-
Reading
strategy
—
skimming & scanning
Skimming
is a
reading strategy used to quickly identify the main
ideas of a text. Skimming is
done at a
speed three to four times faster than normal
reading. People often skim when they have
lots of material to read in a limited
amount of time. Use skimming when people want to
see if an
article may be of interest or
use.
There are many strategies that can
be used when skimming. You can read the first and
last
paragraphs
using
headings,
summarizers
and
other
organizers
as
you
move
down
the
page
or
screen.
You can also read the title, subtitles,
subheading, and illustrations. In addition,
reading the
first (and last) sentence
of each paragraph is also helpful in identifying
the main idea quickly.
We
can quickly get the main idea of the whole passage
by just looking at the outline listed
above, and know that the passage can be
divided into four parts. As to specific details,
we first
decide whether it is about the
stories, or about practical instructions, then we
can scan the relevant
parts to get the
information we want.
Exercise1: Skimming
Directions:
This exercise
practises skimming -- that means reading very fast
to find only the main
ideas
of
a
text.
You
will
have
only
two
minutes
to
read
the
text
and
identify
the
main
ideas.
Choose the correct answer for each
question.
Pulp Friction
Every
second,
1
hectare
of
the
world's
rainforest
is
destroyed.
That's
equivalent
to
two
football
fields. An area the size of New York City is lost
every day. In a year, that adds up to 31
million hectares -- more than the land
area of Poland. This alarming rate of destruction
has serious
consequences
for
the
environment;
scientists
estimate,
for
example,
that
137
species
of
plant,
insect or animal
become extinct every day due to logging. In
British Columbia, where, since 1990,
thirteen rainforest valleys have been
clearcut, 142 species of salmon have already
become extinct,
and
the
habitats
of
grizzly
bears,
wolves
and
many
other
creatures
are
threatened.
Logging,
however,
provides
jobs,
profits,
taxes
for
the
government
and
cheap
products
of
all
kinds
for
consumers, so the government is
reluctant to restrict or control it.
Much of Canada's forestry production
goes towards making pulp and paper. According to
the
Canadian Pulp and Paper
Association, Canada supplies 34% of the world's
wood pulp and 49% of
its
newsprint
paper.
If
these
paper
products
could
be
produced
in
some
other
way,
Canadian
forests
could
be
preserved.
Recently,
a
possible
alternative
way
of
producing
paper
has
been
suggested by agriculturalists and
environmentalists: a plant called hemp.
Hemp has been cultivated by
many cultures for thousands of years. It produces
fibre which
can be made into paper,
fuel, oils, textiles, food, and rope. For
centuries, it was essential to
the
economies of many countries because it
was used to make the ropes and cables used on
sailing
ships; colonial expansion and
the establishment of a world-wide trading network
would not have
been
feasible
without
hemp.
Nowadays,
ships'
cables
are
usually
made
from
wire
or
synthetic
fibres,
but
scientists
are
now
suggesting
that
the
cultivation
of
hemp
should
be
revived
for
the
production
of
paper
and
pulp.
According
to
its
proponents,
four
times
as
much
paper
can
be
produced
from
land
using
hemp
rather
than
trees,
and
many
environmentalists
believe
that
the
1
large-scale cultivation of
hemp could reduce the pressure on Canada's
forests.
However, there is
a problem: hemp is illegal in many countries of
the world. This plant, so
useful for
fiber, rope, oil, fuel and textiles, is a species
of cannabis, related to the plant from which
marijuana is produced. In the late
1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began
to gather
force, resulting in the
eventual banning of the cultivation not only of
the plant used to produce the
drug, but
also of the commercial fiber-producing hemp plant.
Although both George Washington
and
Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in large quantities on
their own land, any American growing the
plant today would soon find himself in
prison -- despite the fact that marijuana cannot
be produced
from the hemp plant, since
it contains almost no THC (the active ingredient
in the drug).
In
recent
years,
two
major
movements
for
legalization
have
been
gathering
strength.
One
group
of
activists
believes
that
ALL
cannabis
should
be
legal
--
both
the
hemp
plant
and
the
marijuana plant -- and
that the use of the drug marijuana should not be
an offense. They argue that
marijuana
is not dangerous or addictive, and that it is used
by large numbers of people who are not
criminals but productive members of
society. They also point out that marijuana is
less toxic than
alcohol or tobacco. The
other legalization movement is concerned only with
the hemp plant used
to produce fiber;
this group wants to make it legal to cultivate the
plant and sell the fibre for paper
and
pulp
production.
This
second
group
has
had
a
major
triumph
recently:
in
1997,
Canada
legalized
the
farming
of
hemp
for
fiber.
For
the
first
time
since
1938,
hundreds
of
farmers
are
planting this crop, and soon we can
expect to see pulp and paper produced from this
new source.
