In a way, reading for specific information is also a form of skim reading, in that you will be scanning a text to find this specific information. This is how my colleague read her letter from the Inland Revenue as she was looking particularly for the date by which she had to respond. However, once you have found the information, you need to read the text very carefully. Legal materials have a precise meaning and missing or misreading even one or two words can make a significant difference to the meaning.
Allow about 5 minutes
What is the difference between a law on dangerous dogs that says ‘dogs which bite twice must be destroyed’ and one which says ‘dogs which bite twice may be destroyed’?
The difference between them is one word: must in the first and may in the second. There is no room for debate or mercy in the first law – any dog which bites twice has to be destroyed. In the second law, someone (probably a court) has power to order the destruction of the dog, but can choose not to do so. The difference of one word makes a significant difference to the meaning and operation of the law.
Now you will try an activity where you will read a longer piece for specific information.
Allow about 20 minutes
For this activity you should read Reading 1, which is an extract from an article called ‘Butts out’, and then answer the questions that follow. To do this you should first read for gist, reading the whole extract through quickly to get a general idea of its content. Then read the questions.
Next, read the article again and highlight the sections of the text that provide the answers. You can then write your answers to the questions. Write each answer as a short sentence rather than a one-word response.
Questions
The article is about the impact of the ban on smoking in all enclosed public places, which came into force in England in July 2007.
Our answers to the questions were:
In this activity, although you were reading to find specific information, you were also interpreting the text. Interpretation is a particularly important legal skill that you would develop over time if you undertook further legal study. In answering Questions 3 and 4 about the sandwich delivery business and the dressmaking workshop, you were interpreting the text to work out an answer.
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