PRE-ACADEMIC READING MODULE

An Introduction to Academic Reading

SELF-CIRCLE
LANGUAGE CENTER TEAM
KAMPUNG INGGRIS LC
CONTENTS

CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 1
AIMS OF THIS MODULE: .......................................................................................................................................... 2
LEARNER STARTEGIES ........................................................................................................................................... 2
STRATEGIES TO USE FOR BUILDING READING FLUENCY............................................................................ 3
PARAGRAPH FORMAT ............................................................................................................................................. 4
BASIC ESSAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
NOTE TAKING ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
PARAPHRASE ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
SUMMARY.................................................................................................................................................................. 16

1
AIMS OF THIS MODULE:
 To introduce students with basic reading strategies for building reading fluency.
 To supplement basic skills that can help students succeed on the test as well as in
academic studies.
 To introduce three reading strategies: skimming, scanning and detailed reading
 To identify critical questions you should ask while reading
 To apply a step-by-step procedure for efficient academic reading

LEARNER STARTEGIES
ANALIZE YOUR STRENGTHS

Know your strength to maximal your score in Academic field. Reflect on what skills you are
good at and how you use that to boost your score.

IDENTIFY YOUR LEARNING STYLE

Understand how you learn in your best way to get the best result.

MOTIVATE YOURSELF

It’s such an important thing to always motivate ourselves, it refers to the desire of your
learning.

SET GOALS CLEARLY

Setting-up goals means to put ourselves in a system we create to achieve success, create
the goal as clear as possible to boost your mood.

PLAN YOUR STUDY SCHEDULE

Find your best time to learn everyday aside your long concentrated study.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Understand and know every progress you made to keep you in track, modify your study
plan accordingly.

2
1
STRATEGIES TO USE FOR BUILDING READING FLUENCY
Many students struggle with the demands of academic reading for their courses. Here are a
few practical and useful ideas to help you learn how to read with purpose and efficiency.

1. READ EXTENSIVELY.
The more you read, the better reader you will become, Read on a variety of topics to build
your vocabulary. The larger your vocabulary, the less time you will need to spend trying to
understand unfamiliar words and the more time you will have to understand the material
presented in the text.

2. READ CHALLENGING MATERIAL.

Read material that challenges you. If you always read things that are easy for you, you will
not develop your ability to read more difficult material.

3. READ ABOUT COMMON TOPICS ON ACADEMIC READING.

The reading passages on the test (TOEFL, IELTS, ETC) concern subject taught in colleges
and universities; science, technology, the social sciences, and the humanities. Choose
reading material that will give you experience reading about these subjects and help you
become familiar with the concepts and vocabulary commonly used in these fields.

4. READ ACTIVELY.
Thinks about what you are reading. Ask yourself what the text is about. Ask yourself how the
material is organized and how the ideas presented are supported.

5. INCREASE YOUR FORMAL AND ACADEMIC VOCABULARY.

Increase your vocabulary by reading extensively and practicing the strategies taught in
vocabulary.

1
Jolene Gear & Robert Gear, CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL TEST, Fourth Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
3
PARAGRAPH FORMAT
A paragraph discusses one idea in detail and aids the development of an overall topic for
the essay. Paragraph length will vary depending on the purpose of the paragraph.

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

The basic paragraph consists of three parts: a topic sentence, supporting details, and a
concluding sentence. This basic paragraph format will help you to write and organize one
paragraph and transition to the next.

Topic Sentence

The main idea of each paragraph is stated in a topic sentence that shows how the idea
relates to the thesis or overall focus of the paper. Generally, the topic sentence is the first
sentence of a paragraph. All subsequent points made in the paragraphs should support the topic
sentence.

Supporting Details

Supporting details elaborate upon and prove the topic sentence. Supporting details should
be drawn from a variety of sources including research and experiences, depending on the
assignment, and include the writer’s own analysis. The following are common sources of
supporting details:

 Expert Opinion  Facts and Statistics  Personal Experiences  Others’ Experiences 

Brief Stories  Research Studies  Your Own Analysis  Interviews

Concluding Sentence

Each paragraph should end with a final statement that ties together the ideas brought up in
the paragraph and emphasizes the main idea one last time. If the assignment is longer, it should
transition to the ideas of the next paragraph.

