Ask Yourself This Question: Do I Read Every Word in Your Own Language When I Am Reading

Ask yourself this question: Do I read every word in your own language when I am reading a schedule, summary, or other outlining document?

The answer is most definitely: No!Reading in English is like reading in your native language. This means that it is not always necessary to read and understand each and every word in English. Remember that reading skills in your native language and English are basically the same.

Here is a quick overview of the four types of reading skills used in every language:

Skimming - used to understand the "gist" or main idea Scanning - used to find a particular piece of information Extensive reading - used for pleasure and general understanding Intensive reading - accurate reading for detailed understanding

Skimming

Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current business situation. It's not essential to understand each word when skimming.

Examples of Skimming:

• The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day)
• Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail)
• Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed)

Scanning

Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you don't understand, don't worry when scanning.

Examples of Scanning

• The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper.
• A train / airplane schedule
• A conference guide

Extensive reading

Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure, as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve your general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word.

Examples of Extensive Reading

• The latest marketing strategy book
• A novel you read before going to bed
• Magazine articles that interest you

Intensive reading

Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.

Examples of Intensive Reading

• A bookkeeping report
• An insurance claim
• A contract

Reading Comprehension - Looking for a Pen Pal

Read the following information about different pen pals.

1. Mary, 24 years old, comes from Scotland and would like to find a pen pal who comes from East Europe. She likes playing the piano and listening to jazz music. She is interested in history but does not like discussing politics. / 2. Kim Lee, 19 years old, comes from Seoul, South Korea. Kim loves travelling and hopes to visit Great Britain in the future. He would like a pen pal who is interested in discussing the differences between life in Europe and life in Asia. He loves listening to pop music and playing football in his free time.
3. Pietro, 42 years old, comes from Argentina. He is a businessman and would like to find a pen pal who is also a businessperson and lives in North America. He is married with three children and likes using the Internet in his free time. / 4. Helga, 31 years old, comes from Germany and speaks French, English and Russian. She would like a pen pal who is interested in exchanging ideas about language learning. She does not like using computers for learning and believes that language learning can only happen in a classroom.
5. Jennifer, 18, comes from New Orleans in the United States. She is interested in discussing the political differences between East Europe and North America. She loves riding her horse, Jackie, and listening to jazz music. / 6. Alessandro, 25 years old, comes from Rome. He is interested in finding a pen pal who speaks different languages and can exchange ideas on using the computer for learning purposes. He likes playing tennis and football in his free time.

Comprehension Questions

Which pen pal is best for these people? Choose ONLY ONE pen pal for each person.

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1. Petr Vladovic, 18, comes from Serbia and would like a pen pal who is interested in discussing the current political situation in the world. He likes jazz and playing tennis in his free time.

The best pen pal for Petr would be

1. Tom Synder, 36, is a businessman from Toronto, Canada. He would like to find a pen pal from a different continent to discuss business practices and differences between his country and others.

The best pen pal for Tom would be

1. Olga, 32 years old, comes from Moscow, Russia. She is a historian and would like to find a pen pal who is interested in discussing the history of Russia before the communist regime. She is not interested in comparing different political systems.

The best pen pal for Olga would be

1. Jack, 27, is from London. His favourite pastime is learning languages. He goes to evening German and French classes and uses his computer to improve his German and French by visiting Internet sites.

The best pen pal for Jack would be

1. Stuart, 22, is from Dublin. He loves travelling and wants to visit Asia in the near future and would like a pen pal who likes playing football and who can tell him about the differences between life in Asia and Ireland.

The best pen pal for Stuart would be

1. Elisabeth, 35 years old, comes from Sydney, Australia. She likes learning languages, but does not like using modern technology. She is interested in finding a pen pal who also enjoys learning languages in a traditional manner.

The best pen pal for Elisabeth would be

Nasreddin and the pot

One day Nasreddin borrowed a pot from his neighbour Ali. The next day he brought it back with another little pot inside. "That's not mine," said Ali. "Yes, it is," said Nasreddin. "While your pot was staying with me, it had a baby."
Some time later Nasreddin asked Ali to lend him a pot again. Ali agreed, hoping that he would once again receive two pots in return. However, days passed and Nasreddin had still not returned the pot. Finally Ali lost patience and went to demand his property. "I am sorry," said Nasreddin. "I can't give you back your pot, since it has died." "Died!" screamed Ali, "how can a pot die?" "Well," said Nasreddin, "you believed me when I told you that your pot had had a baby."

1Who was the owner of the pot?

Nasreddin

Ali

the baby

2How many times did Nasreddin borrow the pot?

once

twice

three times

3How many pots did he give back the first time?

none

one

two

4Why was the neighbour happy to lend his pot a second time?

