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 Examples of exercises to develop the reading microskills 
A
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stays pretty much the same rega
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reading lesson which divides very simply into pre-reading activities, the reading of the selection itself, and 
post reading activities. 
There are four main types of exercises for developing the reading microskills. Some exercises are better 
used as pre-reading activities, some as post-reading activities. Others may be used, with differing effect, 
either before or after the text has been read. 
• Some exercises are well suited as opening strategies for a reading lesson. They arouse the students' 
interest and activate any knowledge they may already have which is related to the content of the reading 
selection, as well as introducing them to the general organization of the text. 
• A second type of exercise aims at ensuring a better overall understanding of the text. They direct the 
students' attention to the main ideas, the author's purpose or theme. They ask the studen
students read the text, exercises of this second type guide and support the students through the reading. 
Used after the text has been read, the exercises often serve as a comprehension check. 
• A third type of exercise looks at the text more from the point of view of form than of content. Such 
exercises help the students to pick out the formal signals of the discourse map. They focus on the ways 
in which logical relationships are expressed, and the various grammatical and lexical devices used to knit 
the text together into a coherent and cohesive discourse. The more detailed exercises of this type are 
done after the text has been read so as not to interfere with the reading process. Sometimes very simple 
exercises of this type are placed at the beginning a reading selection so that the students
• The four
Exercises of this type are usually done after the text is read. 
dents aware of what they already know about the topic, as well as what they do not know and might like 
learn about it. (Due to space limitations and co
ich the exercise is based.) 
Directions: Before you read the article on robots think and talk with your classma
1. What is a robot? 

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2. Is there any difference between a robot and an automaton? 
nother example of an opening strategy is the use of skimming to discover the general structure of a text. 
h 1). First nutrients are defined. Then the five general groups of 
nutrients are listed. In what order do you think the author discusses these nutrients? 
3. What can robots be used for? 
4. Do you think they can ever completely replace human beings for some jobs? Which ones? 
[Francoise Grellet. Developing Reading Skills. Cambridge University Press, 1981.] 
A
1. Number the paragraphs in "The Nutrients in Food." How many paragraphs are there? 
2. Read the introduction (Paragrap
3. Quickly read only the first sentence of each paragraph. From these sentences, guess which 
paragraphs are about each of the topics listed below. Give the numbers of the paragraphs which are 
about each general topic. Paragraph 1 is an introduction. Finish the exercise.