Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
Prereading Strategies
Elizabeth could find no servants in the palace at this hour of the night. They had all sneaked away
to the dark corners where they carried on or ate their suppers; it was well past supper, after all. Her
stomach had to remind her because her mind was much too concerned with Gregory.
Gregory. How would she keep that boy out of her mind? It was not proper for a young woman of
her social class to be so taken with a young man of low birth, even if he were as dashing and brave
as Gregory.
Mother would not have it. Not at all. And Grandmama—Grandmama would be absolutely
scandalized. Those busybodies at Court with nothing other to do than spend their husbands’ money
and gossip. Whatever would she do? And where on Earth was that good-for-nothing butler? What
was his name? Brandt, Frandt, Grant? Something or other. Had he forgotten her supper yet again?
Blast, that Gregory, how can she possibly concentrate on anything now?
1. This passage is from a book of fiction. What is the main purpose of reading fiction?
A. to solve a problem like the characters do in fiction
B. to interpret the meaning of life based on fiction
C. to enjoy the experience of reading good fiction
D. to understand facts about the world found in fiction
Roast Chicken Recipe
For this you will need:
1 whole chicken
4 oz. chopped onion
4 oz. chopped carrots
4 oz. chopped potatoes
16 oz. chicken stock
2 teaspoons of sage
2 sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons of paprika
3 bay leaves
salt
pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, rub the chicken with
sage, paprika, salt, and pepper. Insert the rosemary sprigs inside the bird.
2. Grease a 3 quart basting pan with butter or olive oil. Place the chicken in the pan and cover it in the
chopped vegetables.
3. Add the chicken stock to the pan until the vegetables are covered. Add the bay leaves to the stock
and vegetables. When the oven is heated, place the chicken in the oven and bake for 25 - 25
minutes, or until the chicken has reached an interior temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. When the chicken is done, remove from oven and let the meat rest for five minutes before serving.
Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Carve and serve. Makes six servings.
2. According to this recipe, what would be the first step for the cook to follow?
A. Buy the chicken
B. Place the chicken in the pan
C. Remove the bay leaves
D. Preheat the oven
Ms. Gonzales, the yearbook advisor, had invited the yearbook staff to an end-of-year party at her
house. On Friday afternoon on the day of the party, she put the following notice on the board:
Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
To get to Ms. Gonzales' house from school, go east on 6th Avenue until you come to the first light,
which is Pearl Street. Turn right and travel about a mile to Claremont Place. Take a left and then an
immediate right onto Peacock Lane. My house is 3435, which is in the middle of the block on the
right.
See you at 4:00!
3. The main purpose for reading this notice is to
A. find out what one should bring to the party.
B. get directions to Ms. Gonzales' house party.
C. be entertained by information about the party.
D. get information about who will be at the party.
The Shot Heard Round the World
This phrase describes two different events in history. To Americans, it refers to a line from a poem
by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the American Revolution. For others, the phrase refers to the
assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. Ferdinand was the leader of Austria-Hungary. His death
caused World War I, which was more terrible than the American Revolution.
It would be impossible for one gunshot to be heard around the world. The phrase really means
that one gunshot can change the course of history for the whole world.
In Emerson's poem, he refers to the shot being fired by Americans who fought against a tyrant and
created the first modern democracy. Here, the shot heard round the world is the change between a
monarchy and a democracy.
The meaning changes when the phrase is used to refer to the death of Archduke Ferdinand. It no
longer refers to a change for good, but a horrible course of events. Millions upon millions of soldiers
died during World War I. The weapons used included poison gas and tanks. These weapons turned
much of Europe from a green countryside into a barren land that looked like the surface of the Moon.
This is a good example of how it is possible for one phrase to be understood in different ways by
different people. Some think of it in a patriotic way, while others may think of it as a cause of a
horrible event in history.
4. What is the purpose of reading this passage?
A. to learn about the meaning of a famous phrase
B. to entertain with the history behind a phrase
C. to understand the rules of how a phrase is used
D. to learn to speak a phrase in a foreign language
Baked Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes or yams
First, preheat oven between 350 to 375 degrees for about thirty minutes. Then, wash and scrub
potatoes and dry them. Make sure to prick the potatoes in several places with a fork to prevent them
from bursting in the oven. Finally, bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until potato is a little soft when pressed
with a mitted hand.
5. The main purpose for reading this piece of writing is to
A. ask someone how to make a dish.
B. learn more about potatoes and yams.
C. get directions for preparing a dish.
D. be persuaded to learn how to cook.
Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
Astronomy Facts
Asteroids
Comets

Asteroids contain rock and metals like
iron and nickel.

They are mostly found orbiting Jupiter
and Mars. They are sometimes called
minor planets.

Asteroid is a Greek word meaning
"star–like."

Due to their small size, asteroids do not
have enough gravity to pull themselves
into the shape of a ball.

If material from all the asteroids were
brought together to form a planet, the
resulting object would be smaller than
our moon.
6. What
A. to
B. to
C. to
D. to

Comets are a mixture of ices (water and
frozen gases) and dust.

They are sometimes called "dirty snowballs"
or "icy mud balls."

Comets are invisible, except when they are
close to the Sun.