Example

The root cause of childhood Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is difficult to determine, since
many biological, genetic, and environmental factors may contribute. While genetics can help
explain the prevalence of ADD in children and families, they do not necessarily explain its cause
(Winger 2012). Environmental factors such as social interaction, attachment, and other factors can
also play a huge role in the development of ADD but are not necessarily its root, according to
Graymond (2011, p. 33). Research suggests that genetic and environmental interactions may both

4
be important in conditioning the risk of ADD as well as its severity and progression. In the classic
question of “nature v. nurture,” in this case, the answer appears to be both.

READING TIPS FOR LOCATING TOPIC SENTENCES

2Here are some tips that will help you find topic sentences.

1. Identify the topic. As you did earlier, figure out the general subject of the entire paragraph.
In the preceding sample paragraph, “animals’ sleeping habits” is the topic.
2. Locate the most general sentence (the topic sentence). This sentence must be broad
enough to include all of the other ideas in the paragraph. The topic sentence in the sample
paragraph (“Animals’ sleeping habits differ in a number of ways.”) covers all of the other
details in that paragraph.
3. Study the rest of the paragraph. The topic sentence must make the rest of the paragraph
meaningful. It is the one idea that ties all of the other details together. In the sample
paragraph, sentences 2, 3, 4, and 5 all give specific details about how animals’ sleeping
habits differ.

Placement of Topic Sentence

1. A focus group is a small group, usually consisting of about seven to ten people who are
brought together to discuss a subject of interest to the researcher. Focus groups are commonly
used today in business and politics; that flashy slogan you heard for a political campaign or a
new toothpaste was almost certainly tested in a focus group to gauge people’s reactions.
Social researchers may use a focus group to help design questions or instruments for
quantitative research or to study the interactions among group members on a particular
subject. In most cases, researchers ask predetermined questions, but the discussion is
unstructured. Focus groups are a relatively cheap method of research and can be completed
quickly. They also allow for the flexible discussions and answers that are desirable in
qualitative research
—Kunz, THINK Marriages & Families, p.36.

2. In the developing world 1.1 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, 2.6 billion do
not have access to adequate sanitation services, and more than 1.6 million deaths each year

2
MySkillsLab, Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences.
5
 are traced to waterborne diseases (mostly in children under five). All too often in developing
countries, water is costly or inaccessible to the poorest in society, while the wealthy have it
piped into their homes. In addition, because of the infrastructure that is used to control water,
whole seas are being lost, rivers are running dry, millions of people have been displaced to
make room for reservoirs, groundwater aquifers are being pumped down, and disputes over
water have raised tensions from local to international levels. Fresh water is a limiting resource
in many parts of the world and is certain to become even more so as the 21st century unfolds.
—Wright and Boorse, Environmental Science, p. 247

3. In colonial days, huge flocks of snowy egrets inhabited the coastal wetlands and marshes of
the southeastern United States. In the 1800s, when fashion dictated fancy hats adorned with
feathers, egrets and other birds were hunted for their plumage. By the late 1800s, egrets were
almost extinct. In 1886, the newly formed National Audubon Society began a press campaign
to shame “feather wearers” and end the practice. The campaign caught on, and gradually,
attitudes changed; new laws followed. Government policies that protect animals from
overharvesting are essential to keep species from the brink of extinction. Even when cultural
standards change due to the efforts of individual groups (such as the National Audubon
Society), laws and policy measures must follow to ensure that endangered populations remain
protected. Since the 1800s, several important laws have been passed to protect a wide variety
of species.
—Wright and Boorse, Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, p. 150

4. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has taken a brute-force approach to screening species for
cancer-suppressing chemicals. NCI scientists receive frozen samples of organisms from
around the world, chop them up, and separate them into a number of extracts, each probably
containing hundreds of components. These extracts are tested against up to 60 different types
of cancer cells for their efficacy in stopping or slowing growth of the cancer. Promising extracts
are then further analyzed to determine their chemical nature, and chemicals in the extract are
tested singly to find the effective compound. This approach is often referred to as the “grind
’em and find ’em” strategy.
—Belk and Maier, Biology, p. 334

6
 REVIEW
3These are the important points covered in this chapter:
1. A good topic sentence
 is a complete sentence with a subject, a verb, and a controlling idea.
 is neither too general nor too specific. It clearly states the main idea of the
paragraph but does not include specific details.
 is usually the first sentence in the paragraph.
2. Good supporting sentences
 explain or prove the topic sentence.
 are specific and factual.
 can be examples, statistics, or quotations.
3. A good concluding sentence
 signals the end of the paragraph.
 summarizes the important points briefly or restates the topic sentence in different
words.

