Read widely and read closely: build volume first, then work through one text in depth.
- 1Extensive Reading5:26
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Reading Habits: Intensive Reading
Methods in this video
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- 1
Intensive reading: two reads, one text
When to use it: Cloze options that all seem to mean the same thing, picking a multiple-choice option because its words appear in the text, or noting a new word with just one meaning — these are what intensive reading practises.
- Pick a slightly hard text and read it twice.
- First read: sum up each paragraph in one sentence, so you know where to look when answering.
- Second read: focus on one thing — characters' feelings, imagery and tone, collocations, the sentences before and after, or locating quickly and spotting paraphrase — and change focus each week.
- Learn new words with the words around them; a single word on its own won't tell close synonyms apart.
- Check yourself: can you point to the evidence in the text? Correct answers are usually paraphrased, so picking an option just because its words appear in the text is the easiest trap.
Practise exam-style questions with these methods
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