Introduction: Your Roadmap to Reading Success

Welcome to one of the most practical parts of your HKDSE English Reading journey! In the Reading Paper (Paper 1, Part A), you won't just be answering multiple-choice questions. You will often be asked to organise and summarise information using summary clozes, tables, and flow-charts.

Think of these tasks as "data organisers." Instead of writing long sentences, you are helping the reader see the most important points of a text at a glance. Whether you are aiming for a Level 2 or a Level 5**, mastering these "completion" tasks is a great way to pick up marks quickly because the answers are almost always sitting right there in the text!

1. Summary Cloze: The "Big Picture" Task

A summary cloze is a short paragraph that summarizes a larger section of the reading text. It has missing words (gaps) that you need to fill in. In the HKDSE, these gaps are typically filled using words taken directly from the text.

How to Conquer the Summary Cloze:

Step 1: Locate the "Target Zone"
Don't look at the whole article at once. Usually, a summary covers one or two specific paragraphs. Look for keywords in the summary to find where that information lives in the original text.

Step 2: Predict the Part of Speech
Before looking at the text, look at the words around the gap. What kind of word is missing?
- "The _____ was very expensive." (Needs a Noun)
- "The researchers _____ the results." (Needs a Verb)
- "It was an _____ discovery." (Needs an Adjective)

Step 3: Check for Synonyms
The summary will often use different words than the text. For example, if the text says "The city was extremely crowded," the summary might say "The urban area was _____." The answer would be crowded.

Quick Review: Always check if your chosen word makes sense grammatically within the summary sentence, even if it's the right "meaning" from the text.

2. Table Completion: The "Sorting" Skill

Tables are used to compare different things or categorize information. This task tests your ability to scan for specific details and group them correctly.

Pro-Tips for Tables:

Look at the Headings: The column and row headings tell you exactly what to look for (e.g., Date, Location, Problem, Solution).

Follow the Pattern: Look at the examples already provided in the table. If the other boxes in a column use noun phrases (e.g., "High cost"), your answer should also be a noun phrase, not a full sentence.

Scanning for Names and Numbers: Tables often ask for dates, names of people, or specific figures. These are the easiest to find because they stand out in the text (Capital letters or digits)!

3. Flow-chart Completion: The "Process" Skill

A flow-chart shows a sequence of events or a step-by-step process. You will see boxes connected by arrows \( \rightarrow \).

Understanding the Flow:

Identify Chronological Order: Flow-charts usually follow the order of time. Look for transition words in the text like First, Next, Then, After that, or Finally.

Cause and Effect: Sometimes the arrows represent "this caused that." If you are stuck on a box, look for Cause and Effect markers in the text like "as a result," "consequently," or "due to." (For more on this, you can cross-reference the chapter on "Inference and Cause and Effect").

Example:
Text: "After the fruit is picked, it is washed. Then, workers pack it into crates."
Flow-chart: Pick fruit \( \rightarrow \) Washed \( \rightarrow \) Packed into crates.

4. The Golden Rules for All Completion Tasks

Don't worry if these tasks seem tricky at first! Following these three rules will help you avoid the most common mistakes:

Rule 1: The "Word Limit" Rule
Always read the instructions carefully. If it says "Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS," and you write four, you will get 0 marks—even if your answer is correct!
\( \text{Answer Length} \le \text{Word Limit} \)

Rule 2: The "Copy-Paste" Rule
In Paper 1 Part A, you are usually required to use words from the text. This means you must not change the spelling or the form of the word. If the text says "running," don't write "run."

Rule 3: Grammar Check
Read the completed sentence/table/chart to yourself. Does it sound like natural English? If you put a plural noun where a singular one should be, it's likely wrong.

5. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Spelling Errors: Since you are copying words from the text, spelling mistakes are "free" marks given away. Always double-check your spelling against the original article.

2. Misreading the Gap: Sometimes a gap is followed by a word like "of" or "to." Make sure your answer doesn't repeat that word.
Example: If the summary says "The benefit of _____", and you write "of exercise," the sentence becomes "The benefit of of exercise." This is a common error!

3. Ignoring "Not Given": If you can't find the info for a table, you might be looking in the wrong paragraph. These completion tasks almost always follow the sequence of the text.

Key Takeaways Summary

Summary Cloze: Focus on context and grammar. Use words from the text that fit the summary's logic.
Table Completion: Focus on categories and consistency. Match the format of the existing examples.
Flow-chart: Focus on sequence and process. Look for time-order signal words.
Universal Tip: Respect the word limit and copy spelling exactly from the text!

Note: For more help on finding specific words in a long text, see the chapter on "Skimming, scanning and locating specific details".