1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The reason of selecting the topic
In the trend of globalization today, the importance of English cannot be
denied and ignored because it is widely used everywhere in the world. Along with
the development of technology, medicine, engineering and education, English plays
a very important role. Therefore, learning English becomes even more necessary
than ever.
When learning English, besides acquiring the ability to communicate,
reading skill also plays an integral part in learning process. Reading not only helps
students expand vocabulary but also learn grammatical structures in a natural way.
In the State’s high school graduation examination, it is reading skill that is
one of the skills tested and it accounts for 20 percent of the entire marks. That is to
say having a good reading skill is very necessary.
At Trieu Son 3 high school, for most of the students, they find reading
comprehension especially important yet most challenging one. When doing this
kind of task, students often start reading the passages immediately, even translate
them into their mother language whereas the passages are often long and difficult
with a lot of new words. Because of lack of a suitable method to answer each kind
of questions, students do not have enough time to complete their task or choose the
answer at random. On the other hand, students do not have many chances to do this
kind of tasks because most of the passages in the textbook 10, 11, and 12 – basic –
only ask students to read the passages and then answer the questions. Consequently,
most of them do not recognize each type of questions and even do not know what
the requirement of the question is. Due to these reasons, students often get poor
result when doing this kind of exercises. On teaching reading skill, especially
multiple choice reading comprehension to the 12 th students at Trieu Son 3 high
school I have found that classifying each kind of questions to find out the answer
quickly, accurately and adapting the textbook to give students more chances to
practice doing this kind of tasks are very important in teaching reading skill.
The above reasons have inspired me to conduct my initiative with the title
"The methods help the 12th graders at Trieu Son 3 high school do multiple-choice

70%
69%
63%
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passage.
4. The passage is too long in comparison with the time 45%
allotted.
5. I don’t know how to answer each kind of questions. 73%
6. I try my best to identify each question, then scan and 4%
skim the passage to find out the answer.
From the above table, we see that the majority of the students do not have
good reading skill. Most of them feel anxious, overwhelmed when facing multiplechoice reading comprehension exercises containing many of the new words, and
too long. Therefore, they are not only difficult for good students but also far more
difficult for average and poor students who only take GCSE examination.
Besides, when doing this kind of exercises, the large number of students
often focus on the translation of readings without focusing on understanding the
main content of the passage, identifying each type of questions and the best ways to
cope with them. They often worry about reading and translating more than
understanding the requirement of each kind of questions or answering questions
given below readings in advance. They have no skill to scan, skim the phrases,
sentences, clauses in the passage. This makes them have no enough time to answer
the questions correctly, resulting in getting bad marks when doing reading
comprehension multiple choice task.
More important, students find it unfamiliar when doing multiple-choice
reading comprehension exercises because in the textbook Tieng Anh 10, Tieng Anh
11, and Tieng Anh 12, most of the reading passages often simply ask students to
read the passages and then answer the questions followed. Therefore, students
always have many difficulties in choosing best option as doing multiple-choice

schoolyard and see your teacher approaching you, a small friendly wave to attract
his or her attention is appropriate.
Once you've got your friend's attention, you shouldn't point at the person or
thing you want her to look at. A slight nod will do. Pointing at someone is usually
considered rude. Of course, there are times when pointing is perfectly acceptable,
such as when a teacher wants to get someone's attention in class. The teacher often
points to the student and says, "David, would you read the next sentence, please?"
Pointing here is not impolite; it's simply a way to get someone's attention.
Question 1: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Some Social Situations in Attracting Attention
B. Attracting Attention by Waving
C. Attracting Attention: Non-verbal Cues
D. The Best Ways of Attracting Attention
Question 2: The passage indicates that we can use either verbal or _____
communication to attract someone’s attention.
A. signal
B. non-verbal
C. appropriate
D. simply
Question 3: According to the passage, what is considered the most common way of
getting someone’s attention?
A. raising one’s hand
B. pointing
C. waving
D. clapping one’s hands
nd
Question 4: What can we infer from the 2 paragraph?
A. It’s hard to wave at the airport.
B. We can use verbal form of communication to attract our relatives’
attention at the airport

