READING Practice Activity
Completing Tables, Charts or Diagrams
Task Description
You will be given an unfinished table, diagram or chart which summarises information from the reading text. It may be organised differently from the way the information appears in the text. The task is to complete the gaps, often in a maximum of three words.
Skills Tested
- Skimming for specific information.
- Understanding gist and paraphrase.
- Identifying missing information.
What you should do
- Read the instructions carefully. Sometimes you can use your own words, at other times you will be instructed to use only words from the text or express the information in 3 words or less.
- Study the table, diagram or chart and try to deduce what information is missing. What key ideas will you look for as you skim the text?
- Exactly what information do you need to complete the first gap?
- Exactly what words or phrase will best fill the gap? If you can only use 3 words, don't exceed these. You may need to alter grammatical structure.
Practice Tasks
Completing tables, charts or diagrams task 1 (Colossal Squid)