UPM-FBMK/ SEM 2,2012-2013/ PPG / BBI 2409/WEEK 5

READING SKILLS 1

Previewing

Previewing before you read can enhance your understanding of the text. Previewing helps you to find out what you are going to be reading before you actually read. Getting some idea of the text will allow your brain to make logical connections, thus will improve your comprehension.

Examples of previewing in your daily life:

When you receive a letter, you usually look first at the return address or the stamp to find out who sent it and where it came from.

When you read newspapers or a magazine, you will get some idea of what the articles are about by looking at the headlines and the pictures.

Scanning

Scanning is reading in a high speed looking for specific information. You do not read every word but only key words which will answer questions that you have in mind.

Example of scanning in your daily life:

You scan the list of names in a telephone directory in order to find a phone number.

When you scan for details,

  • Decide what information you need.
  • Identify key words to help find this information.
  • Remember the key words and quickly move your eyes down the page. Do not read as you scan. Just look for the key words.

Read the sentences around the key words to be sure you have found the correct information.

Skimming

Skimming is reading with a high speed to get through lots of material quickly. It is different from previewing and scanning because it aims to get the general sense of a text, an article, or a book. When you skim, you do not look for specific details. You read the whole text and move very quickly over the pages. You should read only the parts of the text that will help to answer your question(s). Work as fast as you can and do not allow details slow you down. You must always keep in mind the reason for your skimming.

Finding Word Meaning in Context

When you come to a word that you do not know in reading, you should try to guess its meaning by using the text surrounding the word (the context).

Example :

Some of the trees in Redwood National Park are truly gargantuan, and in fact they are the tallest trees in the world.

***** From the last part of the sentence, you can guess that gargantuan means “very large”

Exercise 1

Guess the meaning of each word from the context of the sentences below.

  1. What does porch mean?

______

  1. On nice days, old Mrs Bloomwood always sat out on her front porch and watched the people pass by
  2. After lunch in summer, we always moved out to the porch, since there was usually some wind there, but we were protected from the sun.
  1. What does shrink mean?

______

  1. I washed the T-shirt in cold water so it would not shrink.
  2. If you want to have enough spinach for dinner, you need to buy a lot. It shrinks to almost nothing when you cook it.

Exercise 2

In the paragraph below, one word has been replaced with a nonsense word. Work with a partner, first read the whole paragraph. Then use the context to guess what the nonsense word means.

What is a “zip”? ______

Everyone who visits Russia should first get a zip. If you come by train, you must already have a zip. You will not be allowed to enter at all without one. Travelers without zips will be sent back where they came from. Zips are given on the spot if you arrive by plane or by car. However, you may have to wait a long time for one. This can be avoided by getting a zip before you leave home.