Skill-related Reading

Skill-related Reading

Reading Skill（V）：Making Predictions while Reading

1．What is predicting？

Predicting is a strategy one uses to guess the content of passage based on contextual clues and prior knowledge．It is an ongoing process that actively engages one’s attention when reading．One must think in advance about what is coming next（making new predictions），then confirm or revise predictions based on evidence in the text．Skilled readers use both textual clues as well as prior knowledge to make predictions．

2．Why is predicting important？

Making predictions is an important skill in active reading．It activates students’prior knowledge about the text and helps them make connections between new information and what they already know．By making predictions about the text before，during，and after reading，students use what they already know—as well as what they suppose might happen—to make connections to the text．

Predicting helps keep the reader’s mind engaged and activated as he or she works through a text．When students actively predict while reading，they stay connected to the text and can reflect upon，refine，and revise their predictions．

3．How can the readers make predictions？

Predicting requires the readers to do two things：

（1）use clues the author provides in the text；

（2）use what they know from personal experience or knowledge．

When readers combine these two things，they can make relevant，logical predictions．Readers should make predictions before，during，and after reading．

①Before reading：one can make predictions about what the text is likely to contain based on information such as the heading，subheading，illustrations，charts，graphs，or maps，as well as prior knowledge of the topic．For example，before reading the text，one might say：

I think________will happen because________．

I bet________．

I wonder if________．

I imagine________．

I suppose________．

I predict________．

I’m guessing________．

Since________happened，I think that________will happen．

I think the character will________because________．(https://www.daowen.com)

I think I will learn________．

I think this text will be about________．

②During reading：gather evidence from the text that supports or disproves of previous predictions．

③After reading：confirm or refine predictions by using information found in the text．

＼Reading Practice＼

I．Directions：What do you think you will learn from the following text based on the title？Please explain the reasons for your predictions．The following structures may guide you in your predictions．

•I think．．．because．．．

•I bet．．．because．．．

•I suppose．．．because．．．

•I predict．．．because．．．

•I think I will learn．．．because．．．

Climate Change on Track to Wipe out Polar Bears by end of Century，Study Warns

Climate change is starving polar bears into extinction，according to research published Monday that predicts the apex carnivores could all but disappear within the span of a human lifetime．In some regions they are already caught in a vicious downward spiral，with shrinking sea ice cutting short the time bears have for hunting seals，scientists reported in Nature Climate Change．

Their dwindling body weight undermines their chances of surviving Arctic winters without food，the scientists added．

“The bears face an ever longer fasting period before the ice refreezes and they can head back out to feed，”Steven Amstrup，who conceived the study and is chief scientist of Polar Bears International，told AFP．

On current trends，the study concluded，polar bears in 12 of 13 subpopulations analyzed will have been decimated within 80 years by the galloping pace of change in the Arctic，which is warming three times as fast as the planet as a whole．

“By 2100，recruitment”—new births—“will be severely compromised or impossible everywhere except perhaps in the Queen Elizabeth Island subpopulation，”in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago，said Amstrup．

（191 words）

Ⅱ．Directions：Please fill out the table as you read Text B．