61
READING HABITS
6.3
VOCABULARY
WORDS FROM THE TEXT
7
a
Match the highlighted words and phrases in the
report with the meanings 1–9.
1
a part of an amount or group
2
when someone likes something more than
something else
3
connected
4
almost
5
the difference between male and female
6
what usually happens
7
do something better than other people or things
8
quite, when compared with other things
9
very noticeable
7
b
Complete the text using the words and phrases
from Exercise 7a.
Data shows that girls
1
boys in most reading tests and
a higher
2
of girls do better than boys in key literacy
tests in elementary school. The data also shows that the
most
3
difference is in attitudes to reading. For many
boys, reading is
4
with being a ‘nerd’, but that is true
for only a
5
small number of girls. Girls show a
6
for reading fiction, but there is
7
no difference between boys and girls for reading
non-fiction books. The
8
in reading starts in
elementary school. However, for mathematics, gender
differences
9
do not emerge until high school.
LISTENING
8
6.4
Listen to five people talking about their
reading habits.
Which speaker or speakers:
1
reads less now than they used to?
2
reads more now than they used to?
3
used to read a lot, then hardly read at all, but
now reads again?
4
mentions an author?
5
talks about where they used to read as a child?
6
talks about where they like to read now?
9
6.5
Listen to the first speaker again and complete
the text, using a maximum of three words for each gap.
When I was in elementary school, I
1
a devoted
reader and a good student. I
2
in bed for an hour
every night before I
3
asleep. And at school, I
4
to the library every afternoon. I
5
reading. Then,
my dad
6
his job and we kept moving schools.
As soon as I
7
the new school and new friends, I
would have to leave. And finally, I
8
up in a school
where reading was not cool, certainly not for boys. My
grades
9
worse and I
10
only read one or two
books a year. When I left school, I
11
a band and
started composing songs. I
12
reading again because
reading
13
me understand the world and understand
myself, and helped me find ideas for my songs.
GRAMMAR
USED TO
,
WOULD
,
GET USED TO
10
a
Look again at the text in Exercise 9. Are these
statements true or false?
1
Used to
is the most common verb form used.
2
We use
used to
and
would
as alternatives to the past
simple when describing habits and repeated actions
which took place over a period of time.
3
Once we have used either
used to
or
would
we stick
to that choice and do not use the past simple.
4
Would
cannot be used to talk about past states but
used to
can.
5
If you
get used to
something, you become
accustomed to it (it was strange, now it’s not so
strange).
10
b
Look at these examples. How does the form of
used to
change in the negative and question forms?
I didn’t use to
read books when I was young.
Did you use to
read a lot when you were young?
¬
Language reference and extra practice, pages 126–149
11
Find the mistakes of form or use in each sentence
and correct them.
1
Women of Jane Austen’s time would to write
anonymously.
2
Charles Dickens was used to read a lot of novels
when he was a boy.
3
George Orwell is used to work in a bookshop.
4
I used to read a lot of short stories at the moment.
5
He didn’t used to read a lot as a child.
6
I was uncomfortable at first, but I used to speaking
in public.
7
The Brontë sisters all would suffer from bad health.
8
Did you used to read comics when you were a child?
12
What is wrong with this short text?
I used to like reading. I also used to like watching
television and I used to play football in the park. I used
to read in bed at night and I used to read two or three
books a week.
13
Write a short text about your reading habits in the
past. Try to vary
used to
and
would
with the past simple.
PRONUNCIATION
14
6.6
used to
Listen to a sentence from the
listening said in two ways. Which is correct? Repeat
the correct version.
15
Work with a partner. Discuss things you used to or
didn’t use to do, think or believe when you were a child.
I used to watch a lot of television as a child.
