Reading and writing unit 3

Skimming :

Skimming Finding useful text

Getting general ideas about texts:

Getting general ideas about texts When skimming, go over the text very quickly Work as fast as you can Always keep in mind what you’re skimming for Make a question and skim for the answer Slow down only when you see something that will answer your question(s) Pay special attention to the last paragraph as the author usually summarizes important points

Skimming in practice:

Skimming in practice Read these questions and then skim the following news story for the answers. You have ONLY 1 MINUTE TO SKIM Who is Ted O’Brien? What happened to him? Why are people worried about him? What do you think will happen to him?

Using Vocabulary Knowledge :

Using Vocabulary Knowledge Guessing at meaning

Effective Reading:

Effective Reading When we don’t know a word, what is the best way to deal with it? Look it up in the dictionary Ask your teacher Ask another student or friend Try to guess what it means The best way is d. try to guess what it means

Guessing Unknown Vocabulary:

Guessing Unknown Vocabulary Why is guessing the best strategy? Guessing is fast – you don’t have to interrupt your reading Guessing helps your comprehension – you stay focused on your reading Guessing helps build vocabulary – you are more likely to remember the word Guessing allows you to enjoy reading – you don’t have to stop that often

Guessing Word Meaning in Context :

Guessing Word Meaning in Context When we try to guess the meaning of an unknown work, we want to use the text surrounding the word – the context Sometimes we can guess the meaning from other words in the sentence Example Some of the trees in Redwood National Park are truly gargantuan, and in fact, they are the tallest trees in the world. You can guess rom the last sentence that gargantuan means ‘very large’

Guessing Word Meaning in Context :

Guessing Word Meaning in Context Other times we need to read several sentences to guess the meaning of an unknown word Example b Do you know the meaning of misogynist? Read the sentences and try and guess the meaning Mary realized that Mr. Ashman was a misogynist soon after she started working as his assistant. It is difficult for a woman to work for a misogynist. She is never sure if his criticism is based on her work or the fact that she is a woman. Mary knew that no woman would ever get a top-level job in a company run by a misogynist. You know from sentence a that a misogynist is a man You know from sentence b that a misogynist may sometimes criticize a woman just because she’s a woman From c you can understand that a misogynist may not be fair to women We can conclude that a misogynist is someone who dislikes women

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice:

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice Guess the meanings of the bolded words On nice days, old Mrs. Willows always sat our on her front porch and watched people pass by. 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 The window had been left open during the storm and the papers on my desk were a soggy mess. We gathered up the soggy towels and bathing suits and hung them out to dry. In the early morning, you could see the dew on every leaf and every branch W hen we got up, the tent was wet with dew outside, but we were warm and dry inside.

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice:

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice Read the whole paragraph and use the context to guess the nonsense word 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. Travellers without zips will be sent back where they came from. Zips are given on the spot if you arrive by plane or car. However, you may have to wait a long time for one. This can be avoided by getting a zip before you leave home.

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice:

Guessing Vocabulary In Practice Read the whole paragraph and use the context to guess the nonsense word Experiments have shown that some animals have an extraordinary sense of direction. The zip is a good example of this. In 1957, some scientists took eighteen zips from their home on the island of Midway in the Pacific Ocean. These zips were sent by airplane to some distant places, such as Japan, the Philippines, and the Hawaiian Islands. Then they were set free. Scientists already knew that zips could fly for great distances because of their huge wings. But no one thought that the zips would be able to find their way home. After all, Midway is just a tiny island in the middle of the huge ocean. However, fourteen of the zips did get to Midway. They got there very quickly too! One flew from the Philippines -4120km-in only 32 days!

Recognizing words that connect ideas:

Recognizing words that connect ideas Writers use pronouns instead of repeating the same word or name many times Ex Modern technology has dramatically changed the way we view the world. With air travel, satellite communications, and computers, it seems a much smaller place these days. What does it refer to here? The world is the referent to it

Recognizing words that connect ideas:

Recognizing words that connect ideas Write the referent for each pronoun When a computer stops working or is replaced, one of three things can happen to it . It might be fixed up and give to someone else who can use it . Or perhaps it could be taken apart and the various parts could be recycled. The greatest possibility is that it might be sent to the dump. There it would join countless other computers in the pile. it ____________ it ____________ it ____________ it ____________ it ____________ it ____________

Recognizing words that connect ideas:

Recognizing words that connect ideas Write the referent for each pronoun A pedicab is a small cab that is pulled by a bicycle. This human-powered transportation has been popular in Asian countries for many years. Two years ago, a local business man decided to introduce (1) it in Denver, Colorado. So far, (2), he has four of (3) them on the road. He explained that (4) they do not take the place of taxis, because people use (5) them for short rides. The passengers are often people who don’t want to walk because (6) they are dressed in evening clothes. it ____________ he ____________ them ____________ they ____________ them ____________ they ____________

Recognizing words that connect ideas:

Recognizing words that connect ideas Write the referent for each pronoun When a computer stops working or is replaced, one of three things can happen to it . It might be fixed up and give to someone else who can use it . Or perhaps it could be taken apart and the various parts could be recycled. The greatest possibility is that it might be sent to the dump. There it would join countless other computers in the pile. What does it refer to here? Computer is the referent to every it

Going to Extremes: Sports and Obsession:

Going to Extremes: Sports and Obsession On p. 39 of your book discuss questions 1-3 with a partner Turn to p. 42 First preview the text to find out what kind of text it is Skim through, stopping at each boldfaced word If you don’t know what the word means, guess at the meaning using the context Turn to p. 40, part C Read the information about skateboarding. Circle the definition that you think matches the meaning of the boldfaced word or phrase.

Going to Extremes: Sports and Obsession:

Going to Extremes: Sports and Obsession Turn to page 44 of your book Read for main ideas Write T or F for each statement Try not to look at the story again Read for details Write one-sentence answers to the questions Scan the text for the key words and then find the answer you need