Skimming & Scanning

SKIMMING AND SCANNING
SKIMMING
Skimming is a method of rapidly moving the eyes over text with the
purpose of getting only the main ideas and the general overview of
the content.
1. You might use skimming to:

see whats in the news in a paper or on a website
browse through a book to see if you want to read it
look through the television guide to see whats on one evening
browse through a catalogue to see whats on offer
look through the options given on a Google search to see what sites it suggests
2. Steps in skimming an article:
a) Read the title it is the shortest possible summary of the content
b) Read the introduction or lead-in paragraph
c) Read the first paragraph completely.
d) If there are subheadings, read each one, looking for relationships among them.
e) Read the first sentence of its remaining paragraph.
i.
The main idea of most paragraph appears in the first sentence
ii.
If the authors pattern is to begin with a question or anecdote, you may find the last
sentence more valuable.
f)
Deep into the text looking for:

i.
Clue words that answer 5 WH Questions
ii.
Proper nouns
iii.
Unusual words especially if capitalized
iv.
Enumerations
v.
Qualifying adjectives (best, worst, most, etc.)
vi.
Typographical cues- Italics, boldface, underlining, asterisks, etc.
g) Read the final paragraph completely.
SCANNING
1. Scanning rapidly covers a great deal of material in order
to locate a specific facts or piece of information.
Scanning is very useful for finding a specific name, date,
statistic or fact without reading the entire article.
2. You might use scanning to:

look up a word in a dictionary or index
find an address or a phone number in a directory
check what time your programme is on television
look up details or prices in a catalogue
pick out the website you want from options on a Google search
You need to find particular pages in a book, using the table of contents and index.
You need to find an answer to a question
3. Steps in scanning an article:

a) Keep in mind at all times what it is you are searching for. If you hold the image of the word
or idea clearly in mind, it is slightly to appear more clearly than the surrounding words.
b) Anticipate in what form the information is slightly to appearnumbers, proper nouns, etc.
c) Analyze the organization of the content before starting to scan.
i.
If material is familiar or fairly brief, you may be able to scan the entire article in a
single search.
ii.
If the material is lengthy or difficult, a preliminary skimming maybe necessary to

determine which part of the article to scan.
d) Let your eyes run rapidly over several lines of print at a time.
e) When you find the sentence that has the information you seek, read the entire sentence.
ACTIVITY
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 in
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 ones health. Experiments conduces in 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 researches monitored two rats on exercise wheels. One group exercised alone the other as part of a
rodent jogging team. After two weeks, the scientists conducted test to ascertain the rate of brain cell
growth in all 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.
SKIMMING PART
1. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in
the text.
a. According to the text, is jogging alone beneficial for our health? Why?
b. Has this piece of research been tested on humans?
2. Answer the questions below by circling the best answer.

i.
Some Harvard researches 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.
ii.
Jogging alone
iii.
A.
Increases the production of brain cells.
B.
Increases the size of the brain.
C.
Reduces the production of brain cells.
The report suggest that if you decide to go jogging

A. You should do it in your own.
B. You should do it with someone else.
C. You should do it when your brains tell you.
SCANNING PART
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: ________
Evidence: ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
b. Jogging rats produce more brain cells if they do it in group: ________

Evidence: ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Answer the following questions:

a.
What does Professor Gould says about the results of this experiment?
___________________________________________________________
b. What were her conclusions?

_______________________________________________________________
Additional Activity:
i.
Choose ONE article from English newspaper and read the title to know what happens every day.
ii.
Read the introduction or the first paragraph.
iii.
Write FIVE most important ideas about the article in your notebook.

Skimming & Scanning

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SKIMMING AND SCANNING

1. You might use skimming to:

The main idea of most paragraph appears in the first sentence

Deep into the text looking for:

Clue words that answer 5 WH Questions

Unusual words especially if capitalized

Qualifying adjectives (best, worst, most, etc.)

Typographical cues- Italics, boldface, underlining, asterisks, etc.

g) Read the final paragraph completely.

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

2. You might use scanning to:

3. Steps in scanning an article:

If the material is lengthy or difficult, a preliminary skimming maybe necessary to

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

RESEARCHERS SAY JOGGING ALONE IS UNHEALTHY

2. Answer the questions below by circling the best answer.

Some Harvard researches claim that jogging alone:

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

Increases the production of brain cells.

Increases the size of the brain.

Reduces the production of brain cells.

The report suggest that if you decide to go jogging

Jogging with rats stimulates the brain cell production: ________

b. Jogging rats produce more brain cells if they do it in group: ________

2. Answer the following questions:

b. What were her conclusions?

Read the introduction or the first paragraph.

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