Scanning Reading

Scanning và Skimming là hai kỹ năng bạn phải bắt buộc nắm vững khi đọc một bài đọc (reading). Việc nắm vũng hai kỹ năng này giúp bạn tìm kiếm và dung nạp những kiến thức cần thiết trong thời gian tối thiểu.

Kỹ năng scan quan trọng đến nỗi gần nhưu bất kỳ một kỳ thi tiếng Anh nào từ Đại Học đến IELTS đều có những câu hỏi đánh đố về nó cả.

Trong bài này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu về định nghĩa, cách làm, và bài tập luyện nhé.

Reading: Scanning Skill

Scanning?

Kỹ năng tìm từ khóa (Scanning) tạm hiểu đơn giản (trong bài này( là một kỹ năng giúp bạn tìm ra thông tin bạn đang cần. Cho dù bạn đang đọc sách, hay bạn đang đọc để đi thi, việc BIẾT được thông tin bạn đang tìm rất quan trọng. Vì thứ nhất, nó giúp bạn tập trung vào những thông tin quan trọng. Và thứ hai, nó rút ngắn thời gian.

Việc rút ngắn thời gian trong kỳ thi lại càng quan trọng hơn. Lý do là vì phần lớn các cuộc thi tiếng Anh đều có mức thời gian quy định.

Scan Như Thế Nào?

Level 1

Scanning ở mức độ căn bản nhất là tìm từ có trong câu hỏi. Ví dụ câu hỏi yêu cầu “What is the definition of ‘Sympathy’?” Thì khi đọc, đừng đọc hết mà chỉ tìm thông tin về chữ “Sympathy” trong bài đọc. Và “sympathy” sẽ được gọi là KEY WORD (từ khóa).

Như trong ví dụ dưới đây. Có thể các bạn thấy ngắn sẽ đọc hết. Nhưng thật ra các bạn chỉ cần đọc câu đầu tiên là có thể trả lời được câu hỏi.

Text:

Sympathy, according to Oxford Dictionary, is feelings of pity/sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. However, many words nowadays have been greatly affected by political views. In fact, it may be true that one can hardly understand some words as it used to be.

Question: Answer the following question in 3 words

What is Sympathy? “feelings of pity/sorrow”

Level 2

Tuy nhiên, trong thực tế không phải lúc nào cũng đơn giản vậy. Phần lớn thời gian chúng ta sẽ phải sử dụng Synonyms (từ đồng nghĩa) hoặc Paraphrasing (viết lại câu/từ theo cách khác). Một ví dụ là:
Câu hỏi: “What do you think about global warming?”
Thế nhưng trong bài đọc bạn lại không thể tìm thấy cụm từ “global warming.” Mà bạn chỉ thấy cụm “Climate Change.” Vậy cụm “Climate Change” chính là từ đồng nghĩa. Và chúng ta sẽ đọc ở những chỗ nào có đề cập tới Climate Change.

Text:

Climate change is a real issue. It is as true as we are here today. The remedies for the issue, on the other hand, are complicated. While some suggested that it is better to completely erase the level of C02, others argue that the solution is just an illusion.

Question: What is true about ‘global warming’?

Global Warming is an unreal issue.   (False)
Global Warming is a real issue.         (True)

Level 3

Trong khi làm bài, các bạn cũng nên lưu ý về Pronoun Reference. Kiểm tra xem pronoun (it/they) có lien quan đến từ/cụm từ mà chúng ta đang tìm kiếm không. Ví dụ:

Text:

Climate Change is a global issue. However, it is debated that political views may have influenced it significantly.

Trong ví dụ trên các bạn có thể thấy “it” trong câu thứ hai cũng đang đề cập tới “Climate Change.” Nếu chỉ dừng ở câu thứ nhất có khả năng bạn sẽ bỏ xót thông tin quan trọng.

