SUMMARIZATION
Writing and
Identifying a
Summary
A summary :
 is a shorter way to retell a story or passage.
 tells only the most important details or
events.
 does NOT include every single detail or
description.
Read the passage below. On the next slide, you will see an
example of a summary for this passage.
Tiny TV
Many Americans wear wristwatches every day. It is important to keep
track of the time. Special watches might show the date and time of other
cities around the world. Some watches are waterproof and nearly
impossible to break. Now, you can watch TV on your watch!
The new TV-watch is about $200. The screen is only 1 ½ inches. This
makes a portable DVD player seem huge. The screen displays the time as
well as TV shows. It is a flat panel screen. Earphones are plugged into the
watch to carry the sound. The battery lasts for about one hour. At least
one show can be watched in that time.
The TV-watch is one of the smallest portable TVs. It is still very large
compared to other watches. The reception is also weak. This means you
cannot really move around while watching a show.You have to stay in
one place to be sure you can watch and hear the show. The color of the
screen is amazing, but do not expect to get a good picture if you are
riding in a car.
Summary for “Tiny TV”:
A new type of watch will now allow people to watch television
from their wrist. The small TV-watch shows the time and a TV
show, but the picture is not good because of weak reception.
This summary includes:
 the subject of the story (the mini TV).
 the form in which it comes in (a watch).
 the MOST IMPORTANT DETAILS about it (shows time and a
TV show but does not have a good picture).
Sample Questions
Volvo's Treasure Hunt
Volvo, a car company, held a treasure hunt marketing promotion in 2007. Volvo hired Odyssey to help with the treasure
hunt. Odyssey is a company that hunts for real treasure in the ocean. Odyssey sunk a treasure chest in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Strait of Gibraltar is a waterway between Spain and the northern part of Africa. It connects the Atlantic Ocean with the
Mediterranean Sea. The treasure chest was filled with gold coins worth a sum of $50,000 and a key to a brand new Volvo.
The promotion was held online. Players from around the globe participated in the hunt. Treasure hunters had to solve
puzzles online to make it to the next stage of the treasure hunt. A player had to be the first from his or her country to solve
and submit the correct answer to the puzzle in the semi-final round. The winners of the semi-final round went on to compete
in the final puzzle. A young woman from Russia won the treasure.
Odyssey found a real treasure in the Atlantic Ocean before it could take Volvo’s treasure winner to recover her prize. The
company came across a gold and silver fortune worth an estimated $500 million. The media began reporting the discovery.
The location of the treasure remained a secret. However, the Spanish government suspected that Odyssey was trying to take
treasure out of Spain’s waters. The Spanish officials would not allow Odyssey to go back to the location of Volvo’s sunken
treasure. Odyssey was under contract with Volvo to keep Volvo’s treasure a secret. The company could not reveal its reason
for diving with high tech equipment off the coast of Gibraltar.
After the contest ended, Odyssey explained why it sent a ship with diving equipment to the coast of Gibraltar. The Spanish
government still did not cooperate with Odyssey. The contest winner from Russia was guaranteed to receive her prize of
$50,000 and a new Volvo. Volvo continued to try to retrieve the treasure that it had paid Odyssey to place in the ocean .
Sample Question #1
1. Which of these is the best summary of this passage?
A. Volvo hired Odyssey to sink a treasure for an online promotion. Odyssey found
real treasure. The Spanish government stopped the recovery of Volvo's treasure.
The contest winner was promised her prize. Volvo continued to try for its
treasure.
B.Volvo held an online treasure hunt. The contest participants from all over the
world had to solve several puzzles online. A young woman from Russia ended
up winning the treasure. The treasure was $50,000 worth of gold coins and a
new Volvo.
C. Odyssey is a company that explores shipwrecks on the ocean floor. Volvo paid
the company to sink a treasure chest with gold coins and a key to a new Volvo.
Odyssey discovered a treasure in the Atlantic Ocean that was worth about $500
million.
D. Odyssey sunk a treasure chest filled with $50,000 worth of gold coins for an
online treasure hunt. When a young Russian woman won the contest, the
Spanish government would not allow Odyssey to recover the treasure chest
from the ocean floor.
Answer: A
The correct answer is A.
The correct answer has the only summary that covers all of
the major points in the passage. The correct summary
includes information about Volvo's online treasure hunt,
Odyssey sinking the treasure chest, Odyssey discovering a
real treasure, the Spanish government preventing Odyssey
from getting the Volvo treasure back, the winner of the
contest being promised her prize, and Volvo continuing to try
to get its treasure back.
Sample Question #2
2. What is the best summary of paragraph 3?
A. Odyssey used high tech equipment to dive for sunken treasure in Spanish
waters. Spain found out that Odyssey discovered a valuable treasure off its
coast. Volvo held a contest to see who could find out where the Spanish treasure
was hidden.
B.Volvo hired Odyssey to retrieve a treasure that was worth about $500 million.
The Spanish government would not allow Odyssey to get the treasure for Volvo.
Spain ordered Odyssey to keep the treasure's location a secret from Volvo.
C.Volvo hid a treasure chest in the ocean and wanted Odyssey to find it. The
Spanish government would not allow Odyssey to look for the treasure in
Spanish waters. Volvo asked Spain to allow Odyssey to dive for the treasure with
high tech equipment.
D. Odyssey found a real treasure. The media reported it. The Spanish government
thought that this treasure was in Spain's waters and would not allow Odyssey to
recover Volvo's treasure. Odyssey could not tell Spain about Volvo's treasure.
Answer: D
The correct answer is D.
The correct answer has the only accurate summary of paragraph
3. Paragraph 3 tells about how Odyssey discovered a real treasure
worth about $500 million. The media reported about Odyssey's
valuable find, but did not report the location of it. The Spanish
government thought that the real treasure was in Spain's waters
because Odyssey was seen diving off the coast of Gibraltar. The
Spanish government would not allow Odyssey to recover Volvo's
treasure. Odyssey could not tell the Spanish government that the
reason it had dove in that area was to sink the treasure for Volvo.