He was greedy.

He was a good neighbour.

He had lots of spare pots.

5How many pots did Nasreddin return the second time?

none

one

two

6What probably happened to the pot?

It died.

The neighbour took it back.

Nasreddin kept it.

Nasreddin Goes Shopping

One day Nasreddin went to town to buy new clothes. First he tried on a pair of trousers. He didn't like the trousers, so he gave them back to the shopkeeper. Then he tried a robe which had the same price as the trousers. Nasreddin was pleased with the robe, and he left the shop. Before he climbed on his donkey to ride home, the shopkeeper and the shop-assistant ran out.
"You didn't pay for the robe!" said the shopkeeper.
"But I gave you the trousers in exchange for the robe, didn't I?" replied Nasreddin.
"Yes, but you didn't pay for the trousers, either!" said the shopkeeper.
"But I didn't buy the trousers," replied Nasreddin. "I am not so stupid as to pay for something

which I never bought."

1 / How did Nasreddin get to the shop?
/ on foot
/ by camel
/ by donkey
/ the story doesn't say
2 / What did Nasreddin do first in the shop?
/ He tried on some trousers.
/ He tried on a robe.
/ He tried on a hat.
/ He greeted the shopkeeper.
3 / What did Nasreddin try on next?
/ a robe
/ a pair of trousers
/ a hat
4 / Which item did Nasreddin like best?
/ the robe
/ the hat
/ the trousers
5 / How many people were working in the shop?
/ four
/ three
/ two
6 / Why was the shopkeeper angry when Nasreddin left?
/ He didn't take the trousers.
/ He didn't pay for the robe.
/ He didn't say goodbye.
7 / What did Nasreddin actually pay for?
/ nothing
/ the robe
/ the trousers

How did Nasreddin get to the shop?How did Nasreddin get to the shop?How did Nasreddin get to the shop?How did Nasreddin get to the shop?How did Nasreddin get to the shop?

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Nasreddin and the Beggar

One day, Nasreddin was up on the roof of his house, mending a hole in the tiles. He had nearly finished, and he was pleased with his work. Suddenly, he heard a voice below call "Hello!" When he looked down, Nasreddin saw an old man in dirty clothes standing below.
"What do you want?" asked Nasreddin.
"Come down and I'll tell you," called the man.
Nasreddin was annoyed, but he was a polite man, so he put down his tools. Carefully, he climbed all the way down to the ground.
"What do you want?" he asked, when he reached the ground.
"Could you spare a little money for an old beggar?" asked the old man. Nasreddin thought for a minute.
Then he said, "Come with me." He began climbing the ladder again. The old man followed him all the way to the top. When they were both sitting on the roof, Nasreddin turned to the beggar.
"No," he said.

1Why was Nasreddin on the roof of his house?

He was looking at the view.

He was waiting for the old man.

He was fixing the roof.

2Who was the old man?

a beggar

Nasreddin's friend

a roof-mender

3Why was Nasreddin angry?

It was a hot day.

He knew the beggar only wanted money.

It was a long way to go down the ladder.

4Why did Nasreddin go down the ladder?

He wanted to get away from his work.

Because the beggar asked him to.

He wanted to speak to the beggar.

Nasreddin and the Smell of Soup

One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread.
The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while.
Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner's ear, and shook them, so that they made a jingling noise.
"What was that?" asked the restaurant owner.
"That was payment for you," answered Nasreddin.
"What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!" protested the restaurant owner.
"The sound of the coins is payment for the smell of the soup," answered Nasreddin. "Now go back to your restaurant."

1What food did the poor man have?

soup

bread

nothing

2What kind of food did he see in the restaurant?

bread

meat

soup

3Why did he hold the bread over the soup?

So the steam from the soup would go into the bread.

So he could warm his hand.

So the restaurant owner would get angry.

4Why did the restaurant owner take the poor man to Nasreddin?

Because Nasreddin was a judge.

So that Nasreddin could pay for the soup.

Because Nasreddin was the man's relative.

5What did Nasreddin do with the coins?

He gave them to the restaurant owner.

He made a noise with them.

He gave them to the poor man.

Nasreddin the Ferry Man

Nasreddin once had an old boat, which he used to ferry people across the river. One day, he was taking a university professor to the other side.
"What is the square root of 9?" asked the professor.
"I don't know," answered Nasreddin.
"How do you spell elephant?" asked the professor.
"I have no idea," replied Nasreddin.
"Didn't you study anything at school?" demanded the professor, surprised.
"No," said Nasreddin.
"Then you wasted half your life," said the professor.
Nasreddin was silent for a little while. Then he said:
"Can you swim?"
"No," said the professor.
"Then you wasted ALL of your life," said Nasreddin. "We are sinking."

