Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(01355501)
8. Summarizing..73
Kasetsart University
Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus
Semester 1, 2015
73
Summarizing
Another key strategy for learning and remembering the ideas in a text is to
summarize what you have read. This means rewriting the important parts in a
much shorter form, using some words from the text and some of your own words.
Summarizing is especially useful for:
Reviewing and memorizing information in textbooks for exams;
Preparing information or ideas from different sources so you can include them in
a report or paper.
Summarizing a Passage
When summarizing a passage, the first step is to write a one-sentence summary of
each paragraph. Then you can combine the sentences to write a summary of the
whole passage.
74
Main idea: Poor people in developing countries have suffered the most from
shortages of clean water for several reasons.
Pattern of organization:
Listing
Supporting facts and ideas: People in poor villages and urban slums are usually
not served by a piped water system.
These people have few other sources of fresh water.
Summary sentence:
Poor people in developing countries suffer the most
from shortages of clean water because their homes
do not have piped in water and they have few other
sources of water
EXERCISE 1
A. Working with another student, read each paragraph and mark the text to show
the main idea and the supporting facts and ideas. Then fill in the information
below.
Wetlands
1.
Wetlands are areas of land that are covered by water all or part of the year.
Throughout history, people have considered wetlands to be land that was wasted
and could be put to better use. For this reason, from the time of the Romans,
wetlands have been drained and filled so that the land could be used for human
activity. Wetlands have been converted into farmland, city neighborhoods,
industrial facilities, or garbage dumps. However, in recent years, scientists,
environmentalists, and even politicians have begun to realize that wetlands are a
valuable part of the environment, as well as a valuable resource for humans.
Main idea: _________________________________________________________
Pattern of organization:_______________________________________________
Supporting facts and ideas: ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Summary sentence: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
75
2.
From a biological point of view, wetlands are not wastelands at all, but are
among the most productive ecosystems in the world. They contain an immense
variety of animal and plant species, which have evolved over millions of years and
which depend on wetland ecosystems for their survival. The life cycles of all these
species depend on the particular habitat of the wetlands, with its rich mixture of
water and organic material from the breakdown of plants in water. The enriched
materialknown as detritusfeeds many small animals living in the water, such
as aquatic insects, shell fish, and small fish. These small creatures, in turn, attract
larger predatory animals that feed on them, including fish, reptiles, amphibians,
birds, and mammals.
Main idea: _________________________________________________________
Pattern of organization:_______________________________________________
Supporting facts and ideas: ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Summary sentence: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
76
3. In recent years, city planners and politicians are beginning to realize that
wetlands are valuable for another reason as well. In 2006, 13.3 inches (about 34
cm) of rain fell on the city of Newburyport in northeastern Massachusetts. In the
neighboring city of Haverhill, only about 10 inches of rain fell. However,
Haverhill suffered millions of dollars worth of damage from flooding, while
Newburyport suffered almost no serious damage. Why such a difference? Both
cities are built along the Merrimack River, but in Haverhill the area all along the
river has been developed with housing, roads, and commercial buildings. In
Newburyport, however, the area along the river has been left in its original state
marshland (wetlands). These wetlands gave the river waters space to spread out
when there was a sudden increase in volume due to the rain. The wetland plants
and soil also acted like a giant sponge to absorb water. In Haverhill, on the other
hand, the water could not spread out, so it rose higher and higher, until it
overflowed the banks and flooded areas of the city.
Main idea: _________________________________________________________
Pattern of organization:_______________________________________________
Supporting facts and ideas: ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Summary sentence: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
77
78
79
80
EXERCISE 4
The light bulb is probably one of the most important inventions in science.
It has changed the world by letting people do their work at night. Before the light
bulb, people had to use candles or fires to see at night. These light sources did not
give off enough light. In some places, like coal mines, using candles could be
dangerous. The light bulb provided a cleaner and safer light source.
The light bulb allows people to drive their cars at night. Lighthouses also
use light bulbs to guide ships safely to shore. The light bulb is used in sports,
television, and many other businesses.
1. Which of these best summarizes the selection?
A. Lighthouses use light bulbs to help guide ships that are at sea. The light bulb is
also important because it lets people drive their cars at night.
B. The light bulb was safer to use than candles inside the coal mines. The light
bulb is also used in sports, television, and many other businesses.
C. The light bulb helps people in many different ways. It allows people to work or
drive at night, helps keep people safe, and is used in many businesses.
D. Before the light bulb was invented, people had to read and write by candles
and fires. These light sources were not very bright, and they could be dangerous.
Fat
Fats are found in animals and plants. Foods that you eat every day are made
of fats. Butter is made mostly of animal fat. Margarine is made mostly from plant
fat. Fats that are liquid at room temperature are called oils. Oils are used on salads
and can be used to fry food.
Fat is stored under the skin of humans and many animals. Fat helps keep
people and animals warm. It also helps protect areas around eyeballs and other
body parts. In plants, most of the fat is stored in the seeds. The fat provides food to
the seed when it first begins to grow.
Is it possible to have too much fat? Of course! Doctors say that people
should be careful about how much fat they eat. Most foods have a little fat, but a
person can get sick if he or she eats a large amount of food with too much fat.
2. Which is the best summary of the selection?
A. Fats that are liquid at room temperature are called oils. Fat helps seeds get
food when they first start growing.
81
B. Doctors say that people should not eat too much fat in their food.
However, most foods have a little fat in them.
C. Fat helps keep people and animals warm and protects their bodies. In
plants, most of the fat is stored in the seeds.
D. Fat, which is found in animals and plants, is important to living things.
Eating too much fat can make a person sick.
3. Which sentence shows an idea that would be important to include in a summary
of this passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Recycling should be part of our lives each day. Everyone can recycle.
Communities have made recycling much easier. Many have services that will pick
up recyclable materials. Aluminum, paper, and plastic are examples of materials
that you can recycle.
Soda cans are made out of aluminum. These cans must be put in a recycling
bin for pickup day. They can also be taken to a recycling center.
Paper can also be recycled. By reusing paper, you can help cut down on the
amount of paper being produced each year. Fewer trees will be needed to make
new paper products.
Plastic can be recycled, too. Plastic bottles have been recycled into park
benches! It only takes a few minutes to do your part to help the environment.
4. Which of these best summarizes the passage?
A. Aluminum, paper, and plastics can be recycled. Plastic bottles have been
recycled into really neat park benches.
B. Recycling soda pop cans helps the environment. Cans should be put in a
recycling bin or taken to a recycling center.
C. The Earth needs to be cared for. Recycling should be part of everyone's
lives every single day. Everyone can recycle.
D. Recycling can help the environment, and communities have made it easy to
do. People can recycle aluminum, paper, and plastics.
82
Most fourth graders can show a younger child how to tie shoes. The strange
thing is this: it is easy to show but harder to tell. On the telephone, the instructions
would sound impossible:
The directions make it sound like you need three hands to tie your shoes!
They just don't make sense. One thing is clear, though: the best way to teach a
beginner is to show them. After a few tries, children see that they don't need extra
hands to tie their shoes. Good luck!
5. In a short summary of this passage, which detail would be most important to
include?
A.
B.
C.
D.
83
84
1.
2.
3.
4.
85
5.
6.