ENGLISH FORM TWO TOPIC 8: READING FOR COMPREHENSION

READING FOR COMPREHENSION

Reading and Obtaining General Information

Answering General Questions on Text Read

Answer general questions on text read

Reading for comprehension involves reading information from different sources. It involves reading in details with specific aims and tasks passages and information carefully with the aim of knowing all things about the information’s in the text.

In this part you are reading with the aim of being able to answer comprehension questions. When you are answering comprehension questions, the first thing to do is read the questions carefully before you read the passage, after reading the questions, you have to read the whole passage while remembering the questions. While reading you have to note all new vocabulary, the main idea of information and specific ideas. When you are reading consider; specific ideas which may lead you to summaries the passage, answer questions and know the title, a good example of specific ideas are, definitions, reasons or causes, importance, effects e.t.c . After doing all these, you go back to the questions and answer them.

Example 1

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

ILO Convention No 138 refers to child labor as employment below the minimum of age 15 and it state that 215 million children under 18 work full time around the word. Children are denied the right to education when they are forced into the worst forms of labor, especially sexual exploitation, child trafficking, heavy manual work in mining and agricultural plantations. According to UNICEF in 2011, 90 of children involved in domestic labour are girls.

In Sub Saharan Africa, which include developing countries like Tanzania among every four children aged 5-17 compared to the countries like Latin America where 1 among every ten children are engaged with work.

UNICEF 2010 estimated 20.7% of children in Tanzania are involved in child labour which dropped compared to 2001 when national bureau of statistics estimated that 35.4% were child labourers. According to the Tanzania legal and human rights centre 2012 human rights report, child labour in Tanzania is facilitated by a number of reasons including; poverty, family separation and pastoral communities which moves from one place to another in search for water and pasture. This forces children to drop out from school and are subjected to enforced labour, often times out of necessity.

The constitution and laws of Tanzania state that “employing child under 14 years old is an offence and employing any person below 18 years in an environment that will endanger their life or affect the upbringing of the child is an offence.’

The employment and labour relations act of 2004 gives the power to resident magistrate or district courts to impose punishment of 1 year imprisonment or fines up to Sh5 million to any person found guilty under the act. Child labour is also prohibited under the law of the child act of 2009.

Exercise 1

Write the title of the passage and summarise it in no more than 20 words.

Reading and Obtaining Specific Information

Answer on Specific Information on a Text Read

Answer on specific information on a text read

Exercise 2

Using the same passage above, answer the following questions:

1. ILO convention 138, refers to child labour as employment below the minimum of which age?
2. Children are denied the right to education when they are forced into doing what?
3. According to UNICEF child labour is caused by what in Tanzania?
4. What does the constitution and laws of Tanzania state concerning child labour?

• READ TOPIC 9: Interpreting Literary Works

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