1What was Nasreddin's job?

university professor

ferry man

judge

2What kind of question did the professor ask him first?

a language question

a history question

a math question

3What kind of question did he ask second?

a language question

a history question

a math question

4Why didn't Nasreddin know any of the answers?

He was a history professor.

He never studied at school.

He couldn't swim.

5Which man was probably able to swim?

Nasreddin

the professor

6Who had the most useful knowledge?

Nasreddin

the professor

Nasreddin's Visitors

One day a visitor came to Nasreddin's house. "I am your cousin from Konya," he said, "and I have brought you a duck to celebrate the visit." Nasreddin was delighted. He asked his wife to cook the duck, and served the visitor a fine dinner.
The next day another visitor arrived. "I am the friend of the man who brought you the duck," he said. Nasreddin invited him in and gave him a good meal. The next day another visitor arrived, and said he was the friend of the friend of the man who had brought the duck. Again Nasreddin invited him in for a meal. However, he was getting annoyed. Visitors seemed to be using his house as a restaurant.
Then another visitor came, and said he was the friend of the friend of the friend of the man who had brought the duck. Nasreddin invited him to eat dinner with him. His wife brought some soup to the table and the visitor tasted it. "What kind of soup is this?" asked the visitor. "It tastes just like warm water." "Ah!" said Nasreddin, "That is the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck."

1How many visitors came to see Nasreddin?

2

3

4

2How many of the visitors brought a duck?

1

2

3

3Did Nasreddin know the first visitor?

Yes

No

4Why did Nasreddin get angry?

He did not like eating duck.

His cousin didn't bring him a duck.

The first visitor brought a duck, but the others didn't bring anything.

Practice Reading Section
Directions: It should take about 30–45 minutes to read the passages in this book and answer the 16 questions in the Answer Section. Read each passage, then refer back to it as needed when answering the questions in the Answer Section.
Read the story "Julie’s Race" and then answer Numbers 1 through 8 in the Answer Section.
he dogsled race was about to begin. Julie’s team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate. Julie stood behind them. The air was so cold that she could see her breath. Other teams were lined up, too, and the dogs were excited. Julie kept her eyes on the clock. At exactly ten o’clock, she and the other racers yelled, "Mush!" The dogs knew that meant "Go!" They leapt forward and the race began!
Julie had trained months for this race, and she hoped she and her dogs would win. Hour after hour, day after day, Julie’s dogs pulled the sled in order to get in shape for the race.
Now, they ran over snowy hills and down into frozen valleys. They stopped only to rest and eat. They wanted to stay ahead of the other teams. The racers had to go a thousand miles across Alaska. Alaska is one of the coldest places on Earth. The dogs’ thick fur coats helped keep them warm in the cold wind and weather. In many places along the route, the snow was deep. Pieces of ice were as sharp as a knife. The ice could cut the dogs’ feet. To keep that from happening, Julie had put special booties on their feet.
At first, the dogs seemed to pull the sled very slowly. They were still getting used to the race. But on the third day out, they began to pull more quickly. They worked as a team and passed many of the other racers. Once, one of the sled’s runners slid into a hole and broke. Julie could have given up then, but she didn't. She fixed it and they kept going.
When they finally reached the finish line, they found out that they had come in first place! It was a great day for Julie and her dogs.
Read the article "Outer Space" and then answer Numbers 9 through 16 in the Answer Section.
From far out in space, Earth looks like a blue ball. Since water covers three-fourths of the Earth’s surface, blue is the color we see most. The continents look brown, like small islands floating in the huge, blue sea. White clouds wrap around the Earth like a light blanket. The Earth is shaped like a sphere, or a ball. It is 25,000 miles around! It would take more than a year to walk around the whole planet. A spaceship can fly around the widest part of the sphere in only 90 minutes.
Even though spaceships have traveled to the Moon, people cannot visit the Moon without special suits. The Moon has no air or water. Plants and animals can’t live there either. Astronauts first landed on the Moon in 1969. After that, there were six more trips to the Moon. They brought back Moon rocks, which scientists are still studying. There are holes, or craters, all over the Moon’s surface. Scientists believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions of years ago and formed the craters.
The Sun is the closest star to Earth. A star is a hot ball of burning gas. The Sun looks very big because it is so close. But the Sun is just a medium-sized star. Billions of far-away stars are much bigger than our Sun. The burning gases from the Sun are so hot that they warm the Earth from 93 million miles away! Even though the Sun is always glowing, the night here on Earth is dark. That’s because the Earth rotates, or turns around, every 24 hours. During the day, the Earth faces the Sun. Then we see light. During the night, the Earth turns away from the Sun. Then it faces the darkness of space.
Each day we learn more about the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.

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