Reading: Sample analysis — Matching headings (2)

1. Mục tiêu buổi học

• Đọc một passage hoàn chỉnh dạng Matching headings, đi từng bước tìm câu chứa đáp án
• So sánh hai heading gần nghĩa để chọn đúng trọng tâm của đoạn
• Soát lại cả bộ đáp án sau khi làm xong để phát hiện lỗi logic

2. Passage mẫu

A For decades, researchers have studied how people learn new words in their native language. Children typically acquire vocabulary through repeated exposure in everyday conversations and storytelling. However, adults learning a second language face a different challenge. They cannot rely on the same natural context that helped them as children. Instead, they must use systematic methods to memorise meanings, pronunciation, and appropriate usage. Recent studies suggest that understanding word formation — the way prefixes and suffixes combine with word roots — can significantly speed up vocabulary acquisition for adult learners.

B One effective strategy is learning words in groups based on their grammatical function. For example, the suffix -able turns verbs into adjectives: drink becomes drinkable, read becomes readable. Similarly, -ise creates verbs from adjectives or nouns: modern becomes modernise, computer becomes computerise. When learners recognise these patterns, they can work out the meaning of unfamiliar words without constantly checking a dictionary. A student who knows flexible can reasonably guess that flexibility refers to the quality of being flexible.

C Context clues are another powerful tool. When readers come across an unknown word, surrounding sentences often provide hints about its meaning. Suppose a passage states: 'The journalist received a promotion after her outstanding coverage of the earthquake.' Even if a learner does not know promotion, the phrase 'after her outstanding coverage' suggests it is something positive, probably a reward or advancement. This approach works particularly well with academic texts, where writers typically define or explain key terms within the same paragraph.

D Despite these strategies, many learners struggle with collocation — knowing which words naturally go together. A common mistake is treating words in isolation. For instance, strong and powerful may seem interchangeable, but native speakers say 'strong coffee', not 'powerful coffee'. They 'express an opinion', not 'say an opinion'. Memorising individual words without learning their typical partners leads to sentences that are grammatically correct but sound unnatural. However, regularly reading authentic materials and noting down common phrases can help learners develop a sense of which combinations are appropriate.

E Some researchers argue that vocabulary size is less important than knowing how to use words accurately in different situations. Register — the level of formality — matters greatly. The word kids is informal, suitable for casual conversation, while children is neutral and works in most contexts. Using the wrong register can make a speaker sound either too stiff or inappropriately casual. For productive communication, learners need not only to recognise words but also to understand when and where each word fits. A formal essay requires different vocabulary choices than a friendly email.

3. Questions

The passage has five paragraphs, A–E.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i–viii, in boxes 1–5.

List of Headings
i Why adults and children learn vocabulary differently
ii The danger of learning words without their partners
iii How prefixes help learners guess meanings
iv Using surrounding text to understand new words
v Grouping words by grammatical patterns
vi The importance of knowing when to use formal or informal words
vii Why vocabulary size does not guarantee fluency
viii Common mistakes when using reference materials

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E

4. Answer key

5. Phân tích từng câu