Urban Gardening

Before you begin reading the article, take no more than one minute to do these three steps. It will help your reading strategy because you will:

• identify key content - this will help you understand what to look for.
• understand the structure - this will help you understand where to look.

step one: read the questions first

Underline key words that give you clues about content. This helps you focus. Your notes will look something like this:

step two: scan the possible answers

Now look at the possible answers for more information.

Without even reading the text, two of the answers to question 1 look like major benefits while two look more like disadvantages. Make a mental note of this.

step three: predict the content!

Mentally make a sentence about the possible content of the text. Guess! This will give you a reason to read—you will want to see if your guess is correct. This simple step will make you read faster.

In your mind you can make a sentence like this:

step four: skim-read the text

Keep your prediction in mind while you skim read the text. Focus on the title and the beginning and end of each paragraph. As you read, keep an eye out for answers to the questions. If you do this exercise correctly, your reading will be more focused, faster and you will find it easier to find the correct answers, saving you valuable time. Be sure to practise this technique before the exam.

practise: the more you use this strategy, the easier it will become and in time you will do it without thinking. Use the resources here to help you.

summary

Reading the questions first is a smart strategy. By highlighting key words and understanding the context, you can read with a purpose. This will help you understand better and read more efficiently.