This is a training lesson plan to help students preparing for the C2 Cambridge Proficiency exam tackle part 6 of the reading and use of English paper. Students tend to struggle with this part of the exam and need a lot of guidance.
I’ve based this lesson plan around an example task from the CUP Proficiency Testbook 1 on the topic of expedition rafting. Download the PowerPoint, student handout and a scanned annotated copy of the text below:
First have students activate their schemata on the topic of rafting with the 3 conversation questions in the first slide.
In slide 3 students will look for the ways in which paragraph B fits into the first gap. By giving them the answer to the first gap, we can provide them with an opportunity to analyse the text and find the vocabulary, grammar and story connections that link the paragraph to text on either side. Reveal the answers on slide 4.
Go through the exam strategy on slide 5, then have students complete the clue hunt on slide 6. Reveal the answers to them and remind them to bear the clues in mind while they complete the task.
Negotiate a time limit for the students to complete the rest of the task individually. In the official exam they should dedicate 20 minutes to this part of the exam, however, as you’ve already done some prep work on this text, negotiate a time between 10 and 15 minutes.
Once they’ve completed the task, have them compare their answers in pairs. Make sure they refer back to the clue hunt and explain how each of the clues connect the paragraphs to the text.
Use the final few slides to reveal the answers and annotations.
Set them another part 6 task for homework and share the PowerPoint with them to refer to at home.
This is a worksheet for students preparing to take the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam. It serves as a way of extending use of English activities to further exploit the text. Download the handout below:
My students are using the official test book 1 to prepare for the June exam. This worksheet is based on parts 1 & 2 of test 2 from the book.
Part 1 – Multiple Choice Cloze
After they complete a part 1 task, either for homework or in class, I prepare an activity like the first one on the worksheet in which they’re required to use one more of the words from the multiple choice cloze to complete another sentence. This can help draw the attention to subtle differences in meaning and usage between the often confusing vocabulary items test in this part.
Part 2 – Open Cloze
After they’ve done a part 2 task, I create an inverted version of the same text by taking a photo of the original and running it through https://www.onlineocr.net/ to turn it into editable text. I then remove other words from the text, perhaps the delexicalized verb in an expression like “take into account”. Whereas in the original test the student might have been tested on the preposition: “take ….. account”, in the inverted version they might be tested on the verbs: “…… into account”
I also aim to remove some words from expressions that students may have overlooked in the rest of the text in their race to fill in the gaps. For example, this particular text contains the expression: “to all intents and purposes”, meaning “in all the most important ways”
If you create any similar training worksheets and want me to post them on the blog, feel free to get in touch via the comments.
Part 1
Use the extra words from part 1 to complete the sentences:
During the Vietnam war thousands of American men were called …. to serve in the military.
on
up
in
She decided to wear a ……. pink satin dress to the interview.
arresting
catching
fetching
Undergoing a ten-week basic training course is …….. practice for anyone wanting to join the US army.
native
standard
typical
He was excited to see his cousins again but when he saw them he ……… all shy for some reason.
came over
gave out
set up
The paramedics did their best to save him but he was ……….. dead on arrival at the hospital.
predicted
entered
pronounced
They considered his political ideas to be too ……… for the group and his membership was revoked.
basic
radical
central
It suddenly …….. on me that he had been lying to me the whole time.
started
dawned
birthed
We thought we’d put the issue to ……., but it was brought up again at the next meeting.
sleep
bed
ground
Part 2
Film music
Any mention ….. the movie Star Wars instantly triggers the resounding opening bars of the film score, which signals the presence of the enemy. But can you ….. to mind who wrote the music?
According …… the legendary film director Orson Wells, music ……… for half the work in a movie, mostly without the audience ……. knowing the composer’s name. The cruellest part of it for the composer is that, in a good film, that is how it ……. be. If the art of dressing well is to …. intents and purposes to dress in …… a way that others do not ……. your elegance, the art of a great music ……. is to fuse so perfectly with what is …… the screen that audiences are unconsciously …….. into the mood of the movie. ……. this reason, even great movie music ……. very little recognition to composers.