A. polite
B. suitable
C. disrespectful
D. courteous
Question 10: Which of the following is TRUE?
A. To attract someone’s attention, we had better point at the person or thing
you want her to look at.
B. To attract a student in class, teacher often points to him/ her.
C. You can clap your hands to get the person's attention.
D. It’s not rude to attract someone’s attention by whistling
Or the reading passage in Unit 13 – The 22nd SEA GAMES – Tieng Anh 12 – Basic:
The 22nd Southeast Asian Games were held in Vietnam from the 5th to 13rd
December, 2003, Although it was the first time Vietnam hosted such a big sport
event, the Games were a great success. The Games really became a festival that
impressed sports enthusiasts with its spirit: solidarity, co-operation for peace and
development.
Athletes from 11 participating countries competed in 32 sports, and 444 gold
medals were won. Some teams such as table tennis, badminton, karatedo,
volleyball, basketball and wrestling were composed of top competitor in the region.
Many Games records were close to international levels. Vietnam won 158 gold
medals to finish at the top of the Southeast Asian Games medal standings. Thailand
was ranked second with 90 golds, and Indonesia was third with only 55 golds.
Singapore and Vietnam were the two nations which had participants who were
presented with the Most Outstanding Athlete titles in the Swimming and Shooting
events. The Vietnamese Women’s Football team successfully defended the SEA
Games title. The Men’s Football team won a silver medal. In other sports such as
karatedo, athletics, bodybuilding and wushu, the young and energetic Vietnamese
athletes performed excellently and won a lot of gold medals.
Vietnam’s first place finish was not surprising. Firstly, to prepare for the
22nd SEA Games, Vietnam carried out an intensive programme for its athletes,

B. impressed
C. participated
D. defended
Question 6: It is stated in the passage that a plan has been proposed for Vietnam to
host the Asia Sports Games ____________
A. next year
B. at some point in the future
C. in 2015
D. in 2020
By adapting reading passages in the textbook, teacher can help students:
- have a general understanding of multiple-choice reading comprehension tasks;
- helps students become familiar with multiple-choice reading comprehension
exercises;
- improve students’ reading skill by doing this kind of tasks.
In addition to this, I have encouraged my students to learn new words
through not only each lesson but also each exercise they did. In each period, I have
spent five minutes asking my students to write the new words they learned in the
last lesson. I read the Vietnamese meaning of the words and all students have to
write down the English words in their notebook of vocabulary with their books
closed. After that, I ask 5 students to hand in their notebooks, then I give feedback
and marks. By this way, students have to learn new words by heart and I can check
their learning new words process at home in a relatively short time. Moreover,
when teaching new words, I find their synonyms as many as possible, which helps
students easily answer the question about new words. For example, the synonym of
the word “disaster” is “catastrophe”; the synonym of “delay” is “hold up”… By this
method, my students could enlarge their new words gradually, which helps them do
not only all the tasks easily but reading comprehension tasks as well.
2.2.2. Answering each kind of questions
2.2.2.1. General skill
- Read the question first. Read the question, not the answer choices. When you

What is the main idea of the passage?
What is the author’s main point in the passage?
With what is the author primarily concerned?
Which of the following would be the best title?
- Where to find the answer: The answer to this type of question can generally be
determined by looking at the first sentences or the last ones of each paragraph.
- How to answer the question:
+ Read the first line or the last line of each paragraph.
+ Look for a common theme or idea in the first lines or the last line.
+ Scan quickly over the rest of the passage to check that all ideas in the rests of the
passage support the idea given in the first/ the last sentences.
+ Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the
remaining choices.
Students should leave this type of question until last because they will get
general idea of the passage when doing the other ones. At that time, it will be easier
for them to choose the best answer.
* Example:
My mother is a very caring woman. She takes the responsibility for running
the household. She is always the first one to get up in the morning to make sure that
we leave home for school having eaten breakfast and dressed in suitable clothes. In
the afternoon, after hospital, she rushes to the market, then hurries home so that
dinner is ready on the table by the time Dad gets home. (Unit 1 – Reading - Tieng
Anh 12 – Basic)
The main idea of this passage is that
A. A caring mother
B. A kind mother
C. A bad mother
D. A beautiful mother
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D. 15,000
* Answer: Key words of this question are “species” and “extinction”. Skim the
passage, we can see these key words in the second sentence. Therefore, the correct
answer is D.
2.2.2.2.3. Find “unstated” details
- How to identify the question:
Which of the following is not stated…?
Which of the following is not mentioned…?
Which of the following is not discussed…?
All of the following are true except…
- Where to find the answer: The answers to these questions are found in order in the
passage.
- How to answer the question:
+ Find out key words in the question. Key words are often: wh-question, verbs,
nouns, time, place…
+ Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the key word (or related idea).
+ Read the sentence that contains the key word or idea carefully.
+ Look for the answers that are definitely true according to the passage. Eliminate
those answers.
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+ Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed in the passage.
* Example:
We can communicate not only through words but also through body
language. Body language includes our posture, facial expressions, and gestures.
Because body language is so important, you will want to know what yours is saying
and how to interpret other people’s, too. (From Test yourself A – Tieng Anh 12 –
Basic)
Which of the following is NOT stated about types of body language?

