THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT TRIEU SON UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE GUIDING STUDENTS TO USE PROPER SKILLS TO SOLVE MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISES RELATING TO CLOSEST AND OPPOSITE MEANINGS Writer: Nguyễn Thị Cương Position: Teacher Subject: English THANH HOA, YEAR 2019 CATEGORY Introduction 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic 1.2 Purposes of research 1.3 Objects of research 1.4 Methods of research Content 2.1 Theoretical basis 2.2 Factual basis 2.3 Solutions 2.3.1 Skills of doing exercises about symnonyms and antonyms a Guessing/ infering the meaning b Ruling out 2.3.2 Types of exercises 2.3.3 Principles of teaching exercises related to symnonyms and antonyms 2.3.4 Some selected exercises 2.4 Experimental results Conclusion and proposal 3.1 Conclusion 3.2 Proposal Introduction 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic In recent years, English has become a compulsory subject in secondary education programme and it is one of three main subjects in GCSE examinations Multiple –choice exercises are common ones that are used in many sorts of tests and examinations, especially in GCSE examinations and examinations for gifted students In a GCSE test, symnonymous and antonymous exercises account for about 15% to 20% the total questions including questions in vocabulary part and from two to five ones scatering in reading comprehension part, and three questions in writing part However, the knowledge used in this kind of exercises is broad so it is not easy for students to them perfectly In addition, “disturbed option” is a noticeable factor that teachers have to guide them how to guess the meaning or rule out the wrong options.Therefore, teachers need to carefully design or select questions suitable to them Morever, tutors should guide learners to acquire some skills to guess the meanings of the words/ phrases or idioms based on the context in case they meet completely new words so that they can choose the right answers.When they can acquire necessary skills to this kind of exercises , it will help them get ready for the examination It means that doing well this kind of practice will help students get certain scores, which contribute to their total mark Besides, this kind of vocabulary is very useful in doing other parts in the test Morever,knowing more vocabulary with different meaning assists people to use English more correctly However important it is, this area of knowlegde has not received much attention Therefore; I choose the topic " Guiding students to use proper skills to solve multiple-choice exercises relating to closest and opposite meanings" in my experience initiative to help them reinforce and practise vocabulary effectively and achieve good results in the exams 1.2 Purposes of research In the framework of this topic, I not hope to solve all the exercises of symnonyms and antonyms I focus only on guiding and solving a number of exercises such as matching, odd-one out, multiple questions… using some skills to solve these exercises to help students get ready for GCSE examination 1.3 Objects of research As what has been refered above, symnonyms and antonyms account for about 15% of the whole questions in an English tests, especially in the gifted student examination and GCSE examination These questions are usualy at high level and students have difficulties in doing them From my experiences in teaching and guiding process in which I help my students to prepare for the gifted student examination and GCSE examination, I am pleased to introduce some ways of teaching students to solve exercises about symnonyms and antonyms I applied this experience initiative for teaching students at Trieu Son upper school They are students of classes 10A8,11C8 and 12B8 1.4 Methods of research Complete the system of theoretical basis, basic knowledge, guide the approach to problems, analysis, evaluation and conclusions related to these exercises Applying this experience to students through semester tests, mock tests for GCSE, and surveys of the quality of the school's gifted students Report the topic to the professional team to get suggestions and comments I myself have consulted some opinions of colleagues who have much experience in teaching, and specially interest in vocabulary Content 2.1 Theoretical basis Vocabulary is very important in a language and so is it in English.English has a variety of synonyms and antonyms and they are widely used, especially in the English test of GCSE examination, they accounts for 15% of the total score However, they seem to be difficult When learning it, students find it very hard to remember a lot of words and they tend to ignore vocabulary exercises In examinations, when scoring their papers, we realize that, many students choose incorrect answers for these questions In my topic, I only focus on some theoretical problems, some basic exercises and some simple ways to teach antonymous and symnonymous words so that the students can the exercises related in English 2.2 Factual basis I researched this topic based on the following aspects: - Based on factual teaching - Based on some references about vocabulary - Based on the opinions of the colleagues