Mata kuliah : ENGLISH ABOVE CLAUSE LEVEL READING

Semester :I
SKS :3
Kode : SPE 4106
Jurusan : Bahasa dan Sastra
Program Studi : S-1 Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris

MODULE 2
STUDY SKILLS:
SCANNING & SKIMMING

1. Understanding text organization

2. Previewing textbook

3. Previewing chapters

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Scanning is very fast reading. When you scan, you skip over many words. You look for
some information as quickly as you can
.
Scanning is especially important for improving your reading. Many students try to read
every word when they read, so they read very slowly. You often do not need to read every word.
If you learn to scan, you can learn to read and understand faster.

You usually scan: You usually do not scan:

a table of contents in a magazine or a a mystery story,
book, a textbook for an important course,
an index in a textbook, important papers from a lawyer,
a timetable, a map for finding your way home,
the ads in a newspaper, a question on a test,
a list of movies in the newspaper, a poem.
a telephone book,
the pages of a dictionary.

EXAMPLE

Your friend made a list of things you need to buy for school. Did he remember to include a
dictionary?

pen paper

notebook dictionary

eraser pencil sharpener

pencils glue

pencil case assignment book

How many words did you read? You did not need to read all the words to find dictionary. The
other words were not important to you.
In this unit, you will practice scanning. Do not try to read every word. Scan to find the
answers to the questions. Work fast.

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 Scanning a table of contents
Exercise 1
On the facing page is the table of contents of Sanctuary
magazine. The table of contents is always at the front of a magazine or a
book. It tells you what you can find in each chapter or part.
Read each question and then scan the table of contents to find the answers. Work as fast
as you can.
1. How many Features are there in the magazine?
2. What is the title of the article on noise pollution?

3. On what page can you read about Long Lake?

4. How many departments are there in the magazine?
5. Does this magazine have any poetry? On what page?
6. On what page can you read about birds?
7. Does this magazine have an editor? What is his or her name?

8. On what page can you read about freshwater ponds?

9. What is the title of the article by Betsy Colburn?

10. On what page is the article by Deborah Knight?

Now you write a question about this table of contents.

Ask another student to scan the table of contents for the answer to your question.

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 Scanning an index
Exercise 2
An index is usually at the back of the book. It is in alphabetical order. You can use an
index to find information quickly. The index on the facing page is taken from a book
titled The Theatre Arts and the Teaching of Second Languages.
Scan the index to locate the page numbers for the entries below. Work fast. Try to
do this exercise in two minutes or less.
On what page(s) can you read about the following (if many page numbers are listed,
write down the first two or three and and many more).
Page(s)
1. TOEFL
2. taste
3. vocabulary
4. writing
5. sound
6. stereotype
7. Time magazine
8. University of Illinois
9. Andrew Wright
10. Garry Trudeau
Now you write a question about this index.

Ask another student to scan the index for the answer to your question.

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 Scanning a timetable
Exercise 3
When you travel, you often need to scan a timetable. On the facing page, you will find a
timetable for taking a ferry from Seattle, Washington, to Victoria, British Columbia. (A
ferry is a big ship that carries people, cars, bicycles, buses, and trucks.)

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 Scan the timetable to answer these questions. Work fast!
1. What time(s) does the ferry depart from Seattle?
2. What time(s) does the ferry depart from Victoria?
3. Can you take the ferry on a Wednesday in March or April?
4. During which months are there two ferry trips every day?

5. During which months are there ferry trips only on the weekends?

6. How much is a round-trip ticket for a student?

7. How much would a father and two little children pay for round-trip tickets?

8. What is the latest time that you can take a ferry from Victoria to Seattle in July?

9. How long does the ferry take to travel from Seattle to Victoria?

10. Can you take a ferry from Victoria at 4:20 P.M. in October?

Now you write a question about this timetable.

Ask another student to scan the timetable for the answer to your question.

Scanning the classified ads

Exercise 4

Newspapers usually have a part called classified ads. In this part of the newspaper,
people can find things to buy, sell, or rent. On the facing page are some ads for
apartments (apts.) near Boston. The names of the towns are in alphabetical order.

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 Read each question and then scan the ads for the answer. Work fast! Try to answer
all of the questions in three minutes.
1. How many apartments are for rent in Malden?
2. How much is the cheapest apartment in Brockton?
3. Whom would you call about an apartment in Canton?
4. If you want to live in Brighton near public transportation, which apartment is
best for you?
5. Can you have a cat at the Lakeside Village apartment in Easton?
6. What is the phone number for the apartment in Lynn with parking?

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 7. If you want a three-bedroom (3bdrm.) apartment, where could you find one?
(Name at least three towns.)
8. What is the phone number for the Essex Realty Company?

9. Where is the apartment with the highest rent?

10. Where is the apartment with the lowest rent?
11. What is the rent for a studio in Brighton?
12. What is the rent for a one-bedroom (1 bdrm.) apartment near Boston University?

Now you write a question about these ads.

Ask another student to scan the ads for the answer to your question.

Scanning a newspaper story

Exercise 5

Scan the news story below to find the answers to these questions.
Work fast.

1. How many stores were damaged in the fire?

2. In which store did the fire (blaze) start?

3. What time did the fire start?

4. Where is the shopping center?

Now you write a question about this news article.

Ask another student to scan the article for the answer to your question.

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 THE NEW YORK TIMES
14 Yonkers Stores Damaged by Fire
Special to The New York Times
YONKERS, Nov, 12A four alarm fire damaged, 14 stores today in the Cross
County Shopping Center, the largest shopping center in Westchester County.
Fire investigators said the blaze apparently started in a pile of cardboard
cartons at the rear of a shoe store and spread through a utilities duct above the 13
other stores. The fire started at 4:40 P.M. and was declared under control at 6:14
P.M. the center is on the Cross County Parkway at the Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
Thruway.
Two firefighters were treated at the scene for minor cuts. Lieut. John Carey
of the Yonkers Arson Squad said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Exercise 6

Scan the news story below to find the answers to these questions. Work fast.

1. How many people died in the typhoon (storm)?

2. On what day did the typhoon begin?

3. How many people lost their homes (were homeless)?

4. What is the name of the island that was hit by the worst?

5. What is the name of the typhoon?

6. How many people are missing?

Now you write a question about this news article.

Ask another student to scan the article for the answer to your question.

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 THE NEW YORK TIMES

Philippines Sends Aid for Typhoon Damage

MANILA, Nov. 10 (AP)The Philippine Air force ferried medical teams and relief supplies
today to provinces ravaged by Typhoon Agnes. The authorities said 515 people had died in the
typhoon and more than 400 were missing.
An Air Force spokesman said more than 163 tons of food, medicine, and clothing had been
sent to the Visayan region, 300 miles south of Manila, and more aid was on the way.
The typhoon hit the region Monday. The spokesman said helicopters were rescuing people
stranded by floods that remained chest-deep today in some areas of Panay Island, which appeared
to have been hit the worst. Most of the fatalities and missing were on the island, where 445,000
people were homeless.
The Philippine National Red Cross reported that 90 percent of the 86,000 houses in the Capiz
Province on Panay were destroyed. Many of the dead were children who drowned as 30-foot waves
smashed into coastal villages.

Scanning two news stories for information

Exercise 7

Scan the two news stories on the next page to answer these questions. Work fast.

1. How many passengers and crew members were on the train?

2. On what date did this happen?

3. Where was the train when it derailed (went off the track)?

4. Where was the train coming from?

5. How many persons were injured seriously?

6. What is the name of the Senator who visited the crash?

7. Where has the train travel stopped because of the accident?

8. What could have caused this accident?

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 Now you write a question about these news articles.

Several cars of a derailed train headed to Boston lie in the remote marshes of
Secaucus, N.J., yesterday.

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 SKIMMING

Speed is often important when you are reading. You may have a lot to read but not much
time. For this kind of reading you usually do not want to know and remember
everything. You only want to find out something about the book or article. You can do
this by skimming.

You may want to skim:

- Newspaper or magazine articles
- Book covers in a bookstore (so you can find out if you want to buy the book)
- Library books (so you can find out if they have the information you need)
- Mystery, detective, or other novels

Skimming for point of view

Skimming is helpful when you want to find out quickly about the writer. You may want to
find out what the writer thinks about something. This is the writers point of view.
When you want to know the writers point of view, you do not need to read everything. You
need to read only a few important words.