Key
Part 1:
b – up – be called up to the military
c – fetching – a fetching dress = an attractive dress
b – standard – standard practice = what people normally do
a – came over all + adjective = to react in a specific way to a situation
c – pronounced – be pronounced dead = a doctor officially announces and records your death
b – radical – radical political ideas
b – dawned – if something dawns on you, you realise it is happening.
b – bed – put something to bed – solve/resolve an issue/debate
Part 2
Film music
Any mention OF the movie Star Wars instantly triggers the resounding opening bars of the film score, which signals the presence of the enemy. But can you CALL to mind who wrote the music?
According TO the legendary film director Orson Wells, music ACCOUNTS for half the work in a movie, mostly without the audience EVEN knowing the composer’s name. The cruellest part of it for the composer is that, in a good film, that is how it SHOULD be. If the art of dressing well is to ALL intents and purposes to dress in SUCH a way that others do not NOTICE your elegance, the art of a great music SCORE is to fuse so perfectly with what is ON the screen that audiences are unconsciously SUCKED into the mood of the movie. FOR this reason, even great movie music BRINGS very little recognition to composers.
This is a lesson plan to help students tackle part 4 of the use of English in the main suit Cambridge exams, the key word transformations. I use this PowerPoint in conjunction with the C1 Advanced Key Word Transformation Mega Test handout but it can also be adapted for B2 First and C2 Proficiency students. Download the PowerPoint below:
Lead students through the techniques outlined in the PowerPoint then have them do page 1 of the mega test individually as practice. Then have students compare their answers before correcting in open class. You can then work through the rest of the mega test over the next few classes and for homework. You can also share the original quizlet set with them for self-study.
This is another training worksheet to introduce some of the expressions that typically come up in part 4 of the proficiency use of English paper. Students work together to guess the meaning of the expressions from the context, then attempt to recall them to complete version 2. Download the handout below:
The little boy was very jealous to see his cousin riding his new bike. (GREEN)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
She’s been a bit sad for the last few days. (MOUTH)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Be optimistic, at least it isn’t raining. (BRIGHT)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The film is very different from the book. (CRY)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In his autobiography, he finally told the truth about the infamous argument with his manager. (RECORD)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Listen, I’ll talk about the most important thing first, we love the house and we want to make an offer. (POINT)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Give me updates about the progress with the order, you can call or text anytime. (POSTED)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The England supporters said that bad luck was the reason for their team’s failure to qualify. (PUT)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The waiters at the restaurant were extremely attentive. (COULD)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Listen, I think we didn’t start our relationship well yesterday, can we begin again? (FOOT/START)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The police think Julia had something to do with the robbery but I think they’re choosing the wrong course of action. (TREE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We can go and have a look but we can’t be sure that there will be space to park. (GUARANTEE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He takes great satisfaction in his ability to remember names and dates. (PRIDES)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
She’s definitely at home, I saw her briefly when she walked past the window. (CAUGHT)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
There wasn’t a single room left at the hotel. (WHATSOEVER)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
When he was most successful, he could get a table at any restaurant he wanted. (HEIGHT)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Who knows how she’s going to react when you tell her? (TELLING)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We need to accept the fact that the money’s gone and we can’t get it back. (FACE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I don’t mind going to the cinema by myself. (AVERSE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
You’ll have to work very hard if you want to impress the boss, she’s very demanding. (SOCKS)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I was really nervous when I met my girlfriend’s parents for the first time but they soon made me feel comfortable. (EASE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Listen, I’ve said what I want to say, I don’t want to discuss this matter anymore. Goodbye. (PIECE/OPEN)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Conversation
Complete the questions, then ask and answer them with a partner.
Which member(s) of your family do you …….. the closest resemblance to?
Are you the kind of person that often feels green with …….. about your friends’ achievements or possessions? Do you think it’s normal to have these feelings? What can we do about them?
If you’re feeling …….. in the mouth, how do you cheer yourself up? Are you someone who tends to look on the bright ……..? Or do you have a more gloomy outlook on life?
Think of a place you’ve visited that was a far …….. from the place where you grew up. How was it different? Was it a good different or a bad different?
If you have to talk to someone about a difficult subject, do you tend to get ……… to the point, beat around the bush or avoid confrontation altogether? What are the pros and cons of each approach?
