional materials

Synthesizing Knowledge Activity Lesson 1: Context Clues

Source: Personal collection of instructional materials

Directions. Choose the letter of the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the meaning of
the word in bold letters. Then, identify the type of context clue used.

1. Clichés are hackneyed expressions.

A. clever B. intelligent C. habitual D. commonplace

Type:_______________________________

2. Like her gregarious sister, Anne likes going to parties and making new friends.

A. introvert B. active C. sociable D. confident

Type:_______________________________

3. Although the topic of his lecture was esoteric, the neurosurgeon tried to make it
comprehensible to everyone in the audience.

A. invincible B. susceptible C. hard to use D. understood only by

few Type:_______________________________

4. The masquerade bordered on frightening because of the grotesque masks some party-
goers were wearing.

A. original B. bizarre C. beautiful D. expensive

Type:_______________________________
 5. One of our psychology instructor’s idiosyncrasies is sticking a piece of chalk behind his
ear as he lectures.

A. faults B. major problems C. oddity D. tricks

Type:_______________________________

6. The fishing village looked desolate after the typhoon.

A. deserted B. changed C. haunted D. homely

Type:_______________________________

7. In an economic crisis, there is no time for frivolities.

A. visiting relatives B. listening to lectures C. feeling sorry

D. unimportant things

Type:_______________________________

8. We cannot expect outstanding achievement from mediocre students.

A. intelligent B. ordinary C. smart D. talented

Type:_______________________________

9. His weak character surfaces every time he succumbs to whims of his unreasonably

jealous wife.

A. rebels B. marvels C. yields D. delights

Type:_______________________________
 10. The mushrooming of night spots is a menace to peace and order in the
community.

A. help B. boast C. threat D. support

Type:_______________________________

11.In many countries, Richard Burton was acknowledged as a fine thespian.

A. painter B. singer C. actor D. pianist

Type:_______________________________

12. The company records show a precipitous drop in sales for one quarter.

A. gradual B. abrupt C. steady D. staggered

Type:_______________________________

13. An overdose of depressant sent him into a deep lethargy.

A. slumber B. dream C. sleep D. apathy

Type:_______________________________

14. All Filipinos must face their country’s problems with fortitude.

A. complaints B. curiosity C. refute D. accept

Type:_______________________________

15. The instructor expounded the pros and cons of the issues for the students to
ruminate on.

A. ponder B. digest C. refute D. accept

Type:_______________________________