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 which meaning is appropriate and then connecting everything together.

How China’s crackdown turned finance high-flyers into ‘rats’

“Now I think about it, I definitely chose the wrong industry.”

Xiao Chen, who works in a private equity firm in China’s financial hub, Shanghai, says he is having a rough year.

Source

BBC

Article

Article date

Reference

R002B

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

11 October 2024

Line number

Task

  • Rough informally means difficult and unpleasant or unfair.

  • Then refers to ‘his first year in the job’.

  • Wear off means to lose effectiveness or intensity.

  • A hot topic is one involving much activity, debate, or interest.

  • Spark means to provide the stimulus for (an event or process):

    • The severity of the planned cuts sparked off protests amongst workers and management alike.

  • To flaunt means to display (something) ostentatiously, especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance. Therefore, salary-flaunting means to boast of one’s earnings.

  • Adjective sweeping means a wide in range or effect.

  • They key to why morale is low is in [3-70]:

    • Now his days are mostly filled with chores like organising the data from his previous projects.

  • To the employee, a layoff is negative: a temporary or permanent discharge of a worker or workers because of economic conditions or shortage of work.

    To the company, it may initially be seen as positive (to save money), but the general loss of knowledge has a negative effect.

  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.