Cambridge International Catalogue 2026 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 73
CAMBRIDGE AS LEVEL ENGLISH GENERAL PAPER
Developing Understanding of Texts
6 CONTEXT AND MEANING
6
Context and meaning
In this unit, you will:
● Demonstrate the ability to interpret meaning,
language and information in context.
● Identify, select and use relevant information and
examples for specific purposes.
● Apply information that exemplifies ideas and
opinions.
● Demonstrate understanding of information (explicit
and implicit) from a variety of material.
This unit will focus on the following skills:
● Understanding that there may be different points
of view on a topic that might differ between groups
of people in society, between traditional and
contemporary perspectives, or between local,
national and international contexts.
● Applying information to provide specific details
that answer the question.
● Discussing different viewpoints and perspectives,
●
●
●
●
such as different social or political groups or
historical or ethical dimensions.
Analysing the meaning of words and language
features.
Communicating information clearly and concisely.
Identifying and understanding the key terms in
the question and understanding the scope and any
restrictions in the question.
Selecting relevant information.
Look inside
Language focus
The following tasks introduce some of the main key terms you will meet in Unit 6. You
can use a dictionary or the glossary at the end of this book to help you.
KEY TERMS
Verb A word used to
describe an action.
Noun A word used to
describe a thing.
context
perspective
bias
register
tone
close-read
(deep-reading)
● deconstruct
● synonym
● antonym
4
6
author’s In English, of writing.
A noun represents a specific person, object, thing or feeling in a sentence.
a noun can be singular (one child), plural (two children) or uncountable
(water).
describes the position of the writer and this can
7 The writer’s
affect
wayare
thea reader experiences the text.
Which of the words in the key language
box on this page are a noun
and the
which
KEY TERMS
verb? Can any be both?
Synonym A word with
the same meaning as
Synonyms and antonyms
another.
EXERCISE 1
Synonyms are words which have the same meaning as another word, while antonyms
Antonym A word with
arebox
words
which
Work with a partner. Look at the
in the
key language
on the
left.have the opposite meaning. Knowing both synonyms and antonyms of
thewords
opposite
meaning
variety
of words can help you to better understand passages and to write text
Discuss their meanings and then
select the correct word atowide
complete
the
to another.
yourself
which
conveys the desired meaning.
definitions below.
the text.
1 When we examine a text in detail, we are
EXERCISE
2 in different situations. For
when we speak
2 We use a different
example, when we present at a conference we speak more formally than
Look at the list of possible synonyms for each word
when we talk with friends at a party.
that is shown below in bold. Underline the odd one
3 When someone writes fromout.
only
oneyou
point
of view
they
Can
explain
why
thedemonstrate
odd one out is not a
in their writing.
synonym?
EXAMPLE
From the tone of his letter, I could tell he had still
not forgiven me.
mood colour feeling
Colour is the odd word out because it describes
a shade (blue, red, etc.), whereas the mood and
feeling mean emotion.
1 The government examined the new legislation in
the context of recent changes in attitude to life
expectancy.
book
Language focus
KEY LANGUAGE
●
●
●
●
●
●
If English is not your first language, it can be useful to think about these in your first
TheEnglish.
circumstances and situation in which writing happens, such as when and
language to make sure you understand them and then translate4 into
.
where the author was writing, is the
A verb is a word in a sentence that indicates an action, a state of being or an occurrence.
5 Tobyreally
understand
a question, you should
it into smaller,
For example, eat, love, happen. In active sentences, the verb is ‘done’
the subject
of
more
the sentence: She (subject) runs (verb) daily. In passive sentences, the
verbunderstandable
is experienced parts.
by the subject: The train is delayed (verb) by unexpected disruption6 onWe
thedescribe
track. the author’s expression of attitude and emotion in a text as the
circumstances
2 His poetry provides us with an interesting
perspective on the subject of ageing.
viewpoint
angle
idea
3 In an essay, it is important to be balanced
and not display too much bias in favour of
one position.
interest
favouritism
prejudice
4 It’s best to adopt a formal register when writing
an essay.
list
tone
style
5 Let’s deconstruct this question to really
understand what we are being asked to do.
break down
take apart
destroy
situation
Knowing how to express similar meanings in a variety of ways can increase your range
of vocabulary and improve your writing skills.
For example:
1
2
3
4
5
The author’s
analysis
offers
provides
lends
a / an
interesting
unique
novel
fresh
perspective
on …
5
69
