1.3 Extracting information
You will now explore different techniques for extracting information and reading with a time limit. This skill is particularly important for situations such as exams when time is short. Staying calm and being able to read under pressure can be the difference between a pass or a fail!
Activity _unit3.1.3 Activity 3 Reading with a time limit (1)
This activity involves reading something in a limited time. Click anywhere on the image below and read as much of the advert as you can in 15 seconds. After this time, the advert will disappear. Then have a go at answering the questions.
What is the job?
What are the duties of the post?
Who should applicants contact?
When is the closing date?
What is the rate of pay per hour?
Discussion
Check your answers against these:
Lunchtime supervisor team leader.
To coordinate and supervise the school’s team of lunchtime supervisors.
Michael White.
Two weeks from the date of the advert.
£8.21.
It can be quite difficult to take in a lot of text in a short time. The layout can help you to identify what the text is about. If the text is important, spending more time reading will help you to digest the information.
Activity _unit3.1.4 Activity 4 Reading with a time limit (2)
Complete the same activity again with a different text.
Click anywhere on the text below and read as much as you can in 15 seconds. After this time, the text will disappear. Then have a go at answering the questions.
a. Name one of the places in North Yorkshire with a hostel.
b. From where are excursions available?
c. Which area is recommended if you like peace and quiet?
d. Is payment refundable?
e. When do you pay the full costs of the holiday?
Did you find it easier to extract information from one of the texts? If so, which one? Why do you think this was so?
Discussion
Check your answers against these:
a.Scarborough
b.Scarborough and the two other coastal centres in the north
c.Devon
d.No
e.One month in advance
You may have found the second text more difficult to read than the first. There was too much writing and there were not enough clues as to where you had to stop or which were the important points in the passage.
The first text had clues as to the key points that the author wanted to get over:
bold type
headings in the middle
short paragraphs.
This made it easier to extract the information.
In this section you have:
thought about the different types of text you read
practised identifying the main points from a text.