The Discourse-Based Approach to Cloze Tests
——Take Narrative Texts as Examples
Learning Objectives
By the end of the class, we will be able to:
1. Conclude some skills and strategies in doing cloze test and apply them to practice.
2. Tell why the strategies are useful and necessary.
3. Employ the strategies to solve cloze test.
01【预学】
Ask student to go over Lecture 1 on Cloze Tests on page 45-52 in the review book and pick up some tips.
【Instructional Design】Assign students to preview the specific material before class. This is an independent study task where students are expected to familiarize themselves with the core concepts, strategies, and common tips for tackling cloze tests as presented in the textbook.
02【导学】
Activity 1: Lead-in
How to draw a picture like this
Conclusion 1:___________________________________________________________________
Inference 1: Steps to do cloze test
1.______________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________________
4.______________________________________________________________________________
2) Guessing game: What may it be according to the hint(提示)
Conclusion 2:完形心理学认为当看见不完整的事物时,人们根据脑子里对事物的完整概念,会在思想上把它补全。
Inference 2:______________________________________________________________________
【Instructional Design】This activity helps students understand how to do cloze tests in a simple way. First, we use the “draw a picture” idea to show it’s a step-by-step process. Then, the guessing game teaches that our brains naturally fill in missing parts - which is exactly what we do in cloze tests! This makes learning easier and more fun.
Activity 2: Analyses of cloze tests in the past five years
1.设题规律以名词、动词为主,其次是形容词、副词。着重考查考生的词汇运用能力、阅读理解能力、分析判断能力、逻辑推理能力和跨文化交际能力。
2.选材特点主题语境包括人与自我、人与自然和人与社会,选材原汁原味,语言地道,充满正能量,倡导至真至善至美的价值观,在具体语境中考查英语核心素养。
Tip 1: ___________________________________________________________________________
【Instructional Design】This analysis activity helps students recognize key patterns in cloze tests. By examining the focus on specific word types (nouns/verbs) and common themes, students learn what to expect. Understanding these recurring features builds test-taking confidence and allows for more targeted, effective practice.
Activity 3: Introduction of cloze test
一、完形填空的起源
Tip 2: _________________________________________________________________________
二、完形填空题的命题依据
Tip 3: __________________________________________________________________________
利用上下文(已有图式)推断空白未知信息(即建构新图式)是完形填空题的考查目的,所以借助文意的层层推进,可以准确预测情节发展和文意延伸,从而巧妙推断空白未知信息(新图式)。
Tip 4: ________________________________________________________________________
【Instructional Design】This activity explains the theory behind cloze tests. By learning their origin and design purpose, students shift their focus from guessing to actively constructing understanding, making their approach more strategic.
03【互学】
Activity 4: Discourse awareness in cloze test
语篇: __________________________________________________________________________
行文:___________________________________________________________________________
Tip 5: __________________________________________________________________________
记叙文的语篇特征:
Part 1总:
Part 2分:
Part 3总:
Tip 6: ______________________________________________________________
【Instructional Design】 This activity develops students’ discourse awareness. By analyzing a text’s overall structure, it helps students predict content and make logical choices for blanks, improving accuracy.
03【互学】
Activity 5: Analyses of the sample from 【2024·新课标Ⅰ卷】
①I’ve been motivated—and demotivated—by other folks’ achievements all my life.
②When I was a teenager, a neighborhood friend 1 a marathon race. Feeling motivated, I started running 2 , but then two things happened. First, a girl I met one day told me she was 3 for a "super," referring to a 52.4-mile double marathon. Then, the next day I went on my longest run—15 miles. To be honest, I 4 it! Between the girl making my 5 seem small and the pure boredom of jogging, I decided that the only 6 I'd ever run again is if a big dog was running after me!
③So I 7 cycling. I got a good bike and rode a lot. I 8 of entering cycle races until I flew to San Diego to visit my sister. While she was at work one day, I 9 her bike and went for a ride. The 10 : The roads there went through large valleys where I'd be riding uphill for miles at a time. I'd never faced such 11 . That day, I got 12 by about 100 “local” bikers who were used to such roads. When I got back home, suddenly riding my bike didn’t seem quite as 13 .
④I’ve 14 a lot since then. I've come to accept that whatever 15 I set for myself, they just have to be my own.
【Instructional Design】 This activity provides direct exam relevance. By analyzing the 2024 test, students apply learned strategies to real exam content.
03【互学】
Activity 5: Analyses of the sample from 【2024·新课标Ⅰ卷】
Procedure 1: Skim to get the structure
语篇结构:_______________________________________
主旨大意 Para. 1:
Para. 2:
Para. 3:
Para. 4:
Procedure 2: Clarify the logic of the passage
Procedure 3: Strategies
∵ Feeling motivated,--- ∴ ---, a neighborhood friend 1 a marathon race.
∵ I started running--- ∴ I started running 2 ,
Feeling motivated,---
∵ referring to a 52.4-mile ∴ she was 3 for a "super,"
double marathon.
