This document provides a reading comprehension exercise focused on sequence of events. It contains four practice exercises with groups of sentences that are not in chronological order. The exercises test the ability to number sentences in each group in the correct sequential order based on contextual clues and transitional words indicating time. The document explains key concepts like context clues, prefixes, suffixes, and transitional devices that indicate order and help determine the sequence of events in a reading passage.

1. Escuela de Educación Continua
Repaso para la Prueba de Evaluación
y Admisión Universitaria
(College Board)
INGLÉS
Reading Comprehension
Sequence of Event
Preparado por
Prof. Carmen Cembalest, Enero 1994
Revisado por
Prof. Thelvenitsie Hernández, Junio 2006

2. Este manual es propiedad del Campus Virtual de la Escuela de
Educación Continua de la Universidad Metropolitana. El mismo
no puede ser reproducido parcial ni totalmente sin la autorización
expresa del Decano Asociado del Campus Virtual de la Escuela
de Educación Continua de la Universidad Metropolitana.
Escuela de Educación Continua de UMET, enero 2012

3. Reading Comprehension:
The explanation and exercises that follow are geared to test your ability to read
and understand a passage. When you read a paragraph or an essay, you must
follow certain guidelines that will help you understand and analyze the ideas
brought up by the writer.
a. Context Clues – These are words (that you know the meaning of) around the
words you are reading, that help you determine the meaning of the new word.
b. Synonyms – Words with the same or nearly the same meaning.
c. Antonyms – Words with opposite
d. Cognates – Words that are spelled alike or almost alike, sound alike and have
the same meaning in English and Spanish. False cognate, then, are words that
sound alike, but do not have the same meaning.
e. Inference – You draw conclusions or deduct from the information given.
f. Transitional devices – Establish a bridge between two ideas. They also help the
reader to find out the kinds of developmental paragraphs in an essay.
g. Prefixes and suffixes –
 A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word or word
root. Ex. discover (prefix)
 A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word or word root. Ex.
speechless (suffix)
h. Analogies – expresses an agreement of likeness between things in some
circumstances. This relationship is between the meaning and or the usage of
English words, and is usually offered as a sentence written in an abbreviated
form.

4. Sequence of Events:
Certain words can indicate the order of events. When you read, watch for such key words as
before, after, later, first, next or then. These and many other words may show how one event is
related to another in time.
Practice Exercise XXII:
The following sentences are not arranged in order. Read each group of four sentences and
number the sentences in the order each event happened. The sentence that starts the
sequence is identified for you. Sentences should be numbered 1 through 4 in the first group, 5
through 8 in the second groups, 9 through 12 in the third group, and 13 through 16 in the fourth
group.
I
_____ (a) “You know what I wish?” he asked. “I wish it was July and we were all at the lake.
_____ (b) Mrs. Johnson and the three children all interrupted at once saying, “So do I!”
_____ (c) On a cold February day, Mr. Johnson looked at the snow and sighed.
_____ (d) Later that same day, they all sat down to make plans to camp at the lake in July.
II
_____ (a) A month before they went camping, Mr. Johnson ordered a new sleeping bag.
_____ (b) “Boys we’re going camping in two weeks, so let’s check the tent,” said Mr. Johnson.
_____ (c) Everyone packed his won suitcase the day before the family left for the lake.
_____ (d) Sally and her mother bought canned goods a week before the family left for the
lake.
III
_____ (a) When they got to the lake, they drove around looking for a good campsite.
_____ (b) The first evening they sat around the campfire and looked at the stars.
_____ (c) The boys and Mr. Johnson set up the tents before the family did anything else.
_____ (d) Before they got to the lake, they stopped to buy eggs and milk.
IV
_____ (a) The next morning, right after the sunrise, the boys caught some perch in the lake.
_____ (b) The three children went swimming and collected rocks before supper.

5. _____ (c) After the breakfast dishes were washed, the family hiked up the mountain.
_____ (d) Sally said, “We should have fish for breakfast more often”.