ššššššššššššššššš Topic N5 ("Books and Reading")
šššš Books can fit almost every need, temper, or interest.š Books
can be read when you are in the mood; they don't have to be taken
in periodic doses. Books are more personalš andš moreš impersonal
than professors. Books have an inner confidence which individuals
seldom show; they rarely have to be on the defensive.š Booksš can
afford to be bold, and courageou,š andš explanatory;š theyš don't
have to be so careful ofš boardsš ofš trustees,š colleagues,š and
community opinion. Books areš infinitlyš diverse;š theyš runš the
gamut of human activity. Books can express every pointš ofš view;
if you want a different point of view, you can readš aš different
book. Reading is probably the most important skill you willš need
for success in yourš studies.š Youš willš haveš toš readš lengthy
assignments in different subjects with varying degrees ofš detail
and difficulty. If you you read inaccuratly,š youš willš failš to
understand some of the information and ideasš youš read.š Ifš you
read slowly, you will have to spent too muchš timeš readingš your
assignments so that your other work may suffer.
ššššš Poor reading may be a problem for you,š butš itš isš notš a
hopeless one. Like otherš skillsš yourš abiltyš toš readš English
rapidly and accuratly will depend upon a careful instructionš and
purposeful practice. You must continue to practise on your own to
improve your reading skill.
šššš Reading speed is determined in part by how manyš wordsš your
eyes can see at a single glance. Here is aš comparisonš ofš three
different readers and how many stops their eyes make.
Slow Reader:
šššš Being ? able ? to read ? by phrases ? instead of ? by single ?
šššš words ? results ? from ? practice.
Average Reader:
šššš Being able ? to read ? by phrases ? instead of ? by single
šššš words ? results ? from practice.
Fast Reader:
šššš Being able to read by phrases ? instead of by single words ?
šššš results from practice.
Notice that the slow reader's šeyesš mustš stopš fourteenš times,
focusing on each word alone before they move on to the next.š The
eyes of the average reader stop six or seven timesš becauseš they
are able to see about two words at a single glance. Theš eyesš of
the fast reader stop only three times. They focus atš theš center
of a phrase and see three or four words, then move rapidly to the
next phrase. This ability to see wordsš onš eitherš sideš ofš the
point at which your eyes focus is called peripheral vision. Asš a
foreign student of English, you may feel, that itš isš impossible
to recognize so many words at a single glance.š Itš isš difficult
for many native speakers, but it can be done - and mustš beš done
if you are to read as rapidly as youš should.š Youš canš increase
your peripheral vision by eye exercises.
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