Lưu Ý

Kỹ năng là vậy. Nhưng trong khi đọc, các bạn nên chú ý HIỂU THẬT KỸ CÂU HỎI trước đã. Hiểu câu hỏi, sau đó mới hãy tìm KEY WORDS. Thực tế thì một khi bạn đã hiểu được câu hỏi thì trong tiềm thức của bạn đã tự nhận diện được KEY WORDS rồi.

Một lưu ý thứ hai là. Nếu bạn muốn thực sự học tiếng Anh. Thầy đề nghị nên đọc một bài đọc hai lần. Lần đầu tiên đọc để trả lời câu hỏi. Và lần thứ hai đọc để HIỂU! Thường thầy hay khuyến khích học sinh đọc lần thứ hai rồi TÓM TẮT lại bài đọc đó. Việc này không chỉ giúp bạn tăng CƠ BẮP não bộ mà còn giúp bạn luyện tư duy nữa.

Dưới đây là một số bài tập về Scanning. Các bạn ứng dụng nhé. Bài tập từ dễ đến khó.

Scanning Exercise

Exercise 00

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia that was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning, the colony at Williamburg was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James. The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

The passage indicates that Jamestown:
A. was settled in 1633
B. was settled twenty-six years after Williamsburg
C. was the first permanent English colony in America
D. was originally named Middle Plantation

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Settle /ˈsetl/ (v) lập

2. Permanent /ˈpɜːmənənt/ (a) lâu dài

3. Colony /ˈkɒləni/ (n) thuộc địa

4. Peninsula /pəˈnɪnsjələ/ (n) bán đảo

5. Drainage /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/ (n) hệ thống thoát nước

Exercise 1

Ice ages, those periods when ice covered extensive areas of the Earth, are known to have occurred at least six times. Past ice age can be recognized from rock strata that show evidence of foreign materials deposited by moving walls of ice or melting glaciers. Ice ages can also be recognized from land formation that have been produced from moving walls of ice, such as U-shaped valleys, sculptured landscapes, and polished rock faces.

1. According to the passage, what happens during an ice age?
a. Rock strata are recognized by geologist
b. Evidence of foreign materials is found
c. Ice covers a large portion of the Earth’s surface
d. Ice melts six times

2. The passage covers how many different methods of recognizing past ice age?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four

3. What in the rock strata is a clue to geologists of a past ice age?
a. Ice
b. Melting glaciers
c. U-shaped valleys
d. Substances from other areas

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Cover /kəʊv/ (v) bao phủ

2. Extensive /ɪkˈstensɪv/ (a) rộng lớn

3. Recognize /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/ (v) nhận ra

4. Evidence /ˈevɪdəns/ (n) bằng chứng

5. Foreign /ˈfɒrɪn/ (a) ngoại (khác)

6. Materials /məˈtɪəriəl/ (n) vật liệu, vật chất, chất liệu

7. Deposited /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ (v) đặt, để

8. Melt /melt/ (v) nung chảy/ chảy (vì bị nung)

9. Produce /prəˈdjuːs/ (v) sản xuất/tạo ra

10. Polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ (v) đánh bóng

Exercise 2

The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin walled upper chambers that flow from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it onto the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.

1. The passage indicates that the ventricles
a. Have relatively thin walls
b. Send blood to the atria
c. Are above the atria
d. Force blood into the arteries

2. According to the passage, when is blood pushed into the arteries from the ventricles?
a. As the heart beats
b. Between heartbeats
c. Before each contraction of the heart
d. Before it is received by the atria

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. One’s own

2. Cycle /ˈsaɪkəl/ (n) vòng tuần hoàn

3. Pump /pʌmp/ (v) bơm

4. Blood /blʌd/ (n) máu

5. Receive /rɪˈsiːv/ (v) nhận

6. Separate /ˈsepərət/ (v) chia cách

7. Play an important role in (v)

8. Deplete/dɪˈpliːt/ (v) cạn kiệt

9. Enrich /ɪnˈrɪtʃ/ (v) làm giàu

Exercise 3

The Golden Age of Railroads refers to the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of World War 1 when railroads flourished and, in fact, maintained a near monopoly in mass transportation in the United States. One of the significant developments during the period was the notable increase in uniformity, particularly through the standardization of track gauge and time. At the end of the Civil War, only about half of the nation’s railroad track was laid at what is now the standard gauge of 1.4 meters; much of the rest, particularly in the southern states, had 1.5-meter gauge.