∵ my achievement seem small
the pure boredom of jogging, ∴ I 4 it!
∵ folks’ achievements all my life.
--- a 52.4-mile double marathon. ∴ the girl making my 5 seem small
---my longest run—15 miles.
∵ if a big dog was running after me! ∴ the only 6 I'd ever run again
∵the pure boredom of jogging,--- ∴ So I 7 cycling.
I got a good bike
∵ I got a good bike and rode a lot. ∴ I 8 of entering cycle races
∵While she was at work one day, ∴ I 9 her bike and went for a ride.
∵The roads there went through large valleys
where I'd be riding uphill for miles at a time. ∴ The 10 : The roads ---
∵ where I'd be riding uphill for miles
at a time. ∴ I'd never faced such 11 .
∵ ---demotivated
---who were used to such roads. ∴ I got 12 by about 100 "local" bikers
∵ ---demotivated ∴ suddenly riding my bike didn't seem quite
I got a good bike and rode a lot. as 13 .
I got passed by about 100 "local" bikers
∵ ---motivated—and demotivated ∴ I've 14 a lot since then.
I've come to accept ---
∵ ---started running
---turned to cycling ∴ whatever 15 I set for myself,
they just have to be my own.
【Instructional Design】 This activity trains a structured 3-step method for tackling cloze tests. By first skimming for main ideas and structure, then analyzing logical connections, and finally applying contextual strategies, students learn to systematically deconstruct the passage. This moves them beyond random guessing to becoming confident, strategic readers.
Activity 6: Summary
Six Tips :________________________________________________________________________
【Instructional Design】This final summary activity helps students consolidate all learned strategies into six key tips. It boosts confidence by providing a concrete action plan for tackling any cloze test.
04【悟学】
Activity 7: Consolidation exercises——【2024年新高考Ⅱ卷】
When I decided to buy a house in Europe ten years ago, I didn't think too long. I liked traveling in France, but when it came to picking my favorite spot to 1 , Italy was the clear winner.
During my first visit to Italy, I 2 to ask for directions or order in a restaurant. But every time I tried to 3 a sentence of Italian together, the locals smiled at me and 4 my language skills. That encouragement helped me to get through the language 5 . After I made Italy my permanent home, I discovered how 6 Italians are. Neighbors will bring me freshly made cheese and will come to my door to 7 me to close the window in my car when rain is coming. It's these small 8 of kindness that make a new country feel like home.
As a foodie, the way to my heart is through my stomach, and nowhere fuels my 9 quite like Italy. Each town has its own traditional 10 , and every family keeps a recipe passed from one generation to another. Families 11 for big meals on Sundays, birthdays, and whatever other excuses they can 12 . These meals are always 13 by laughter and joy. Whatever 14 life in Italy might have, the problems are 15 once you sit down to a big meal with friends and family.
提示:时间线索:十年前决定定居 → 初到意大利 → 定居后 → 现今生活
【Instructional Design】This consolidation exercise lets students immediately apply all learned strategies to a recent exam. It builds practical skill, reinforces the methods, and boosts confidence by using authentic test.
Activity 8: Homework—— 【2023年新高考 I 卷】
On Oct. 11, hundreds of runners competed in a cross-country race in Minnesota. Melanie Bailey should have 1 the course earlier than she did. Her 2 came because she was carrying a 3 across the finish line.
As reported by a local newspaper, Bailey was more than two-thirds of the way through her 4 when a runner in front of her began crying in pain. She 5 to help her fellow runner, Danielle Lenoue. Bailey took her arm to see if she could walk forward with 6 . She couldn't. Bailey then 7 to let Lenoue climb onto her back and carried her all the way to the finish line, then another 300 feet to where Lenoue could get 8 attention.
Once there, Lenoue was 9 and later taken to a hospital, where she learned that she had serious injuries in one of her knees. She would have struggled with extreme 10 to make it to that aid checkpoint without Bailey's help.
As for Bailey, she is more 11 about why her act is considered a big 12 . "She was just crying. I couldn't 13 her," Bailey told the reporter. "I feel like I was just doing the right thing."
Although the two young women were strangers before the 14 , they've since become friends. Neither won the race, but the 15 of human kindness won the day.
【Instructional Design】 This homework assignment solidifies learning through independent practice. Using a past exam paper reinforces the strategies and allows students to self-assess their understanding and application of the cloze test techniques.
Reflection
1. I can infer the main idea of a story by reading the beginning. (Yes No )
2. I can tell the message conveyed in the story by reading the ending. (Yes No)
3. I can infer the missing words by spotting the cohesive devices, such as logic and words.(Yes No)
Overall, I think these tips are useful, (interesting or difficult) and I (do want or not want) to use these strategies to solve the puzzles in the cloze test.
【Instructional Design】This reflection activity prompts students to self-assess their understanding and application of the strategies. It reinforces key learning objectives, helps them identify personal strengths and weaknesses, and provides valuable feedback on the lesson's effectiveness.