Think of a celebrity who has recently ……… the record straight about something they did or said in the past. What happened? Do you think they were right to speak out?
When a person becomes extremely successful or famous, how much of their success do you think can be ……… down to luck and how much is about real talent?
What’s the best customer service you’ve ever received? A place where the staff couldn’t ……… been more attentive. How did it make you feel? Does your country generally have good customer service?
Have you ever ……… off on the wrong foot with someone and had to start ………? Did you then go on to become good friends with that person?
Which of your skills/abilities do you pride yourself ………? Why do you think people tend to be overly modest or hide their best talents and abilities?
Have you ever ……… a glimpse of a really famous celebrity? Where were you? What was the celebrity doing? If you could live that moment again, would you do anything differently?
Think of an example of a famous person who is no longer at the height ……… their success. What are they doing now? Do you feel sorry for them?
Are you someone who tends to ……… up to facts when they’re staring you in the face? Or are you sometimes in denial?
“I’m not averse ……… going to the cinema by myself.” – Is this true for you? What are the pros and cons of going to see a film alone?
Did/do you work your ……… off at school or uni? Or just coast along doing the bare minimum?
How can the parents of a new girl/boyfriend ……… you at ease the first time you meet them? Have you ever been in this situation? How did it feel?
This is another training worksheet to introduce some of the expressions that typically come up in part 4 of the proficiency use of English paper. Students work together to guess the meaning of the expressions from the context, then attempt to recall them to complete version 2. Download the handout below:
Look at the expressions in bold and try to guess their meaning with a partner.
Young women are often discouraged from pursuing careers in engineering due to sexist preconceptions.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
People who earn under €10,000 a year are exempt from paying income tax.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I am behind with my rent payments, I owe my landlord €1000.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Whether he’s hot or not is beside the point, he’s my ex-boyfriend so you can’t date him.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
There is no question of him staying the night with us, he can get a hotel.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
New restrictions will come into force on Friday night.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Going camping in the mountains does not appeal to me at all.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The police ruled out the obvious suspect because he had an alibi for the night in question.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They made the decision to get married on the spur of the moment.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He has set his heart on going to LA to be an actor.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
When what really happened comes to light, you’re going to be in big trouble.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I’m not nearly as good-looking as him, it’s not fair!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
It is a foregone conclusion that Man City will win the league now.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I just took it as read that anyone who applied for the course would have the necessary qualifications.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sadly, he’s just not cut out to be a professional basketball player.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I have no idea whatsoever who’s going to win this match.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He came in for a lot of criticism after his comments to the press.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My horse couldn’t keep pace with the rest of the riders and we soon fell behind.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Version 2
Try to recall the expressions using the key words.
Young women are often put off pursuing careers in engineering due to sexist preconceptions. (DISCOURAGED)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
People who earn under €10,000 a year don’t have to pay income tax. (EXEMPT)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I have missed a few of my rent payments, I owe my landlord €1000. (BEHIND)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Whether he’s hot or not doesn’t matter, he’s my ex-boyfriend so you can’t date him. (BESIDE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
There’s no way he is staying the night with us, he can get a hotel. (QUESTION)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
New restrictions will become law on Friday night. (FORCE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Going camping in the mountains does not interest me at all. (APPEAL)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The police eliminated the obvious suspect because he had an alibi for the night in question. (RULED)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They made the decision to get married on a whim. (SPUR)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He is determined to go to LA to be an actor. (HEART)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
When what really happened is revealed, you’re going to be in big trouble. (LIGHT)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He’s much better looking than me, it’s not fair! (NEARLY)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Man City will definitely win the league now. (FOREGONE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I just assumed that anyone who applied for the course would have the necessary qualifications. (READ)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sadly, he just doesn’t have what it takes to be a professional basketball player. (CUT)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I haven’t the foggiest idea who’s going to win this match. (WHATSOEVER)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
He received a lot of criticism after his comments to the press. (CAME)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My horse couldn’t go at the same speed as the rest of the riders and we soon fell behind. (PACE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Discussion
Young women are often discouraged from pursuing careers in engineering due to sexist preconceptions.
Is this true? If so, what can be done to change the situation?
