Reading is a good habit, but the problem is there’s too much to read these days and too little time to read every word of it. There are hundreds of skills to help you read more in less time. Here are two skills that I think are especially good.
Preview — if it’s long and hard. Previewing is especially useful for getting a general idea of heavy reading like long magazine articles and business reports.
Here’s how to preview.
Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs carefully.
Then read only the first sentence of the other paragraphs.
Previewing doesn’t give you all the details. It keeps you from spending time on things you don’t really want － or need － or read.
Skim － if it’s short and simple. Skimming is a good way to get a general idea of light reading like popular magazines or the sports and entertainment of your daily paper.
Here’s how to skim.
Get your eyes to move fast. Sweep them across each line.
Pick up only a few key words in each line.
Everybody skims differently. You and I may not pick up the same words when we skim the same piece, but we’ll get a similar idea of what it’s all about.
小题1: How many skills does the writer introduce to help us in reading?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
小题2: What should you do if you read a long article according to the writer?
| A．Read every word of it. | B．Read all the details. |
| C．Pick up a few key words in each line. |
| D．Read the first and the last two paragraphs carefully. |
小题3: If you read a simple article, which reading skill is better to get the general idea?
| A．Previewing. | B．Skimming. | C．Reading. | D．Sweeping. |