Reading Comprehension: Skimming and Scanning

Skimming and scanning

Skimming is when we read for the general idea or ‘gist’
Scanning is when we read for specific pieces of information, eg. date, time, place, person
 

Why are skimming and scanning useful skills?

Skimming helps us get the general feel of a text before translating
Scanning is especially useful if we need to verify key pieces of information.

Let's have a go. Skim and scan the text to answer the following questions.

Make a note of your answers and check them at the end of the section.

1) What are Bridget’s hopes for the weekend? 
2) What actually happens? 
3) What time does Daniel leave the office? 
4) What is Perpetua discussing on the phone? 

Saturday 4th March

I am so depressed. Daniel, though perfectly chatty, friendly, even flirty all week, has given me no hint as to what is going on between us, as though it is perfectly normal to sleep with one of your colleagues and just leave it at that. Work — once merely an annoying nuisance — has become an agonizing torture. I have major trauma every time he disappears for lunch or puts his coat on to go at end of day: to where? with whom? whom? 
Perpetua seems to have managed to dump all her work on to me and spends the entire time in full telephonic auto-witter to Arabella or Piggy, discussing the half-million-pound Fulham flat she's about to buy with Hugo. 'Yars. No. Yars. No, I quite agree. But the question is: Does one want to pay another thirty grand for a fourth bedroom?' 
At 4:15 on Friday evening Sharon rang me in the office. 'Are you coming out with me and Jude tomorrow?' 
'Er . . . ' I silently panicked, thinking, surely Daniel will ask to see me this weekend before he leaves the office? 
'Call me if he doesn't ask,' said Shazzer drily after a pause.
At 5:45 saw Daniel with his coat on heading out of the door. My traumatized expression must have shamed even him because he smiled shiftily, nodded at the computer screen and shot out. Sure enough, Message Pending was flashing. I pressed RMS. It said: 
Message Jones,
Have a good weekend. Pip pip. Cleave 
Miserably, I picked up the phone and dialed Sharon.
'What time are we meeting tomorrow?' I mumbled sheepishly.
'Eight-thirty. Cafe Rouge. Don't worry, we love you. Tell him to bugger off from me. Emotional fuckwit.' 
2 a.m. Argor sworeal brilleve with Shazzan Jude. Dun stupid care about Daniel stupid prat. Feel sicky though. Oops

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