【正文】 ction. Some preparations before reading in relation to schema theorySchema can be broadly defined as one’s general knowledge of the world organized in units, we can find that much of the schema of readers cannot be taught in the reading instruction, but can be acquired through understanding the various texts used as our reading materials that contain these knowledge. We have to bear in mind that the principal goal of reading instruction is to help the reader on how to read instead of teaching the literal contents of the text. So what left us to do in using schema theory in our instruction is to equip the readers some skills and knowledge in using schema theory in their reading.a) Understanding the formal schemataCarell (1983) draws a distinction between formal schemata and content schemata. Here, in this part we attempt to discuss the formal schemata, since this is something we can do to prepare the readers some knowledge about the text organization. According to Carell, formal schemata means the background knowledge of the formal rhetorical organizationl structure of different types of texts (fable, expository text, story, scientific text, poetry, news etc.) As we know, each type of the texts has its particular organization and style features. A knowledge of these will engage the readers in appropriate formal schema before reading or facilitate reading by constraining the reader in a particular suitable strategy to other less efficient processing for reading a particular type of text. The formal knowledge can be instructed before the reading program begins. The features of each of the types can bedisplayed with sample texts or explained directly by the teacher. Another way found effective for the readers to get acquainted with the features of the types is to display the sample texts of each of the types at the same time. Instead of explaining, the teacher can ask the readers to make parisons to find out the differences between one type and another and make judgement themselves.b) Understanding some truth about writing The instruction of this topic seems to have something in mon with the reading strategy instruction. It does. In the application of schema theory in reading, the reader’s abilities of inference and making association are of crucial in successful prehension. Readers should be made aware through analysis of sample texts of the fact that the writer does not express everything he means, that the words or sentences may be deliberately employed not to convey their literal meaning, and that the writer may not provide sufficient clues and information. In such situation, the conventional preclass activities like background introduction, prediction based on topic and illustrations and preclass discussion may produce limited effect in obtaining coherent understanding of the intersentential meaning. So in this issue, the readers should be guided, again with sample texts to be alert to discover the underlying meaning of texts instead of wrestling only with the literal expressions. Readers have to be made known that they are responsible for filling out the messages not explicitly stated, interpreting the text seemingly absurd and inconsistent with the context. All these have to be made out by making inference with both their linguistic knowledge and locating the schema unit for the particular parts or the text. Besides, they should be instructed to constantly check or monitor their understanding. By “understanding”, we mean a prehension of not only local individual details, but also a coherent understanding of the whole text. This can be achieved in reading class by, for example, asking the successful readers to present or report how a prehension is solved, how the thinking process happens or what knowledge he resorts to. Some technique in using schema theory in reading instructionAs Carrell (1983) mentioned that prehension inefficiency is not because the readers lack the appropriate schema, but because they fail to activate the appropriate schema. What a teacher of reading should concentrate on is to design suitable classroom activities to help readers locate an appropriate schema among the numerous schema units in their storage. Conceptually driven schemaConceptually driven schema means activation of reader’s schema by high level information such as concerning situation. Previewing is a prereading activity that provides the reader with some important and relevant information. It proves to be important for the less proficient readers. According to Patricia L. Carrell, (Paticia L. Carell et al 1988), Preview may include:a) providing outline。b) key concepts of cultural loads。c) providing some background。d) presenting specialized vocabulary and structure.These activities help to activate readers’ schema through providing a general setting and confining the slot, which will instantiate and activate the ponents of the setting. To take “shopping” as an example. If the setting of “shopping” is presented, people will produce such associations as “buyers”, “sellers”, “casher”, “goods”, “money” and the shopping activities like “bargain”, “paying”, and even every detailed scenes of shopping. In this example, when the readers are presented a “shopping” setting, they would search in their schema storage and locate the unit concerning “shopping”, and activate the schema in the lower level, namely, the associated words and concepts, which enter the processing as input materials. So, by application of the four activities of previewing mentioned above, the readers’ schema are conceptually driven, or activated in a way of toptodown. Data driven schemaAnother type of mon activities used to activate schema is applying the lower level ponents to activate the higherlevel schema, or Data driven schema. In these activities, readers are required to focus their attention on the text source like the key words, pictures, diagrams and so on. The information derived from the