Reading

Detail, not just gist

Whilst reading for gist is quick and useful, studying for detail is essential when one word can completely change the interpretation of the message or direction of a project.

Detail comes from understanding how words connect, identifying an appropriate meaning and then connecting everything together.

PhD student finds lost city in Mexico jungle by accident

A huge Maya city has been discovered centuries after it disappeared under jungle canopy in Mexico.

Archaeologists found pyramids, sports fields, causeways connecting districts and amphitheatres in the southeastern state of Campeche.

Source

BBC

Article

Article date

Reference

R001B

[2-12] = [page number - line number]

29 October 2024

Line number

Task

  1. Read the article.

  2. Note new words and expressions, unfamiliar structures, and writing style.

  3. Answer questions before expanding to show answers.

Guidelines:

  • NOTE new words which you may have never seen [wholesome | upright | squeaky clean] or words having a different meaning to its primary one [‘clean’ to mean ‘(of a taste, sound, or smell) giving a clear and distinctive impression to the senses; sharp and fresh’].

  • NOTE phrases which can form part of the writing or be distinctive from the text [hot on the heels | before one’s eyes | there’s no smoke without a fire].

  • NOTE phrasal verbs, how they are used and in which context.

  • NOTE the writer’s style: word choice, simple or complex, short or long sentences, descriptive, persuasive, narrative or argumentative.

  • NOTE punctuation and why and where the writer uses it.

  • We use the present perfect to connect past with present; here the centuries-forgotten city [distant past] was recently discovered [recent past/ present time].

  • ‘Peak’ refers to the city’s largest extent at 30-50,000 people, calculated between 750-850 AD.

  • In the past, the site housed a large Maya population, and still does. ‘Mostly’ shows the area is still important, the (original) people have not really left.

  • There is no hidden treasure. Valuable items, like jade masks, were found, but no hidden treasure (either through hearsay or historical record).

  • Using the point is shows the importance of what was missed: it was assumed the area was not settled, when in reality the opposite is true.

  • Suggest means current evidence indicates the Maya civilisation collapsed from 800 AD onwards; hard evidence is unavailable to provide a precise date.

  • Opening up is a verb with adverbial. If unsure the difference between phrasal verb and verb with adverbial, remove the second element and, if it makes sense, it is the verb + adverbial.

  • The downside of modelling and advertising is its effect on young and impressionable people, forcing unrealistic expectations down sensitive throats, while surreptitiously extracting cash from their pockets.