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

Ignored by the media and largely unknown to the general public, the 300-odd pages of this Statutory Instrument may fundamentally change all our lives.

Source

Article

Article date

Reference

R006B

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

4 December 2024

Line number

  • 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

  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.