People who earn under €10,000 a year are exempt from paying income tax.
Should anyone else be exempt from paying tax? What can we do to cut down on tax avoidance?
Whether he’s hot or not is beside the point, he’s my ex-boyfriend so you can’t date him.
Is it ever ok to date a friend’s ex? Why? Why not?
New restrictions will come into force on Friday night.
What will you do if new coronavirus restrictions do come into force?
Going camping in the mountains does not appeal to me at all.
Does it appeal to you? Why? Why not?
They made the decision to get married on the spur of the moment.
Have you ever made a big decision on the spur of the moment?
He has set his heart on going to LA to be an actor.
What do you have your heart set on? What will you do to achieve it?
Sadly, he’s just not cut out to be a professional basketball player.
Do you think you’re cut out to be a professional sportsperson? Why? Why not? What skills/traits do you think you’re lacking?
He came in for a lot of criticism after his comments to the press.
Think of a celebrity who has come in for a lot of criticism recently. What did they do? Do you think the criticism was deserved? What’s your opinion of cancel culture?
The part 2 exercise is taken from the Expert Proficiency Coursebook published by Pearson.
Students first complete the exercise from their books, compare answers with a partner and correct the task in open class. The teacher then instructs them to close their books/fold the handout over and try to complete the second “inverted” version. In this version, different words have been removed from the fixed expressions tested in the original text. Other changes have been made in order to fully exploit the text for more high level lexis such as phrasal verbs and fixed expressions. Students can then refer back to the original in order to check their answers.
You can create your own inverted cloze exercises from any text in your course book. Happy inverting!
Inverted Version
Cover the original exercise.
Complete this version.
The relationship between the modern consumer and their rubbish is a complex one. Getting (1) ……. of rubbish has come to mean a great (2) ……. more than simply consigning breakfast leftovers (3) ……. a plastic bag. With the advent (4)……. recycling, rubbish has now invaded many people’s personal lives to an unprecedented (5) ……. There was a time, (6) ……. living memory, when rubbish collection was a simple matter – but today’s household rubbish, before being (7) ……., has to be filed and sorted (8) ……. colour-coded containers (9) ……. to its recycling category.
What is (10) ……., we are brought (11) ……. in a rash of irritation by the suggestion that, if rubbish collections were to become more infrequent, people would then make the effort to (12) ……. down on shopping and recycle more. We might be excused for wondering (13) ……. this would be possible. Can people realistically buy fewer eggs or (14) ……. of toothpaste than their lives require?
Recycling is supposed to be good for us. But for some, it’s just a (15) ……. of rubbish.
This is a loooong worksheet for students preparing to take the C1 Advanced exam, it has 82 key word transformation questions. I’ve basically just taken this great quizlet set and copy pasted it into a Google Doc, but it took a while so hopefully it’ll save you some time. Download the handout and answer key below:
I have a group who are taking the exam in 3 weeks so they want lots of practice, so I gave them this sheet with 78 expressions on it to study on Monday and told them to study it. Now I’m going to have them do the first 1/3 of the test in class today (Wednesday).
Knowing how much I love engaging and effective exam preparation materials, Peter Clements kindly asked me to review his latest book, which he co-authored with Paul Murphy, so here goes!
Overview
IELTS Reading Practice: Academic, published by Prosperity Education, is aimed at students preparing to take, you guessed it, the IELTS Academic exam. While it specifically focuses on the reading tasks found in the exam, that’s not to say that it scrimps on opportunities for practicing other skills and exam tasks. You can buy the book through the link below and also check out their other exam preparation materials:
The book is divided into 14 units, each of which examines a specific task type from the exam, ranging from tasks such as matching headings and true, false, not mentioned through to other IELTS staples like the table/flow chart/diagram completion tasks.
Each unit is divided into three two-page sections which follow a logical sequence with appropriate levels of scaffolding:
Think and prepare
The first part aims to activate students knowledge of the topic of the upcoming reading texts and also develop their understanding of some key lexis that will both be required later and also prove useful to students’ general communicative competence.
Here is an example of the “think” section:
You’ll notice that students are also directed to the bank of extra activities at the back of the book, where, in this case, they will find a topic card based on IELTS speaking part 2 covering the same topic as the unit. This is just one example of how the book offers teachers scope for planning varied, engaging, topic-based lessons, something that can be difficult to find in published exam preparation materials.
