Page |1 Reading Skills SKIMMING To quickly get a general idea of what a text is about. In your own words explain what the thinks about….. SCANNING To find specific information. From lines ..-… select two words or phrases that……. Give yourself 60 seconds to skim through the ‘Size matters’ paragraph below. When you are finished, cover the paragraph up before moving onto the questions. Size matters Here’s something to think about the next time you go shopping. Have you ever noticed how many trolleys are available when you go to the supermarket? In my experience, it seems like hundreds! But how about the number of hand baskets? Invariably I struggle to find even one, especially when I only need a few items. Why might this be the case? Well, it seems to be a tactic used to encourage us to buy more. If you are walking around with an empty trolley, you are more tempted to fill it, so if you a planning on only doing a quick shop, always try to find a basket. It will be lighter, easier to use and is sure to save you money! Skim through the information given to answer the questions 1. 2. 3. 4. What can you find in large numbers at a supermarket? Why can this be a problem? How can you avoid spending more than you planned? Why is it a good idea to use a basket instead of a trolley? This passage is about Justo Ansoltegui. He is a young man of eighteen who has inherited his family farm near the town of Guernica in Spain. Justo Ansotegui's reputation rose from Guernica uphill to the village of Lumo where Maria Onati heard that he was a defender of causes and a wit, although some suggested he was too eager to create his own mythology. Most often she'd heard that he was the one to watch during the strength events on feast days. One friend claimed that he had carried an ox into 5 town across his shoulder and celebrated the feat by throwing the beast across the river. 'Yes', said Justo when asked about the story. 'But it was only a small ox and downhill most of the way into town. And the wind was with me when I threw it.' Maria came to dance at one of the festivals with her sisters. She also decided to watch the men's competitions, which she usually avoided. Page |2 List five things you learn about Justo in these lines. 12345- This extract is from a speech by Nelson Mandela at the Make Poverty History Campaign in London in 2005. Through your will and passion, you assisted in consigning that evil system forever to history. But in this new century, millions of people in the world’s poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved, and in chains. They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. Find two words or phrases that show the helplessness of the poor While poverty persists, there is no true freedom. The steps that are needed from the developed nations are clear. The first is ensuring trade justice. I have said before that trade justice is a truly meaningful way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty. The second is an end to the debt crisis for the poorest countries. The third is to deliver much more aid and make sure it is of the highest quality. Apartheid, (Afrikaans: “apartness”) policy that governed relations between South Africa's white minority and nonwhite majority and sanctioned racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against nonwhites. In your own words explain the opinion of the speaker on how the developed nations can be of help to poorer countries. Page |3 In this newspaper article the flu epidemic of 1918 is reported. Influenza epidemic at its height in Manchester The influenza in Manchester has reached an acute stage. For the last month, the number of sufferers and the rate of mortality have steadily increased, and this week illness has been more widespread than ever. Medical authorities, however, regard the outbreak as having reached the culminating point, and anticipate a decline from now onwards. Last night, representatives of places of amusement in Manchester met Dr Niven and the chief constable, and decided not, at present, to admit children under fourteen to performances. Meanwhile, doctors are unable to respond to all the calls made upon them. "We are only human," said a doctor to a representative of the Manchester Guardian yesterday "and cannot do the impossible. It is inevitable that some people cannot be attended to at all." Dr Niven, the medical officer of health for Manchester, said that the outbreak in the middle of last summer was very bad, but the present form of the illness was much more severe. Although he could not say definitely that the American troops introduced it to this country, it certainly broke out shortly after they were landed. To be quite sure whether or not the Americans did bring it here, it would be necessary to discover whether the London outbreak preceded or followed the arrival of American troops. Yesterday, all schools in Manchester were closed until after the Christmas holidays, and an effort is being made to bring about the closing of all Sunday schools as from tomorrow. Dr Ritchie, schools' medical officer for Manchester, said the closing of schools was caused in a few instances by the illness of the staffs, but the general order was given as a protective measure. On this occasion, the epidemic had developed more slowly, with the result that there was a large number of convalescent and debilitated children, who would, in the ordinary course, drift back to school. The progressive nature of the epidemic is evident from figures showing the death rate in Manchester in the past four weeks. 