A1003/UNIT6/12
UNIT 6: READING SKILLS
UNIT 6: NOTE MAKING/TAKING and SUMMARISING SKILLS
General Objectives:
To read and be able to skim and scan texts, understand
texts, make /take notes, write summaries and response to texts.
Specific Objective:
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
- write short notes
- distinguish relevant from irrelevant details
- select and extract important information required for a particular purpose.
4. give their opinions about information presented in the text
5. relate texts to experience/ other text/ other information.
6.1 Taking notes
Input
Almost everyone who studies has to take notes at some time. But have you ever asked yourself the reason for taking notes? There are three main reasons:
- to have a record of the speaker’s or writers main ideas but not verbatim
(to take down or copy every word).
- to help one’s memory when revising , e.g. before an examination.
- to make what the speaker or writer says a part of your own knowledge.
Task 1
Read through the list of methods for taking down notes:
- notes taken while listening
- notes taken while reading
- notes taken from memory
- shorthand
- underlining etc.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the methods listed with your lecturer. Which methods do you use and which methods would be most useful to you?
Input
Taking notes from a text
First of all, survey the text to acquaint yourself with the text. This will help you to find out what the writer’s main points are. Do your survey quickly and then read again making note of the main points and how they are related to one another. If it is a short text you can do it mentally; or on the text by underlining; or directly into your notebook.
If you are writing the main points in a notebook, put them down in way that relates them to one another. It is better to put them in a form of a diagram as it is easier to remember in diagram form. If you decided to use a list, then you can use one of the listing systems given.
Listing and numbering
Arabic numerals |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. |
Decimal system |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, etc. Subdivisions e.g. 2.1.1 , 2.1.2 etc. |
Large roman numerals |
I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, etc |
Small roman numerals (usually in brackets) |
(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vii) etc.
|
Capital letters |
A, B, C, D, E, F, etc. |
Small letters ( often in brackets) |
(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), etc |
Except for the decimal system, these systems can be used in combination.
Compare:
I 1
II A 2 (a)
B (b)
- (i)
- (ii)
- (iii)
- (iv)
III A 3 (a)
B (b)
C (c)
IV 4
Task 2
Below are some headings from a lecture on ‘Communication’. There are three main sections to the talk: Non-electronic methods, Electronic methods and the Use of satellites. Use numbering to show how the topics fit into one another.
Communication
NON-ELECTRONIC METHODS
Messengers
Human messengers
Birds as messengers – pigeons
Signals
Signals that can be seen
Smoke signals
Lighthouses
Semaphore
Handwritings
Printed books
Newspapers
Signals that can be heard
Drums
Horns (motor-horns, fog-horns)
ELECTRONIC METHODS
Using wires
Telephones
Cables
Without using wires
Radio
Television
Radio-telephone
Handphones
Cinema
THE USE OF SATELLITES
Communication satellites
Weather satellites
Navigation satellites
Task 3
Look at the passage below. Arrange it in note form, using headings, numbering etc.
Acquiring information
What are the ways in which students can acquire information? Firstly, he will acquire information from his tutors, in three main ways – by lecture, by tutorial and by handouts which the tutor may give him. Secondly, he may acquire information from ‘other experts’ outside his college: principally by reading but also by listening to the radio, listening to cassette recordings, or watching educational TV programs. Thirdly, he will get information from his fellow students: perhaps in student lead seminars, perhaps just informal conversation. Lastly, he can acquire information himself! By thinking about his subjects and linking together what he has heard and seen, he may come up with new ideas, which are his alone.
Input
Semantic markers
When you are listening to a lecture or reading a text you should look out for semantic markers. They signal the meaning and structure of the lecture or text and how the ideas are organized.
Function of semantic markers
- The markers may be used for listing, such as:
Firstly Thirdly
In the first place My next point
Secondly Last/Finally
- They may show us the cause and effect relationship between one idea and another:
So because
Therefore since
Thus (we see)
- They indicate the speaker or writer is going to illustrate his ideas by giving examples:
For instance Let’s take ……..
For example An example/ instance of this is
- They may introduce an idea which runs contrary of what has been said, or is going to be said:
But and yet
Nevertheless Although On the other hand
- A very important kind of semantic marker is one which shows that speaker ot writer is about to sum up his message, or part of it:
To summarize It amount to this
In other words If I can just sum up What I have said is this
- Semantic markers may be used to express a time relationship:
Then previously
Next while After that when
- They may be used to indicate the relative importance of something. The following are some examples:
I would like to emphasize that……. It is important to note that
I repeat that…… The next point crucial to my argument…
It is worth noting
- They may be used to rephrase what has already been said, or to introduce a definition:
In other words To put it another way
Let me put it this way That is to say
- Also, to express a condition:
If Assuming that
Unless
Task 4
Look at the passage A. Read it through, noting down or underlining all the semantic markers.
Passage A
The need for money originates from the fact that different people in society produce different things. This means that people depend on each other for goods and services. Let takes take the case of a farmer who produces more food than he requires and a carpenter who lives nearby sells tables and chairs he has made. It will be obvious that unless some means of exchange is found, the farmer will not be able to get rid of his surplus food and the carpenter will starve! Clearly, the simplest means of exchange will be for them to use barter – in other words, to exchange a certain amount of one kind of goods ( let’s say flour) for certain amount of another (tables or chairs, in this case).
6.2 Response to texts.
Input
Responding to text means understanding the text and then commenting by giving your opinions and relating to your experience.
You are supposed to understand texts before you could response to them. In the previous lessons, you have studied how to skim and scan, comprehend and summarize a text. Your previous knowledge should enable you to response to the text below and complete the activity.
