READING COMPREHENSION
(PRACTICUM)
This reading material is intended for students who have got beyond the stage of reading for fact, simply to gain information.
ENGLISH NATURE
The trouble is that the English nature is not at all easy to understand. It has a great air of simplicity, it advertises itself as simple, but the more we consider it, the greater the problems we shall encounter. People talk of the mysterious East, but the West also is mysterious. It has depths that do not reveal themselves at the first gaze. We know what the sea looks like from a distance : it is of one color, and level, and obviously cannot contain such creatures as fish.
But if we look into the sea over the edge of a boat, we see a dozen colors, and depth below depth, and fish swimming in them. That sea is the English character, apparently imperturbable and even. The depths and the colors are the English romanticism and the English sensitiveness—we do not expect to find such things, but they exist. And to continue my metaphor, the fish are the English emotions, which are always trying to get up to the surface, but do not quite know how.
For the most part we see them moving far below, distorted and obscure. Now and then they succeed and we exclaim, ‘why, the
Englishman has emotions! He actually can
feel!’ And occasionally we see that beautiful creature the flying fish, which rises but of the water altogether into the air and the sunlight.
English literature is a flying fish. It is a sample of the life that goes on day after day beneath the surface; it is a proof that beauty and
emotion exist in the salt, inhospitable sea.
(E.M. Forster (1879-1970)
COMPARISON : THREE DEGREES OF COMPARISON
Positive : dark useful
Comparative : darker more useful
Superlative : darkest most useful
Rama’s mango is sweet.
Han’s mango is sweeter than Rama’s
Gary’s mango is the sweetest of all.
This boy is stronger than that.
Which of these two pens is the better?
This boy is the strongest in the class.
This is most unfortunate
It was a most eloquent speech.
The new place is more splendid than the old one.
Which do you consider his most splendid victory?
Abdul is more courageous than Robert.
Rahim is the most courageous boy in the village.
IRREGULAR COMPARISONS:
ADJECTIVES
Bad/ worse/ worst
Far/ farther/farthest (of distant only)
further/ furthest (used more widely)
Good / better / best
Little / less/ least
Many, much / more/ most
Old / elder/ eldest (of people only)
older/ oldest (of people and things)
York is farther/further than Lincoln.
Further supplies will soon be available
Further discussion/debate would be pointless
This was the furthest point they reached in their discussion.
My elder brother is coming
Her eldest/oldest/ older son is at the school
He is older than I am (elder would not be possible)
The new tower blocks are much higher than the old buildings.
He makes fewer mistakes than you (do)
He is stronger than I expected = I did not expect him to be so strong.
It is nicer/more fun to go with someone than to go alone.
Riding a horse is not as easy as riding a motor cycle.
Your coffee is not as/so good as the coffee my mother makes.
He was as white as a sheet.
Manslaughter is not as/so bad as murder.
IRREGULAR COMPARISONS : ADVERBS
Well/better/best
Badly/worse/worse
Little/less/least
Much/more/most
Far/ farther/ farthest (of distance only)
further/ furthest (used more widely)
It is not safe to go any further/farther in this fog.
He travelled further than we expected.
How far can you see ? I cannot see far.
You should ride more.
I use this room most.
He does not ride much nowadays.
He was (very) much admired.
She was (very) much impressed by their good manners.
He worked as slowly as they did.
He does not snore as/so loudly as you do.
He spoke much too fast.
Reading is my hobby.
Book is my hobby
I love reading book. Kami makan Siang
We eat lunch
Gerund = ing-form = Noun
Swimming pool ‘kolam renang’
Singing bird ‘ burung yg sedang bernyanyi’ is
nice to hear. Adjective-V-ing= Present Participle
Ritis is singing ‘Who is singing?
Rumah besar ‘big house Riris hitam ,black Riris
Act / action/ actor/ actress/ active/
activity/activate
Safira acts (verb) the action. She acted on the stage. Safira is active.
Safira is acting // she was acting
She is an actress / Hiskia is an actor. Safira’s activity is lot. Her activity is much.
His activity is over time
We act the act.’ Kami melakonkan lakon itu’
We are acting. We have acted the act.
We have been acting the act
We arrive in Medan.
