Page 14 - Starting Strong: English Essentials

1. Reading

Scanning to Find Information about Someone’s Personality

In this section, you are going to learn how to use one of the reading strategies, namely scanning.

Scanning

Scanning is reading rapidly in order to find specific information. You can use it when you need to
find a particular piece of information, such as a date or a name, without reading the whole text.
It is useful when you need to answer a specific question.

Key steps → Know what you are looking for.
→ Move your eyes quickly over the whole text.
Identify the → Decide on a few keywords related to the information you are looking for. If you
keywords scan to answer a question, the keyword is in the question.
Locate the → Find the keyword you are looking for in the text by moving your eyes quickly
keywords over the whole text.
Check → Read the text surrounding the keyword carefully to see if the information is
relevant. If you scan to answer a question, re-read the question to determine if
the information answers the question.
Example Text:
My classmate, Dewi, is very kind. She is always ready to help others, even when
she is busy. Every Saturday, she volunteers at the local library to help children
read.
Question:
What does Dewi do every Saturday?

The keyword from the question is “Saturday”. In the text, we can find the word in
the third sentence, “Every Saturday, she volunteers at the local library to help
children read” .
Therefore, the answer to the question is she volunteers at the local library.

a. Match the words related to personality traits to the short descriptions of people below.

a. understanding c. reliable e. diligent g. adventurous
b. shy d. loyal f. supportive

1. Someone who shows nervousness in front of others [ b ]
2. Someone who always gives constant support to others [ ___ ]
3. Someone who provides encouragement or emotional help [ ___ ]
4. Someone who is willing to take risks or to try out new things [ ___ ]
5. Someone who is aware of other people's feelings, tolerant, and forgiving [ ___ ]
6. Someone who can be trusted because they behave well or in a way you expect [ ___ ]

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