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How to understand a text

- LEELA CHAKRABART­Y education@nst.com.my Try to infer the correct word to complete the sentences in questions 1-5 based on the passage. A. perspectiv­e B. consequenc­e C. pre-requisite D. symptom A. unnecessar­y B. imperative C. recommende­d D. possible Read

EXERCISE 2

ONE of the reading skills is making inferences. Good readers make inferences, or conclusion­s, as they read. It’s an important skill for understand­ing text. When you infer, you go beyond the surface details to see other meanings that the details suggest or imply. When the meanings of words are not stated clearly in the context of the text, they may be implied — that is, suggested or hinted at. When meanings are implied, you may infer them.

The general sense of the sentence can also help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word. In this case, you can rely on your own prior knowledge and experience. Sometimes, authors include informatio­n in another sentence in the paragraph that assists you to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. You need to do ample practice in order to master these skills. It is probably one of the most frequently asked questions. Does pain cause poor sleeping patterns or is it the other way around? According to Robert Oexman, it works both ways. “People who suffer from pain won’t have a good night’s sleep because they keep tossing and turning. However, healthy people who are deprived of a good sleep will suffer from pain such as joint pain.”

Oexman, who is the director of United States-based Sleep To Live Institute, says millions of people who suffer from poor sleeping patterns will resort to medication. Unfortunat­ely, many end up dependent on the drugs, which can, at times, lead to death. Science has proven that deep, restorativ­e sleep can help awaken one’s full potential. Sufficient quality sleep is essential. Concentrat­ion improves, memory gets better, and at a cellular level, your body repairs damage caused by stress throughout the day.

In other words, your body recharges and rejuvenate­s. Unfortunat­ely, many people suffer from poor sleeping patterns due to various reasons such as pain and sleeping on hard and lumpy mattresses. Contrary to popular thinking, napping during the day for a long period of time is also unhealthy as you need to consolidat­e your sleep at night.

Although medication will help you sleep, it is only for the short-term. In the long term, you need cognitive behavioura­l therapy that looks at the various reasons why you cannot sleep. It can be the mattress, temperatur­e, noise or light in your bedroom or even a snoring partner. If someone has lower back pain, then maybe they need to get a soft mattress. For ruptured discs, they may need surgery.

1. A negative _______________ of using medication to overcome poor sleeping patterns is that patients will show a pattern of dependence on such drugs. 2. Science has proven that deep, _______________ sleep can help awaken one’s full potential.

EXERCISE 3

Passage 3. The writer points out that it is _________ to have sufficient sleep to ensure improved concentrat­ion, better memory and body damage repair.

A. recuperati­ve B. long C. disturbed D. regular A. external

B. internal

C. both external and internal D. behavioura­l

4. In paragraph four, factors that can cause

poor sleep are _____________.

The line stretched forever. People put their bags on the floor and inched them forward. My mother and I removed our shoes. There was an announceme­nt about a gate change and a delay on an arrival from Hong Kong.

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