Page 6 - Book I Unit 4

2 Read the summary of the news report. Check the main points it includes.

Summary: On 26 December 2004, a tsunami killed more than 6,500 tourists, fishermen, and other
locals in Asia. Thousands of people are missing and the number of deaths is expected to grow. The
damage caused by the tsunami is making it difficult for rescue workers to help the survivors.

date time place event A summary is a short
statement of main points.
cause effect following events A summary paragraph tells
the main ideas and the most
important information of a
longer passage.

3 Follow the steps below to write a summary for the text on page 50.

1 Read the text and write a list of the main details.

• Strange things happened in the countryside before the earthquake.

• An earthquake hit China on 28 July 1976.

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2 Write down the main idea of each paragraph based on the details above.
3 Organise the ideas and draft your summary. Pay attention to the following:

• A summary should be around one third the length of the original text.
• Write down the key supporting points for the topic.
• Do not include unimportant details or examples.

4 Exchange drafts. Use the checklist to give feedback on your partner̓s draft.
Does the summary give you a clear idea of what the text is about?

Does the summary include only the most important information of the text?
Is the summary the proper length?
Are there any spelling or punctuation errors?
Does the writer use correct tenses?
5 Get your draft back and revise it.

4 Put up your summary in the classroom or read it to the class.

UNIT 4 NATURAL DISASTERS 55