READING AND COMPREHENSION

READING AND COMPREHENSION

Introduction to Reading and Comprehension

Reading

Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling), alphabetics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency and motivation.

Comprehension

"The ability to understand information presented in the written form is called reading Comprehension". Comprehension is a "creative, multifaceted process" dependent upon four language skills: phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Reading comprehension is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows. 

People learn comprehension skills through education or instruction and some learn by direct experiences. Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. It is also determined by an individual's cognitive development, which is "the construction of thought processes".

There are specific characteristics that determine how successfully an individual will comprehend text, including prior knowledge about the subject, well-developed language, and the ability to make inferences from methodical questioning & monitoring comprehension like: "Why is this important?" and "Do I need to read the entire text?" are examples of passage questioning.

There are many reading strategies to improve reading comprehension and inferences, including improving one's vocabulary, critical text analysis (intersexuality, actual events vs. narration of events, etc.) and practicing deep reading. Ability to comprehend text is influenced by readers' skills and their ability to process information. If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read.

What is comprehension and examples?

The definition of comprehension refers to your ability to understand something, or your actual understanding of something.

 An example of comprehension is how well you understand a difficult math problem. ... The capacity for understanding ideas, facts, etc.

Difference between Reading and Comprehension

Reading is the goal of reading is to gain information, whether it is what happens to the characters in a story, or learning about the world. Reading fluency is the speed and accuracy of decoding words.

Comprehension is the ability to understand what you are reading.

What is a comprehension passage?

To solve comprehension passages are an important part of understanding any language. It is the art of reading, understanding, and remembering what you read in any given piece of writing. Once you have understood the passage, you will be able to reproduce the same passage in your own words.

Comprehension levels

Literal Level

Literal meaning is simply what the text says. It is what actually happens in the story. This is a very important level of understanding because it provides the foundation for more advanced comprehension. Without understanding the material on this level, you could not go any farther.

Inferential Level

Inferential meaning involves determining what the text means. You start with the stated information. This information is then used to determine deeper meaning that is not explicitly stated. Determining inferential meaning requires you to think about the text and draw a conclusion.

Evaluative Level

Evaluative comprehension requires the reader to move beyond the text to consider what they think and believe in relation to the message in the text.

Appreciative Level

Appreciative Level: You are able to comprehend author’s point of view, purpose, tone, and etc. based on clues in the text. This could be applied to determine author’s purpose, message and etc. for whole text or parts of texts, like a statement, quotes, reasons, examples, scenarios author may have included.

What is the importance of comprehension?

1.          Comprehension adds meaning to what is read.

2.          Reading comprehension occurs when words on a page are not just mere words but thoughts and ideas.

3.          Comprehension makes reading enjoyable, fun, and informative.

4.          It is needed to succeed in school, work, and life in general.

How to Pass a Reading Comprehension Test

1.          Focus on the Questions

2.          Use the Passage. ...

3.          Work with the Answers. ...

4.          Learning and Practicing Reading Comprehension Strategies.

What are comprehension questions?

Comprehension means understanding or mentally grasping the meaning of something. The answer to a comprehension question usually is something you can point to in the paragraph or passage.

How to answer comprehension passage

Comprehension is the noun form of Comprehend. To comprehend means to grasp mentally in order to have full understanding of a thing. Comprehension is a person’s power of understanding a given unseen passage. It is a very light exercise. The students should first grasp the sense of the passage, fully understand the nature of the questions and then answer the questions in their own words. The answers should be brief and to the point. Comprehension forms the basis of Precis-writing which in its turn leads to composition writing. Thus comprehension plays a very significant part in the mental development of the students in the art of learning English.

How do you write comprehension answers?

Ø   Read the questions.

Ø   Unpack the questions.

Ø   Read the text.

Ø   Identify the keywords in the question.

Ø   Read for relevant information and techniques.

Things to Be Remembered For Comprehension

Read the passage carefully two or three times so that the theme of the passage may be understood.

Read the questions carefully and underline the relevant portions of the given passage which you fee should be the most suitable answers.

Now write answers to the questions in simple, easy and current language.

Remember that the answers should be your own composition. Do not try to copy the very words of the passage.

The answers must have sound grammatical construction. Great care should be taken in the use of punctuation also.

Several answers should not be put in the same paragraph. Each answer should be given in a separate paragraph and should have its number corresponding to that of the question.

Given below are a few spheres (field) from which the topic for reading comprehensions may be picked:

Current Events: Mostly, the passage is picked from a recent development across the world, which may be hype and is in the news.

Economy Related: Passage related to economic growth or the development of a country may also be put up in the comprehension part.

Social Sciences: This is another sector from which the passage may be put forth in the Verbal Ability section.

Philosophy & Psychology: The comprehension may deal with philosophy and psychology topics, making the topic moderately complicated for the candidate.

Imaginary Events: It is also possible that the passage may be based on fictitious information which may not be realistic and just be imaginary.

Improvise your reading skills: Try reading the important words and phrases from the passage rather than reading each word in the comprehension. This will help you save some time.

Focus on the first and last passage: The introduction and conclusion of the passage are the most important and may help you with questions like giving a suitable topic for the passage, stating the passage’s tone or summarizing the passage. 

The comprehension is based on the current events maximum times because applicants may have come across the news through various platforms and may be aware of the topic.