pronouns in front of it. Try each of the nouns in the context in place of this
pronoun, and the correct answer is D.
2.2.2.2.5. Answer implied detail questions
- How to identify the question:
It is implied in the passage that …..
It can be inferred from the passage that ….
It is most likely that ….
What probably happened ….?
- Where to find the answer: The answers to these questions are generally found in
order in the passage.
- How to answer the question:
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+ Choose a key word in the question
+ Scan the passage for the key word (or a related idea)
+ Carefully read the sentence that contains the key word
+ Look for an answer that could be true, according to that sentence. And,
remember, true answers are NOT correct
* Example:
Only two spiders found in the continental United States are deadly to
humans: the black widow and the brown recluse. The black widow is found in all
the 48 contiguous states, more commonly in the South and West than in the North.
Crabill describes it as “a shy and retiring spider that doesn’t go looking for trouble.
The black widow’s bite is excruciatingly painful. “Sometimes even morphine won’t
knock out the paint.” Crabill says. (From Preparation for C1 – Vinh, 2015)
It can be inferred from the passage that morphine is…………………………
A. good for killing black widow spiders
B. a painkiller
C. a total cure for a spider bite

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A. additional uses of carbon tetrachloride
B. the banning of various chemical compounds by the U.S. government
C. further dangerous effects of carbon tetrachloride
D. the major characteristic of carbon tetrachloride
* Answer: We pay attention to the last sentence because this is a following
question. Based on the key words “similar action” and “other chemical
compounds” in the last sentence, we find the correct answer B.
2.2.2.2.7. Find definitions from structural clues
- How to identify the question:
What is the meaning of “X” in line Y?
The word “X” in line Y is closest in meaning to…
The word “X” in line Y could best to replaced by…
Which of the following is given a definition in paragraph?
- Where to find the answer: Information to help you determine what something
means will generally be found the punctuation clue, the restatement clue, or the
example clue.
- How to answer the question:
+ Find the word in the passage.
+ Locate any structural clues.
+ Read the part of the passage after the structural clue carefully.
+ Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the
remaining choices.
* Example:
Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few
resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can result from
high population density, or from low amounts of resources, or from both.
Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a

were presented with the Most Outstanding Athlete titles in the Swimming and
Shooting events. (From Tieng Anh 12 basic – Unit 13 – the 22 nd SEAGAMES –
Reading)
What is the meaning of “Outstanding” in the sentence?
A. excellent
B. quite good
C. talented
D. very bad
* Answer: We should base on the context to guess the meaning of the given word.
The key word help us find out the answer is “titles”. Base on this word, the correct
answers is A.
2.2.2.2.9. Use context to determine meanings of difficult words
- How to identify the question:
What is the meaning of “X” in line Y?
The word “X” in line Y is closest in meaning to….
- Where to find the answer: Information to help you understand the meaning of an
unknown word can often be found in the context surrounding the unknown word.
- How to answer the question:
+ Find the word in the passage.
+ Read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
+ Look for context clues to help you understand the meaning.
+ Choose the answer that the context indicates.
* Example:
Ocean ecosystems, especially fragile ones like coral reefs, will also be
affected by global warming. Warmer ocean temperatures can cause coral to
“bleach”, a state which if prolonged will lead to the death of the coral. Scientists
estimate that even 1 Celsius degree of additional warming could lead to widespread
bleaching and death of coral reefs around the world. Also, increasing carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean and increases the acidity of ocean
waters. This acidification further stresses ocean ecosystems. (From “ĐỀ THI THPT

