LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO

GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

1st Reading: Reading

Taken from: Reading comprehension worksheets.
Did you know that some people don't do their reading assignments? It's shocking,
but it's true. Some students don't even read short texts that they are assigned in class.
There are many reasons for this. They may be distracted or bored. They may be
unwilling to focus. They may be unconfident readers. Whatever the reason, it has
to stop today. Here's why.

Reading stimulates your mind. It is like a workout for your brain. When people get
old, their muscles begin to deteriorate. They get weaker and their strength leaves
them. Exercise can prevent this loss. The same thing happens to people's brains
when they get older. Brain power and speed decline with age. Reading strengthens
your brain and prevents these declines.

You can benefit from reading in the near-term too. Reading provides knowledge. Knowledge is power.
Therefore, reading can make you a more powerful person. You can learn to do new things by reading. Do
you want to make video games? Do you want to design clothing? Reading can teach you all this and more.
But you have to get good at reading, and the only way to get good at something is to practice.

Read everything that you can at school, regardless of whether you find it interesting. Reading expands
your vocabulary. Even a "boring" text can teach you new words. Having a larger vocabulary will help you
better express yourself. You will be able to speak, write, and think more intelligently. What's boring about
that?

Do not just discount a text because it is unfamiliar to you. Each time you read, you are exposed to new
ideas and perspectives. Reading can change the way that you understand the world. It can give you a
broader perspective on things. It can make you more worldly. You can learn how people live in far away
places. You can learn about cultures different from your own.

Reading is good for your state of mind. It has a calming effect. It can lower your stress levels and help
you relax. You can escape from your troubles for a moment when you read, and it's a positive escape. The
benefits of reading far outweigh those of acting like a doofus. So do yourself a favor: the next time you
get a reading assignment, take as much as you can from it. Squeeze it for every drop of knowledge that it
contains. Then move on to the next one.

Answer the next questions according to the previous text

1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
4 A B C D
5 A B C D
 LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO
GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

2nd Reading: Tetris

Taken from: Reading comprehension worksheets.

Do you like video games? Lots of people do. There are many
types of video games. Some people like action games. Other
people like driving games. But the most popular game of all time
is a puzzle game.

Tetris is a game about making lines. Blocks fall from the top of
the screen. They fall one at a time. The player moves the blocks.
Once the blocks hit the bottom, they are locked in place. Players
try to make lines go across the screen with no gaps. Complete
lines disappear. This gives players more room. The blocks pile up during the game. The game ends when
the blocks get to the top of the screen.

A man named Alexey made Tetris in 1984. All the pieces in Tetris have four blocks. The word "tetra"
means four. Alexey named his game after tetra and tennis. He made Tetris while working at a science
academy in Moscow. Moscow is in Russia.
Alexey made his game on a screen that only showed letters. He could not use blocks. The blocks were
made out of letters in the first game of Tetris. Still, all Alexey's friends loved his game. It was easy to
learn and fun to play.
Soon the game spread across the world. It was on every computer. It was in arcades. It came with every
one of Nintendo's Game Boy. More than 100 million Game Boys were sold. Tetris was all over the place.
Even today Tetris comes with many phones.
Dr. Richard Haier has studied Tetris players. He ran many tests. He found that playing Tetris boosts mental
activity. Dr. Haier thinks Tetris is good for the brain. I agree with this finding. Now go and play some
Tetris. It's just what the doctor ordered

Answer the next questions according to the previous text

1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
4 A B C D
5 A B C D
6 A B C D
7 A B C D
 LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO
GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

3rd Reading: Valentine’s Day

Taken from: Reading comprehension worksheets.

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual

commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between
intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian
martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD.
It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI,
but its religious observance is still permitted.

It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by
presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards
(known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love
in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged
Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of
gifts in the United States. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates packed in a red satin, heart-
shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for
giving jewelry.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each
year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually
to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities the figure goes up
to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines. In some North American
elementary schools, children decorate classrooms, exchange cards, and are given sweets. The greeting
cards of these students sometimes mention what they appreciate about each other.

The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people
use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards,
love coupons or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010.

While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has
various regional customs. In Norfolk, a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses
leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of
this mystical person. In Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on
January 25 instead of (or as well as) Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron
saint of Welsh lovers.
 LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO
GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

Answer the next questions according to the previous text

1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C
4 A B C
5 A B C D

4th Reading: English Language

Taken from: Reading comprehension worksheets.

English is a West Germanic language originating in

England, and the first language for most people in
Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean,
Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the
United States of America (also commonly known as the
Anglosphere). It is used extensively as a second language
and as an official language throughout the world,
especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri
Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and in many
international organisations.

Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international
language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. The
influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the
British Isles. Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States
has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. On an average school day approximately one
billion people are learning English in one form or another.

A working knowledge of English is required in certain fields, professions, and occupations. As a result
over a billion people speak English at least at a basic level. English is one of six official languages of the
United Nations.

Answer the next questions according to the previous text

1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
4 A B C D
 LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO
GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

5th Reading: Money

Taken from: Reading comprehension worksheets.

Money is one of the most important inventions in human history. It helps

people who do not know or trust each other to trade. If you have enough
money, you can go into a store and walk out with a candy bar. The store
owner does not need to know or trust you. They only need to count your
money. This is a pretty big deal if you think about it.

Before money, most exchange was based on credit and debt. Imagine that
you were part of an ancient tribe and had an extra pair of shoes. If your tribe
mate Joshua needed shoes, you might give him your extra ones. Joshua would
then be in debt to you. He would owe you one. Later, your family might be
starving in the depths of winter. You might have no success hunting, and Joshua might share some of his
food with you.

The credit and debt system served humans well for much of time. Our minds are good at remembering
favors and who owes whom. The problem with this system is that it requires trust. I need to know the
reputation of the person to whom I am lending. I need to trust that he or she will repay me. Otherwise, we
cannot trade. It's easy to trust our tribe mate Joshua. We know him. We are familiar with his reputation.
But what about those from the tribe across the sea? Do we trust them? Probably not. At least not enough
to give them our shoes on credit. After all, we don't even know them.

Streisand tried to suppress something on the Internet. Trying to hide information from people on the
Internet often creates greater interest. This social phenomenon is now known as the Streisand effect. When
people feel that information is being kept from them, this motivates them to access it. Almost no one
wanted to view photos of Streisand's home, until they learned that she didn't want them to see it.

A society that does not have money cannot grow very large. It's hard to maintain relationships with more
than 150 or 200 people. Reputational systems of exchange fail as groups grow larger. The need for money
develops.

Imagine that you were a soldier living in a Roman army camp in the 1st century. Thousands of men and
women live alongside you. Many are soldiers. Some are nurses or physicians. Others are merchants,
farmers, or cooks. Let's say that you needed a blacksmith to repair your armor. The blacksmith doesn't
know you. Even if he or she did, you might die in the next battle. The blacksmith cannot trust you to repay
your debts. But the blacksmith does not need to trust you. You are paid in gold and silver coins. You can
trade coins with strangers for whatever goods or services you desire.

Today, the monetary system once again relies on credits and debts. But now, banks and lenders can keep
track of everyone's reputation. They use computers and government issued identities. They know our
credit histories. They know our spending habits. They use algorithms to rank our credit worthiness. They
know us well enough to issue credit to us, even though they don't actually know us. What a world!
 LICEO LA PRESENTACION SOGAMOSO
GRADE: 8th
ENGLISH AREA TERM: FIRST
TEACHER: Manuel Pabón
READER PLAN

Answer the next questions according to the previous text

1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
4 A B C D
5 A B C D