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idea of the book. When we start reading the to identify the main points immediately after
books, we go line by line and read the content looking at it. So, we scan through the news to
completely. What is the difference between the read the highlighted points or the things given
two? When we go through the content quickly, in bold letters first and then get into the further
we get a general idea but not the details. But details of the news.
when we read it in detail, even when it takes
time, we get to know each and every detail of Now take another instance. If we find an
the story. essay important for the exam and we are left
with very little time to read it, how will we read
In the above given instance, we can see two it? Since we don’t have the time to read the
kinds of reading. While one saves time, the complete essay, we will go through it quickly
other helps us learn more about the content in and try to locate the important points that are
a written document. In order to save time, we relevant for the exam. If the essay is divided
read things quickly. We get to know the crux into many paragraphs, we might read the
of the content in very little time. Speed reading beginning of every paragraph and try to read
is the technique through which we enhance our the introductory and concluding paragraphs.
ability to read quickly. Speed- reading helps We scan through the content to eliminate the
us improve our reading speed as well as our unnecessary details and focus only on the main
ability to identify the main points and ideas. points.
The practice of speed-reading trains our eyes
to go through the writing quickly and get to What exactly are we doing in both of the
know the relevant facts. preceding cases? These are the ways in which
we enhance our reading skills. We save time
There are different ways in which speed by going through the written content selec-
reading can be done. Two of the methods of tively. In the first instance, the technique of
speed reading are: reading through the content quickly to find the
important points or specific facts is known as
1. Scanning scanning. This is similar to a revision reading

2. Skimming that helps us to recall the main points that we
have already read. When we read our text-
Let us discuss in detail about these two books, we often underline the things that we
methods. find important. We do this so that at the end,
when we go through it again, we read only the
2�3�4 Scanning and Skimming important points and not the entire chapter in

Try to recall the way in which we approach the textbook. Also, when we revise something,
a newspaper. What will we read first when we we have already read, we try to focus not on
get a newspaper in hand or on the screen? We the entire content but on the points that might
all tend to go through the headlines at first. be underlined or given in bold.
After that, we go through the news in detail. In a
news article, certain things will be highlighted, In the second instance, when we go through
some data will be given in boxes, and some- the content at a glance, we get to know the
times, below the headline, the main issue will general ideas that the essay conveys even
be mentioned in brief. Have you ever noticed though we don’t get to know the entire con-
it? Why is it done? The news in a newspaper is tent in detail. The technique of quickly read-
arranged in such a manner that the reader gets ing through the content to identify a general

SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication 71