“Lord of Part 1” B2 First Preparation

Разделы: Иностранные языки, Дополнительное образование, Конкурс по английскому языку «Cambridge English Teacher»

Классы: 8, 9, 10, 11

ФОРМА УЧАСТНИКА КОНКУРСА CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH TEACHER

Упражнение для подготовки к экзамену B2 First (Reading and Use of English Part 1)

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Activity title:

"Lord of Part 1"

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Skill(s):

Reading and Use of English

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Level(s):

B2 (B2 First exam)

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Exam part:

Part 1

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Aim(s):

  • Practice doing Part 1 + understand how exactly this task works.
  • Develop effective teamwork

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Materials needed:

  • 2 worksheets for each student/group
  • Cards with options

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Preparation:

  1. Print the task (Students' worksheets 1 and 2 - see below), you can give each student a copy or give one to a pair or group
  2. Print the cards with the options A-D and cut them. Prepare a separate set of cards for each pair or group of students

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Procedure:

Step 1 - BEFORE THE TASK

    Ask Ss about the task type. Remind them that the task requires them to be able to distinguish between the language units that might seem similar. Elicit what kinds of words these could be (prepositions, phrasal verbs, modal verbs, just synonyms and so on). Ask Ss to give examples of such words.
  • 2. Tell the Ss they are going to read a passage from the Lord of the Rings, elicit the name of the author and the topic of the book. Then, if necessary, familiarize the learners with the vocabulary from the passage that might cause difficulties (daunted, dubiously, stout, gleam etc)

Step 2 - COMPLETING THE ACTIVITY

    Give the Ss the passage with the gaps but without the options (Students' Worksheet 1)
  1. Ask the Ss to look through the text and say what it is about (the characters finding out about Aragorn's identity). Then ask them to think about what part of speech should be in each gap (we approach this task like an open-close one (Part 2) to provide Ss with a better understanding of how this exam tasks works. This way the task might help with preparing for both Parts 1 and 2. After thinking about the part of speech Ss try to guess the words that could be in the gaps (still not having the options, so the task is like open close for now).
  2. Ss fill in the table in Worksheet 1
  3. Give the Ss the cards with the options (Printable 1). Students see the A-option for each gap. Their task is to figure out what are the rest of the options (B, C, D) for each gap. Ss create lines with options on their desks. Provide Ss with assistance if necessary.
  4. After the Ss have all the options in the right places, hand out Worksheet 2 and ask them to complete the task. Tell the Ss to compare their "possible answers" with the ones they have chosen.

Step 3 - REFLECTION

Check the task together. Ask the Ss how close their initial guesses were to the actual answers. Ask them how they think the examiners create such tasks and what the logic of choosing the distractors is. If there were any difficulties, discuss with the Ss what caused them and outline the revision plan for your future lessons.

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Variation(s)

The Ss can write the lines with options on the board if their desks are too small.
With weaker Ss this step can be omitted (let them use Worksheet 2 without having to deal with the cards)
Stronger students can be asked to think what other distractors could have been used in the task

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Reflections

The task has been offered to a group of B2 students and on the whole was completed successfully due to the fact that the students are already familiar with the task type and the teacher's strategy to approach Part 1 like Open close at first.
Two of the students had no mistakes at all while others did face some difficulties. Those were caused by seeing some unfamiliar words in the options (flank, moderated) and thinking they are the right answers.
Another cause of difficulties were vocabulary units that don't exist in Ss' native language (Russian), mostly, phrasal verbs. The students are quite likely to confuse some of them, so more revision of these verbs was planned.
Some Ss were confused by some of the questions being easy (like question 4) and thought they had made a mistake but not all questions at the exam are difficult, so it is necessary for candidates to trust themselves and their knowledge even if the answer seems suspiciously easy
The task proved to be effective to develop Ss' understanding of the exam format as well as practise of distinguishing between similar words/wxpressions

Students' Worksheet 1

Pippin subsided; but Sam was not daunted, and he still eyed Strider dubiously. 'How do we know you are the Strider that Gandalf speaks about?' he demanded. 'You never mentioned Gandalf, till this letter came 1) ________.
You 2)_________ be a play-acting spy, 3)________ all I can see, trying to get us to go with you. You might have done in the real Strider and took his clothes. What have you to say to that?' 'That you are a stout fellow,' answered Strider; 'but I am 4) _______ my only answer to you, Sam Gamgee, is this. If I had killed the real Strider, I could kill you. And I should have killed you 5) _________ without so much talk. If I was after the Ring, I could have it now!'
He stood up, and seemed suddenly to 6) ________taller. In his eyes gleamed a light, keen and commanding. Throwing back his cloak, he laid his hand on the hilt of a sword that had hung concealed by his 7) ________. They did not dare to move. Sam sat wide-mouthed staring at him dumbly. 'But I am the real Strider, fortunately,' he said, looking down at them with his face 8)________ by a sudden smile. 'I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.'
(J. R. R. Tolkien)

Part of speech

Possible answer

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

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Students' Worksheet 2

Pippin subsided; but Sam was not daunted, and he still eyed Strider dubiously. 'How do we know you are the Strider that Gandalf speaks about?' he demanded. 'You never mentioned Gandalf, till this letter came 1) ________.
You 2)_________ be a play-acting spy, 3)________ all I can see, trying to get us to go with you. You might have done in the real Strider and took his clothes. What have you to say to that?' 'That you are a stout fellow,' answered Strider; 'but I am 4) _______ my only answer to you, Sam Gamgee, is this. If I had killed the real Strider, I could kill you. And I should have killed you 5) _________ without so much talk. If I was after the Ring, I could have it now!'
He stood up, and seemed suddenly to 6) ________taller. In his eyes gleamed a light, keen and commanding. Throwing back his cloak, he laid his hand on the hilt of a sword that had hung concealed by his 7) ________. They did not dare to move. Sam sat wide-mouthed staring at him dumbly. 'But I am the real Strider, fortunately,' he said, looking down at them with his face 8)________ by a sudden smile. 'I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.'
(J. R. R. Tolkien)

  1. A down B across C out D around
  2. A will B would C might D should
  3. A for B by C with D to
  4. A scared B frightened C worried D afraid
  5. A yet B already C after D just
  6. A rise B raise C grow D go
  7. A side B edge C flank D border
  8. A moderated B covered C softened D coloured

Printable 1

(cut the cards using the lines, one card - one word. The Ss get all the "As" and the other cards are mixed up)

1) A down

B across

C out

D around

2) A will

B would

C might

D should

3) A for

B by

C with

D to

4) A scared

B frightened

C worried

D afraid

5) A yet

B already

C after

D just

6) A rise

B raise

C grow

D go

7) A side

B edge

C flank

D border

8) A moderated

B covered

C softened

D coloured

ANSWERS (for the teacher)

  1. A down B across C out D around
  2. A will B would C might D should
  3. A for B by C with D to
  4. A scared B frightened C worried D afraid
  5. A yet B already C after D just
  6. A rise B raise C grow D go
  7. A side B edge C flank D border
  8. A moderated B covered C softened D coloured