During the postwar years, tracks were converted to the 1.4 meter gauge, and by June 1,1886, the standardization of tracks was completed, resulting in increased efficiency and economy in the rail system. A further boon to railroad efficiency was the implementation of standard time in 1883. With the adoption of standard time, four time zones were established across the country, thus simplifying railroad scheduling and improving the efficiency of railroad service.

1. According to the passage, the Golden Age of Railroads:
a. Was a result of World War 1
b. Was a period when most of U.S mass transportation was controlled by the railroads
c. Resulted in a decrease in uniformity of track gauge
d. Resulted in standardization of train stations

2. The passage mentions that which of the following occurred as a result of uniformity of track gauge?
a. The Civil War
b. Improved economy in the transportation system
c. Standardization of time zones
d. Railroad schedules

3. The passage indicated that standard time was implemented
a. Before the Civil War
c. after World War 1
b. On Jun 1, 1886
d. before standardized track gauge was established throughout the U.S

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Refer /rɪˈfɜː/ (v) liên quan tới

2. Period /ˈpɪəriəd/ (n) giai đoạn

3. Flourish /ˈflʌrɪʃ / (v) phát triển tốt

4. Maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ (v) duy trì

5. Monopoly /məˈnɒpəli/ (n) độc quyền

6. Significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ (a) quan trọng

7. Notable /ˈnəʊtəbəl/ (a) nổi tiếng

8. Increase /ɪnˈkriːs/ (v) tăng lên

9. Uniformity /ˌjuːnəˈfɔːməti/ (n) đồng bộ

10. Standard /ˈstændəd/ (n) chuẩn mực

11. Convert /kənˈvɜːt/ (v) chuyển đổi thành

12. Result in (v)

13. Efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃənsi/ (n) tính hiệu quả

14. Economy /ɪˈkɒnəmi/ (n) nền kinh tế

15. Implement /ˈɪmpləment/ (v) áp dụng

16. Adopt /əˈdɒpt/ (v) chọn thứ mới thế thứ cũ

17. Simplify /ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/ (v) đơn giản hóa

18. Schedule /ˈʃedjuːl/ (n) thời gian biểu

Exercise 4

Blood plasma is a clear, almost colorless liquid. It consists of blood from which the red and white blood cells have been removed. It is often used in transfusion because a patient generally needs the plasma portion of the blood more than the other components. Plasma differs in several important ways from whole blood. First of all, plasma can be mixed for all donors and does not have to be from the right blood group, as whole blood does. In addition, plasma can be dried and stored, while whole blood cannot.

1. All of the following are true about blood plasma EXCEPT that
a. It is a deeply colored liquid
b. Blood cells have been taken out of it
c. Patients are often transfused with it
d. It is generally more important to the patient than other parts of whole blood

2. Which of the following is NOT stated about whole blood?a. It is different from plasma
b. It cannot be dried
c. It is impossible to keep it in storage for a long time
d. It is clear, colorless liquid

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Liquid /ˈlɪkwɪd/ (n) chất lỏng