Before making the topic, I had a test to examine the quality of the students of the classes 10A8,11C8 and 12B8 at Trieu Son I high school I obtained the following results: Class Number Excellent Good Average Weak of Number of % Number of % Number of % Number of students students students students students 10A8 50 10 16 32 15 30 14 11C8 42 13 31 14 33.4 12 12B8 41 10 12 29.2 11 26.8 14 2.3 Solutions 2.3.1 Skills of doing exercises about symnonyms and antonyms To these exercises correctly, students need to acquire some necessary skills If the exercises are simple enough, which means the words given are understandable and the context is not difficult, students can them smoothly % 28.6 34 However, if the given words/ phrases/ sentences are at higher levels, they need to apply the following ways a Guessing/ infering the meaning This is an important skill when doing a test Most of the English tests include a great amount of vocabulary, so there may appear difficult and unfamiliar words In this situation, students have to guess or infer their meanings basing on the context Examples: Choose the best word/phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in the following question [5] Because Jack defaulted on his loan, the bank took him to court A failed to pay B paid in full C had a bad personality D was paid much money In this example, “ defaulted” is a difficult word and not many students know what it means However, the phrases: “his loan” and “the bank took him to the court” can enable students to infer its meaning and choose its symnonym which is option A His greatest period of productivity occurred between 1876 and 1890 , during which time he enjoyed the patronage of Madame Von Meck , a woman he never met , who gave him a living stipend of about 1,000 a year.[4] The phrase “ enjoyed the patronage of ” probably mean _ A was mentally attached to B liked the company of C was financially dependent on D received advice from In this example, “ enjoyed the patronage of ” is an unfamiliar phrase and it is not easy to guess the meaning if standing alone With the following clause “who gave him a living stipend of about 1,000 a year”, people can infer its meaning and choose C as the correct answer b Ruling out With questions followed by disturbed options, “ruling out” is a necessary skill From the meaning of the words and context, grammatical structures or signs, students must carefully read and analyse each option to make the correct choice Examples: Choose the best word/phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part of the following question [5] As an educationalist, he was held in very high esteem A attended B much admired C much respected D scorned In this example, the idiom “held in very high esteem” can be understood basing on the context Therefore, students can rule out two options B,C that relating to its meaning at first Then, option A can not be the correct answer because its meaning does not belong to two terms: symnonym or antonyms As a result, D will be the right choice Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of the following question [6] As soon as he approached the house, the policeman stopped him A No sooner had he approached the house than the policeman stopped him B Hardly had he approached the house than the policeman stopped him C No sooner had he approached the house when the policeman stopped him D Hardly he had approached the house when the policeman stopped him This example consists of some disturbed options, so students need to be carefully The four options start with “ Hardly” or” No sooner” which are two forms of inversion Basing on their structures, “ Hardly had +S +p.p +when+ S + Ved” and “ No sooner had +S +p.p +than+ S + Ved” students can rule out options B,C and D 2.3.2 Types of exercises There also have some parts of knowledge that can be used in this multichoice question form They can belong to the following: - Vocabulary part - Vocabulary in reading part - Sentence transformation/writing Teachers need to devide students into two groups: weak or average students and good or excellent students before designing exercises For weak or average students, teachers need to design exercises with simple and popular words/ sentences for them to Examples: Vocabulary: These words or phrases are ones that they have learnt in textbook There may be some easy phrasal verbs or idioms Designers have to make sure that the given words/ phrases must be used in understandable sentences then students can choose or guess the answers basing on the context Exercise 1: Choose the best word/phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions Women whose husbands not contribute to the domestic chores are more vulnerable to illness [2] A able to be well protected B able to be easily hurt C able to be well known D able to be equally treated In many cultures, the mother is usually the homemaker while the father is the breadwinner [3] A the family member who is willing to share the domestic chores B the family member who likes bread C the family member who is responsible for childcare D the family member who earns money to support the family The stone stelea were engraved with the names of the top students in royal examinations [1] A printed B carved C washed