Here are two paragraphs from a practice sheet that gave to my students this week. Summaries are much harder to make than would first appear!
Using Skimming Effectively
Because skimming involves skipping large portions of the material, you should not expect to retain the less important facts and details. You can expect a comprehension level of about 50 percent when skimming. Use skimming only when your purpose for reading allows you to read for general concepts rather than specific information.
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Many effective readers alternate between skimming and more careful reading. In a given article, for example, you many skim several sections until you come to a section that is of particular interest or that fulfills your purpose for reading. At that point, you may read completely rather than skim, and then continue skimming later sections. At other times, it may be necessary to read completely when you feel confused or when you encounter difficult or unfamiliar ideas.
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