Question

Do you know that a fast reader can get the ideas better than a slow reader can? Of course, you save time by reading fast, but it is not the main reason for fast reading. The main reason is that you understand better what you are reading when you read fast.

     As your eyes move along the line of a book, they make f'txations (注視). It is important that you see several words at a fixation. It is also important that your eyes leave a group of words quickly and move on to another group. The number of letters or words that you see at a fixation are called your eye span(視幅). With practice you can learn to read faster than you usually read.

     The way in which you read always has something to do with what you are reading and why you are reading. You should know the different ways of reading so that you can use the fight and necessary way. Here are four ways of reading, but not all; they may help you read faster.

1. Skimming(瀏覽) is an important kind of reading. It can be used when you wish to go over something that you have forgotten. You may skim to find a lost place of a sentence that you have read and can’t remember. You may skim to get an idea of a story.

     2. Fast first reading and then rereading certain parts carefully is important. You may use this kind of reading to study a science lesson or a history lesson.

     3. You need to do careful reading and rereading sometimes. This kind of reading is necessary for making a careful study of the main school subjects, working out math problems, studying rules for playing a game, or reading directions.

     4. Fast reading is used when you read stories for pleasure. You may also do fast reading when going over the lessons you have already known well.

1. Which is a better way of reading, seeing a group of words or a word at a fixation?

2. If you forget an important date in your history lesson and want to find it in the book, what way of reading should you use?

3. What's the good point of reading fast?

4. Why does the writer talk about different ways of reading?

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

Answer 1

1. Seeing a group of words at a fixation.

2. Skimming.

3. Reading fast helps us get a better idea. /Reading fast helps us understand a passage better.

4. To help us read fast, /To help us become fast readers. /Because the writer wants to help us read fast.

5. How to become fast readers./How to read fast.