3
Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, WRITING ACADEMIC ENGLISH, Fourth Edition, Pearson Longman.
7
BASIC ESSAY
A basic essay consists of three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Following
this format will help you write and organize an essay. However, flexibility is important. While
keeping this basic essay format in mind, let the topic and specific assignment guide the writing and
organization.

ESSAY

1. Introduction
General statement
Thesis statement
PARAGRAPH
2. Body
TOPIC SENTENCE Topic sentence (1)
Support
Support
A. SUPPORT
Support
B. SUPPORT
(Concluding sentence)
C. SUPPORT

CONCLUDING SENTENCE Body

Topic sentence (2)
Support
Support
Support
(Concluding sentence)

Body
Topic sentence (3)
Support
Support
Support
(Concluding sentence)

3. Conclusion
Restatement or summary
of the main points; final
comment

8
 Introductory Paragraph: a few general statements to attract your reader's attention and a thesis
statement to state the main idea of the essay. A thesis statement for an essay is like a topic
sentence for a paragraph: It names the specific topic and gives the reader a general idea of the
contents of the essay.
 The body (one or more paragraphs): Each paragraph develops a subdivision of the topic, so
the number of paragraphs in the body will vary with the number of subdivisions or subtopics.
 The conclusion: like the concluding sentence in a paragraph, is a summary or review of the
main points discussed in the body.

Sample Essay
NATIVE AMERICAN INFLUENCES ON MODERN AMERICAN CULTURE
When the first Europeans began to settle the North American continent, they encountered a
completely new culture: the Native American tribes of North America. Native Americans, who had
a highly developed culture in many respects, must have been as curious about the strange
European manners and customs as were the Europeans about Native Americans. As always
happens when two cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange. Native Americans
adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways. As a
result, Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to American culture, particularly
in the areas of language, art, food, and government.
First of all, Native Americans left a permanent imprint on the English language. The early
settlers borrowed words from several different Native American languages to name the new
places and new objects that they had found in their new land. All across the country, one can find
cities, towns, rivers, and states with Native American names. For example, the states of Delaware,
Iowa, Illinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are the cities of Chicago,
Miami, and Spokane. In addition to place names, English has adopted many everyday words from
various Native American languages. The words chipmunk, moose, raccoon, skunk, moccasin, and
potato are just a few examples.

Although the vocabulary of English is the areas that shows the most Native American
influence, it is not the only area of American culture that was changed by contact with Native
Americans. Art is another area showing the mark of Native American contact. Wool rugs woven by
women of the Navajo tribe in Arizona and New Mexico are highly valued works of art in the United
States. Also, Native American jewelry made from silver and turquoise is very popular and very
expensive. Especially in the western and southwestern regions of the United States, native crafts
such pottery, handcrafted leather products, and beadwork can be found in many home. Indeed,
native art and handicrafts have become a treasured part of American culture
9
 In addition to language and art, agriculture is another area in which Native American had a
great and lasting influence. Being skilled farmers, the Native Americans of North America taught
the newcomers many things about farming techniques and crops. Every American school child
has heard the story of how Native American taught the first settlers to place a dead fish in a
planting hole to provide fertilizer for the growing plant. Furthermore, they taught the settlers
irrigation methods and crop rotation. In addition, many of the foods we eat today were introduced
to the Europeans by Native Americans. For example, potatoes, corn, chocolate, and peanuts were
unknown in Europe. Now they are staples in the American diet.

