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Episode: DET Prep Course: Read and Complete

Author: DETPractice.com
Duration: 00:14:50

Episode Shownotes

This comprehensive episode focuses on the “Read and Complete” question type, a crucial component of the Duolingo English Test. It covers the question format, and its importance in assessing comprehension skills, and provides detailed strategies for approaching these questions effectively. The episode includes expert tips, practice examples, and explanations to

help test-takers improve their performance on this challenging task. The text-based version and the exercises mentioned in this podcast can be found at: Duolingo English Test Prep Course: Read and Complete Brought to you by DETPractice, your one-stop Duolingo English Test Prep platform.

Full Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker_02
All right, so you're gearing up for an English proficiency test, right?

00:00:04 Speaker_01
I'd say that's a pretty safe bet.

00:00:05 Speaker_02
Yeah, fair enough.

00:00:06 Speaker_01
And let's be honest, those read and complete questions, well, they could be a bit of a head scratcher.

00:00:10 Speaker_02
Absolutely. Like, you've got this short text and it's riddled with missing words.

00:00:14 Speaker_01
Oh, yeah.

00:00:15 Speaker_02
The clock is ticking away.

00:00:16 Speaker_01
And it's not just your vocab they're testing, it's your grammar.

00:00:19 Speaker_02
Oh yeah, for sure. And how fast you can really make sense of everything.

00:00:23 Speaker_01
It really pulls everything together.

00:00:24 Speaker_02
Absolutely. The source material we dug into actually says you might see these questions three to six times per test.

00:00:31 Speaker_00
That's a lot.

00:00:32 Speaker_02
It is. And that's precisely why we're here.

00:00:34 Speaker_00
Yeah.

00:00:34 Speaker_02
To equip you with the strategies you need to tackle those read and complete questions with confidence.

00:00:40 Speaker_01
Consider this deep dive your toolkit.

00:00:43 Speaker_02
I like that. A toolkit.

00:00:44 Speaker_01
For success.

00:00:46 Speaker_02
So the source material keeps hammering on this idea, context is king. Right. It sounds simple enough, but why is grasping the context so crucial for these questions?

00:00:56 Speaker_01
It's so tempting to just jump right in and start filling in those blanks.

00:00:59 Speaker_02
Oh, yeah, definitely.

00:01:00 Speaker_01
But honestly, that can lead to some major slip ups.

00:01:03 Speaker_02
For sure.

00:01:03 Speaker_01
The real secret sauce is resisting that urge and taking a moment to read the entire passage first.

00:01:10 Speaker_02
OK.

00:01:11 Speaker_01
Get a feel for the main idea, what's the tone, even just the way the text is structured.

00:01:16 Speaker_02
So you're saying, like, before I even try to plant those missing words, I need to sort of survey the landscape.

00:01:20 Speaker_01
Exactly. Exactly.

00:01:22 Speaker_02
OK.

00:01:22 Speaker_01
You've got to build a framework first.

00:01:24 Speaker_02
All right. I like that.

00:01:25 Speaker_01
And, you know, take that example in the source material with that job candidate.

00:01:28 Speaker_02
The one who's like really strong, but kind of limited.

00:01:32 Speaker_01
That's the one.

00:01:33 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:01:34 Speaker_01
Even before you dive into the actual text, that title gives you some serious insights.

00:01:39 Speaker_02
Interesting.

00:01:39 Speaker_01
You instantly know this passage is going to talk about strengths.

00:01:42 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:01:42 Speaker_01
but also weaknesses, you know, limitations. Then you've got those complete sentences at the very beginning and the end.

00:01:49 Speaker_02
Right.

00:01:50 Speaker_01
They're giving you even more context to work with.

00:01:52 Speaker_02
So you're kind of piecing it together before you even hit the blanks. Our source also mentions paying attention to repeated words, which I honestly never really thought about before.

00:02:01 Speaker_01
That's a great point.

00:02:02 Speaker_02
How can those help us?

00:02:03 Speaker_01
You know, sometimes those repetitions aren't just by chance.

00:02:06 Speaker_02
Right.

00:02:07 Speaker_01
They might be intentional choices the author made to really highlight a certain theme.

00:02:11 Speaker_02
OK.

00:02:12 Speaker_01
Or an idea, like in that job candidate example, the word are pops up a few times. Right. This could hint that the missing words are related to the company itself.

00:02:23 Speaker_02
Interesting.

00:02:23 Speaker_01
Or its employees giving you valuable clues about the big picture message.

00:02:28 Speaker_02
It's almost like those little repetitions are like whispers from the author trying to nudge you in the right direction. I love that. Now, for the big scary part, what about unfamiliar words? I think we all fear running into those. Of course.

00:02:41 Speaker_02
Especially on a timed test.

00:02:42 Speaker_01
It's understandable.

00:02:43 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:02:44 Speaker_01
But here's the thing. You can often figure out what a word means even if you've never seen it before.

00:02:49 Speaker_02
Really?

00:02:50 Speaker_01
Oh, yeah.

00:02:51 Speaker_02
OK.

00:02:51 Speaker_01
Take the threats to chimpanzees example. You come across deforestation. Maybe you've never seen that word in your life, but you can break it down. Devoration often means removal. Forest, well, we all know what a forest is.

00:03:06 Speaker_02
Yeah, trees.

00:03:07 Speaker_01
Exactly. And then alphorization suggests some kind of process is happening. Put those pieces together and you can guess that deforestation probably has something to do with

00:03:18 Speaker_02
Getting rid of forests.

00:03:19 Speaker_01
Exactly. The clearing of forests.

00:03:21 Speaker_02
Oh, that makes a lot of sense.

00:03:23 Speaker_01
And don't forget about context clues.

00:03:25 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:03:25 Speaker_01
So, in that same example, you have the word poaching.

00:03:28 Speaker_02
Right.

00:03:29 Speaker_01
Maybe you don't know the exact definition, but because you're talking about threats to chimpanzees, it's got to be something negative.

00:03:36 Speaker_02
Yeah, it doesn't sound good.

00:03:37 Speaker_01
Yeah, likely illegal hunting or something like that.

00:03:40 Speaker_02
Oh, okay. So, you're using the information around the word to paint a picture of what it might mean.

00:03:46 Speaker_01
Yeah, you're a detective.

00:03:47 Speaker_02
I'm feeling much less terrified of running into a word I don't know now.

00:03:51 Speaker_01
See? That's what we want.

00:03:53 Speaker_02
Okay, now. Confession time. Grammar and I. Well, we don't always see eye to eye.

00:03:58 Speaker_01
Grammar can be a bit tricky.

00:04:00 Speaker_02
Yeah, can you make it exciting?

00:04:02 Speaker_01
Okay, challenge accepted.

00:04:03 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:04:03 Speaker_01
Grammar isn't just about memorizing rules. It's like the secret code to understanding how language actually works.

00:04:10 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:04:11 Speaker_01
Now, the source we have here, it provides a really handy table.

00:04:15 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:04:16 Speaker_01
Linking those different parts of a sentence to the parts of speech.

00:04:19 Speaker_02
Okay, so like nouns and verbs and all that.

00:04:21 Speaker_01
Exactly. So, for example, the subject of a sentence that's often a noun or a pronoun.

00:04:25 Speaker_02
Right.

00:04:26 Speaker_01
The predicate that's usually a verb or a verb phrase.

00:04:28 Speaker_02
Okay, so if I can pinpoint like what a word is doing in a sentence.

00:04:32 Speaker_01
Exactly.

00:04:32 Speaker_02
I can narrow down what it might be.

00:04:34 Speaker_01
Precisely. Let's take a look at the online anonymity example.

00:04:37 Speaker_02
Right.