D written 4.We enjoy spending time together in the evening when the family members get together in the living room after a day of working hard [3] A gather B watch TV C chat D tell jokes Keys: B D 3.B 4.A Exercise 2: Choose the best word/phrase that is OPPOSTE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions She got up late and rushed to the bus stop [3] A came into B went leisurely C went quickly D dropped by Our well-trained staff are always courteous to customers [2] A polite B friendly C helpful D rude Everything went smoothly at first [2] A fluently B.seriously C easily D uneasily Keys: B 2.D 3.D Reading Exercise : Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions [4] In the United States, people greet each other with a handshake in a formal introduction The handshake must be firm If the handshake is weak, it is a sign of weakness or unfriendliness Friends may place a hand on the other's arm or shoulder Some people, usually women, greet a friend with a hug Americans shake their index finger at children when they scold them and pat them on the head when they admire them Learning a culture's body language is sometimes confusing If you don't know what to do, the safest thing to is to smile In the paragraph, the word firm in the first paragraph refers to A tight B small C light D fast 2.Which of the following is OPPOSITE in meaning with admire in the paragraph ? A like B look up to C memorialize D look down on 3.Which of the following is OPPOSITE in meaning with confusing in the paragraph ? A easy to understand B difficult to understand C convenient to understand D comfortable to understand In the paragraph, the word scold in the first paragraph refers to A reproach B blame C compliment D accuse Keys: C 2.D A Writing: Teachers should design or select exercises with some basic structures such as: because and because of, although and in spite of/ despite, in order to/ so as to, so that/ such that, conditional sentences type 1,2,3, tenses Exercise : Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions [5] She was so busy that she couldn’t answer the phone A She was very busy that she couldn’t answer the phone B She was too busy to answer the phone C She was too busy not to answer the phone D She was very busy so that she couldn’t answer the phone I have never talked to the headmaster before A It’s the first time I ever talked to the headmaster B It’s the first time I had ever talked to the headmaster C It’s the first time I have ever talked to the headmaster D It’s the first time I will ever have talked to the headmaster Keys: B 2.C For good and excellent students, teachers need to design exercises with more difficult words/ phrases/ structures Vocabulary: Pay much attention to academic words,phrasal verbs and idioms These words or phrases are special ones that they have to guess or infer the meanings basing on the context Exercise 1: Choose the best word/phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions [5] She’s been down in the mouththe whole morning A hungry B sad C talkative D ill at ease I couldn't believe it was true, but there it was, in black and white A in print B written down C with evidence D under proof Because Jack defaulted on his loan, the bank took him to court A failed to pay B paid in full C had a bad personality D was paid much money Keys: B 2.B A Exercise 2: Choose the best word/phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions [6] His career in the illicit drug trade ended with the police raid this morning A elicited B irregular C secret D legal As an educationalist, he was held in very high esteem A attended B much admired C much respected D scorned The first boy gave a quick-witted reply A nonsensical B silly C tepid D intelligent Keys: D 2.D 3.B Reading Exercise : Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions [5] Gradually people learned they could start a fire without traveling far to find flames They rubbed two pieces of wood together This method was used for thousands of years When people became used to making fires with which to cook food and stay warm at night, they found that certain resins or gums from trees burnt longer and brighter They melted resins and dipped branches in the liquid to make torches that lit their homes at night Ironstands in which torches used to be fixed can still be seen in old buildings of Europe There was no lighting in city streets until gas lamps, and then electric lamps were installed Boys ran about London at night carrying torches of burning material They were called torch boys, or link boys, and earned a living by guiding visitors to friends’ houses at night For centuries homes were lit by candles until oil was found Even then, oil lamps were no more effective than a cluster of candles We read about the splendors and marvels of ancient palaces and castles, but we forget that they must have been gloomy and murky places at night The word “splendors” in the passage could be best replaced by which of the following? A expensive objects B places of scenic beauty C achievements D the beautiful and impressive features The word “gloomy” in the passage is closest in meaning to A nearly dark B badly decorated C containing a lot of white D mysterious Keys: D 2.A Writing: Teacher must