Students then move onto the “prepare” phase, which comprises short activities focusing on key topical lexis:
Students are led through a definition match activity followed by some controlled practice:
And finally some discussion questions:
While the structure may get repetitive – the same series of activities is repeated in each unit – it’s hard to argue with the logic of the stages and it’s one I use myself all the time so, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The lexis chosen is extremely relevant to the topic and pitched at the perfect register. Aside from aiding students’ comprehension of the upcoming texts, they are exactly the kinds of expressions candidates will be expected to produce in the writing and speaking parts of the exam.
There are also extra activities for this section which act as nice learner training exercises to nudge students towards good habits such as effective note-taking:
I was particularly drawn to this example of a graphic organiser. Students are encouraged to make notes on specific lexis and also associate it with an image, something I’ve been experimenting with in my own exam preparation classes.
I feel like activities like this can be extremely valuable for students who haven’t developed good study skills or learning habits; the examples in the book are clear, simple and can be easily replicated.
Practise
In the next section of each unit students are presented with a shorter version of the given reading task, along with an action plan and strategies. They are then encouraged to reflect on the efficacy of the plan and their own performance.
Students first do an introductory skimming task, for example:
They are then walked through an action plan for the task stage by stage:
Put it to the test
Finally, students are let loose on a full-length example exam task in order to put their newfound strategies into practice. The book contains 14 full-length texts, one for each task type. However, it doesn’t end there, in the extra activities section you will find one additional task for each of the 14 texts. These extra activities focus on a different task type, so for example, students could work on a true/false/not mentioned task in class and then complete a headings match task based on the same text for homework. In the back of the book there are also additional post-reading vocabulary tasks for each of the full length texts. This means that each of the texts is fully exploited.
Task information & tips
The book also contains a detailed analysis of each of the tasks and specific, detailed tips for approaching each one. I was particularly impressed by the rationales given for each tip:
I particularly liked the example of drawing students’ attention to topic sentences in paragraphs for the heading match task.
Summary
As you can probably already tell, I was really impressed by the book for a number of reasons:
Ease of use
Flicking through the pages as a teacher, I can immediately form a lesson plan in my head for a 90 minute class on each unit plus at least one homework task. I know it’s all there and I can pick and choose the order based on my students. I know they’re going to get lots of valuable exam practice and I can spin off into speaking tasks or vocab recall games when their motivation starts to wane towards the end of the class.
Topic-based exam prep
I know I’ve already mentioned it but it bears repeating, in exam prep classes it can be difficult to stick to the themed/topic-based classes we know we should be teaching, especially when there’s a big scary official exam looming. I know that IELTS and the Cambridge main suite exams are different beasts, but in my experience, intensive exam technique-focused prep classes for the Advanced and Proficiency can end up feeling like a poorly assembled patchwork quilt of different themes and topics due to the range of different texts students have to tackle. However, in this book the topics hold equal billing with the task type, which surely helps make for more cohesive classes and also aids students’ assimilation of the lexis.
Fully exploited texts
With the time constraint associated with exam preparation classes, it can sometimes feel overindulgent to linger for too long on a reading text to really drill down into it and exploit it for all its worth. The way this book manages to combine that impulse with further exam practice and vocab activities is really ingenious, hats off!
Clear strategies with clear rationale
It can be difficult to get students to take exam techniques and strategies on board, some can be stuck in their ways or view them as waste of time. The detail and rationale behind each strategy presented here make them easy to follow with plenty of opportunities to put them into practice straightaway.
In short, if you’re teaching IELTS Academic, get yourself a copy! Here are the details:
IELTS Reading Practice: Academic | Student Book, by Peter Clements and Paul Murphy
This is another worksheet designed to help introduce students to typical expressions that are tested in part 4 of the reading and use of English paper. Download the handout below:
This is a worksheet for students preparing to take the C1 Advanced exam. It will act as a refresher for a lot of the language, including linkers, prounouns, fixed expressions and phrasal verbs, that often come up in part 2 of the reading and use of English paper. Download the handout and key below:
