Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”

Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
Dear student,

The following is a set of short exercises to keep developing previewing skills. Please take your time and
carry out each point consciously.

EXERCISE 1

Check out the following tables of contents. Next to one of them, make a set of predictions of the possible
topics of the books.

Book 1

Your predictions

MAIN TOPIC

Writing and planning theatrical

production

TYPE OF TEXT (fiction or nonfiction //

scientific – academic – textbook –
entertainment- etc)

Instructive - Academical

POSSIBLE – IDEAL AUDIENCE

School teachers - Parents - Amateur

directors.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

Book 2

Your predictions

MAIN TOPIC

Christmas time, the story of Jesus the

child.

TYPE OF TEXT (fiction or nonfiction //

scientific – academic – textbook –
entertainment- etc)

History, religion

POSSIBLE – IDEAL AUDIENCE

Christian people, catholic people,

historians.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

Book 3

Your predictions

MAIN TOPIC

_How NOT to manage your

own business

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

TYPE OF TEXT (fiction or nonfiction // scientific – academic – textbook – entertainment- etc)

Entertainment, academic

POSSIBLE – IDEAL AUDIENCE

Innovators, entrepreneurs, business managers

Book 4

Your predictions

MAIN TOPIC

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
The extraterrestrial little prince´s journey on earth.

TYPE OF TEXT (fiction or nonfiction // scientific – academic – textbook – entertainment- etc)

Entertainment, fiction.

POSSIBLE – IDEAL AUDIENCE

All edges, fiction lovers, children, teenagers.

EXERCISE 2

Check out the following “headlines”. What are the articles about? Next to each one of them make your
predictions about the contents of the text.
Author: Emilena Hernández Leal
Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

What is the topic? What is the topic?

This headline might be The unexpected success

about the expectative of a new English rock
on the response of a band in the U.S.A.
country on a situation of
conflict or economic
crisis.

What is the topic? What is the topic?

The withdrawal from Declarations of a team

Paris of the French coach in a season in
troops in WWII which the teams is not
doing well.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

What is the topic? What is the topic?

The mystery of an The dangers of accusing

Unidentified flying somebody without
object. enough proves, or the
fails of the justice
system.

EXERCISE 3

Text A

First sentence - paragraph 1 Your deductions:

Charles Ives, who is now acclaimed What type of text is it?

as the first great American composer
Author: Emilena Hernández Leal
Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
of the twentieth century, had to wait Descriptive-Biographical
many years for the public recognition
he deserved.
What’s the author’s intention?

First sentence - paragraph 2 Describe the success of an American Celebrity

Ives turned his attention to What’s the main topic of the text?
business; he became a successful
The Achievements of and American compositor and
insurance executive, building his
businessman.
company into the largest agency in
the country in only two decades.

First sentence – paragraph 3

In 1939, when Ives was 65,

American pianist John Kirkpatrick
played Concord Sonata in Town Hall.
The reviews were laudatory.

Right now you are going to see the first sentence of three or four paragraphs of different texts. Make
predictions about the contents of the texts based on those sentences.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

Text B

First sentence - paragraph 1 Your deductions:

According to the sunspot theory, great storms on What type of text is it?
the surface of the Sun hurl streams of solar particles
into space and eventually into the atmosphere of our Explanatory, scientific
planet.

What’s the author’s intention?

First sentence - paragraph 2
Explain the observations and theories of
sunspots.

A typical sunspot consists of a dark central umbra, a

word derived from the Latin word “shadow”, which is
surrounded by a lighter penumbra of light and dark
threads extending out from the center like the
spokes of a wheel.
What’s the main topic of the text?
_Sunspot theory about its nature and
function._____

First sentence – paragraph 3

Sunspots have also been observed to occur in

cycles, over a period of eleven years.

First sentence – paragraph 4

Although there is no theory that completely explains

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal
Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
the nature and function of sunspots, several models
show scientists’ attempts to relate the phenomenon
to magnetic fields.

Text C

First sentence - paragraph 1 Your deductions:

Oscar shines, but Chelsea's defense breaks in draw What type of text is it?
with Juventus. Sooner or later people are going to
start believing in Oscar's genius; last year, in extra Newspaper article, narrative
time in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Bogota,
he floated a chip from wide on the right over Portugal
goalkeeper Mika to complete his hat trick and give What’s the author’s intention?
Brazil-a-3-2-victory.
Narrate the facts of how Oscar´s performance
made him a good player

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
First sentence - paragraph 2

What’s the main topic of the text?

It was a similar story at Stamford Bridge on Oscar´s career.

Wednesday, a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and
Juventus. His first goal was fortuitous, but his second
one was jaw dropping.

First sentence – paragraph 3

What made his performance all the more remarkable

was that this was Oscar’s first start.

First sentence – paragraph 4

This is the new Chelsea, the attacking, vibrant team

that has emerged this season from the muscular
organization that characterized it last. It's more
aesthetically pleasing and it scores goals -- but the
problem is that it concedes them as well.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

Text D

First sentence - paragraph 1 Your deductions:

Medellin is a city in continuing progress. Thus, it is What type of text is it?

not unusual for those who visit the city with some
frequency, to encounter new places to visit; new Expository – Argumentative
things to do

What’s the author’s intention?

First sentence - paragraph 2
Give arguments of why Medellin is a good place
to visit.

In our city the old and the new combine in just the
right proportions to create unique surroundings
What’s the main topic of the text?
contributing to unforgettable experiences. 
Medellin´s tourism qualities.

First sentence – paragraph 3

In addition to the list of traditional tourist attractions

like The Planetarium, the Botanical Garden, the
Metropolitana Cathedral, the Museum of Antioquia,
the Explora Park, and the Parque Norte Amusement
Park, there`s no wonder why Medellin is called “the
city of eternal spring”.

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

EXERCISE 4

Right now you will check some books and magazines covers. You must now predict the main topic of the
books and the type of articles the magazines contain.

BOOK A BOOK B BOOK C BOOK D

Prediction: Prediction: Prediction: Prediction:

Global warming, weather - Symptoms of Methods and The catcher´s

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal
Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo
changing children techniques for adventures.
behaviors improving teaching and
- Psicology, encouraging learning
- Scientific, academic - Narrative, Novel.
argumentative
- Explanatory,
academic

MAG A MAG B MAG C MAG D

Prediction: Prediction: Prediction: Prediction:

Race theories Healthcare tips. Fashion news Economic news, articles

- Argumentative, - Entertainment. - entertainment - economy

scientific

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz
Corporación Universitaria del Caribe “CECAR”
Bachelor in Education
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Subject: English Literature Analysis
Workshop on previewing
Student: Julian Alberto Martinez Agudelo

Author: Emilena Hernández Leal

Adapted by: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz