{"id":48453,"date":"2022-03-16T11:28:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T10:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=48453"},"modified":"2022-03-16T11:28:58","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T10:28:58","slug":"how-to-get-top-marks-b2-first-part-5-reading-and-use-of-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/how-to-get-top-marks-b2-first-part-5-reading-and-use-of-english\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Top Marks: B2 First Part 5 Reading and Use of English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this: You\u2019re in your B2 First exam and you\u2019ve finished the Use of English part. You can put it behind you for good<\/strong><\/span><\/em> \u2013 but it\u2019s not over yet! Now you have to navigate your way through the Reading section of the exam.<\/p>\n

Depending on your preferences, you may love or hate this section. To help make things a little easier, we\u2019re going to walk you through this stage of the exam, starting with the very first long form reading you need to do \u2013 Part 5.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s in Reading and Use of English Part 5?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Many people like Reading Part 5 as it is a multiple choice task. You will see a text on one page and 6 multiple choice questions, each with 4 options (A, B, C and D), on the next.<\/p>\n

Typically, the text will be something you might see in a news or magazine article, blog post or extract from a book. Non-fiction topics tend to vary and can be anything from ballet dancing to footballers, climate change to motorbike stuntmen<\/strong><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, fiction texts can be anything from novels to memoirs. See this extract from a Cambridge B2 First past paper<\/a> (zip) of a fiction text example. <\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

When it comes to the questions, there are two important things to remember:<\/p>\n

1. Some questions are often more general, asking something about the writer\u2019s opinion or attitude.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

2. Some are more focused on the text itself. For example, you may be asked what a word in a line means. Here, you need to look at the specific part of the text for more detailed information.<\/p>\n

\"What
\n <\/p>\n

What are they testing me on in Part 5?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reading and Use of English Part 5 aims to test your general comprehension of a text, as well as your ability to spot<\/strong><\/span><\/em> key details. Not only will you have to skim read the whole text for the main idea, but you will also have to read certain parts more carefully for details, opinions, the tone and purpose.<\/p>\n

Remember, you need to choose the multiple choice option that best fits the meaning you understand from the text. Some of the options look quite similar, but there will be subtle<\/strong><\/span><\/em> differences in vocabulary and meaning that will guide you to the correct answer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do I answer the questions?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now you know all about Part 5, it\u2019s time to get down to business<\/strong><\/span><\/em>! Follow these simple 5 steps to answering the questions:<\/p>\n

1. Skim read the whole text<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Firstly, skim read the entire passage to get an overall understanding of it. This will help you to answer the first and last more general questions about the text as a whole.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Read the questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Next, read the questions but ignore options A\u2013D for now! Underline the most important words in each question so that you can focus on them when looking for the correct answer.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

3. Look back at the text that corresponds to the first question<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Now go back to the start of the text and look for the section that relates to question 1. When you find it, underline this section so that you can check it against the options A\u2013D.<\/p>\n

\"What <\/p>\n

4. Check the options A\u2013D<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

At this point, you can read the options A\u2013D and decide which option most closely matches the part of the text you have underlined. Perhaps there is a synonym for a word in the option that fits the information in the text. If this is the case, it\u2019s likely to be the correct answer.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

5. Repeat this for the next questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Now you\u2019ve got the hang of it<\/strong><\/span><\/em>, you can complete the rest of the questions in the same way. Make sure to underline all the sections of the text that correspond to the answer. This will make it much easier for you to check your answers at the end. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cambridge English tips and study resources<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t focus on individual words<\/strong> \u2013 When skim reading the text, don\u2019t worry about individual bits of vocabulary that you don\u2019t know. The most important thing is to get the general idea of the text.<\/p>\n

Read more in your free time<\/strong> \u2013 Reading books, articles or blogs is a great way for you to practise learning new vocabulary and getting the gist<\/strong><\/span><\/em> of larger texts in English.<\/p>\n

Make a note of synonyms<\/strong> \u2013 When practising, if you come across a word that you don\u2019t know, look up the meaning in your dictionary and make a note of its synonyms. This will help you when choosing the correct options in the exam.<\/p>\n

Check over your answers<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t forget to check over all of your answers at the end. Make sure to look back to the underlined sections of the text to check they correspond to the correct option.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Similar articles<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a little more practice, download these two free B2 First sample tests<\/a> from Cambridge English.<\/p>\n

Find more online resources<\/a> for practising for Cambridge English exams.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in learning how to get top marks in the other Reading and Use of English sections, check out these posts:<\/p>\n

Reading and Use of English Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n

Reading and Use of English Part 2<\/a><\/p>\n

Reading and Use of English Part 3<\/a><\/p>\n

Reading and Use of English Part 4<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Looking for more support?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Preparing for the B2 can be tough<\/strong><\/span><\/em>! If you\u2019re thinking about taking the exam, or studying for it now, we\u2019re here to help. We offer exam courses that help get you prepared for the exam. Sign up now!<\/a><\/p>\n

\">
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n

Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

For good (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> forever.<\/p>\n

Stuntmen (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> people who take an actor\u2019s place when performing in dangerous scenes.<\/p>\n

Spot (v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to see, notice or recognise something.<\/p>\n

Subtle (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> using clever and indirect ways to achieve something.<\/p>\n

Get down to business (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to begin doing something.<\/p>\n

Spot (v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> see, notice or recognise something that is difficult to see.<\/p>\n

Get the hang of something (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to have the skills needed to do something, after a period of learning.<\/p>\n

Gist (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the general meaning of a speech or text.<\/p>\n

Tough (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> difficult.<\/p>\n

\">
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n

Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

exp = expression<\/p>\n

n = noun<\/p>\n

v = verb<\/p>\n

adj = adjective<\/p>\n

\">
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n

Pass your Cambridge Exam with Oxford House Barcelona<\/h4><\/i>Interested in taking a Cambridge preparation course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check the different intensive and part-time Cambridge preparation courses<\/a> we can offer you.<\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Picture this: You\u2019re in your B2 First exam and you\u2019ve finished the Use of English part. You can put it behind you for good \u2013 but it\u2019s not over yet! Now you have to navigate your way through the Reading section of the exam. Depending on your preferences, you may love or hate this section. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":48473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[2569,601,8636,16305],"yst_prominent_words":[8253,8251,9052,17961,1253,1542,15467,1923,17980,8252,8250,8249,17966,7557,8123,8115,9054,15464,1078,8711],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48453"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48472,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48453\/revisions\/48472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48453"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=48453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}