Task 1
Read the following dialogue.
Journalist: Everybody says the Internet is really exciting. But what exactly is the
Internet?
Mr. Morgan: Well it is a global network of computer networks, which allow users to
share all sorts of information and computer resources. The system
comprises networks interconnected all over the world, from universities
and large corporations to commercial online systems and non-profit
organization.
Journalist: And how do you connect yourself up to the Internet? What do you need?
Mr. Morgan: Well, you just need a PC, a modem and a telephone line. Not a lot really.
Journalist: And is it easy to install a modem?
Mr. Morgan: Oh yes. You just connect one cable of the modem to the communications
port of the computer and the other to the telephone line.
Journalist: Right. And I imagine you need special software to get online.
Mr. Morgan: Yes, that’s right. You need communications software. This enables you to
transmit and receive data. To get your Internet identity you have to set up an
account with an Internet service provider – a commercial company that
offers connection for an annual fee.
Journalist: Do you have to pay a lot of money?
Mr. Morgan: Not really. With a standard Internet account you pay just a few pounds. Of
course you also have to pay your phone bill for the time connected.
Journalist: Right. And what services are offered by the Internet?
Mr. Morgan: It offers services such as e-mail, file transfer, news groups, real-time chats
and information retrieval on the World Wide Web.
Journalist: The Web is the most important part of the Internet, isn’t it? What is the Web?
Mr. Morgan: The Web is a huge collection of “pages” stored on computers all over the
world. Web pages contain all sorts of information in the form of text,
pictures, sounds and video. They also have links to other resources on the
net.
Journalist: OK, right. Thanks very much, Mr. Morgan. You’ve been very helpful.
Answer these questions.
1. What is the main idea of the dialogue?
________________________________________________________________________
2. How do you connect yourself up to the Internet? What do you need?
________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you need to install a modem?
________________________________________________________________________
4. What are the services offered by the Internet?
_____________________________________________________________________
Task 2
Group discussion.
In groups of four, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet. Present your findings orally in front of the class.
Self-assessment.
Reading skills.
Computers.
Computers are machines that help people find answers to the questions. There are many kinds of computers. Some are very large; others are so small that we can put them in our pockets. The two basic, main, kinds of computers are analog and digital.
Computers can do many things. They can solve, answer mathematic problems, record airline reservations, help in space flights and direct nuclear weapons. They can even speak and make translations from one language to another.
Analog computers measure physical quantities, such as the movement of electricity or temperatures. This kind of computer, however, often does only one job. For example, it guides, directs, planes. Analog computers are often used in factories to control machines, to aim guns, and to help ships and planes stay on course (in the correct direction).
Digital computers count numbers. These devices are very adaptable, so they are more popular than analog computers. Digital computers are often programmed, (instructed) to work alone, without people. This device can make choices in the middle of a problem. For example, if in the middle of a problem, the computer sees a positive number, it will continue working on the problem. If it sees a negative number, it will stop working.
Every digital computer has five basic parts: the input, the memory, the control, the logic, and the output. The input is the information we put in the computer, like the data, numbers, and the instructions. The memory holds this information until it is needed for the problem. The control device decides where and when to send the information. The logic section solves the problem by using the instructions. The output section shows the information. Sometimes it is on paper. Sometimes it is on a TV screen.
A computer needs to have a program in order to work. A computer program is the group, set, of directions that a computer needs to solve a problem. Programmers are the people who write these instructions in computer language, such as COBOL for business or FORTRAN for math and science. These instructions include a code which tells the computer what to do and an address which tells it where to find the necessary information in its memory.
We see computers almost everywhere around us. They are in businesses, stores, airports, schools, and homes. The young children learn to use them in their classes. Some people are unhappy about the computer revolution, but it is here to stay.
Answer the following questions.
- The author explains the following words. What do they mean?
- basic
- solve
- on course
- data
- programmer
- What do the following pronouns refer to?
- them ( paragraph 1 line 2 )
- it ( paragraph 3 line 3 )
- they ( paragraph 4 line 1 )
- it ( paragraph 6 line 5 )
- them ( paragraph 7 line 2 )
- Highlight the examples in this passage.
- Underline the main idea in each paragraph.
- From the information in paragraph 5, label this diagram.
TITLE ________________________________________________________
- Complete this outline for the passage on Computers.
Computers = _________________________________________________
A. Analog
- Measure _______________________________________________
- Examples: _________________ and __________________
- Can do only ______________________ job
- Uses
a. _________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________
- Count _________________________________________________
- Works without __________________________________________
- __________________ basic parts
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
C. Programs = _________________________________________________
- Programmer = __________________________________________
- Languages
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- Include _______________________ and _____________________
Read the passages and then complete the table and diagram that follows.
Three different kinds of engines have been used to move people and goods from one place to another. The first of these was the steam engine which was used for many years to move ships and trains. Then the internal combustion engine was invented. This is still used in many motor vehicles and in some aeroplanes. The diesel kind of internal combustion engine is used to move some trains and most ships. The most recent kind of engine is the jet engine. It is used in many aeroplanes. There are also a few small jet boats, and one day there may be jet cars and jet trains.
No | Engine | Forms of Transport |
1. |
|
|
2. |
|
|
3. |
|
|
4. |
|
|
Metal- joining methods : Metal-joining methods may be divided into soldering, welding and riveting. Three types of soldering may be distinguished : soft soldering, silver soldering and brazing. Welding methods are of two kinds: oxy-acetylene welding and electric arc welding.
Metal-joining methods
Electric arc