1. The main
idea of paragraph one is___________________.
A. Scientists
are worried about New York City
B. Logging is destroying
the rainforests
C. Governments make money from logging
D. Salmon are
an endangered species
2. The main idea
of paragraph two is___________________.
A. Canadian
forests are especially under threat
B. Hemp is a kind of plant
C. Canada is a
major supplier of paper and pulp
D. Canada produces a lot of
hemp
3. The main idea of paragraph
three is__________________.
A. Paper could be made from
hemp instead of trees
B. Hemp is useful for fuel
C. Hemp has been cultivated
throughout history
D. Hemp is essential for building large
ships
4. The main idea of paragraph
four is__________________.
A. Hemp is used to produce drugs
B. Many famous
people used to grow hemp
C. It is illegal to grow hemp
D. Hemp is
useful for producing many things
5. The
main idea of paragraph five is__________________.
A. Hemp should
be illegal because it is dangerous
B. Recently, many people
have been working to legalize hemp
C. Hemp was made illegal in
1938
2
D. Marijuana is not a
dangerous drug
Scanning
is a reading
technique used when you want to find specific
information quickly. In
scanning you
have a question in your mind and you read a
passage to find the answer, ignoring
unrelated information.
How
to scan:
1.
Pre-
determine the specific information you are looking
for.
2.
Try to
anticipate how the answer will appear and what
clues you might use to help you locate
the answer. For example, if you were
looking for a certain date, you would quickly read
the
paragraph looking only for numbers.
3.
Use headings
and any other aids that will help you identify
which sections might contain the
information you are looking for.
4.
Selectively
read and skip through sections of the passage.
When scanning, look for the author's
use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps,
or the
words, first, second, or next.
Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in
a different font size,
style, or color.
Sometimes the author will put key ideas in the
margin.
Exercise 2: Scanning
Directions:
This
exercise
practises
scanning
--
that
means
reading
very
fast
to
find
specific
information. You will have
only
two minutes
to read the
text of
Pulp Friction
and
choose the
correct answer for each
question.
1. How many
species of salmon have become extinct in BC?
A. 27
B. 31
C. 137
D. 142
2. How much of the world's newsprint
paper is supplied by Canada?
A. 31%
B. 49%
C. 34%
D.
19%
3. What equipment on a ship was
made from hemp?
A. Ropes
B.
engine fuel
C. life rafts
D.
waterproof cloth
4. What drug can be
obtained from a relative of hemp?
A.
cocaine
B.
heroin
C.
amphetamine
D. marijuana
5.
Where was hemp farming recently legalized?
A. the USA
B. Canada
C. Singapore
D. the
Netherlands
Exercise 3:
Scanning
Exercise:
read each
of the questions first, locate the relevant part
of the text, and then find the
correct
answer
1
．
Accord to the passage, self-esteem is
important because______.
A.
it can affect your emotion
B.
it can affect
your attitude toward life
C.
it can affect your behavior
D.
it can affect
your health
1.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned
in the passage as factors influencing self-esteem?
A. Education
B. Body changes
C. Family life
D. Comments from others
3.
In order to build healthy self-esteem, you should
have ________.
A. good friendships
B. a positive attitude
3
C.
a healthy lifestyle
D. both B and C
4. To build your self-esteem, you
should give yourself ______compliments every day.
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
5.
If
you
feel
like
your
body
image
and
self-esteem
are
affecting
your
life,
the
most
important
thing is to
________.
A.
learn how to handle the problems alone
B.
ignore the problems
C. get help
D.
face up with your problems
Passage
reading
Body Image and
Self-Esteem
1058 words
I'm
fat. I'm too skinny. I'd be happy if I were
taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a
smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer
legs.
Do any
of
these
statements
sound
familiar? Are
you
used
to
putting
yourself
down?
If
so,
you're not alone. As a teen, you're
going through a ton of changes in your body. And
as your body
changes, so does your
image of yourself. Lots of people have trouble
adjusting, and this can affect
their
self-esteem.
Why Are Self-
Esteem and Body Image Important?
Self-
esteem is all about how much people value
themselves, the pride they feel in themselves,
and how worthwhile they feel. Self-
esteem is important because feeling good about
yourself can
affect how you act. A
person who has high self-esteem will make friends
easily, is more in control
of his or
her behavior, and will enjoy life more.
Body
image
is
how
someone
feels
about
his
or
her
own
physical
appearance.
For
many
people,
especially
those
in
their
early
teens,
body
image
can
be
closely
linked
to
self-
esteem.
That's because as kids develop
into teens, they care more about how others see
them.
What Influences a
Person's Self-Esteem?
Puberty
Some teens struggle with their self-
esteem when they begin puberty because the body
goes
through many changes. These
changes, combined with a natural desire to feel
accepted, mean it
can
be
tempting
for
people
to
compare
themselves
with
others.