00:04:38 Speaker_01
By breaking down the sentence structure.

00:04:40 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:04:41 Speaker_01
You can figure out if a missing word is, say, an adjective describing a noun.

00:04:45 Speaker_02
Right.

00:04:46 Speaker_01
Or an adverb describing a verb.

00:04:48 Speaker_02
OK, and that makes choosing the right word a lot easier.

00:04:50 Speaker_01
Way less overwhelming.

00:04:52 Speaker_02
So grammar can actually be my friend in these questions.

00:04:55 Speaker_01
It can be a powerful ally.

00:04:56 Speaker_02
OK, what's next?

00:04:57 Speaker_01
Let's talk about collocations. Collocations. Yeah, have you heard of those?

00:05:01 Speaker_02
I feel like maybe.

00:05:02 Speaker_01
They're those word combinations that naturally go together.

00:05:05 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:05:06 Speaker_01
Like make a decision. Right. Or take a break.

00:05:09 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:05:09 Speaker_01
They're like these prepackaged units of meaning.

00:05:12 Speaker_02
Oh, so instead of like analyzing every single word by itself, I can look for these familiar pairings.

00:05:18 Speaker_01
Exactly. Okay. And it helps you understand the flow of the text.

00:05:21 Speaker_02
Got it.

00:05:22 Speaker_01
Now, the Ibai and Marty's New York dream example.

00:05:25 Speaker_02
Okay, yeah.

00:05:26 Speaker_01
That really shows this off perfectly.

00:05:27 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:05:28 Speaker_01
You see phrases like, long hours, save money.

00:05:32 Speaker_02
Afford an apartment.

00:05:33 Speaker_01
Exactly. Those collocations, they're like signposts.

00:05:38 Speaker_02
I like that.

00:05:38 Speaker_01
Guiding you through the text.

00:05:40 Speaker_02
Okay, so it's like, I'm a detective gathering all these clues. You got it. I've got the context. I'm looking at the sentence. I'm even seeing how words naturally go together.

00:05:49 Speaker_01
And don't forget, you gotta pay attention to those tiny details. The source reminds us to really keep an eye on verb tense consistency.

00:05:57 Speaker_02
Oh, right, right, yeah.

00:05:58 Speaker_01
Like in that example, we know had is the right choice, not has. Right. Because the whole passage is written in the past tense.

00:06:05 Speaker_02
Okay, yeah. So I need to look out for those little grammatical cues.

00:06:08 Speaker_01
They're crucial.

00:06:09 Speaker_02
I've got to say, I'm feeling a lot more confident about these questions.

00:06:12 Speaker_01
That's the goal.

00:06:13 Speaker_02
Yeah. And speaking of practice, our SOAS material has a ton of examples.

00:06:18 Speaker_00
It does.

00:06:18 Speaker_02
We've got concrete versus cement, exploring the field of linguistics.

00:06:23 Speaker_01
Oh, yeah.

00:06:24 Speaker_02
And types of fossil fuels. That sounds like a mouthful.

00:06:27 Speaker_01
They're all great examples.

00:06:28 Speaker_02
And they all give us a chance to put these strategies into practice.

00:06:31 Speaker_01
Exactly.

00:06:32 Speaker_02
Now, before we dive into those, I'm curious about something. The source mentions linguistics experts working in all sorts of fields, not just in academia.

00:06:42 Speaker_00
That's true.

00:06:43 Speaker_02
How do you think these read and complete skills actually apply to real life situations, like beyond just the test itself?

00:06:50 Speaker_01
That's a really interesting question, and I think that's a perfect place to pick up in part two of our deep dive.

00:06:55 Speaker_02
All right. Sounds good. We'll see you there.

00:06:57 Speaker_01
You know, it's funny how we often think about skills like they're only for one specific thing, like only for a test.

00:07:04 Speaker_02
Right, like they only exist in that little bubble.