Finally, it may surprise some people to learn that Americans are also indebted to one tribe
for our form of government. The Iroquois, who were an extremely large tribe with many branches
and sub-branches (called “nations”), had developed a highly sophisticated system of government
to keep the branches of the tribe from fighting one another. Five of the nations had joined together
in a confederation called “The League of the Iroquois.” Under the League, each nation was
autonomous in running its own internal affairs, but the nations acted as a unit when dealing with
outsiders. The League kept the Iroquois from fighting among themselves and was also valuable in
diplomatic relations with other tribes. When the thirteen American colonies were considering what
kind of government to establish after they won their independence from Britain, someone
suggested that they use a system similar to the League of the Iroquois. Under this system, each
colony or future state would be autonomous in managing its own affairs but would joining forces
with the other states to deal with matters that concerned them all. This is exactly what happened.
As a result, the present form of government of the United States can be traced directly back to a
Native American model.

In conclusion, we can easily see form these few examples the extent of native American
influence on our language, our art forms, our eating habits, and our government. Modern
Americans are truly indebted to Native Americans for their contributions to their culture. Hopefully,
the cultural exchange will one day prove to be equally positive for them.

10
In addition to the four majority skill areas assessed on any International test like TOEFL or IELTS
(Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking), there are several supplementary skills that will help
you to succeed on the test as well as in your academic studies.

NOTE TAKING

Note taking is an important skill for any student to develop. Here are some advantages of learning
note taking skills:
1. Organize your ideas.
2. Keep focused while reading.
3. Keep a record of what you read so you can locate it again.
4. Keep a record of what you thought whilst you were reading.
5. Think critically about what you read.
6. Analyze a text.
7. Engage more effectively with what you read.
8. Draw links to other research

The Top 5 Most Effective Ways to Take Notes While Reading

1. Read the complete passage.
2. Identify important information: the specific topic and main ideas.
3. Write a quick list of important points. Use abbreviations.
4. Organize it as simple as possible (in written)
5. Paraphrase the main ideas to avoid repeating exact phrases from the text.

Example
 Read the complete passage.
Most twins are fraternal, which means they developed from two separate eggs which were
fertilized at the same time. Such twins are no more similar in physical characteristics than are any
other brothers or sisters. About one third of twins are identical, which means they developed from
a single fertilized egg, and usually share a common placenta. Unlike fraternal twins, their genetic
makeup is identical, so they have very similar physical characteristics, and are always the same
sex.
(From: Broukal, Siamese Twins, p. 78)

11
  Read the complete passage.
Most twins are fraternal, which means they developed from two separate eggs which were
fertilized at the same time. Such twins are no more similar in physical characteristics than
are any other brothers or sisters. About one third of twins are identical, which means they
developed from a single fertilized egg, and usually share a common placenta. Unlike
fraternal twins, their genetic makeup is identical, so they have very similar physical
characteristics, and are always the same sex.
(From: Broukal, Siamese Twins, p. 78)

 Write a quick list of important points. Use abbreviations.

Notes do not need to be written in complete words, especially those that have been often
used or that will help organizing the ideas. You can save time and space in your notes by using
abbreviations and symbols. The important things are to be creative and to make sure that you are
able to recognize the abbreviations and symbols when you restudy your notes later on.

Think about the abbreviations or symbols of the following words or phrases and write them down.
WORD / PHRASE ABBREVIATION SYMBOLS
Question Q ?
Especially
Important things
Key points
The source of information
Different
Because
Approximately / about
And
With / with out

12
  Organize it as simple as possible (in written)
Good notes should have a clear organizational pattern. The ideas in your notes should relate to one
another so that they are easy to understand. Your notes should be arranged into an appropriate form e.g. a
list, a skeleton, a table, classification charts, mind map, etc.
Look at the following note-taking formats. What are the names for these formats?

MORE EXERCISES! MAKE NOTES FROM THESE PARAGRAPHS

Passage A
Animals living in modern zoos enjoy several advantages over animals in the wild; however,
they must so suffer some disadvantages. One advantage of living in the zoo is that the animals
are separated from their natural predators; they are protected and can, therefore, live without risk
of being attacked. Another advantage is that they are regularly fed a special, well-balanced diet;
thus, they do not have to hunt for food or suffer times when food is hard to find. On the other hand,
zoo animals face several disadvantages. The most important disadvantage is that since they do
not have to hunt for food or face their enemies, some animals became bored, discontented or
even nervous. Another disadvantage is that zoo visitors can endanger their lives. Some animals
can pick up airborne diseases from humans.

