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.

Stressed? Writing down a to-do list might help

If you find it hard to get to sleep, then a solution might be at hand – a pen and paper.

Source

BBC

Article

Article date

Reference

R005B

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

12 November 2024

Line number

Task

  • The paragraph suggests people worry sometimes (keeps you awake sometimes [2-5]).

  • Phrasal verb ‘leave over’ (be left over) means ‘remain to be used or dealt with’.

  • The phrase ‘on top of’, in this context, means ‘in control of’.

  • ‘Above and beyond’ means ‘in excess of the expectations or demands of’.

  • While both ‘might’ and ‘can’ mean possibility here, using ‘might’ here expresses a possibility that something will happen or be done, or that something is true although not very likely condition.

  • A ‘lie-in’ is a prolonged stay in bed in the morning: I usually have a lie-in on Saturday mornings.

  • ‘Might’ or ‘could’ have a similar meaning: ‘could’ implies a clear possibility (I could go) whereas ‘might’ implies possibility with purpose (It might work).

  • We use the phrase ‘black and white’ to mean in writing or print, that is, written on paper.

  • Many would suggest medication, relaxation techniques or soft music to calm someone, not an action involving bring many things into the present.

  • It can be easy to look at a narrow set of results and trust those results; being ‘fair’ is about being impartial and just.

  • A replacement for ‘get’ would be ‘receive’.

  • ‘Cognitive offloading’ is seen as positive: to relieve a mental load. ‘Offloading’ means ‘relieve oneself of (a problem or worry) by talking to someone else’.

  • Adverb ‘thereby’ means ‘by that means; as a result of that’.

  • Adjective ‘swirling’ means ‘moving in a twisting or spiralling pattern’.

  • Use ‘receive’; we only use ‘fall’ with ‘fall asleep’.

  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.