00:07:06 Speaker_01
Exactly. Yeah. But the truth is a lot of these strategies we've been talking about for those read and complete questions, they have way more uses. They can really boost your reading comprehension all over the place.

00:07:19 Speaker_02
It's like learning to code, right? Oh, yeah. Suddenly you see websites totally differently.

00:07:24 Speaker_01
Absolutely.

00:07:24 Speaker_02
Even if you're not building one yourself, like it changes the way you see the whole online world.

00:07:30 Speaker_01
Exactly. And it's the same with language.

00:07:32 Speaker_02
OK.

00:07:33 Speaker_01
When you sharpen your ability to really grasp meaning from the context around the words, to decode those weird words you've never seen before, to let grammar guide you, well, those skills make you a much sharper reader all around, whether you're tackling a news article or research paper, even just a blog post you're reading for fun.

00:07:53 Speaker_02
So it's not just about passing a test. It's about becoming, like, a better reader overall.

00:07:59 Speaker_01
It's about understanding how language works.

00:08:02 Speaker_02
That's powerful stuff.

00:08:03 Speaker_01
It is.

00:08:04 Speaker_02
Let's go back to that job candidate example. The strong but limited one.

00:08:08 Speaker_00
Yeah.

00:08:08 Speaker_02
Imagine you're not prepping for a test at all. You're a manager. OK. And you're reading a performance review about someone on your team.

00:08:16 Speaker_00
All right.

00:08:17 Speaker_02
OK. So the review highlights their technical skills. They're really good at what they do.

00:08:21 Speaker_00
Right.

00:08:21 Speaker_02
But it also mentions they need to work on communication and teamwork.

00:08:25 Speaker_01
very common.

00:08:26 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:08:26 Speaker_01
So if you've trained your brain to look for those context clues.

00:08:31 Speaker_02
Right.

00:08:31 Speaker_01
To really get the tone and the structure of the whole piece of writing. you're going to be way better at understanding the whole picture of that employee's performance.

00:08:42 Speaker_02
Okay.

00:08:42 Speaker_01
You'll see their strengths.

00:08:43 Speaker_02
Yes.

00:08:44 Speaker_01
You'll see where they need to grow.

00:08:45 Speaker_02
Right.

00:08:45 Speaker_01
And you can help them improve.

00:08:46 Speaker_02
Wow. That's a really practical application.

00:08:49 Speaker_01
Right.

00:08:49 Speaker_02
Yeah. It's not just theoretical.

00:08:51 Speaker_01
No, it's real world stuff.

00:08:52 Speaker_02
Okay. And what about those unfamiliar words?

00:08:54 Speaker_01
Oh, they're everywhere.

00:08:55 Speaker_02
They pop up all the time.

00:08:56 Speaker_01
All the time. Not just on tests.

00:08:58 Speaker_02
Just the other day I was reading an article about urban planning and I ran into the word gentrification.

00:09:04 Speaker_00
Yeah.

00:09:05 Speaker_02
I had no idea what it meant.

00:09:06 Speaker_00
What did you do?

00:09:07 Speaker_02
At first, panic.

00:09:08 Speaker_00
Of course.

00:09:09 Speaker_02
Right. But then I remembered our conversation about those word detective skills.

00:09:13 Speaker_00
Yes.

00:09:14 Speaker_02
I realized that Gentry probably had something to do with wealth or upper class. The article talked about neighborhoods changing housing costs.

00:09:23 Speaker_01
It all comes together.

00:09:24 Speaker_02
And it clicked. Gentrification is like when a neighborhood changes who lives there, the cost of living.

00:09:30 Speaker_01
You use those skills.

00:09:31 Speaker_02
Yeah. And it made me feel so smart.

00:09:33 Speaker_01
See? That's what we want.

00:09:35 Speaker_02
So those skills are valuable no matter what I'm reading.

00:09:38 Speaker_01
Exactly.

00:09:39 Speaker_02
OK. And don't forget grammar, right?