1. State two word or phrases from the first paragraph that indicate the influenza is an ‘epidemic’ 2. Explain in your own words the measures taken by the authorities to control the spread of the epidemic Page |4 F.A magazine article written in 2011 looks at the issue of teenage obesity and diets. A ticking time bomb’: Teenage junk food diet leave them starved of vitamins A typical teenager probably thinks nothing of a diet packed with pizza, sweets and sugary drinks. But by that age what they eat is already taking a severe toll on their health, research shows. Millions of teenagers are dangerously low in key vitamins and minerals, experts have warned – with girls faring worst. An appetite for junk food is feeding a ‘ticking time bomb’ of disease and ill health, researchers have concluded. They found teenagers of both sexes were among the biggest guzzlers of salt, alcohol and sugar-laden soft drinks. At the same time, they shun fruit, vegetables and oily fish. Almost half of teenage girls are dangerously low in iron, magnesium and selenium. The researchers believe teenagers’ diets are particularly bad because they are starting to feed themselves for the first time, often skip meals and many are starting to experiment with cigarettes, which cut appetite. State words or phrases that mean • Unconcerned- • Found out - • High deficiency- • Greatly affecting- In addition, many girls will be on spurious diets which advise cutting out certain foods to keep them slim or their skin glowing. Carrie Ruxton, an independent nutritionist, and Emma Derbyshire, a nutritionist at Manchester Metropolitan University, crunched together the results of 38 studies into diets and their consequences for health. They conclude in the journal Complete Nutrition: ‘The diet quality of teenagers and young adults is fundamentally important. During this life-phase, dietary requirements may be high due to rapid physical and mental development. ‘Unfortunately, this is often hampered by social factors, body image concerns and the fact that many young people ‘live for the minute’, being unaware of how current diets can affect later health’. Explain in your own words the concerns of the writer about the eating habits of teenagers EXPLICIT MEANING- What can be seen directly. IMPLICIT MEANING- What is implied Page |5 An extract from: A walk in the woods – By Bill Bryson We hiked till five and camped beside a tranquil spring in a small, grassy clearing in the trees just off the trail. Because it was our first day back on the trail, we were flush for food, including perishables like cheese and bread that had to be eaten before they went off or were shaken to bits in our packs, so we rather gorged ourselves, then sat around smoking and chatting idly until persistent and numerous midgetlike creatures (no-see-ums, as they are universally known along the trail) drove us into our tents. It was perfect sleeping weather, cool enough to need a bag but warm enough that you could sleep in your underwear, and I was looking forward to a long night’s snooze – indeed was enjoying a long night’s snooze – when, at some indeterminate dark hour, there was a sound nearby that made my eyes fly open. Normally, I slept through everything – through thunderstorms, through Katz’s snoring and noisy midnight pees – so something big enough or distinctive enough to wake me was unusual. There was a sound of undergrowth being disturbed – a click of breaking branches, a weighty pushing through low foliage – and then a kind of large, vaguely irritable snuffling noise. Bear! I sat bolt upright. Instantly every neuron in my brain was awake and dashing around frantically, like ants when you disturb their nest. I reached instinctively for my knife, then realized I had left it in my pack, just outside the tent. Nocturnal defense had ceased to be a concern after many successive nights of tranquil woodland repose. There was another noise, quite near. “Stephen, you awake?” I whispered. “Yup,” he replied in a weary but normal voice. “What was that?” “How the hell should I know?” “It sounded big.” “Everything sounds big in the woods.” This was true. Once a skunk had