What is skimming?
Skimming is reading a text for GENERAL INFORMATION. Imagine that you are
snorkeling in the ocean. You are skimming the reef, looking at all the different fish, and
getting the main idea of what you see.
The reading strategy “skimming” is the same.
Read the text quickly
You don’t need to understand every word
Try to think of one sentence to summarize each paragraph – what is the
MAIN IDEA?
Skimming improves your reading because it helps you read quickly and unlock
the main idea of a text before you look for details.
What is scanning?
Scanning is reading a text for SPECIFIC INFORMATION. Now, imagine that you
are snorkeling again, but this time you are looking for one fish – the fish with the red
tail. You see a lot of fish, but your focus is on finding the fish with the red tail.
The reading strategy “scanning” is the same.
Read the text slowly
Look for what is being asked for in the question like a specific person or
date
Once you find the part in the text you are looking for – read carefully
Scanning improves your reading because it helps you learn how to find specific
information.
Skimming and scanning are necessary to get a good mark on the Cambridge, IETLS
and TOEFL exams.
Skimming Practice
Skim the text below. Read it quickly. Don’t use a dictionary. Then, answer the question.
Sundance by Teresa Wilson
I really don’t know why this book is so popular. I mean, I suppose it is going to appeal
to young girls who want danger and romance, but I found this book really tedious. For a
start, the characters were really unconvincing. The author went out of her way to add
lots of details about the characters, but I found these details really pointless. I thought
that some of the facts she presented about the main characters would become significant
in some way later in the novel, but they didn’t. They were just worthless bits of
information. I also was disappointed that, although this book is meant to be about kids
at high school, the writer seems to have no recollection at all about what it’s like to be
17. The main character thought and acted like a 32-year old. It just wasn’t believable.
I’m not saying Teresa Wilson is a bad writer. She can obviously string words together
and come up with a story that is appealing to a large number of people, but she lacks
anything original. There is no flair. It just uses the same sort of language as you can see
in many other mediocre novels.
Q1: How did Kerry feel about the book?
Scanning Practice
Scan the text below for the answers to the questions. Try to use keywords in the
questions to help you look for specific information.
Sundance by Teresa Wilson
I really don’t know why this book is so popular. I mean, I suppose it is going to appeal
to young girls who want danger and romance, but I found this book really tedious. For a
start, the characters were really unconvincing. The author went out of her way to add
lots of details about the characters, but I found these details really pointless. I thought
that some of the facts she presented about the main characters would become significant
in some way later in the novel, but they didn’t. They were just worthless bits of
information. I also was disappointed that, although this book is meant to be about kids
at high school, the writer seems to have no recollection at all about what it’s like to be
17. The main character thought and acted like a 32-year old. It just wasn’t believable.
I’m not saying Teresa Wilson is a bad writer. She can obviously string words together
and come up with a story that is appealing to a large number of people, but she lacks
anything original. There is no flair. It just uses the same sort of language as you can see
in many other mediocre novels.
Q1: Which age group will like this book?
Q2: Who is Teresa Wilson?
Q3: What does “mediocre” mean in the last line?