13
 Passage B
The World Health Organization began a DDT spraying program which virtually eliminated
malaria. But other things began to happen. Besides killing mosquitoes, the DDT killed other
insects that lived in the houses, such as flies and cockroaches. These insects were the favorite
food of geckos (small lizards). And so when the geckos ate the dead insects, they died from DDT
poisoning. Similarly, the house cats ate the dead geckos and cockroaches, and they too died from
the DDT poisoning. As a result, the rat population rose sharply, and the human population of
Borneo began to die from a type of plague carried by fleas on the rats. In order to deal with the
emergency, thousands of cats were parachuted into the island, in what was called ‘Operation Cat
Drop’.
Passage C
The cloning of Dolly involved several steps. First, cells that had previously been taken from
Dolly’s mother were starved for five days, which caused them to stop dividing. After five day, the
nuclei of these cells were removed and transferred into an unfertilized sheep egg. In the next step,
the egg was grown in the laboratory for a period of time. Then the egg was implanted into a
different sheep, where it grew normally. When the sheep finally gave birth, the lamb was an exact
genetic copy, or clone, of the sheep that had provided the transferred nucleus, not the sheep that
provided the egg.

Answer the following questions using the information in your notes. Do not reread the
passages.
Questions for passage A
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of animals living in the zoo?
Questions for passage B
1. What is the passage about?
2. Why did the rat population increase?
Questions for passage C
Write the number (1…7) to arrange the steps of cloning Dolly into the correct order.
_____ Starve the cells for five days.
_____ Take cells from Dolly’s mother.
_____ Sheep finally gives birth to a lamb.
_____ Grow the egg in the laboratory for a period of time.
_____ Implant the egg into a different sheep.
_____ Transfer the cells into an unfertilized sheep egg.
_____ Remove the nuclei of these cells.
14
PARAPHRASE

4Paraphrasingis when you take an author’s ideas and put them into your own words to
restate the information in a new way. It is an accepted scholarly practice and it is important for
you to train yourself to redraft other people’s ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing is a way to
see whether you have really understood what the author is saying. Examples include writing a
sentence into your own words, or a summary of authored information.
For a paraphrased citation in an assignment you need to cite the author and the year of
publication in brackets. For long and complex texts, include the page number / location information
to assist the reader to locate the relevant passage in the original text.
Original Text:
Just as Sherlock Holmes investigates a case, psychologists must evaluate all the available
data before making a deduction, lest they jump to an erroneous conclusion on the basis of
insufficient evidence (Bram & Peebles, 2014, pp. 32–33).
Paraphrased:
Bram and Peebles (2014) advocated for psychologists to evaluate all the available data
before making a deduction, just as Sherlock Holmes investigates a case, lest they jump to an
erroneous conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence (pp. 32–33)
Some tips for learning how to paraphrase:

 Read the piece you want to paraphrase carefully, making sure you understand it.
 Cover it up and try to rewrite it in your own words, allowing yourself 2-3 keywords.
 Check your own work, changing any words or phrases that you have reproduced from the
original.
 Look for synonyms: different words with the same meaning.
 Change the sentence structure/the voice/the part of speech. Reduce a clause to a phrase.
 Link the paraphrased sentence smoothly into your own text.

Obviously, when we paraphrase, we cannot change the technical words, numbers, and so on,
used in the original source.
To conclude, when paraphrasing you must:

 Understand the original text.

 Change both words and sentence structure
 Cite correctly

4
ecu.au.libguides.com
15
Write your own paraphrase for the following sentences:

1. A local newspaper claims that 75% of all homeless people do not like homeless shelters and
prefer to live as they do now.
2. Ronny told his aunt that a bear had attacked him, which she found difficult to believe.
3. Anyone who has ever driven through the Mojave Desert knows that one should always carry a
supply of extra water.
4. Of the 138 million acres of land that Native Americans owned in 1887, 90 million acres were
taken away by whites by 1932.
5. A woman who was nominated by the president to head the department was quickly approved by
the board of trustees.