come plodding through our camp and it had sounded like a stegosaurus. ▶ What does the narrator tell us about his thoughts and feelings? ▶ Which words and phrases allow us to infer his thoughts and feelings? Instead of simply using ‘shows’; use some of these synonyms to improve your writing ◼ highlights ◼ suggests ◼ is redolent of ◼ has connotations of ◼ exposes ◼ denotes ◼ illustrates ◼ conveys ◼ introduces ◼ portrays ◼ demonstrates ◼ emphasises ◼ signifies ◼ reflects ◼ implies ◼ represents ◼ reveals ◼ infers ◼ connotes. Page |6 Writing P-E-E paragraphs ▶ What does the narrator tell us about his thoughts and feelings? Point Evidence Explanation He thought it was a good idea to camp outside camped beside a tranquil spring in a small, grassy clearing in the trees just off the trail. the view and the atmosphere was favourable for them to camp. The narrator thought it was good idea to camp outside. ‘The tranquil spring in a small grassy clearing in the trees just off the trail’ gave them a view and atmosphere of a favourable place to take rest. This newspaper article from 2008 looks at ‘sweatshops’ in the sub- continent and the plight of the child workers Exposed: Primark’s fashion sweatshops that pay children just 60p a day. Since Primark opened its doors in Britain, thrifty fashionistas have been snapping up bargains. But the low-cost clothes come at a high price for young children toiling in the store's Indian sweatshops. An investigation revealed that children as young as 11 were working in squalid conditions, sewing tiny beads and sequins onto cheap t-shirts by candle-light. Primark recently axed three suppliers in India for passing work to unapproved subcontractors using child labour. Children working at home were embroidering dresses and other items sold in the fashion chain's 170 stores. The revelations were highly embarrassing for a company that has always claimed it is possible to sell T-shirts for as little as £2 without compromising its ethics. The company were alerted to the use of child labour in southern India by a BBC Panorama investigation for a programme to be screened on Monday. The documentary shows children like 11-year-old Mantheesh being paid just 60p a day by factory bosses to work in a refugee camp. Mantheesh had fled from Sri-Lanka with her aunt and programme makers found her waistdeep in Primark clothes, their labels giving away their destination - the UK and Ireland. "I go to a house in the camp every day," said Mantheesh. Page |7 Sometimes we get major orders in and we have to work double quick. I get paid a few rupees for finishing each garment, but in a good day I can make 40 rupees (60p). "The beads we sew are very small and when we work late at night we have to work by candle - the electricity in the camp is poor." The BBC Panorama team carried out a six-month undercover investigation at one of Primark's major suppliers, Fab and Fabric. They discovered the Indian company were sub-contracting middlemen who employed children at Bhavanisagar refugee camp. A Primark spokesman said: "Primark is an ethical organisation and takes its responsibilities seriously. "It's an absolute outrage for anyone to suggest otherwise. "The BBC came to us with very serious allegations about the conduct of a small number of factories which we investigated thoroughly. "What we found left us with no option but to drop those factories." • How effectively does the reporter expose the plight of the child workers? Point Evidence Explanation Page |8 This newspaper article from the New York Times in 1988 describes the attempt to rescue three whales. Unlikely Allies Rush to Free Whales ANCHORAGE, Oct. 17— Three young whales, battered and bloodied by jagged ice that has trapped them near Point Barrow, Alaska, have become the focus of a huge rescue effort by uncommon allies. Eskimo whalers, the National Guard, the oil industry, environmentalists and Federal and state officials, with assists from a Senator and the Defense Department, are trying to free the California gray whales from two pools in the Beaufort Sea ice pack that are about to freeze over. The whales have survived for more than a week by breathing through the two jagged holes in the ice, seven miles from open water and their migratory path to warmer latitudes. One whale is about 30 feet long and believed to be about 6 years old; the two others are much smaller and thought to be 2 years old. An Endangered Species ''It's a pitiful thing,'' said Bill Allen, chairman of Veco Inc., an oil field service company that is supplying equipment for the mission. ''Their noses are a terrible sight. They beat the meat plumb down to the bone to get air.'' About 20,000 California gray whales, an endangered species, are thought to be alive today, and many spend the summer off Alaska, feeding at the bottom of the shallow northern seas before