R E A L-L I F E READING by Tara McCarthy Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources R E A L-L I F E READING CONTENTS To the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Review: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Comprehension. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Section 1: Reading on the Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8. A Checking Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 1. The Shapes of Road Signs. . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9. A Credit Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 2. Symbols on Road Signs. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 10. A Debit Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3. Busy Streets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 11. A Savings Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 4. Getting a Driver’s License. . . . . . . . . . . . 14 12. Developing a Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 5. Reading a Street Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Test: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 6. A Closer Look at the Street Map. . . . . . . 18 Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 7. Reading an Interstate Highway Map. . . . 20 8. Symbols Across the Country . . . . . . . . . 22 Section 3: Reading to Get and Give Information. . . 65 Review: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 1. Reading About How to Use Medicine. . . 66 Comprehension. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 2. Reading Directions for Prescription 9. Reading a Bus Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 10. Reading a Train Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . 28 3. Following Steps in a Process . . . . . . . . . 70 11. Reading an Airline Schedule. . . . . . . . . . 30 4. Using a Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Test: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5. Using a Telephone Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 6. Using a Table of Contents and an Index. 76 Review: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Section 2: Reading and Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Comprehension. . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 1. Reading About Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 7. Reading Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 2. More About Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 8. Reading Test Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 3. Unit Price. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 9. Filling Out a Job Application. . . . . . . . . . 84 4. Offers in the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 10. Reading and Writing Memos. . . . . . . . . . 86 5. Ordering From a Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 11. Applying for a Loan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 6. Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Test: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 7. Using Classified Ads to Look for a Job . . . 48 Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 3 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources To the Teacher Real Life Reading is designed to help young adults develop and apply basic reading skills to their everyday encounters with the written word. These encounters cover a wide range: from reading road signs, bus schedules, and classified ads, to reading and understanding instructions for taking a test, using a checking account, and filling out a job application. The lessons will be of particular value to ESL stu- dents, as well as to native English speakers who need intensive practice in close- reading skills. Here are the main features of the program: 1. The lesson format is supportive. Students first work with you and fellow classmates to preview, discuss, and practice the skill. 2. Key words from each lesson are listed and defined under Words and Meanings. For example, the lesson on reading classified advertisements lists and defines common abbreviations found in these ads. 3. Students immediately practice the skill on their own. The second page of each lesson, Use What You’ve Learned, encourages independent practice and applica- tion of the skill or concept. 4. In each section, a midway review and a final test allow you and the student to check comprehension and identify any concepts or skills that need to be revisited. Suggested Procedure 1. Teacher works with the class ■ to read and discuss the first page of each lesson and to answer questions. ■ to clarify what students must do independently on the second page. 2. Students work independently ■ to complete Use What You’ve Learned. ■ to check their responses with a partner. 4 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources 3. Teacher works with the class ■ to identify correct answers to Use What You’ve Learned and to discuss why they are correct. ■ to discuss any uncertainties or questions students encounter as they apply the particular skill. Ways of Sharing 1. Encourage students to bring in real-life examples to discuss with the class. For example, a student might bring in a bus schedule, a sale announcement, or a job application. Show the example on an overhead projector and invite students to discuss it according to the criteria presented in the lesson. 2. Encourage students to relate anecdotes—real or imagined—about what happened as a result of someone misreading or ignoring a sign or an instruction. Welcome humor along with the nitty-gritty. Examples: By misreading a road sign, a traveler might end up spending the night lost in a swamp instead of at a motel; by not filling out an order form correctly, a customer might end up with 100 T-shirts instead of one T-shirt. In conclusion, take advantage of any opportunity to write instructions on the chalkboard rather than communicating them aloud. Then invite students to read these instructions aloud, discuss them, and carry them out. 5 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources All rights reserved Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN: 0-439-23776-9 Copyright © 2002 by Scholastic, Inc. Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources READING ON THE ROAD 1 Reading and traveling go together! section safely If you want to travel , you have to read and obey road signs and symbols. on time If you want to get to places , you have to read and understand schedules. If you’re walking or driving, you have to read street and here road maps to find the most direct route from to there . In this section, you can put your reading skills to work to skillful traveler become a , too. Contents 1. The Shapes of Road Signs . . . . . . . . . .8 2. Symbols on Road Signs . . . . . . . . . . .10 3. Busy Streets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 4. Getting a Driver’s License . . . . . . . . . .14 5. Reading a Street Map . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 6. A Closer Look at the Street Map . . . . .18 7. Reading an Interstate Highway Map . .20 8. Symbols Across the Country . . . . . . .22 Review: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . .25 9. Reading a Bus Schedule . . . . . . . . . .26 10. Reading a Train Schedule . . . . . . . . . .28 11. Reading an Airline Schedule . . . . . . . .30 Test: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 7 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources 1. The Shapes of Road Signs shapes Good drivers look ahead for the of signs. Then they’re prepared for the messages in the signs. WARNING A road sign in one of these shapes gives a . DESTINATION A sign in this shape shows a or direction. EXIT 43 SERVICE AREA REGULATION A sign in this shape gives a or traffic law. MAXIMUM EXIT SPEED TOLL SPEED AHEAD 60 25 Words and Meanings detour—a road used instead of the main road exit—a way to leave the road you’re on maximum speed—highest legal speed resume speed—you can go back to the legal speed limit service area—rest area, gas station, food toll—money required to drive on some roads yield—let the car coming toward you go first. If you are entering a traffic circle, the car on the circle should go first. 8 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources Use what you’ve learned. Circle the answer you choose. 1. Which sign would have the words 5. The sign says DETOUR—2 mi AHEAD. TO WASHINGTON, D.C.? That means: a the road ahead is only two miles long. a b c b in two miles, you will be in Detour City. c in two miles, you will turn onto another road. 2. Which sign will have a warning message in it? 6. You don’t want to go the wrong way on a one-way road. Which sign do you watch for? a b c a b c 7. You need food. The car needs gas. 3. Which sign will indicate a traffic law? Which sign do you watch for? a b c a b c 4. Which sign warns about trains that may cross the road? a b c 8. Study the picture at right. Answer these two questions. Which car must wait? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- How do you know? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources 2. Symbols on Road Signs picture message A symbol is a that gives a . Study the symbols on the road signs below. An arrow shows which way to go. There is a railroad crossing. Traffic must yield. Traffic must stop. No U–turn allowed. No left turn allowed. School children are crossing here. There is an intersection. line down the middle One very important symbol is painted on the road itself. It’s the . A solid line, or two solid lines, means: NOT Do pass the car in front of you. A broken line means: IF You may pass the car ahead of you another car is not coming toward you. 10 Real-Life Reading © Scholastic Teaching Resources