Unseen Passage one

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was my favourite leader. He was the first Prime Minister of free India. He was one of the greatest statesmen of his age. He was born on 14th November, 1889 at Allahabad. His father was Pt. Moti Lal Nehru. He was a great barrister. Jawahar Lal was the only son of his parents. He was brought up like a prince amidst riches. He was sent to England for higher studies. Having finished his education there, he returned to India and became a lawyer. When he came in touch with Mahatma Gandhi he became his disciple. He was fond of children. They called him, “Chacha Nehru”. That is why his birthday is celebrated as the “Children Day”. He fought for the cause of the poor. He died on 27th May, 1964. India lost a great son and a leader in him.

Questions

1. Who was the first Prime Minister of free India?
2. When was he born?
3. Where was he born?
4. Who was his father?
5. What was his father?
6. Where was he sent for studies?
7. What was Gandhiji’s influence on him?
8. What did the children call him?
9. What did he do for the poor?
10. When did he die?

Unseen Passage two

Eskimos live in the polar areas. They are not usually tall but they have powerful legs and shoulders. They have a common language and can understand members of another group although they may come from many thousands of miles away. Marriage is by mutual consent. They do not have a special marriage ceremony. Eskimos live by hunting and fishing. The Eskimo snow house, which is called igloo, is very well-known, but in fact, Eskimos usually live in houses made of wood and turf. When they are not hunting and working, Eskimos like to carve. They use ivory and wood and they often make very beautiful objects.

 

Questions for Practice

1.          What do the Eskimos look like?

2.          How does a common language help them?

3.          How do they earn their living?

4.          What activities do they engage in during their spare time?

5.          Mention the two types of houses Eskimos live in.

6.          Find a word from the passage the means “agreement”.

Unseen Passage three

The seasonal problem of water taps running dry is plaguing most of our major cities. With the bigger rivers flowing in trickles and ponds and wells reduced to clay-pits, village women in remote areas have to fetch every drop of water for drinking, cooking, washing and so on, across large distances. This has only worsened a perennial problem, that of widespread pollution of water, rendering it unfit for human consumption.

The monsoons—and the attendant floods—will not solve this problem. The Delhi Administration is seriously worried about the threat to civic health posed by the polluted waters of the Jamuna. Two new tanks are to be set up to treat sewage. At present only 60 per cent of the 200 million gallons of the city’s sewage receives any kind of treatment before it is dumped into the river which supplies water not only to this city but to innumerable towns and villages downstream. The Ganga, the Jamuna, the Cauvery, in fact all our important rivers, serving many urban conglomerations are fast becoming a major source of disease.

A comprehensive bill, introduced in Parliament recently, envisages the setting up of Central and State boards for the prevention and control of water pollution. But it will obviously take some time before legislation is passed and effectively implemented. Meanwhile the problem continues to swell.

According to a survey of eight developing countries conducted a couple of years ago, 90 per cent of all child deaths were due to water-borne diseases. It is the same unchanged story today. In a country like India, a burgeoning population continuing to use the open countryside as a lavatory means that, with every dust storm and rain, human excreta laden with germs and parasite spores find their way to ponds, shallow wells and even the streams and rivers. Only 18 per cent of the rural folk have access to potable water.

 

Reading Comprehension Questions

1.          Which seasonal problem plagues our major cities?

2.          How do the women fulfill need of water?

3.          How has water pollution become a health hazard? ’

4.          What does the bill introduced in Parliament envisage?

5.          How can sewage system be improved?

6.          What has the survey of developing countries revealed?

7.          How are human excreta a major source of disease in India? ‘

8.          Which new threat is the writer talking about?

9.          Find out a word from the passage which means:

Countless. very many

Complete finished or ended

 

Unseen Passage four

Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of the greatest mathematical geniuses of the world. Born in a poor Brahmin family, he gave no indication of his hidden talent. He was born at Erode in Coimbatore in 1887. His father was an accountant to a cloth merchant who had to maintain a large family on a small income. Srinivasa was granted half exemption of fees when he stood first in the

Primary School Examination in the whole of Tanjore District.
From his childhood Ramanujan was of a quiet and dreamy temperament. He had answer to all sums that puzzled his classmates and seniors. Figures did not worry him, no calculation was too difficult for him. Things which were dark and muddled to his class-mates were as clear as daylight to him. He always helped them with generosity which was the most lovable feature of his character all through his career.

When he was in second class his curiosity upon the subject of the “Highest Truth” in Mathematics was roused. Later on when he moved into the Third Standard, he asked for problems of Mathematics of higher nature. While in Fourth Standard, he could solve the most difficult problems of Trigonometry. He obtained Ewler’s Theorems and proved them. He followed Carr’s Synopsis of Pure Mathematics. He solved all the problems without any other book to aid him. To him each solution was a triumph which encouraged him to a fresh endeavor.

Ramanujan won Subramanyam Scholarship usually awarded for proficiency in English as well as Mathematics. But the passion for Mathematics gained on him, he neglected all other subjects so much that he failed to gain promotion to higher class, thereby losing his scholarship. This was a great calamity of which he had never dreamt. He had no money, no means of earning, no books, and no influence. No help came to him from outside. He was now eighteen without any definite plan. He joined Pachaiyapsa’s college Madras (Now in Chennai) but had to return home due to illness.

Reading Comprehension Questions II :

1.          Where was Ramanujan born?

2.          How was Ramanujan inspired when he stood first in the Primary Examination?

3.          Why did he fail to get promotion to higher class?

4.          “Things which were all dark and muddled to his class-mates were as clear as
daylight to him.” How?

5.          How did Ramanujan show his talent in third standard?

6.          What was the unexpected calamity that befell Ramanujan?

7.          How was Ramanujan superior to his seniors?
Find out a word from the passage which means :

sign . . (exists or may happen)

inspire (to make somebody want to do or create something)

ignore (to pay no attention to somebody/something)