UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
SEDE PALMIRA
LECTURA DE TEXTOS ACADÉMICOS EN INGLÉS 2
NOMBRE
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Skimming and scanning are very rapid reading methods in
which you glance at a passage to find specific information.
These reading methods make it easier for you to grasp large
amounts of material, especially when you're previewing. They
are also useful when you don't need to know every word.
Skimming and scanning are especially valuable when there is
only one item of information that you need to find from a
particular passage
Skimming refers to the process of reading only main ideas
within a passage to get an overall impression of the content
of a reading selection. An example of this is when we read
the title of a newspaper to know what happens everyday.
How to Skim:
* Read the title.
* Read the introduction or the first paragraph.
* Read the first sentence of every other paragraph.
* Read any headings and sub-headings.
* Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.
* Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.
* Read the summary or last paragraph.
Scanning is a reading technique to be used when you want to
find specific information quickly. In scanning you have a
question in your mind and you read a passage only to find
the answer, ignoring unrelated information.
How to Scan:
* State the specific information you are looking for.
* 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.
* Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify
which sections might contain the information you are looking
for.
* Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.
Special Note:
When you skim and scan, you need to cover everything,
even titles, subtitles, side features, and visuals. That bit of
information you need may not be tidily packaged in a
paragraph, so you need to check the entire page--not just the
main body of the text, there are also many visual clues that
help you to find information. Heads and subheads break up
the text and identify the content of each part. Where key
terms are introduced and defined, they appear in boldface
type. Graphs and charts have titles and/or captions that tell
you what they are about. These clues will help you to find
information. . . but only if you use them.
Read the following text:
Researchers say jogging alone is unhealthy.
A newly published report indicates that jogging could have
adverse health effects, especially for those who do it alone. A
team of researchers from Harvard University has suggested
that going for a run on your own is not as healthy as
previously believed and is nowhere near as beneficial as
jogging as part of a group. They suggested it could actually
be detrimental to one’s health. Experiments conducted on
rats indicated that running alone raises stress levels and
stifles brain cell regeneration. Professor Elizabeth Gould,
who led the research, said: “These results suggest that, in
the absence of social interaction, a normally beneficial
experience can exert a potentially deleterious influence on
the brain.”
The researchers monitored two groups of rats on exercise
wheels. One group exercised alone, the other as part of a
rodent jogging team. After two weeks, the scientists
conducted tests to ascertai n the rate of brain cell growth in
all of the test animals. The results revealed that the
communal joggers had double the amount of new brain cells
as the solo runners. Professor Gould concluded that: “When
experienced in a group setting, running stimulates
neurogenesis (brain cell growth). However, when running
occurs in social isolation, these positive effects are
suppressed.” Joggers around the world should perhaps take
the research with a pinch of salt and remember that jogging
is healthier than the rat race.
Part. I Skimming
1. Answer the following questions using your own
words but taking into account the information in the
text.
b. According to the text, is jogging alone beneficial for our
health? Why?
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c. Has this piece of research been tested on humans?
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2. Choose a, b or c in each question below. Only one
choice is correct.
1. Some Harvard researchers claim that jogging alone
a. is not healthy.
b. is as healthy as it was thought.
c. is not as healthy as it was thought.
2. Jogging alone
a. increases the production of brain cells.
b. increases the size of the brain.
c. reduces the production of brain cells.
3. The report suggests that if you decide to go jogging
a. you should do it on your own.
b. you should do it with someone else.
c. you should do it when your brain tells you.
PART. II SCANNING
1. Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE?
Identify the part of the text that supports your answer.
a. Jogging with rats stimulates the brain cell production:
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Evidence:_________________________________________
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b. Jogging rats produce more brain cells if they do it in group:
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Evidence:_________________________________________
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2. Answer the following questions:
a. What does professor Gould says about the results of this
experiment?
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b. What were her conclusions?
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Bonus:
Skimming and scanning
¿Por qué y para qué?
Leer para obtener una idea general (SKIMMING) y leer en
busca de información concreta (SCANNING) son dos
habilidades lectoras . Por ejemplo, se lee un informe por
encima (skimming) para tener una idea general de lo que
dice, pero sin embargo cuando miramos una página de la
guía telefónica en busca de un nombre o número lo que
hacemos es buscar una información concreta (scanning). A
medida que ustedes ganen seguridad en su habilidad lectora
en la lengua materna y en inglés, aprenderán a abordar
textos con diferentes habilidades lectoras según el propósito
del texto y de la razón para leerlo.
EXERCISE:
SKIMMING and SCANNING EXERCISE
Look carefully at the following article and then answer
the questions that follow:
Before you read any further, answer questions one and
two first.
Boys reunited with mom who tried to kill
them
or
Doctor reunited with two sons who survived
her family suicide attempt
March 11 2001 at 08:55pm
By Melanie-ann Feris
Two surviving sons of a Johannesburg doctor, who tried to kill
them in a family suicide attempt three years ago, have been
reunited with her.
The two boys have been living with their uncle in Portugal for
the past two years.
In November 1998, Dr Manuella Costa drugged her four sons
and then set their luxury Morningside manor home on fire..
Two of the boys, Michael, 11, and Andre, nine, died but
rescue workers were able to save Filipe, 13, and Daniel, 9 .
Costa sustained serious burns..
Talking from a friend's home yesterday, Costa confirmed that
her two sons Filipe and Daniel were with her.
Costa was reluctant to talk as she said she wanted to protect
her children's privacy and asked that no pictures of them be
published.
The boys arrived in South Africa a few days ago and are said
to be living with Costa at her home in Fourways.
The court dismissed all charges against Costa and found that
she could not be held accountable for her deeds because of
her mental state at the time.
Her husband had committed suicide two years before, she
had been diagnosed with cancer, and had had to undergo a
double mastectomy and chemotherapy.
She was also in deep financial trouble, including an R800
000 judgment against her, and was to be evicted from her
home.
Costa has been allowed to continue practising as a doctor
and has over the past two years been slowly rebuilding her
life . “I am very happy. They (her sons) are happy to be with
me – they are not ashamed of me,” she said.
Questions
1. Read only the headline of this article. Try to predict what
the article is about.
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2. Read the first paragraph of the article. Are you more clear
of what the headline means. Elaborate.
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3. How did Manuella de Costa try to kill her sons three years
ago?
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4. How many children did she have?
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5. Name the two sons who survived the attempted killing?
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6. Where were the boys living since the attempted killing?
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7. How many paragraphs does this article have?
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8. Try to do a summary just by looking at the main aspects of
the article,
e.g. the headline and the first lines of each paragraph.
COMPREHENSION
Means that you as a reader should predict what the author is
about to say. Reading extensively gives you this ability. By
doing so your understanding of the text is enhanced and you
become familiar with the reading.
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VOCABULARY OR WORD ATTACK SKILLS

