Reading period 1 - introduction 'four day workweek'

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

Reading B2 level

Introduction

strategies and tips

How often do you read short texts in English

never

sometimes

often

every day

How often do you read longer texts in English?

never

sometimes

often

every day

Four reading strategies

1. Skimming ( quickly look what it is about)

2. Scanning ( look for specific words or info)

3. topic sentences (finding the topics of the paragraphs)

4. linking words (give structure and flow) 

What is a topic sentence?

• A topic sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph​
• The topic sentence often serves as the main sentence. It is often found at the beginning of the paragraph ​
  
• The purpose of a topic sentence is to allow your readers to know what you will be talking about

What is the topic sentence:
(1) In Britain, in the 1840s, a campaign to reduce
the length of the working day in factories from 12
hours to 10 prompted predictions of disaster. (2) One
parliamentarian called the idea “dangerous” while
another warned such “mistaken philanthropy” would
prevent workers from providing for their families.

1. (1)
2. (2)

What is the topic sentence:
(1) Most objections to the idea of a four-day week focus
on the practicalities. (2) Would the business suffer? (3) What
would happen to people who already work four days
for 20 percent less pay?

1. (1)
2. (2)
3. (3)

What linking word is used here?
But in 1846, parliament heard the results of an experiment run by an owner of large mills in
Manchester and Preston. When he reduced the working day to 11 hours, he found production
volumes remained the same and the quality of work improved.

Linking words (1)

What linking word is used here?
In Britain, in the 1840s, a campaign to reduce the length of the working day in factories from 12
hours to 10 prompted predictions of disaster. One parliamentarian called the idea “dangerous” while
another warned such “mistaken philanthropy” would prevent workers from providing for their families.

Linking words (2)

Which sequencing word is used here?
The bigger question is whether the push for a four-day week can address the most urgent problems
in the 21st-century world of work. For a start, the workplaces which seriously overwork their staff are
not the ones taking part in experiments like this. Goldman Sachs, for example, is in some ways in
another century.

Linking words (3)

What linking word is used here to give an example?
A UK survey last year found 55 per cent of full-time low-paid workers were given less than a week’s notice of their schedule, and 15 per cent got less than 24 hours. Tackling this requires more targeted policies, such as the “fair workweek” scheduling laws implemented by some US cities.

Recognising speech marks

Very often, exam questions focus on the opinion of experts mentioned in the text. You can easily recognise these opinions by the quotation marks in the text.

The quicker you are able to scan for this information, the more time you have to think about your answer. 

example speech marks

Similarly, when Henry Ford reduced the working week in his car factories from six days to five with no cut in pay in 1926, the decision followed several

years of experiments which had assured him production would not suffer. “We can get at least as great production in five days as we can in six, and

we shall probably get a greater, for the pressure will

bring better methods,” he said.

Do you think a four-day work week is a good idea?

absolutely

not at all

don't know

Reading task "four-day work week"

Go to ELO

Hand-in assignments period 1

Reading week 6

Do the tasks and save them in Word.