returning to their winter grounds off Baja California in Mexico. Eskimo whalers, who hunt other species of whales, spent the weekend on the ice with chain saws cutting ice blocks two feet thick from the edge of the pool. This bought time while Mr. Allen, other oil company officials and the military planned an extraordinary ice-breaking operation. This morning a heavy-lift Alaska National Guard helicopter was being prepared for duty as a tugboat that will pull a Veco barge from Prudhoe Bay, 200 miles east of Point Barrow, an operation that was first expected to take about 20 hours but could take 40 hours because of rough seas. Officials hope that when it reaches the area where the whales are trapped the barge will be able to splinter sea ice from the open water to the whales' pools. The pools, 10 to 20 feet in diameter, are about 150 yards offshore and 18 miles east of Barrow, the northernmost settlement in Alaska. The Government biologist in charge of the rescue operation, Ron Morris of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries service, said the whales were exhausted Page |9 from swimming against the ocean current to remain in place. ''They don't look as spry,'' he added. ''Their movements are diminished.'' By this time the whales were getting national attention in the news media, and calls were pouring in to government offices and Congress. A government official who asked not to be named said the total cost of the operation would probably be ''embarrassing'' when all the costs of personnel, fuel and equipment were included. But most people involved in the rescue operation say there is more than money involved. Whales are ''easy to get attached to,'' said General Schaeffer. ''People are willing to spend more time and effort now to try to save animals.'' Mr. Morris said, ''There's something about whales that just tickles the human fancy.'' He described the whales' plight as ''very, very touching,'' and added, ''They look so pitiful, and I'm sure it's coming across to the public.'' • How does the reporter want the readers to react through his description of the rescue operation? Point Evidence Explanation P a g e | 10 Facebook has 59 million users - and 2 million new ones join each week. But you won't catch Tom Hodgkinson volunteering his personal information - not now that he knows the politics of the people behind the social networking site I despise Facebook. This enormously successful American business describes itself as "a social utility that connects you with the people around you". But hang on. Why on God's earth would I need a computer to connect with the people around me? Why should my relationships be mediated through the imagination of a bunch of super-geeks in California? What was wrong with the pub? And does Facebook really connect people? Doesn't it rather disconnect us, since instead of doing something, enjoyable such as talking and eating and dancing and drinking with my friends, I am merely sending them little ungrammatical notes and amusing photos in cyberspace, while chained to my desk? A friend of mine recently told me that he had spent a Saturday night at home alone on Facebook, drinking at his desk. What a gloomy image. Far from connecting us, Facebook actually isolates us at our workstations. Facebook appeals to a kind of vanity and self-importance in us, too. If I put up a flattering picture of myself with a list of my favourite things, I can construct an artificial representation of who I am in order to get sex or approval. ("I like Facebook," said another friend. "I got a shag out of it.") It also encourages a disturbing competitiveness around friendship: it seems that with friends today, quality counts for nothing and quantity is king. The more friends you have, the better you are. You are "popular", in the sense much loved in American high schools. Witness the cover line on Dennis Publishing's new Facebook magazine: "How To Double Your Friends List." It seems, though, that I am very much alone in my hostility. At the time of writing Facebook claims 59 million active users, including 7 million in the UK, Facebook's third-biggest customer after the US and Canada. That's 59 million suckers, all of whom have volunteered their ID card information and consumer preferences to an American business they know nothing about. Right now, 2 million new people join each week. At the present rate of growth, Facebook will have more than 200 million active users by this time next year. And I would predict that, if anything, its rate of growth will accelerate over the coming months. As its spokesman Chris Hughes says: "It's embedded itself to an extent where it's hard to get rid of." All of the above would have been enough to make me reject Facebook forever. But there are more reasons to hate it. Many more. • What does the writer think about social media?