pay much attention to difficult and unpopular structures such as: inversion, subjunctive mood, advanced types of conditional sentences, clauses…… Exercise : Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions I did not come to your party due to the rain A If it did not rained, I would come to your party B It was the rain that prevented me from coming to your party C Even though it rained, I came to your party D Suppose it did not rain, I would come to your party As soon as he approached the house, the policeman stopped him A No sooner had he approached the house than the policeman stopped him B Hardly had he approached the house than the policeman stopped him C No sooner had he approached the house when the policeman stopped him D Hardly he had approached the house when the policeman stopped him Keys: B 2.D 2.3.3 Principles of teaching exercises related to symnonyms and antonyms When teaching symnonyms and antonyms, teachers must adhere to five following principles - All teachers' instructions must be detailed, clear and specific If the instructions are not specific and generic, students will not know how to perform their tasks and the task is easy to fail The most important part of this section is to guide students to find resources to look up synonyms and antonyms and quick and effective ways to look up The main source is English-English dictionaries and dictionaries specializing in synonyms and antonyms Students can look up dictionaries with printouts or dictionaries on the Internet The quick way to look up for compound words not included in the dictionaries is to look up from the root, then determine the definition of the same word prefix, its suffix - Stick to principle “Student-centered”, boldly assigns students groups to learn about synonyms and antonyms in specific lessons This principle helps students take the initiative, actively participate in the lesson and help develop their teamwork skills and presentation skills Assigning the study of synonyms and antonyms in a certain lesson to students causes students to brainstorm, actively embark on a task and thereby actively memorize vocabulary - Focus on monitoring the progress of the groups, comparing and evaluating the results Monitoring the progress of each group will help teachers evaluate and comment more accurately on the results of each group In addition, teachers can promptly provide appropriate help for disadvantaged groups - Teachers play a major role in synthesizing, modifying and supplementing the results of groups This is the period when teachers play a key role to ensure that they provide adequate and accurate knowledge to their students - Teachers should regularly test, comment and evaluate the ability of students in applying the knowledge of synonyms to speak and write English This is the principle of "learning with practice",which encourages students to use the knowledge they already have in speaking and writing production skills This must be done regularly to form a habit of using a student's foreign language 2.3.4 Some selected exercises Exercise 1: Choose the best word/phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions [5] Laws on military service since 1960 still hold good A is in good condition B remains for good C stands in life D remains in effect In astronomy, a scale of magnitude from one to six denotes the brightness of astar A signifies B predicts C contrasts D examines Don’t you ever mention that matter again I will not hear anything of it A touch on B put off C take in D go on It was too late to stop the panic that had resulted from the false news report A enthralled B ensured C ensued D entailed The newscaster gave a concise account of the strategy A complicated and intricate B short and clear C sad and depressing D long and detailed20 Married couples can get a divorce if they find they are not compatible A able to share an apartment or house B able to budget their money C capable of living harmoniously D capable of having children There is no thing to make it likely or certain that he will be at the party A proof B promise C guarantee D fact 10 The dog is not well We have to take it to see the person who treats sick animals A zoologist B horticulturist C veterinarian D veteran In Africa, many children die from not having enough food A poverty B starvation C drought D malnutrition 10 Give me a not long account of what happened A compact B terse C brief D condensed Keys: 1.D A 3.A 4.C 5.B C C 8.C 9.B 10.C Exercise 2: Choose the best word/phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions [6] His new work has enjoyed a very good review from critics and readers A viewing B opinion C regard D look Such problems as haste and inexperience are a universal feature of youth A marked B separated C shared D hidden We have lived there for years and grown fond of the surroundings That is why we not want to leave A loved the surroundings B planted many trees in the surroundings C possessed by the surroundings D haunted by the surroundings Although they hold similar political views, their religious beliefs present a striking contrast A minor comparison B interesting resemblance C significant difference D complete coincidence These were the people who advocated using force to stop school