SUMMARY

One of the most important aspects of reading for academic study is reading so you can make use
of the ideas of other people. This is important as you need to show that you have understood the
materials you have read and that you can use their ideas and findings in your own way.
In fact, this is an essential skill for every student. Spack (1988, p. 42) has pointed out that the most
important skill a student can engage in is "the complex activity to write from other texts", which is
"a major part of their academic experience." It is very important when you do this to make sure you
use your own words, unless you are quoting. You must make it clear when the words or ideas that
you are using are your own and when they are taken from another writer. You must not use
another person's words or ideas as if they were your own: this is Plagiarism and plagiarism is
regarded as a very serious offence.
A summary is a shortened version of a text. It contains the main points in the text and is
written in your own words. It is a mixture of reducing a long text to a short text and
selecting relevant information. A good summary shows that you have understood the
text

Look at this example:

Source
The amphibia, which is the animal class
to which our frogs and toads belong,
were the first animals to crawl from the
sea and inhabit the earth.
Summary
The first animals to leave the sea and
live on dry land were the amphibia.

16
The following stages may be useful:

1. Read and understand the text carefully.

2. Think about the purpose of the text.
a. Ask what the author's purpose is in writing the text?
b. What is your purpose in writing your summary?
c. Are you summarising to support your points?
d. Or are you summarising so you can criticise the work before you introduce your
main points?
3. Select the relevant information. This depends on your purpose.
4. Find the main ideas - what is important.
a. They may be found in topic sentences.
b. Distinguish between main and subsidiary information.
c. Delete most details and examples, unimportant information, anecdotes, examples,
illustrations, data etc.
d. Find alternative words/synonyms for these words/phrases - do not change
specialised vocabulary and common words.
5. Change the structure of the text.
a. Identify the meaning relationships between the words/ideas - e.g. cause/effect,
generalisation, contrast. Look at Paragraphs: Signalling for more information.
Express these relationships in a different way.
b. Change the grammar of the text: rearrange words and sentences, change nouns
to verbs, adjectives to adverbs, etc., break up long sentences, and combine short
sentences.
c. Simplify the text. Reduce complex sentences to simple sentences, simple
sentences to phrases, phrases to single words.
6. Rewrite the main ideas in complete sentences. Combine your notes into a piece of
continuous writing. Use conjunctions and adverbs such as 'therefore', 'however',
'although', 'since', to show the connections between the ideas.
7. Check your work.
a. Make sure your purpose is clear.
b. Make sure the meaning is the same.
c. Make sure the style is your own.

4b/c. Distinguish between main and subsidiary information. Delete most details and examples,
unimportant information, anecdotes, examples, illustrations, data etc. Simplify the text. Reduce
complex sentences to simple sentences, simple sentences to phrases, phrases to single words.

17
There are three types of reading strategies you can use:
Skimming – running your eyes over the entire text quickly without reading in detail
Scanning – reading the text and looking for particular information such as key words
Detailed reading – reading each word in a section of the text for understanding and then
making notes.
Four steps to efficient reading
To be an efficient reader, follow these four steps:
56%78&(%$".%.1$&,.%$.3$6%
Move your eyes over the entire text but do not read anything in detail. Ask yourself these
questions as you read:
• How many pages are in this text / section / chapter?
• What is the layout like? Are there diagrams, pictures, text boxes?
• Are there headings or other ways of organising this text?
© 2012 Learning Centre, University of Sydney
2

• Is there an abstract or conclusion which will tell me the main point?

96%7:#1%".#0&12'%#10%'+;".#0&12'%
Locate, read then write down the headings and subheadings. These show the structure of
the text.
<6%7:#1%&(*-,$#1$%*#,#2,#*"'%#10%'.1$.1:.'%
Look for key words related to your topic or an important author. Highlight them.
Then ask yourself:
='%&$%>-,$"%,.#0&12%&1%0.$#&?%'-(.%@%#??%-/%$".%$.3$4%
Which parts are most relevant to my purpose?
Will reading that part get me more marks?
Do I have enough time, taking into account my other priorities (assignments,
exams)?
Sometimes the answer is no. It may not be worthwhile reading any of this in more
detail.
Often the answer is yes. It is worth reading some of the text in detail (e.g.
introduction, conclusion, methodology or discussion). Sometimes, the whole
chapter or article is worth reading in detail
A6%B.#0%&1%0.$#&?%&(*-,$#1$%*#,#2,#*"'%#10%'.1$.1:.'6%
The most important paragraphs may include the introduction, conclusion and abstract, or
18
any paragraph closely related to your assignment or key words. Highlight and make notes
on the text. Then make notes in your workbook to summarise the most important ideas
and any quotes.

19