| Gain Speed |
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| While many reading questions require that you think about the content of a passage before selecting an answer, others ask only that you find information clearly stated in the passage. For many, the easiest way to the answer to factual questions is to skim the passage looking for key words or synonyms for these words from the question. Skimming, or scanning as it is also called, requires practice. To skim, look quickly through a passage for a particular word, date (ex. 1835), or even letter. Take a look at this sentence and look for a word that begins with the letter 'g'. Try not to read the sentence; all you want to do is find a word that begins with 'g'. See how quickly you can find that word. Once we had met with the prime minister, the only thing left to do was grovel before the court. Did you find it? Good! Let's try a longer sentence, still looking for a word that begins with the letter 'g'. Remember, you are not reading. You are only skimming the passage looking for a word that begins with the letter 'g;. Endocrinologists usually resume tasks left at the door. Over the semester, we spent time at the regional laundromat researching the time spent using cell phones. We gradually delegated responsibility and quit. No doubt you found the word; it's in the 4th line. However, the letter 'g' shows up in other words before you get to the word 'gradually', the first one that begins with the letter 'g'. Did you hesitate at any of those words? If you did, here's a suggestion: when looking for a word that begins with a certain letter, pay more attention to the spaces before the words than the words themselves! If you can train your eyes to notice the spaces before words rather than the words themselves, you will become a better skimmer. It takes less time to find a blank space and then recognize the first letter of the word that follows than to skim the letters in each word. So how do you know which word to skim for? Consider these two questions: According to the passage, which of the following is true of X? According to the passage, X happened because... In both sentences, you are asked for information on the mysterious X. The word that replaces the X is the word you need to skim for. Which word would you skim for to answer the following sentence? According to the passage, which is true of parental rights during an adoption? What is the X in the sentence above? The X is 'parental rights'. Quickly skim the passage below looking for one of these two words. Adoption is a lifelong, life-changing journey for all members of the adoption triad: birth parents, adopted people, and adoptive parents. Adoption, the legal transfer of parental rights from one parent to another, provides children with love, nurturance, and stability. Did you find the words easily? Now can you answer the question? According to the passage, adoption is the legal transfer of parental rights; therefore the answer is parental rights are legally transferred. If you don't find the X word after a quick skim, perhaps you need to look for a synonym - a word that means the same as another. Try one more question. According to the passage, the Reefs at Risk project was begun to... The X in this sentence is 'begun', but that word does not appear in the passage. See what happens if you skim the words below looking for a synonym for 'begun'. The Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean project was initiated to raise awareness about threats to coral reefs -- specifically the linkages between human activities and coral reef health. Did it take long to find the word 'initiated', a synonym for 'begun'? Try more practice, it gets easier! |
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| Some reading questions require you to put on the brakes and think. |
| Save time by recognizing the questions that merely require you to skim the passage. |
| Becoming better at skimming will also help you quickly locate information you remember having read. |
| To skim: move your eyes quickly down a passage looking for a particular letter or word. |
| There is less white space than there are black letters in a passage. Try ignoring the words and skimming the white space and the first letter of the word to gain speed. |
| Skim for important words in the question. |
| You might choose to skim a passage, but always read the question and answer choices carefully! |
| Are you already familiar with skimming? Try some Timed Skimming practice. See how quickly you can answer four questions! |
| Skimming does not replace reading a passage! It can, however, often save you from re-reading a it. |
| Try more skimming with Timed Skimming practice. |