Example A
Read this paragraph quickly. Answer the following question by putting a checkmark (v)
beside the answer.

Dogs are often a problem at home. Many dogs are noisy and dirty. They may even be
dangerous for small children.
Is this writer for or against dogs at home?

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 For ____ Against ____
You do not need to read all the sentences to learn this. You only have to read the words
problem, noisy, dirty, and dangerous. From those words you can tell the writers
point of view. This writer is against dogs at home.

Example B
Read this paragraph quickly. Answer the following question by putting a checkmark (v)
beside the answer.
An apartment looks much nicer with some plants. The green leaves make it seem
cooler in summer. The flowers give it a happy feeling.
For ____ Against ____
How do you know this? List the keywords:
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 1
Read these paragraph quickly. Ask yourself, Is the writer for or against the idea? Put a
checkmark (v) beside the answer. You should finish the page in less than 60 seconds.
1. Candy is not good for your teeth. It is especially bad for childrens teeth. If children
eat a lot of candy, they will have problems later.
For ____ Against ____

2. Large cars can cause problems. They are more difficult to park than small cars. They
also use more gas.
For ____ Against ____

3. In San Francisco, the air is always a comfortable temperature. It is never too hot or
too cold. It is perfect weather all year.
For ____ Against ____

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 4. Some people take many vitamin pills every day. These people believe lots of vitamin
pills are good for their health. But they are wrong. Too many vitamin pills can hurt
your health.
For ____ Against ____

5. There is something sad about animals in the zoos. They never really look happy.
Maybe they are thinking about their real home. Maybe they do not like people
looking at them all the time.
For ____ Against ____

6. Computers are helpful for all kinds of work. They are usually quicker and more
correct than people.
For ____ Against ____

7. Computers may cause serious problems in our world. Now it is possible to keep a lot
of information on a computer. The people who have that information may be
dangerous.
For ____ Against ____

8. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. This is from a popular song, but it
is often true. Sometimes there are good reasons to give children sugar or candy.
For ____ Against ____

Skimming for pattern of organization

Sometimes you need to find out quickly how a book or article is organized. You want to
know its pattern. You do not need to know the details for this. You do not need to read all
the words. You have to read only signal words. They will tell you the pattern.
Example A
What is the pattern of organization for this paragraph? Put a checkmark (v) beside the best
answer.

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 A whale eats a lot of ocean food every day. That is because it is very large animal.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___
The signal word is because. The pattern is cause and effect.

Example B
What is the pattern of organization for this paragraph? Put a checkmark (v) beside the best
answer.
This book has a lot of information about Poland. First it tells about the history. It also
explains how to travel around the country. Finally, it lists some interesting places to visit.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___
Exercise 2
1. A Paraket is a small bird that lives in tropical forests. The parrot is similar to a
parakeet, but it is larger. Both birds sometimes can learn how to say words.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

2. Some kinds of birds cannot fly. The penguin is one of these birds. It lives mostly in
the very cold Antarctic climate. Another kind of bird that cannot fly is the ostrich. It
lives in Africa.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

3. Lisa plans to travel in Europe this summer. In June, she will visit Sicily. In July, she will
bicycle in northern Italy. In August, she will travel through France. By September, she
hopes to be in Paris.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

4. Headaches are often the result of psychological causes. For example, worrying about
something can cause a headache.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

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5. The clambake is a popular New England dinner. It usually includes many different
kinds of seafood. Clams are the most common kind of seafood at a clambake. There
are may be also be lobster and mussels.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

6. Some people do not like to use computers for writing. They prefer to use
typewriters. They know computers are faster and more accurate, but they feel more
comfortable with typewriters.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

7. Gold was first found in California in about 1840. The next ten years in America
history are called the California Gold Rush. Many people moved to the West during
those years to look for gold. By 1850, there were many new Gold Rush towns in
California.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

8. Cola and ginger ale are both kinds of soft drinks. Both these drinks have a lot of sugar
in them, but cola has caffeine in it and ginger ale does not.
Listing ___ Time order ___ Cause/effect ___ Comparison ___

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