C. Problem and Solution
D. Sequence writing
* Answer: The first sentence, the writer gives the reason why many people die. The
next ones, the writer gives a measure to save life by using a free public taxi service.
Therefore, the correct answer is C.
2.3. The result of researching
To have a basic comparison, give out the exact conclusion for the studying
process and applying the topic to teach reading skill in Trieu Son 3 high school, I
implemented to examine and collate the result of class 12H3 and 12H4, the
academic year 2014 -2015.
+ Class 12H3 was applied the above topic.
+ Class 12H4 was not applied the above topic.
At the end of this semester, I asked the students to do the following exercise
in 15 minutes:
In the mid-1800s, the population of the United State increased greatly due to
the failure of the potato crop in Ireland. This failure caused a famine that resulted
in the immigration of many Irish people to the U.S. They hoped to find better jobs
and living conditions when they arrived in cities like Boston and New York. In
Boston, there were so many immigrants that they were forced to live in the gardens,
back yards, and alleys surrounding houses, often in simple wooden sharks.
These poor conditions caused attitudes to quickly degrade. Rowdy behavior
resulting from alcohol and boredom spilled out into the streets of Boston, creating
a sharp increase in crime. In addition, overcrowding caused conditions to quickly
become unsanitary. Disease in the cities soon became a major problem,
particularly cholera. Sixty percent of Irish children born in Boston during this
period died before the age of six. Even Irish adults lived just six years on average
from the time of their arrival in America.
Câu 1: What is this passage mainly about?
A. the reasons for the chaotic situation in American cities
B. an unexpected increase in U.S. population and its consequences

D. The houses in Boston were all too small.
Câu 7: The word “unsanitary” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. unclean
B. uncomfortable
C. crowded
D. inexpensive
Câu 8: It can be inferred from the passage that the lives of the Irish children could
have been longer in the mid-1800s if
A. parents had taken them to the doctor. B. they had moved to another place
C. they had stayed home from school
D. the living areas and water had
been cleaner
Câu 9: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. The Irish government had done nothing to help the immigrants.
B. Overcrowding had led to an increase in crime.
C. Not many Irish children survived to the age of six.
D. Most of the Irish immigrants went to cities like Boston and New York
Câu 10: What can we infer from the reading about the mid-1800s?
A. American was not kind enough to help Irish.
B. Ireland was overpopulated.
C. The potato was an important crop in Ireland.
D. Many Irish immigrated illegally.
Through the assessment in class 12H3 with 42 students of my charge, I
achieved the following result:
Class
sizes
42

Good
(9-10)

average
(7-8)
2 = 4.76%

Average
(5-6)

Weakness
(3-4)

8 = 19.04% 27 = 64.28%

Poverty
(0-2)
5 = 11.92%

Comparing the results between the two above tables, we see that the number
of students of my charge getting average marks has increased. This means that most
of the students know how to not only do the multiple-choice reading
comprehension but also answer each kind of questions quickly and effectively.
They tried their best to find out key words in each question, classify each of them,
and then scan the passage to choose the correct answer. By this way, they have
enough time to finish their task in advance.
Through the process of applying these methods to improve reading
comprehension skills for the 12th graders at Trieu Son 3 high school, I have found
out that most students are interested in reading periods. Especially for weak
students, less boldly than while answering questions or doing reading activities.
They feel more confident of doing the reading comprehension tasks, and know how
to answer each kind of them under the pressure of time.
By adapting reading passage in the textbook and using these above methods

feedback from my colleagues, especially teachers who teach English to make my
initiatives more complete and widely applied in the teaching process.

XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ TRƯỞNG
ĐƠN VỊ

Thanh Hóa, ngày 28 tháng 5 năm 2016
Tôi xin cam đoan đây là SKKN của mình
viết, không sao chép nội dung của người
khác.
(Ký và ghi rõ họ tên)

Hoàng Trọng Sơn

REFERENCE
1. Mann, M & Taylore-Knowles, S. (2003). Reading skills for First Certificate.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
2. website: violet.vn
3. Dr. Than Trong Lien Nhan, (2000). English language teaching methodology.
Hue University of Foreign Languages.
4. Tiếng Anh 10 – Cơ bản; Tiếng Anh 11 – Cơ bản; Tiếng Anh 12 – Cơ bản.
5. website: />16


6. Milada Broukal, (2002) – Introduced and annotated by Le Huy Lam.
TOEFL reading flash. Ho Chi Minh publisher.

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