First Posting.

Hello, this is my first posting in blog. Therefore, I want to give thanks to Pn. Zaini for helping me to understand and guide me to publish this first posting. Not to forget, also thanks to Mozac@Muzaffar for helping me to use the tools in this blog and my partner Mariya Sellvam, in helping me to find and choose the suitable materials for the assignment. In our first posting is based on reading comprehension, here, the definition for reading comprehension is “Intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader.”(Harris and Hodges 1995, 207). There are two items in this post, first is an example of reading comprehension taken from: http://esl.about.com/od/beginningreadingskills/a/d_cc.htm and the second is a text online entitles Doctor Knowall from http://esl.about.com/od/intermediatereading/a/rc_grimm2.htm

An Example of Reading Comprehension:

Dialogue: The City and the Country

From Kenneth Beare,
Your Guide to English as 2nd Language.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

The City and the Country

David: How do you like living in the big city?
Maria: There are many things that are better than living in the country!

David: Can you give me some examples?
Maria: Well, it certainly is more interesting than the country. There is so much more to do and see!

David: Yes, but the city is more dangerous than the country.
Maria: That's true. People in the city aren't as open and friendly as those in the countryside.

David: I'm sure that the country is more relaxed, too!
Maria: Yes, the city is busier than the country. However, the country is much slower than the city.

David: I think that's a good thing!
Maria: Oh, I don't. The country is so slow and boring! It's much more boring than the city.

David: How about the cost of living? Is the country cheaper than the city?
Maria: Oh, yes. .

David: Life in the country is also much healthier than in the city.
Maria: Yes, it's cleaner and less dangerous in the country. But, the city is so much more exciting. It's faster, crazier and more fun than the country.

David: I think YOU are crazy for moving to the city.
Maria: Well, I'm young now. Maybe when I'm married and have children I'll move back to the country.

Check your understanding with this multiple choice comprehension quiz.

More Dialogue Practice - Includes level and target structures / language functions for each dialogue

THE TEXT ONLINE

DOCTOR KNOWALL

by Brothers Grimm
from Grimm's Fairy Tales

.

There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two talers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how well he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and would willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. 'Oh, yes,' said the doctor, 'that is soon managed.' 'What must I do?' asked the peasant.

'In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kind which has a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cart and your two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, and whatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for yourself with the words: "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailed up above your house-door.' The peasant did everything that he had been told to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what had become of the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to his carriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Knowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring back the stolen money. 'Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.' The lord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage, and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman's castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat. 'Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,' said he, and he seated himself with her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that was the first,' meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish. The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: 'That is the first thief,' and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said to his comrade outside: 'The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he said I was the first.' The second did not want to go in at all, but was forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that is the second.' This servant was equally alarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared no better, for the peasant again said: 'Grete, that is the third.' The fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath the cover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish, had no idea what to say, and cried: 'Ah, poor Crabb.' When the lord heard that, he cried: 'There! he knows it; he must also know who has the money!'

On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned to the hall, sat down to the table, and said: 'My lord, now will I search in my book where the gold is hidden.' The fifth servant, however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. But the doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find it immediately he said: 'I know you are there, so you had better come out!' Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him, and full of terror, sprang out, crying: 'That man knows everything!' Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was, but did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money in reward, and became a renowned man.

Vocabulary

peasant - farmer, worker, any non-royal who works the land
oxen - strong animals similar to cows that were used to pull carts
talers - old form of German money
to desire - to want
willingly - to do because you want to do
to inquire - to ask about
to manage - to be possible
cock on the frontispiece - picture of a male chicken (rooster) on the cover of the book
cart - wagon used to carry things and people
whatsoever - anything at all
to pertain - to be related to, to do with something
harnessed to his carriage - attached to his carriage
nobleman - royalty (i.e. king, queen, knight, duke, etc.)
fare - (first sense) food item
fare - (second sense) to do (How did you do = How did you fare?)
to nudge - to push lightly in order to indicate something
therefore - for that reason
a heavy sum - a large amount of money
to denounce - to name a person who did something
to hang a person - to kill someone using a rope put around the neck
to conceal - to hide
to creep - to move slowly and carefully
to spring out - to jump out
renowned - famous

Check your understanding with this comprehension quiz

More Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales Reading Comprehensions

The Old Man and the Grandson
Doctor Knowall
Clever Gretel
Old Sultan
The Queen Bee

THE EXPLAINATION OF THE TEXT

The type of this text online is, reading for pleasure. It is a fairy tale reading comprehension that giving the readers an imagery of fantasy word while they go through the story. ‘Doctor Knowall’ is an uncommon fairy tale in Asia countries compared with what we have now, such as Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and Beast and others. Those who prefer this type of story will enjoy the story and also the abstract message that author trying to tell the readers.

This reading comprehension is suitable for students and for adults because it not only a reading text but also included some activities that let the readers work on it.

First of all, one of the advantages of this reading comprehension is, it included with difficult vocabulary (in bold) defined at the end. This help the readers improve their vocabulary and spelling skills in English. This helps readers not to look on dictionary repeatedly to find the meanings of some difficult words that used in this text. Besides, the readers could learn new English words that they never came across before.

Another advantage of this reading comprehension is, it included with quizzes to check your understanding of the story. The readers can work on it once they finish read the text and the can exam their understanding of the story as well.

Finally, for those who interested in fairy tales, there are few more stories included in this reading comprehension. The same author of ‘Dr.Knowall’ writes the stories.

I hope that our first posting will be perfect as it required in this course and help the viewers of our blog gain useful knowledge through this reading comprehension.

Thanks again for viewing my blog and I hope we can meet again soon in my next blog. Good Day.