Giáo án Exam strategies

Ss realise that a sentence gives only the information it states, and that an exam answer must not assume unstated claims.

Ss read two short sentences on the board and answer two questions for each: (a) 'The library opens at nine on weekdays.' Is the library open at eight on a normal weekday? (b) 'She did not have to attend.' Did she attend?
Answer options: Yes / No / Cannot tell.

• (a) No. The stated weekday opening at nine excludes eight; the sentence says nothing about other claims.
• (b) Cannot tell. The sentence says attending was unnecessary; it does not say whether she attended or was forbidden to attend.
• Key idea for the lesson: good exam reasoning uses the evidence given and not guesses.

Ss explain the strategy for sound or stress, vocabulary, grammar and cloze questions, and state why each strategy relies on evidence and meaning.

Ss work in jigsaw groups of four. Each group reads the first paragraph of the section 'Strategy and reasoning' on sound and stress, vocabulary, grammar and cloze. Each member becomes an expert on one question type, then teaches the others.
Questions for the expert: What is tested? What must you do first? Why is spelling alone unreliable? What must you preserve when you substitute a word?
Ss complete Part A of Worksheet 1.

Worksheet 1, Part A completed:

• Sound or stress: identify the sound or stress being tested; allow the declared accent; spelling alone is unreliable.
• Vocabulary: substitute each candidate in context and keep the meaning, register and grammar.
• Grammar: identify the whole clause before choosing the form.
• Cloze: check both the local syntax of the gap and the relation between sentences.

Ss explain how to separate main ideas from details, locate evidence, make valid inferences, resolve pronoun reference, check paraphrases, and order sentences.

Ss work in pairs using Think-Pair-Share. T gives the following questions:

1. How do you tell a main idea from a detail?
2. When a fact is stated, where do you look for evidence?
3. When a claim is not stated, can you say it is false? When can you?
4. What must an inference be based on?
5. How do you resolve a pronoun?
6. What must a paraphrase preserve?
7. In ordering and sentence insertion, why is the shortest option not the answer?
   Ss complete Part B of Worksheet 1.

Worksheet 1, Part B completed:

• Main idea: the central argument of the passage, not a true but narrow detail.
• Stated fact: locate the evidence in the text.
• Unstated claim: do not treat it as false unless the question asks for an unsupported option.
• Inference: must follow from the information supplied.
• Pronoun: resolve by agreement and by context; check nearby candidates for meaning and agreement.
• Paraphrase: preserve actor, time, negation and degree.
• Ordering and insertion: track reference words and logical links; do not choose the shortest option.

Ss explain what a correct paraphrase must preserve, using the original example 'She did not have to attend'.

T presents the original example: 'She did not have to attend' means that attending was unnecessary. It does not mean she was forbidden, and it does not prove whether she attended.
T asks Ss to compare three paraphrases: (a) She was not required to attend. (b) She was not allowed to attend. (c) She did not attend.
Ss decide which paraphrase keeps the meaning and why, then check the main-idea rule with a short passage in the printed appendix.

• (a) Preserves the meaning: 'not required' keeps the lack of necessity and does not add prohibition or proof of non-attendance.
• (b) Changes the meaning: 'not allowed' introduces prohibition, which was not in the original.
• (c) Changes the meaning: 'did not attend' adds a fact that the original does not state.
• Meaning-preservation checklist: actor (she), time, negation (did not have to), scope and conditions must stay the same.
• Main-idea rule: choose the option that covers the central argument of the passage, not a true but narrow detail.

Ss apply the strategies to Exercises 1–4 and give a reason for each answer.

Ss complete Exercises 1–4 in Worksheet 2 individually for 5 minutes, then compare with a partner and justify each answer with evidence. Ss check their answers on the NeoEdu interactive page after the pair discussion.
Exercise 1: Which inference follows from 'The library opens at nine on weekdays'? A. It is not open at eight on a normal weekday. B. It never opens at weekends. C. Every visitor arrives at nine. D. It closes at ten every day.
Exercise 2: Which paraphrase preserves 'She did not have to attend'? A. She had to stay away. B. She definitely did not attend. C. She was forbidden to attend. D. Attendance was not necessary for her.
Exercise 3: 'The device failed, so we used the printed map.' What does so express? A. A consequence. B. A quoted request. C. A contrast. D. A condition.
Exercise 4: Which method best checks a pronoun reference? A. Choose the longest word. B. Ignore the surrounding clause. C. Check nearby candidates for meaning and agreement. D. Choose the nearest noun regardless of meaning.

Worksheet 2 answers with reasons:

• Exercise 1: A. The stated weekday opening excludes eight; the other claims are not stated.
• Exercise 2: D. Lack of necessity is not prohibition, and it does not prove non-attendance.
• Exercise 3: A. The use of the map results from the failure.
• Exercise 4: C. Both meaning and agreement constrain pronoun reference.

Ss read the model text aloud and explain the function of a sentence in the model and of the opening and closing.

Ss complete Exercises 5 and 6 in pairs.
Exercise 5: Choose one sentence from the middle of the printed model and explain what it contributes to the message.
Exercise 6: Read the opening and closing aloud. Explain one difference between their jobs in the complete product. The opening sentence is 'An exam strategy should improve reasoning, not replace it with a trick.' The closing sentence is 'The 2025-format English paper uses contextual cloze, ordering and reading, not separate pronunciation questions; this printed appendix also reviews broader task strategies.'

Teacher-graded answers (T marks, not automatic):

• Exercise 5: The sentence is correctly sourced from the printed model; it explains a specific content element, not a repeat of the title; the explanation is clear. Any equivalent explanation with the correct meaning is accepted.
• Exercise 6: The two sentences are read clearly; the opening establishes the situation and the closing leaves the final implication; the explanation is clear. A British or American accent is acceptable if clear.
• Scoring guide: source or reading (3), content of explanation (5), clarity of expression (2).

Ss write a short strategy explanation for Grade 11 students, with one original worked example and clearly labelled example data.

Ss complete Exercises 7 and 8. Imagine you are a Grade 12 student writing a short guide for Grade 11 students preparing for the exam.
Task: Choose one question type from the lesson. Explain the strategy in 80 to 100 words, give one original worked example, and conclude with a final paragraph or spoken summary that uses only details from the lesson. Any example data or proposal must be labelled 'Example' or 'Proposal'. Do not invent results.

A short written explanation that:

• names the strategy and explains why it works (evidence and meaning);
• contains one original worked example with clearly labelled example data;
• ends with a short conclusion that matches the message of the model.
  Teacher scoring guide: content with specific details and no invented results (4); audience and genre suited to Grade 11 students (2); vocabulary and grammar that are clear in meaning (2); cohesion, correct spelling and clear delivery if spoken (2).