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.

Apple accused of trapping and ripping off 40m iCloud customers

Apple is facing a legal claim accusing it of effectively locking 40 million British customers into its iCloud service and charging them "rip off prices".

Source

BBC

Article

Article date

Reference

R003B

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

14 November 2024

Line number

  • Rip off means (rip someone off, rip off someone) cheat someone, especially financially:

    • Doris thought Fred was ripping her off over her royalties, but had little proof. Until she saw the bank statement on his desk.

  • Tide is defined as a powerful surge of feeling or trend of events:

    • Though prime minister, he could not control the growing tide of violence.

  • Infancy means the early stage in the development or growth of something.

  • According to Mr. Starr, there ‘will be settlements’: future certain. Further evidence is suggested in:

    • Apple does not allow rival storage services full access to its products. [2-59]

    • Which? says over a period of nine years dating back to 2015 Apple has been effectively locking people into its services - and then overcharging them. [2-66]

    • the regulator had announced a wider investigation into cloud services in the UK [3-51]

  • FALSE: Apple does not allow rival storage services full access to its products. [2-59].

    Full indicates partial access is allowed; therefore, we cannot say Apple does not allow any access.

  • The Chief Executive is representing the company, not speaking in a personal capacity.

  • We informally use take forward to mean bring into a specified state

  • Which? said they would be paid fees as the case progressed, getting additional payments if it was successful - but they would not be receiving a percentage of any damages.

  • We use the passive to change focus, not on actor but receiver:

    • [3-36] focuses on the claim, rather than those bringing the claim

    • [3-42] focuses on future claims, which require financial support.

  • He added the absence of any infringement decisions under EU or UK competition law meant it would be the responsibility of the claimant to prove the market abuse it was alleging was actually taking place.

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.