00:09:41 Speaker_00
Oh, grammar.

00:09:41 Speaker_02
Our secret weapon.

00:09:43 Speaker_00
Powerful stuff.

00:09:44 Speaker_02
I admit, sometimes it still feels like a chore. But I get it now. Understanding the rules actually make reading so much easier.

00:09:51 Speaker_01
That's the key.

00:09:52 Speaker_02
OK.

00:09:53 Speaker_01
It's not just about memorizing. It's about how language functions, how sentences are put together, how words relate to each other.

00:10:00 Speaker_02
Right.

00:10:01 Speaker_01
It's like having the blueprint for language.

00:10:03 Speaker_02
So these reading complete skills, it's not just about filling in the blanks.

00:10:07 Speaker_01
No, it's bigger than that.

00:10:08 Speaker_02
It's about getting language on a deeper level.

00:10:11 Speaker_01
And that understanding, it opens up so many doors. It can make you a better communicator, a more critical thinker, a more informed citizen.

00:10:20 Speaker_02
We've gone so deep with this. It's amazing.

00:10:22 Speaker_01
It is. It shows how connected language and critical thinking really are.

00:10:26 Speaker_02
And speaking of connections, let's get back to those practice examples.

00:10:29 Speaker_01
Yes, let's do it.

00:10:30 Speaker_02
We've got concrete versus cement, exploring the field of linguistics, types of fossil fuels.

00:10:37 Speaker_01
Lots to work with.

00:10:38 Speaker_02
And they each offer unique challenges, right?

00:10:40 Speaker_01
They do.

00:10:40 Speaker_02
A chance to apply these strategies.

00:10:42 Speaker_01
Exactly. And, you know, that linguistics field example, that one really shows how you can use these skills in so many different fields.

00:10:50 Speaker_02
It mentions linguists working as professors, translators, interpreters, even in businesses.

00:10:55 Speaker_01
Yeah, it's not just one path.

00:10:57 Speaker_02
It's like understanding language is relevant to so many careers.

00:11:00 Speaker_01
Think about it, in today's world, where everyone's connected, being able to communicate clearly is everything.

00:11:07 Speaker_02
Yeah, that's so true.

00:11:08 Speaker_01
Whether you're working with people across the globe, trying to understand a tough contract, or just seeing things from someone else's point of view, being able to break down language to really get the meaning.

00:11:19 Speaker_02
It's essential.

00:11:20 Speaker_01
It is absolutely crucial.

00:11:21 Speaker_02
So even if someone's not going to become a linguist, these skills are still super valuable.

00:11:27 Speaker_00
Absolutely.

00:11:27 Speaker_02
And it goes even beyond careers.

00:11:30 Speaker_00
Oh, for sure.

00:11:31 Speaker_02
They help you be a more informed citizen. You can actually understand news articles, political speeches.

00:11:38 Speaker_01
Even those terms and conditions everyone just scrolls through.

00:11:40 Speaker_02
Right. Exactly.

00:11:41 Speaker_01
You're not just passively taking in information.

00:11:43 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:11:44 Speaker_01
You're engaging with it.

00:11:45 Speaker_02
Right.

00:11:46 Speaker_01
Analyzing it. Forming your own opinions.

00:11:48 Speaker_02
It's like mastering language can lead to a more empowered life.

00:11:52 Speaker_01
That's what it's all about.

00:11:53 Speaker_02
Yeah.

00:11:54 Speaker_01
OK, that brings us back to my earlier question.

00:11:56 Speaker_02
Mm-hmm. About what these reading complete skills really mean.

00:12:00 Speaker_01
Yeah, the bigger picture.

00:12:02 Speaker_02
We've talked about reading comprehension, thinking critically, communicating better.

00:12:07 Speaker_01
All important stuff.

00:12:09 Speaker_02
But I feel like there's even more to it.

00:12:11 Speaker_01
I think you're right.

