B2 First Reading and Use of English Strategies

Introduction

• Overview of strategies for B2 First exam's Reading and Use of English section.
• Aim to maximize time efficiency and score high marks.

Exam Structure

• B2 First Exam Papers:
  • Reading and Use of English
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking
• Reading and Use of English: Two exams in one.
  • Parts 1, 5, 6, 7: Reading
  • Parts 2, 3, 4: Use of English
• Time Allocation: 1 hour 15 minutes total.
  • Allocate about 70 minutes to tasks (10 minutes per task).
  • Accounts for 40% of overall mark in B2 First.

Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze

• Task: Read text with eight gaps; choose the correct word from options A-D.
• Strategies:
  • Skim text first for general comprehension.
  • Identify signal words around gaps (e.g., comparatives, prepositions).
  • Evaluate option meanings, focus on context.
  • Re-read to catch mistakes.

Part 2: Open Cloze

• Task: Fill in eight text gaps without given options.
• Focus: Grammar and vocabulary.
• Strategies:
  • Quick read for context.
  • Analyze surrounding text for clues.
  • Use relative clauses for clarity (e.g., 'where').
  • Double-check for errors.

Part 3: Word Formation

• Task: Modify a given word to fit the sentence.
• Focus: Knowledge of word families, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Strategies:
  • Skim text to identify needed word forms.
  • Determine grammatical role (noun, verb, adjective).
  • Consider pluralization and negative forms.
  • Verify by re-reading.

Part 4: Key Word Transformations

• Task: Paraphrase sentence pairs, maintaining meaning with a given keyword.
• Focus: Synonyms and grammatical transformations.
• Strategies:
  • Analyze both sentences, identify transformation needs.
  • Use 2-5 words including the keyword.
  • Ensure meaning similarity.
  • Check for complete paraphrase before finalizing.

Part 5: Multiple Choice Reading

• Task: Answer six multiple choice questions based on a text.
• Focus: Comprehension of gist, detail, writer’s opinion.
• Strategies:
  • Quick initial read for general understanding.
  • Annotate questions with key points.
  • Answer in own words before checking options.
  • Revisit text for uncertain answers.

Part 6: Cross-Text Multiple Matching

• Task: Match six sentences to text gaps with one extra sentence.
• Focus: Linking text parts, identifying connections.
• Strategies:
  • Initial read for general text understanding.
  • Note major topics of paragraphs.
  • Look for connective words in sentences.
  • Match sentences to gaps based on logical flow.
  • Validate with final read-through.

Part 7: Gapped Text

• Task: Match questions to sections of a broken text.
• Focus: Detailed information reading.
• Strategies:
  • Highlight key question info.
  • Process paragraph by paragraph, not question by question.
  • Match questions to paragraphs efficiently.
  • Double-check all associations.

General Strategies

• Task Order:
  • Choose a sequence that maximizes personal efficiency.
  • Some start with longer tasks or those with more points.
• Time Management:
  • Practice to determine which tasks are quicker or more challenging.
  • Aim for around 10 minutes per task.

Conclusion

• Detailed strategy guide to conquer Reading and Use of English.
• Emphasizes practice and strategic approach.
• Options for further learning: online classes, additional resources.
• https://teacherphill.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Phrasal-verbs.pdf