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.

Less packaging please, we're British: Why it's only fair for producers to pay for their own recycling

Source

Article

Article date

4 December 2024

[2-12] = page number-line number

Line numbers

Reference

R006

  • Odd here means:

    • approximate

    • in the region of

  • The best fit would be incorporate:

    • Our lives are often fundamentally affected, not by the generalities incorporated in great Acts passed by Parliament.

    This is because embody is an expression of or gives a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling); although we could use express, incorporate involves giving physical form, whereas personify is represented in human form.

  • Very few [2-15]: ‘with practically no press comment’.

  • While ‘totally’ could replace ‘wholly’, it is too informal for the context; ’completely’ better fits.

  • ‘Fed up’ means annoyed, unhappy, or bored, especially with a situation which has existed for a long time.

  • ‘Struggle with’ means have difficulty handling or coping with which is best replaced with battle.

    • ‘Strive’ means struggle or fight vigorously and would require a slight change to the sentence structure.

    • While ‘strain’ is similar (make an unusually great effort), its nuance focuses on effort rather than difficulty.

  • No, only the remains litter the ground, which makes collection challenging.

  • ‘People’ would be too generic, providing no image of action or temporality.

    ‘Passer-by’ is ‘a person who happens to be passing, on foot’.

  • It’s possible: the inclusion of ‘could’ shows this is a possibility, rather than a certainty.

  • Article states the French Champagne maker ‘Telmont has shown it’s possible to do without these boxes’. [2-71]

  • For many companies, yes: ‘because their growth has depended on packaging’ [3-2]

  • Plastic ‘facilitates mass production; it extends shelf life; and it’s a necessary part of national take-away chains and of home delivery’ [3-3]

  • Large multi-national companies, whether fast food (like McDonald’s or Burger King) and producers (biscuit, processed foods, sweet manufacturers).

  • Bigger businesses has ‘never had to pay the real cost of the polystyrene, the plastic bottles, the film and the sleeves that their business models entail’ [3-6 to 3-9]: small business cannot do this.

  • ‘On the cheap’ means ‘at low cost’.

Task

Read the article, then answer the questions.

  • Answer the questions first before expanding to show answers!

  • NOTE new words: Day one of the holistic adventure comprises a wholesome afternoon tea, one of Dior’s signature treatments, pre-dinner drinks and a healthy feast planned out by Ferguson.

  • NOTE phrases: The news follows hot on the heels — or tracks — of the launch of the Royal Scotsman's Dior spa.

  • NOTE phrasal verbs: ‘Traditionally, storks are considered harbingers of hope, joy and rebirth,’ says The White Stork Project. ‘We hope their return to the UK will signal a transformation, a reconnection with nature that will enthuse and inspire others and help bring about the landscape restoration we so desperately need.’

  • NOTE how the writer expresses themselves: There is more than one way to notice the advent of spring. Traditionally, it is when the sun enters the northern hemisphere. Some people like to wait for the first call of the cuckoo. I like to think it’s when the property photographers get out there and start taking nice pictures.

  • NOTE punctuation: On day two, there’s the option to head out on a private hike; on day three, sit down to a locally-foraged lunch.