Key reading: messages and short texts
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| deadline/ˈdedlaɪn/ | 截止时间 | jié zhǐ shí jiān |
| notice/ˈnəʊtɪs/ | 通知 | tōng zhī |
A decision before an answer
- “Return books by Friday” is a deadline. “Books available from Friday” is a starting time. The same day can mean different things.
- Your goal: Interpret the main message in notices and emails (Part 1).
Read the relationship
- For Part 1, identify who is speaking, who must act and what the message asks. Check negatives, dates and conditions.
- Match short descriptions across texts (Part 2).
“Please book before Tuesday.” When is booking required?
Before marks the latest permitted period.
Use the defining rule
- For Part 2, find each description’s key need, then compare all three texts. A repeated word is not enough.
- Understand main ideas and details in a longer text (Part 3).
“This café opens at 10 except Sunday.” Can you assume Sunday opening at 10?
The exception explicitly removes Sunday from the rule.
Check the conditions
- For Part 3, read the whole passage for its main idea, then locate detail evidence. Keep the time and person correct.
- Understand main ideas and details in a longer text (Part 3).
Notice: “Library closes at 4 today. Return books through the outside box after 4.” The message allows returns after closing, through the box. “No books can be returned after 4” contradicts the second sentence.
A notice saying “closed” means the place is not ____.
Read the status before other details.
Apply the task format
- All objective answers must follow the text. Do not replace a notice’s instruction with what you would usually do.
- Understand main ideas and details in a longer text (Part 3).
A distractor often repeats the same place or time while reversing the instruction.
Which answer fits this case?
Interpret the main message in notices and emails (Part 1)
An answer containing a word from the text must be correct.
It may repeat a word while changing the meaning.
Keep the distinctions
- deadline 截止时间 — The latest time for an action.
- notice 通知 — A short public message.
- Interpret the main message in notices and emails (Part 1).
- Match short descriptions across texts (Part 2).
- Understand main ideas and details in a longer text (Part 3).
Match each term with its precise meaning in this lesson.
Keep the distinctions stated in the teaching example.
Put this lesson’s reasoning or event sequence in order.
The order follows the stated process; check each stage before the next.