violence A openly criticised B publicly said C publicly supported D strongly condemned Within a week on display at the exhibition, the painting was hailed as a masterpiece A an expensive work of art B a down-to-earth work of art C an excellent work of art D a large work of art The repeated commercials on TV distract many viewers from watching their favourite films A businesses B advertisements C economics D contests As tourism is more developed, people worry about the damage to the flora and fauna of the island A flowers and trees B plants and animals C mountains and forests D fruits and vegetables It is such a prestigious university that only excellent students are entitled to a full scholarship each year A have the right to refuse B are refused the right to C are given the right to D have the obligation to 10 The works of such men as the English philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes helped pave the way for academic freedom in the modern sense 11 A terminate B prevent C lighten D.initiate Keys: 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.C 5.C 6.C 7.B 8.B C 10.D Exercise : Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions [4] What is alarming about the case of the Bengal tiger is that this extinction will have been caused almost entirely by poachers who, according to some sources, are not always interested in material gain but in personal gratification This is an example of the callousness that is contributing to the problem of extinction Animals such as the Bengal tiger, as well as other endangered species, are valuable parts of the world’s ecosystem International laws protecting these animals must be enacted to ensure their survival – and the survival of our planet Countries around the world have begun to deal with the problem in various ways Some countries, in an effort to circumvent the problem, have allocated large amounts of land to animals reserves They then charge admission prices to help defray the costs of maintaining the parks, and they often must also depend on world organizations for support This money enables them to invest in equipment and patrols to protect the animals Another response to the increase in animal extinction is an international boycott of products made from endangered species This has had some effect, but by itself it will not prevent animals from being hunted and killed The word “poachers” could be best replaced by which of the following ? A Concerned scientists B Enterprising researchers C Illegal hunters D Trained hunters The word “callousness” could be best replaced by which of the following ? A incompetence B indirectness C insensitivity D independence Which of the following could best replace the word “allocated” ? A set aside B combined C taken D organized What does the term “international boycott” refer to ? A A global increase in animal survival B A refusal to buy animal products worldwide C Defraying the cost of maintaining national parks D Buying and selling of animal products overseas Keys: C C 3.A B Exercise 4: Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.[5] I have never seen this film before A Never before have I seen this film B Never before I have seen this film C Before have never I seen this film D Have I never before seen this film My sister is often sick because she doesn’t physical exercise A If my sister does physical exercise, she won’t often be sick B If my sister isn’t physical exercise, she does sick C If my sister did physical exercise, she wouldn’t often be sick 12 D If my sister wasn’t physical exercise, she would sick I did not answer the door even though I knew it was my friend A Unless I knew it was my friend, I would not answer the door B I knew it was my friend, but I did not answer the door C Only when I answered the door did I knew it was my friend D I answered the door since I knew it was my friend Julie and Anne had not met each other before he party A The party was the place where Julie and Anne could not meet each other B The party prevented Julie and Anne from meeting each other C Julie and Anne got acquainted when they were at the party D Julie and Anne used to meet each other for the party I have seldom heard such a talented singer A Seldom have I heard such a talented singer B Seldom I have heard such a talented singer C Seldom has I heard such a talented singer D All are correct Keys: A 2.C 3.B 4.C 5.A Exercise 5: Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.[6] Mr Brown said, “Could you please wait here about half an hour?” A Mr Brown asked me if I had been able to wait there about half an hour B Mr Brown asked me if I could wait there about half an hour C Mr Brown asked me to wait there about half an hour D Mr Brown asked me if I was pleased to wait there about half an hour Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second child A Only when Alice and Charles had their second child, they decided to move to a bigger house B Only when Alice and Charles had their second child that they decided to move to a bigger house C Only when Alice and Charles had their second child did they decide to move to a bigger house D Only when had Alice and Charles had their second child than they decided to move to a bigger house The spectators were so excited to