CRITICAL READING
Enables the reader to see the relationship of ideas and use
these in reading with meaning and fluency.
Remember that writers often have specific aims in writing
texts- they often want to influence the way we think and see
the world. In other words texts are sometimes biased.
Critical reading means questioning the opinions of the writer.
You have the right to agree or disagree with his/her opinions.
This is an important step in engaging with the text.
The more you read the more you become familiar with
difficult words. In other words by reading extensively you
improve your vocabulary. Reading in context (reading the
sentence and understanding the way the word is used in that
sentence) is also a valuable reading skill.
EXERCISE:
DICTIONARY USE
(Refer again to the above article)

Examples of questions you can ask when doing a critical
reading:
• Is the text based on fact or opinion
• Do I agree with the authors viewpoint
• Is the text subjective (opinion) or objective (facts)
• Is the text written in a specific time frame7
EXERCISE:
CRITICAL READING EXERCISE
Use a dictionary to find out the following:
1. What does the word "reluctant" mean?
2. Use the word "reluctant" in a sentence to show that you
understand its meaning.
3. What part of speech (i.e. is it a verb, noun etc) is the word
"reluctant"?
4. Give an antonym (word of opposite meaning) for the word
"reluctant"

Read the article in the first section of this booklet i.e. "Doctor 5. What is "chemotherapy"?
re-united with two sons......"

Write, in no more than 8 lines, whether or not you agree with

the courts

decision that Costa could not be held accountable for the

attempts on her

children's lives. Give reasons for your opinions.

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