PRE-READING:
Look at the title and predict the main ideas of the article. Then, write down three wh-questions about the text.
Ex: Where do the acorns he collects come from?
WHILE READING:
Set a time limit to read this article. An average reader can read at the speed of 250 words per minute. Note down your reading speed regularly to check your progress.
SKIMMING:
Within the time limit, read and summarize the main ideas of the paragraphs in your own words. Do not worry about unfamiliar vocabulary.
SOMERSET COLLECTOR SQUIRRELS AWAY 10 MILLION ACORNS
A professional acorn picker from Somerset is thought to have collected his 10 millionth acorn after 20 years.
David Bendon, 57, from Wilton, collects acorns by hand each autumn on the Nettlecombe Estate in Exmoor.
The acorns are harvested from trees, which have been selected for their size and health, and then sold to nurseries.
Mr Bendon said on cold, wet days it was "pretty horrible" but "one day these small acorns will be big magnificent oaks and what a legacy to leave".
"I just do it literally squirrel-fashion. So pretty much I get down like a squirrel, grovel around and collect acorns," he said.
"There are, on average, about 200 acorns to a kilo - and so I've been able to calculate that I am very close to the 10 million mark."
Mr Bendon said Nettlecombe oak trees were "famous throughout the country" and it was believed the ships which defeated the Spanish Armada were built from Nettlecombe oak.
Word count: 167 words
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-15335687
SCANNING:
Use your notes to identify where you can find the answers to the questions you made in the pre-reading stage.
READING FOR DETAILED UNDERSTANDING:
True or False:
Write T if the statement agrees with the text and F if it contradicts the text.
1. David Bendon has been collecting acorns for more than 20 years.
2. Bendon collects them all-year round.
3. He picks them from trees by hand.
4. Ten million acorns are about 50,000 kg.
5. Nettlecombe oak trees are well-known nationwide.
POST-READING:
Grammar:
Read the text again. Notice the following sentences and then match the verb tense to its correct example.
1. Bendon has collected his 10 millionth acorn.
2. The acorns are harvested from trees.
3. The trees have been selected for their size and health.
4. “I’ve been able to calculate that I am very close to the 10 million mark.”
5. It was believed the ships which defeated the Spanish Armada were built from Nettlecombe oak.
a. Present simple (active)
b. Present simple (passive)
c. Present perfect (active)
d. Present perfect (passive)
e. Past simple (active)
f. Past simple (passive)
Glossary:
Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.
• Acorn (n): the fruit of the oak, a smooth oval nut in a rough cup-like base (Hạt sồi)
• Squirrel (n): a small animal with a big tail that lives in trees and eats nuts (Con sóc)
• Squirrel-fashion: in a similar way to a squirrel (Giống cách con sóc thường làm)
• To be harvested = to be collected usually from plants or crops (Thu hoạch)
• A nursery = (n.) a place where young trees or other plants are raised before transplanting (Vườn ươm)
• Magnificent (adj): very good or beautiful, and very impressive (Rất đẹp, ấn tượng)
• Oak (n): a kind of large tree with a strong hard wood, often used for making furniture or in building houses and boats (Sồi)
• A legacy = (n.) something handed down from one generation to the next (Di sản)
• To grovel = to crawl on hands and knees as if looking for something (Khom lưng (nhặt nhạnh cái gì đó))
• the Spanish Armada = a Spanish fleet which tried to invade England in 1588 (Hạm đội Tây Ban Nha tấn công nước Anh vào năm 1588)
Discussion:
Ask and answer the following questions with a speaking partner.
1. Do you collect objects as a hobby? What objects do you collect?
2. How long have you collected these objects?
3. Would you collect objects from nature like David Bendon does? Why or why not?
Answers:
Reading for detailed understanding
1. T (... have collected his 10 millionth acorn after 20 years)
2. F (He collects them in Autumn)
3. F (He picks them up from the ground after they have fallen)
4. T (10 million acorns at 200 acorns/kg = 50,000 kg)
5. T (famous throughout the country).
Grammar:
1. Present perfect (active)
2. Present simple (passive)
3. Present perfect (passive)
4. Present perfect (active) and present simple (active)
5. Past simple (passive); Past simple (active); Past simple (passive)
This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).
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