They
may
compare
themselves
with the people around them or with
actors and celebs they see on TV, in movies, or in
magazines.
But it's impossible to
measure ourselves against others because the
changes that come with
puberty are
different for everyone. Some people start
developing early; others are late bloomers.
Some get a temporary layer of fat to
prepare for a growth spurt, others fill out
permanently, and
others feel like they
stay skinny no matter how much they eat. It all
depends on how our genes
have
programmed our bodies to act.
The
changes that come with puberty can affect how both
girls and guys feel about themselves.
Some girls may feel uncomfortable or
embarrassed about their maturing bodies. Others
may wish
that they were developing
faster. Girls may feel pressure to be thin but
guys may feel like they
don't look big
or muscular enough.
Outside Influences
4
It's
not
just
development
that
affects
self-esteem,
though.
Many
other
factors
(like
media
images of skinny girls and bulked-up
guys) can affect a person's body image too.
Family life can sometimes influence
self-esteem. Some parents spend more time
criticizing
their
kids
and
the
way
they
look
than
praising
them,
which
can
reduce
kids'
ability
to
develop
good self-esteem.
People also may experience negative
comments and hurtful teasing about the way they
look
from classmates and peers.
Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudice is the
source of such comments.
Although these
often come from ignorance, sometimes they can
affect someone's body image and
self-
esteem.
Healthy Self-Esteem
If you have a positive body image, you
probably like and accept yourself the way you are.
This healthy attitude allows you to
explore other aspects of growing up, such as
developing good
friendships,
growing
more
independent
from
your
parents,
and
challenging
yourself
physically
and mentally.
Developing these parts of yourself can help boost
your self-esteem.
A
positive,
optimistic
attitude
can
help
people
develop
strong
self-esteem
—
for
example,
saying,
blaming others when things don't go as
expected.
Knowing
what
makes
you
happy
and
how
to
meet
your
goals
can
help
you
feel
capable,
strong, and in control of your life. A
positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as
exercising
and eating right) are a
great combination for building good self-esteem.
Tips for Improving Your
Body Image
Some people think they need
to change how they look or act to feel good about
themselves.
But actually all
you need to do is change the way
you see your body and how you think
about
yourself.
The first
thing to do is recognize that your body is your
own, no matter what shape, size, or
color
it
comes
in.
If
you're
very
worried
about
your
weight
or
size,
check
with
your
doctor
to
verify
that
things
are
OK.
But
it's
no
one's
business
but
your
own
what
your
body
is
like
—
ultimately, you
have to be happy with yourself.
Next,
identify which aspects of your appearance you can
realistically change and which you
can't. Everyone (even the most perfect-
seeming celeb) has things about themselves that
they can't
change and need to accept
—
like their height, for
example, or their shoe size.
If there
are things about yourself that you want to change
and can (such as how fit you are),
do
this by making goals for yourself. For example, if
you want to get fit, make a plan to exercise
every day and eat nutritious foods.
Then keep track of your progress until you reach
your goal.
Meeting a challenge you set
for yourself is a great way to boost self-esteem!
When you hear negative comments coming
from within yourself, tell
yourself
to stop. Try
building
your
self-esteem
by
giving
yourself
three
compliments
every
day.
While
you're
at
it,
every
evening list three things in your day that really
gave you pleasure. It can be anything from
the way the sun felt on your face, the
sound of your favorite band, or the way someone
laughed at
your jokes. By focusing on
the good things you do and the positive aspects of
your life, you can
change how you feel
about yourself.
5
Where Can I Go if I Need
Help?
Sometimes low self-esteem and
body image problems are too much to handle alone.
A few
teens may become depressed, lose
interest in activities or friends
—
and even hurt themselves
or
resort to alcohol or drug abuse.
If
you're
feeling
this
way,
it
can
help
to
talk
to
a
parent,
coach,
religious
leader,
guidance
counselor,
therapist, or an adult friend. A trusted adult
—
someone who supports you
and doesn't
bring
you
down
—
can
help
you
put
your
body
image
in
perspective
and
give
you
positive
feedback about your body, your skills,
and your abilities. The most important thing is to
get help if
you feel like your body
image and self-esteem are affecting your life.
Exercise 4
How
Do You See Diversity?
As a
manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing
applicants for some of the positions
with
her
company
.During
one
interview,
she
noticed
that
the
candidate
never
made
direct
eye
contact. She was puzzled
and somewhat disappointed because she liked the
individual otherwise.
He
had a perfect resume and gave good responses to
her questions, but the fact that he never
looked her in the eye said
―untrustworthy,‖ so she decided to offer the job
to her second choice.
