Guided Summary Handy Tips

A summary is a short account of the main points. It retains the essential content of a piece of writing while leaving out minor details, explanations, illustrations, repetitions and unessential features in general.

In writing a summary keep the following instructions in mind:

1. Read the entire article before starting on a summary and underline key sentences/passages.

2. Maintain the author’s point of view. You are reporting, not doing original writing.

3. Use your own phrasing, don’t copy word for word. You will naturally have to use some of the lexics, but not the syntax.

4. Use economic wording, make your summary compact and not wordy.

5. Express your opinion of the article/problems it deals with at the end of the review.

Fill in any appropriate word(s) to complete the summary of the Reading Passage’s main ideas and key points.

The response of humans to demands placed on them is known as (1) _______. Some causes of stress include (2) ________ . Тhere is positive and negative stress. Positive stress helps us to do things such as (3) __________ . In contrast, negative stress can cause (4) ______. There are several constructive ways to handle stress, including (5) __________ . Many college students are using assertive instead of aggressive behavior to handle stress. Assertive people don’t, for example, (6) __________. They may, however, (7) _____________ or (8) ____________.

Unit 2 extinct is forever

1. Before Reading Tasks

a. From the title what do you think the article is about?

b. What major environmental problems do you know?

c. Which of these statements is closest to your own point of view? What are your reasons? Can you support your ideas with examples?

* We should work hard to save every endangered species, however unimportant it seems.

* We should let things happen naturally. Sometimes nothing can be done to save an endangered species.

* I don’t care I some species become extinct. There are plenty left, and more new ones will come along.

d. Words in Context

Choose the meaning of the underlined word or expression based on its use in the sentence.

1. Human greed accounts for most animal extinction.

a. saves money b. is responsible c. keeps a record

2. The South American giant otter is nearly extinct due to the desirability or its attractive fur.

a. because of b. in contrast to c. at the same time as

3. The fur trade virtually wiped out the giant otter.

a. cleaned up b. ended c. chased out

4. The trapping of giant otters was outlawed in 1973.

a. legalized b. begun c. made illegal

5. The otter’s survival is a question mark.

a. in doubt b. not in question c. a sophisticated idea

6. Environmentalists are often pitted against land developers.

a. less well-educated b. in conflict with c. trying for higher salaries

7. Under pressure, developers are limiting their plans for housing and roads.

a. forced to act b. in secret c. willingly

8. Because the Chinese people use a lot of bamboo, the Chinese panda’s bamboo forest home has been halved.

a. made half the size b. made twice as large c. divided in half

9. An American rancher was fined $2. 500 for killing a grizzly bear.

a. promised b. charged a penalty c. rewarded with

10. Spokespeople for the fishing industry oppose the protection of the whales and dolphins.

a. advocates b. bankers c. TV broadcasters

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