第6次课

Skimming and Scanning Unit 1 大学文化

Teaching objectives:  

Students will be able to:

1. develop the fast reading skills and abilities.

Teaching focus & Difficult points: 

1. how to read for the main ideas in the passages;

2. how to differentiate between general points and specific points;

3. how to find out the key words or phrases while reading;

4. how to identify the important facts and details in the passages.

Teaching procedures：

What is Speed-reading?

Speed-reading is a combination of various reading methods. The aim of speed-reading is basically to increase the reading speed without compromising on the understanding or retention. Some of the strategies used in speed reading are:

·Identifying words without focusing on each letter

·Not sounding out all words

·Not sub-vocalizing some phrases

·Spending less time on some phrases than others

·Skimming through small sections  

Introduction to some reading skills

1) Scanning: the technique you might use when reading a telephone directory. You pass your vision speedily over a section of text in order to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to your current task. You can scan:

·the introduction or preface of a text;

·the first or last paragraphs of chapters;

·the concluding or summarising chapter of a text;

·the book index.

2) Skimming: he process of speedy reading for general meaning. Let your eyes skip over sentences or phrases which contain detail. Concentrate on identifying the central or main points.

Use this technique to: preview a selection of text prior to detailed reading; refresh your understanding of a selection of text following detailed reading.

3) Detailed reading and note taking:

Once you have selected useful information, you can begin to read in detail. Note taking techniques provide a useful aid to reading. Use:

·underlining and highlighting to pick out what seem to you the most central or important words and phrases. Do this in your own copy of texts or on photocopies - never on borrowed texts;

·keywords to record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each main point.Keywords can be used when you don't want to mark the text;

·questions to encourage you to take an active approach to your reading. Record your questions as you read. They can also be used as prompts for follow up work;

·summaries to check you have understood what you have read. Pause after a section of text and put what you have read in your own words. Skim over the text to check the accuracy of your summary, filling in any significant gaps.

Developing your reading speed

·Don't worry about how quickly you are reading but instead, concentrate on reading the line in only three fixations.

·As this becomes more natural, practise without drawing lines.

·Later, reduce the number of fixations to two per line.

·Once this increased word span becomes a comfortable habit, an increase in your reading speed will occur.

Introduction to some examination strategies

·Find out the key words: read the question and Search for Key Words/Phrases or ideas associated with the question.

·Your eyes then Move Quickly Over the Page, flitting around the text, back and forth, up and down.  (by skimming)

·Less Reading and More Searching, the brain hunts for specific information — a word, a phrase or a number, but usually you would not find out the exact words or phrases used in the question, so you need to identify the synonyms or synonymous expressions based on your vocabulary. (by scanning)

·Reading for Details to find your answer, this final step requires a careful and close reading of the sentence or paragraph you have arrived at after your search. (by intensive reading)

Passages in Unit 1:

PASSAGE 1 Why does college cost so much?

PASSAGE 2 Fraternities and sororities: the secret history of Greek societies

PASSAGE 3 Colleges see rise in mental health issues

PASSAGE 4 Meeting and making friends on campus

Assignments: Finish reading passages 3 and 4.