―It wasn‘t until
I attended
a diversity workshop t
hat I
realized the person we passed over
was the perfect person,‖ Tiffany
confesses. What she hadn‘t known at the time of
the interview
was that the candidate‘s
―different‖ behavior was simply a cultural
misunderstanding . He was an
Asian-
American
raised
in
a
household
where
respect
for
those
in
authority
was
shown
by
averting(
避开
) your
eyes.
―I was just thrown
off by the lack of ye contact; not realizing it
was cultural,‖ Tiffany says.
―I missed
out ,but will not miss that opportunity
again.‖
Many
of
us
have
had
similar
encounters
with
behaviors
we
perceive
as
different.
As
the
world becomes smaller and our
workplaces more diverse, it is becoming essential
to expand our
understanding of others
and to reexamine some of our false assumptions .
Hire Advantage
At
a
time
when
hiring
qualified
people
is
becoming
more
difficult
,employers
who
can
eliminate
invalid biases(
偏爱
) from the
process have a distinct advantage .My company,
Mindsets
LLC
,helps
organizations
and
individuals
see
their
own
blind
spots .
A
real
estate
recruiter
we
worked with illustrates
the positive difference such training can make .
―During my
Mindse
ts coaching session ,I was taught
how to recruit a diversified workforce.
I recruited people from different
cultures and skill sets .The agents were able to
utilize their full
potential and
experiences to build up the company .When the real
estate market began to change,
it
was
because
we
had
a
diverse
agent
pool
that
we
were
able
to
stay
in
the
real
estate
market
much longer than
others in the same profession.‖
Blinded by Gender
Dale is an
account executive who attended one of my
workshops on supervising a diverse
workforce . ―Through one of the
sessions ,I discovered my personal bias ,‖ he
recalls . ―I learned I
had not been
looking at a person as a whole person , and being
open to differences .‖ In his case ,
6
the blindness was not
about culture but rather gender .
―I
had a management position open in my department
;
and the two finalists were a man and
a woman . Had I not attended this
workshop, I would have automatically assumed the
man was the
best candidate because the
position required quite a bit of extensive travel
. My reasoning would
have
been
that
even
though
both
candidates
were
great
and
could
have
been
successful
in
the
position,
I
assumed
the
woman
would
have
wanted
to
be
home
with
her
children
and
not
travel.‖Dale‘s assumptions are another
exa
mple of the well-intentioned but
incorrect thinking that
limits an
organization‘s ability to tap into the full
potential of a diverse
workforce.
―I
learned
from
the
class
that
instead
of
imposing
my
gender
biases
into
the
situation,
I
needed to present the full range of
duties, responsibilities and expectations to all
candidates and
allow
them
to
make
an
informed
decision.
‖
Dale
credits
the
workshop,
―because
it
helped
me
make decisions based on
fairness.‖
Year
of the Know-It-All
Doug
is
another
supervisor
who
attended
one
of
my
workshops
.He
recalls
a
major
lesson
learned from his own employee.
―One of my most embarrassing moments
was when I had a Chinese
-American
employee put
in a request to take time
off to celebrate Chinese New Year. In my
ignorance, I assumed he had his
dates
wrong , as the first of January had just passed .
When I advised him of this, I gave him a
long talking-to about turning in
requests early with the proper dates.
―He patiently waited , then when I was
done , he said he would like Ch
inese
New Year did
not begin January first ,
and that Chinese New Year ,which is tied to the
lunar cycle ,is one of the
most
celebrated
holidays
on
the
Chinese
calendar .
Needless
to
say,
I
felt
very
embarrassed
in
assuming he had his dates mixed up. But
I learned a great deal about assumptions, and that
the
timing of holidays varies
considerably from culture to culture.
―Attending
the
diversity
workshop
helped
me
realize
how
much
I
could
learn
by
simply
asking questions and
creating dialogues with my employees, rather than
making assumptions and
trying to be a
know-it-
all ,‖ Doug admits . ―The
biggest thing I took away from the workshop is
learning how to be more ?inclusive‘ to
differences.‖
A better
Bottom Line
An open mind about
diversity not only improves organizations
internally, it is profitable as
well .
These comments from a customer service
representative show how an inclusive attitude can
improve
sales.‖
Most of my customers speak English as a second
language . One of the best things
my
company
has
done
is
to
contract
with
a
language
service
that
offers
translations
over
the
phone .
It wasn‘t until my boss received Mindsets‘
training that she was able to understand how
important inclusiveness was to customer
service . As result , our customer bas
e
has increased .‖
Once
we
start
to
see
people
as
individuals .
and
discard
the
stereotypes
,
we
can
move
positively
toward
inclusiveness
for
everyone .
Diversity
is
about
coming
together
and
taking
advantage
of
our
differences
and
similarities
.
It
is
about
building
better
communities
and
organizations that
enhance us as individuals and reinforce our shared
humanity .
When we begin to question
our assumptions and challenge what we think we
have learned
from our past , from the
media, peers , family , friends , etc , we begin
to realize that some of our
7