see the race that they did not pay so much attention to that little incident A Such excitement were the spectators to see the race that they did not pay attention to that little incident B So excited were the spectators to see the race that they didn’t pay so much attention to that little incident C The spectators paid full attention to the race with excitement, so they didn’t realize that little incident 13 D The spectators did not pay so much attention to that little incident because they were excited to see the race Keys: C C 3.B 2.4 Experimental results In my teaching process in the shool year 2018- 2019, I applied this topic in my teaching for students in three grades: grade 10 th, 11th and12th As a result, it has been proved to be effective It has made students more confident to exercises They don’t avoid doing them any more Especially, I have four students who attended the examination for gifted students organized by Thanh Hoa Department of education and training They did exercises related to symnonyms and antonyms well, although there were some very difficult sentences At the end of the school year, I had a test about making sentences for students of the three classes : 10A8,11C8 and 12B8 And the result was much better in comparision with that at the beginning of the school year Class 10A8 Number of students 50 Rank Making sentences Before applying After applying Excellent 10% 12 24% Good Average Weak 16 15 14 32% 30% 14% 24 11 48% 22% 6% 13 14 12 7% 31% 33.4% 28.6% 9.8% 22 11 16.6% 52.4% 26.2% 4.8% 19.5% 11C8 42 Excellent Good Average Weak Excellent 12B8 41 Good 12 29.2% 16 39 % Average Weak 11 14 26.8% 34.2% 12 29.3% 12.2% Conclusion and proposal 3.1 Conclusion In the process of teaching English at Grade 10th,11th and 12th in the academic year 2018-2019, I got the initatively good result I introduced to the students the types of sentences and how to make them correctly I constantly gave them exercises about writing and asked them to practice For weak students , I only introduced the basic sentences and simple exercises And for gifted 14 students, or the students who study English to attend university entrance examination, I taught them advanced sentences and more difficult exercises I find that most of the students understand the basic knowledge and they can exercises relating to writing skill at low or average level However, weak students still have some difficulties and they need to practise more and I continue applying this experience in teaching them I have shown this experience initiative in the meeting of the foreign language group at Trieu Son High school and got the support and contributive opinions from my fellow teachers As a young teacher, I haven’t obtained much experience in teaching so that my topic is still limited Therefore; I look forward to receiving the comments and contribution of the other experienced teachers and colleagues so that my topic will be more complete and more effective in the teaching process 3.2 Proposal I would like to propose that all the good and effective experience initatives should be widely applied in teaching at schools The schools ought to organize meetings and conferences at which teachers are able to exchange their teaching experiences and knowledge to enhance the quality of education Young teachers should be constantly fostered their professional abilities and given more interest to help them develop their best proficiency Sincerely thank you! The confirmation of the Head –Master Thanh Hoa, May 10th , 2019 I assure this is my experience initiative, not copying the contents of other people The writer Nguyen Thi Cuong References 15 Textbook: English 10 [1] Textbook: English 11 [2] Textbook: English 12 [3] How to master skills for the TOEFL reading – Basic [4] Mock tests for GCSE 2017 books [5] Mock tests for GCSE 2018 books [6] Publisher of training educational department Publisher of training educational department Publisher of training educational department and and and Ha noi educational pulisher, Publisher of training and educational department Ha noi educational pulisher, Publisher of training and educational department 16 CATEGORY OF ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERIENCE INITIATIVES Writer: Nguyễn Thị Cương Position : Teacher School : Trieu Son upper secondary school numerical Names of experience order initiatives Some methods helps students to solve exercises of passive voice effectively Helping students to deal with writing exercises about making sentences Rating board Thanh Hoa education and training department Thanh Hoa education and training department Rating results Academic year C 2010-2011 C 2015-2016 17 ... choose the topic " Guiding students to use proper skills to solve multiple- choice exercises relating to closest and opposite meanings" in my experience initiative to help them reinforce and practise... in the lesson and help develop their teamwork skills and presentation skills Assigning the study of synonyms and antonyms in a certain lesson to students causes students to brainstorm, actively... students to find resources to look up synonyms and antonyms and quick and effective ways to look up The main source is English-English dictionaries and dictionaries specializing in synonyms and