2. Consist of /kənˈsɪst/ (v) bao gồm

3. Remove /rɪˈmuːv/ (v) lấy ra

4. Transfusion /trænsˈfjuːʒən/ (n) truyền máu

5. Patient /ˈpeɪʃənt/ (n) bệnh nhân

6. General /ˈdʒenərəl/ (a) chung

7. Portion /ˈpɔːʃən/ (n) phần/khảu phần

8. Component /kəmˈpəʊnənt/ (n) thành phanà

9. Differ /ˈdɪfə/ (v) from khác với

10. Several /ˈsevərəl/ (det.) một vài

11. Mix /mɪks/ (v) trộn lẫn

Exercise 5

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman was an American journalist at the turn of the century who wrote for the newspaper New York World under the pen name Bellie Bly, a name which was taken from the Stephen Foster song Nelly Bly. She achieved fame for her exposes and in particular for the bold and adventuresome way that she obtained her stories. She felt that the best way to get the real story was from the inside rather than as an outside observer who could be treated to a prettified version of reality. On one occasion she pretended to be a thief so that she would get arrested and see for herself how female prisoners were really treated. On another occasion she faked mental illness in order to be admitted to a mental hospital to get the real picture on the treatment of mental patients.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about Nellie Bly?
a. Nellie Bly’s real name was Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman
b. Nellie Bly was mentally ill
c. The name Nellie Bly came from a song
d. The name Nellie Bly was used on articles that Seaman wrote.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as something that Nellie Bly did to get a good story?
a. She acted like a thief
b. She got arrested by the police
c. She pretended to be ill
d. She worked as a doctor in a mental hospital

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Journalist /ˈdʒɜːnəl-ɪst / (n) nhà báo

2. Century /ˈsentʃəri/ (n) 100 năm

3. Achieve /əˈtʃiːv/ (v) đạt được

4. Fame /feɪm/ (n) danh tiếng

5. Expose /ɪkˈspəʊz/ (v) phơi bày

6. Bold /boʊld/ (a) gan dạ

7. Adventure /ədˈventʃə/ (n) phiêu lưu

8. Obtain /əbˈteɪn/ (v) tiếp thu

9. Rather than (adv)

10. Mental /ˈmentl/ (a) tâm thần

11. Admit /ədˈmɪt/ (v) thừa nhận

12. Treatment /ˈtriːtmənt/ (n) liệu pháp

Exercise 6

Dekanawida’s role as a supreme lawgiver in the Iroquois tribe has given him the status of demigod with the Indian nation. Born into the Huron tribe, Dekanawida cause great fear in his parents, who tried to drown him in his youth after a prophecy was made indicating that he would bring great sorrow to the Huron nation. Dekanawida was to survive this attempted drowning but later left his parents’ home and tribe to live among the Iroquois. One of his achievements with the Iroquois was the institution of a law among the Iroquois that virtually ended blood feuds among the nation’s families.

Wampum, strings of beads made of polished shells, was a valued commodity in the Iroquois culture; according to policies established by Dekanawida, wampum had to be paid to the family of a murder victim by the family of the killer. Since the killer was also put to death, the family of the killer had to pay the victim’s family in wampum for two deaths, the death of the murder victim and the death of the killer. These strict policies implemented by Dekanawida helped to establish him as a wise lawgiver and leader of the Iroquois nation.

1. According to the passage, Dekanawida was NOT
a. A law maker
b. A Huron by birth
c. A near deity
d. Drowned when he was young

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage about wampum?
a. It was used extensively by the Huron
b. It had a high value to the Iroquois
c. It was given to a murder victim’s family
d. It was made of polished shells

Now find the meaning of these words/phrases

1. Status /ˈsteɪtəs/ (n) danh

2. Nation /ˈneɪʃən/ (n) quốc gia

3. Cause /kɔːz/ (v) gây ra

4. Fear /fɪə/ (n) nỗi sợ hãi

5. Drown /draʊn/ (v) chết đuối

6. Indicate /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ (v) chỉ ra

7. Sorrow /ˈsɒrəʊ/ (n) nỗi buồn

8. In an attempt to /əˈtempt/ (n) cố gắng

9. Virtually /ˈvɜːtʃuəli/ (adv) gần như

10. Commodity /kəˈmɒdəti/ (n) hàng hóa

11. Policy /ˈpɒləsi/ (n) chính sách

12. Victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ (n) nạn nhân