00:12:13 Speaker_02
OK. I'm intrigued. What else is there?

00:12:15 Speaker_01
I think these skills nurture a certain way of thinking. being curious, paying attention to the little details, always looking for that deeper meaning, understanding.

00:12:25 Speaker_02
Digging deeper.

00:12:26 Speaker_01
Exactly. Going beyond the surface and asking, what's really going on here?

00:12:30 Speaker_02
That's a great way to put it.

00:12:31 Speaker_01
It's not just about the language itself. It's about you as a learner, as a thinker.

00:12:36 Speaker_02
And that mindset is what helps us thrive in a world that's always changing, right?

00:12:40 Speaker_01
Exactly. It's about being adaptable, resourceful, always learning.

00:12:44 Speaker_02
You know, as we've been talking about these read and complete skills and how they can be used in so many different ways, it's making me think about making good decisions.

00:12:53 Speaker_01
That's a really important connection to make.

00:12:55 Speaker_02
It is, because we are just bombarded with information these days.

00:12:58 Speaker_01
Oh, absolutely. News articles, social media, ads. It's like, how do you even know what to believe anymore?

00:13:03 Speaker_02
It's a real challenge.

00:13:05 Speaker_01
It is. So how do we cut through all the noise and actually make choices that, you know, are good for us?

00:13:10 Speaker_02
Well, that's where these skills really come in handy.

00:13:12 Speaker_01
OK.

00:13:13 Speaker_02
That ability to read critically, to analyze different arguments, to see if there's any bias or things don't quite add up.

00:13:18 Speaker_01
Right.

00:13:19 Speaker_02
Those are the tools that help us deal with all this information and make smart decisions.

00:13:23 Speaker_01
So those reading complete questions are actually training us for, like, real life.

00:13:28 Speaker_02
In a way, yes.

00:13:29 Speaker_01
Not just for a test.

00:13:30 Speaker_02
Exactly. It's about becoming a more savvy consumer of information.

00:13:34 Speaker_00
I like that.

00:13:35 Speaker_02
Think back to the online anonymity example.

00:13:38 Speaker_00
Oh, OK.

00:13:38 Speaker_02
It brought up some pretty complex issues.

00:13:40 Speaker_00
Encryption privacy, yeah.

00:13:41 Speaker_02
Exactly. And those are things that affect everyone.

00:13:43 Speaker_00
Right. They're not just ideas in a textbook.

00:13:45 Speaker_02
No. They have a real impact on how we use technology, how we keep our information safe, even how we talk to each other online.

00:13:53 Speaker_02
So by practicing these skills, we're not just filling in blanks on a test, we're filling in the gaps in how we see the world.

00:13:59 Speaker_01
I love that analogy.

00:14:01 Speaker_02
And that's a journey that never really ends, does it?

00:14:03 Speaker_01
I don't think so.

00:14:04 Speaker_02
There's always something new to learn.

00:14:06 Speaker_01
Absolutely.

00:14:06 Speaker_02
And that's kind of exciting.

00:14:08 Speaker_01
It is. It keeps things interesting.

00:14:10 Speaker_02
You know, thinking back to what you said earlier about how these skills shape how we think, it just highlights how important language is.

00:14:18 Speaker_01
It really does.

00:14:19 Speaker_02
It influences our thoughts, how we communicate, and in the end, how we understand the world around us.

00:14:25 Speaker_01
It's the foundation of everything.

00:14:27 Speaker_02
To wrap up this deep dive, I want to leave our listeners with this. Never underestimate the power of language.

00:14:34 Speaker_01
I wholeheartedly agree.

00:14:35 Speaker_02
Because by really getting language, we become better communicators, more critical thinkers, and yeah, we make better choices.

00:14:43 Speaker_01
And that's a journey worth taking.

00:14:45 Speaker_02
Absolutely. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into read and complete question.

00:14:49 Speaker_01
It's been a pleasure.