Reading: Reading for Detail (Complex Texts)
B2 Lesson 1: Arguments, Viewpoints & Evidence
Before You Read 🧠
Key Vocabulary
Understanding these concepts will help you analyze the text like a critic.
Types of Supporting Evidence
Authors use different kinds of details to support their main idea. Look for these three common types in B2-level texts.
This is information that can be proven true, often involving numbers, dates, and data from reports or studies.
These are specific cases or short personal stories that illustrate a point and make it easier to understand.
This is a quote or statement from a person or organization with special, credible knowledge on the topic.
The Double-Edged Sword: Online Reviews and Kampot's Small Businesses
In recent years, platforms like Google Maps and TripAdvisor have dramatically changed how tourists discover local businesses. For a town like Kampot, with its many family-run guesthouses and restaurants, this digital shift presents both a huge opportunity and a significant risk. While these platforms can bring in new customers, they also have the power to damage a reputation with a single negative post. Therefore, it is essential for local business owners to develop a new level of digital literacy to navigate this modern landscape.
The positive impact is undeniable. For example, a small, family-owned restaurant hidden in a back street might be 'discovered' by a travel blogger. The blogger writes a glowing review, and within weeks, the restaurant is filled with new customers from all over the world, dramatically increasing the family's income. This word-of-mouth, now amplified by the internet, is a powerful tool for small entrepreneurs.
However, the risks are just as significant. According to international studies on consumer behavior, a series of negative reviews can decrease a small business's revenue by up to 25%. A single unfair review, perhaps written in anger by a competitor, can stay online forever. The leader of Kampot's Business Association stated, "Our members are worried. They are experts at cooking or hospitality, not at managing online reputations."
Guided Analysis
- Author's Main Argument: The last sentence of ¶ 1 gives the thesis: Online reviews are both good and bad, so local owners must learn to manage them.
- Evidence in ¶ 2: The author uses an Example/Anecdote (the story about the family restaurant) to show the positive impact.
- Evidence in ¶ 3: The author uses a Statistic ("decrease... by up to 25%") and an Expert Opinion (the quote from the Business Association leader) to show the risks.
Practice What You Learned 🎯
Quiz: Identify the Evidence
1. "My friend's trip to the coast was ruined by the plastic waste on the beach. He told me he saw more plastic bags than seashells."
What type of supporting detail is this?
- A. A Statistic
- B. An Expert Opinion
- C. An Example / Anecdote
→ Answer: C. This is a short, personal story (anecdote) used as an example.
2. "A 2024 report from the Ministry of Tourism showed that international arrivals increased by 15% last year."
What type of supporting detail is this?
- A. A Fact / Statistic
- B. An Example / Anecdote
- C. An Opinion
→ Answer: A. It provides verifiable data (a percentage from a specific report), making it a fact/statistic.
Key Vocabulary Reference
- Complex Argument A main point that is detailed and has multiple parts.
- Viewpoint An author's personal perspective or position on a topic.
- Supporting Evidence Different types of information used to prove an argument.
- Statistic A fact presented in number form (e.g., percentages, amounts).
- Expert Opinion A statement from a person or group with special, credible knowledge.
Your Reading Mission ⭐
Be a Critical Reader!
Find an opinion or editorial article in English online (from a source like BBC, The Guardian, etc.). Read it carefully.
- Write down the author's main argument in one sentence.
- Find at least two different types of supporting evidence the author uses.
- Write them down and label them (e.g., "This is a statistic," "This is an example.")