When comets get close to the Sun, they
develop enormous tails of radiant material
that extend for millions of kilometers from the
head, away from the Sun.

Once a comet has passed the Sun more than
500 times, the comet loses most of its ice and
gas, and it begins to resemble an asteroid.
is the purpose of reading the above chart?
learn the difference between comets and asteroids
get directions to the best place to view comets
enjoy a story about comets and asteroids
understand the meaning of patterns in the sky
Snow Song
by A. Gautam
This winter it will snow
enough for all snowmen
to crowd the neighborhoods—
snowflakes like little stars
shimmering on the street—
This winter, leaves will fall
faster than lightning.
The trees will be brown and bare,
and I will sing a winter song.
This winter will be long.
7. Why would someone most likely read this selection?
A. to learn how to write a winter song
B. to solve the problem of falling leaves
C. to find out about weather changes
D. to enjoy the experience of reading it
Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
Main Entry: an·tic·i·pate
Pronunciation: an-'tis-uh-"peyt
Function: verb
1. to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to
2. to meet (an obligation) before a due date
3. to foresee and deal with in advance : forestall
Synonyms: see FORESEE, PREVENT
8. What
A. to
B. to
C. to
D. to
would be the main purpose of reading a selection like the one above?
find out what a word means
enjoy the story of a word
learn how to speak in English
learn how to write a speech
Heads of Mush
Cheaters never prosper. This has never been truer than nowadays. The Internet has given
students endless opportunities to steal other people's work.
Many students—too many—steal the work of others for convenience and grades.
An article in this newspaper on Sunday ran a national survey. It included 18,000 high school
students from 61 schools. Sixty percent admitted to plagiarism of some type.
No one doubts that an athlete needs to train to succeed. Exercise produces a hard body. Practice
makes a better athlete.
The same principles apply to the mind. Didn't like that movie? Why? Unhappy with the salesman's
offer? Explain. You want this job? Describe yourself. You think you can improve on that plan? How?
Answering as intelligent people takes mental exercise and practice. Avoiding that exercise can
leave the space inside the skull as flabby as three pounds in the body.
Making sure students develop the ability to reason and express takes good coaching and direction
from parents and teachers. Stealing other people's work on the Internet can never help a student
make a point. It only helps them make someone else's point. It can also rob the cheater of the ability
to succeed when they're all alone, without computer, with three pounds of mush in their heads.
And that's an original statement.
9. Which sentence best helps the reader determine the purpose of the passage?
A. "It included 18,000 high school students from 61 schools."
B. "The Internet has given students endless opportunities to steal other people's
work."
C. "Stealing other people's work on the Internet can never help a student make a
point."
D. "No one doubts that an athlete needs to train to succeed."
10. What is the main purpose of reading the passage?
A. to learn why the athletes need to train
B. to enjoy the story of original statements
C. to learn about the findings of a survey
D. to understand why plagiarism is wrong
Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
Answers
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. D
8. A
9. C
10. D
Explanations
1. Works of fiction are mostly written for people's enjoyment. The book might be scary
or funny, or just tell a good story. Books of fiction are divided into different genres. Each
genre represents a different type of story that a person might like to read. Some people
like action genres, like books about pirates or spies, while others like romance or drama.
This was an example of a passage one might find in a romance novel, like Wuthering
Heights or Sense and Sensibility.
2. Following the steps of the recipe calls for the cook to first preheat the oven to 325
degrees Fahrenheit. This is an example of instructive writing. Instructive writing teaches
the reader how to do something. Normally, it addresses the reader with "you" or the
"implied you" used when giving commands or instructions.
3. The teacher put the notice on the board for a very specific reason. She knew the
students would need directions to her house for the party. Students would need to read
the notice in order to find out how to get to her house.
4. The purpose of reading this article is to learn about how one phrase means two
different things to two different cultures. While this story may be interesting or
entertaining to some, its main purpose is to inform.
Skill and Form Number: Pre-reading Strategies #1
5. Someone who is reading this recipe would probably have a very specific purpose in
mind: to get directions for how to bake sweet potatoes or yams. A recipe includes the
ingredients one needs, as well as step-by-step instructions for how to make the dish.
6. The purpose of this chart is to provide the reader with information about the
difference between an asteroid and a comet. If the reader was curious about one or both
of these planetary objects, this chart would be a good source of information.
7. Poems can be about many things, and they can teach the reader a lot about the
world. People read poetry for entertainment as well. Someone would read "Snow Song"
to enjoy reading it. The poem is not meant to instruct or inform the reader.
8. The most common purpose for reading a dictionary definition is to find out what a
word means. A dictionary is a good place to look for the meaning of a word if the reader
does not know what it means. It also gives the reader other information, like the
pronunciation and synonyms for the word.
9. The purpose of this passage is to persuade the reader that plagiarizing is bad. Among
the answer choices, the sentence that best helps the reader determine the purpose is,
"Stealing other people's work on the Internet can never help a student make a point." It
is the only sentence that reveals to the reader the author's opinion on plagiarizing.
10. This is an example of an editorial. Editorials express opinions that can be similar to
or different than the reader's. In this case, the author is trying to persuade the reader
that plagiarism is wrong. The passage tries to explain why cheating robs the plagiarizer
of developing mental ability.