Texts for skimming

Text 1. Man Injured at Fast Food Place

Scan the story and say: •Where did the incident take place? • Who was involved? • What happened? • What was the outcome? • What was the reaction of those involved?

A 79-year-old man was slightly injured on Saturday while waiting in his brand new convertible in a drive-through lane at Burger Prince restaurant. Herman Sherman of Northville suffered a mild burn at about 9:00 p.m. when a young female employee accidentally spilled a cup of coffee into his lap. Sherman said the coffee was hot but not scalding.

He refused medical aid, saying the only problem was the stain on his slacks, but it would wash out. He was given a fresh refill. Before Sherman drove off, the restaurant manager, John Johnson, gave him two free gift certificates – one for an extra-large coffee and one for the restaurant's newest sandwich, the McRap.

The employee, who was a new hire, was dismissed later that evening. She was quite upset. She said she would probably sue Burger Prince for letting her go. She said it was the man's fault for ordering something that she might be able to spill.

Text 2. Food Fight Erupted in Prison

Scan the story and say: • Where did the incident take place? • Who was involved? • What happened? • What was the outcome?

Inmates released two correctional officers they had held for a week in the tower at the state prison complex. The inmates captured the officers a week ago after the two officers tried to quell a food fight in the main dining room. The food fight erupted when the prisoners discovered that their candy ration had been cut in half. The candy is a popular bartering item. Inmates trade it for cigarettes, cigars, magazines, stationery, legal dictionaries, and other items. Prison officials said it was necessary to cut back on this luxury item in order to provide basic items, like soap and razors and toilet paper.

The prisoners went berserk over the reduction. They threw food, plates, and silverware at the doors, windows, and guards. Then they grabbed two guards and hauled them up to the tower. Once they had the tower door secured, they sent messages to prison officials demanding big bags of candy in exchange for sparing the guards’ lives. The warden complied with their demands. After a week of negotiations, the prisoners approved a deal which restored their candy ration, but in return the administration said they would have to reduce daily soap allotments by 75 percent.

Text 3. Nutrition “Facts”

Scan the story and say: • What is the problem that is being discussed? • Who is being blamed and who is the victim?

Americans get confused when they try to understand the food labels (“Nutrition Facts”) on their packaged food. This is partly because the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture often seem more interested in the welfare of the food industry than in the health of consumers.

For example, even though health practitioners and the federal government itself tell consumers to watch their salt intake, processors continue to add salt to packaged food. Salt occurs naturally in many foods, so why do processors add more? Perhaps processors think that extra salty food will make the consumers thirsty enough to buy more soda and other beverages that the processors also make.

“Serving Size” is supposed to be the amount an average adult would eat at one sitting as part of a regular meal. However, a 6-ounce container may have anywhere from 1 to 3 servings, depending on the food inside the container. A 6-ounce can of Crabmeat contains one serving, while a 6-ounce can of Pink Salmon Chunks contains 3 servings.

With the federal government’s approval, processors use labeling that helps to sell the product, regardless of how confusing or deceptive the label is to the consumer. If a consumer sees “200 calories” on a can of tuna fish, he might not buy it because 200 is a lot of calories. But if the consumer sees “20 calories” (because the can of tuna fish has 10 servings!), he doesn’t worry that the can contains too many calories. All he sees is the number 20. That makes him happy, and it makes the processor happy.

Text 4. One Man’s Meat is Another Man’s Poison

Scan the story and say: • What is the problem that is being discussed? • What is the most controversial food, according to the story? • What is the writer’s opinion of it? • Did his attitude change after the incident?

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. There are countless people, who ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.

My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.

Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living-room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails, would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.

To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never been able to look at a snail since then.

Text 5. Hotel Says Goodbye to Clean Couple

Scan the story and say: • Where did the incident take place? • Who was involved? • What caused the conflict? • How was the problem solved? • Were the parties satisfied?

Theodore, the manager of the Paradise Hotel, told a middle-aged couple that they would have to leave the hotel after just one night. The couple, visiting from Texas, had booked a room for eight nights.

“They wanted a sterile environment,” Theodore said. “They should have rented a room in a hospital, maybe an operating room. This hotel is clean, but it isn’t that clean.”

Theodore said that, on the very first day, the couple brought all the sheets, pillowcases, and bedspreads down to the main lobby and just dropped them next to the front desk. They stood there next to this pile of bedding while other guests looked, pointed, and murmured. The hotel got three cancellations within the hour from people who witnessed this strange event.

When Theodore asked the couple what the problem was, they said that their bedding was filthy and they wanted it replaced. The couple could not identify any specific “filth” on the bedding. The wife just said, “We’re paying good money to stay here. How dare you doubt us? We know the filth is there. That’s all the proof you need.” Theodore called room service, and the bedding was replaced immediately.

Early the next evening, however, the couple marched to the front desk again and demanded seven cans of spray disinfectant. “We need a can for each night. We have to spray the phone, the TV, all the door handles, the toilet handle, the shower stall, the faucet, the sink, and any hotel staff entering our room.”

Worried about what their demands might be in the following days, Theodore politely suggested that a hotel more suitable for them was just around the corner. He then called ahead to reserve a “very clean” room, and gave them free transportation in the hotel limousine.

“They seemed surprised that I suggested a different hotel, but they liked the idea that I didn’t charge them for the second day, and they really liked the limousine service,” said Theodore.

Text 6. A Thoughtful Gift

Scan the story and say: • Who is involved in the story? • Why was the man embarrassed?

Catherine invited Nelson to dinner. Last semester she had been a student in Nelson’s grammar class, but she had to drop it.

Nelson was getting to be an old man. He had been teaching various subjects for almost 40 years. He could have retired 10 years ago, but he loved teaching. He said his students gave him something to look forward to every day. He planned to teach until he dropped dead in the classroom.

Nelson needed to take a little gift to Catherine to show his gratitude for the invitation. He couldn’t think of what would be appropriate. Opening his kitchen cabinet, he found the perfect gift – an unopened box of tea. In a kitchen drawer, he found some fresh-looking wrapping paper. He wrapped the box of tea up expertly. Feeling proud of himself, he drove over to Catherine’s and rang the doorbell.

He presented his gift. Catherine made a funny face. She said she loved the wrapping paper. Then she unwrapped the tea and made another funny face. “Nelson, I gave this tea to you at the end of last semester, and I wrapped it in this paper!”

Nelson gulped. His face turned red. He told himself he had to be more careful with gifts in the future. Stammering, he apologized to Catherine. She smiled and said, “It’s okay. It’s the thought that counts, yes?”

Text 7. Theft Occurs Everywhere

Scan the story and say: • What kinds of theft are mentioned in the text? • Who are the most frequent victims of thieves?

An elderly woman told the police that, as she entered a restroom, she was jostled by a woman behind her. A few minutes later, as she was about to pay for a moustache remover at a nearby store, she discovered that her wallet was missing from her purse. Apparently the woman who had bumped into her had cleverly stolen her wallet. This type of theft is called pick-pocketing.

Perhaps an even more personal kind of theft is known as housebreaking, or burglary. After such an intrusion, the victims often report a feeling of violation. They seldom regain the comfort and security level they used to have in their home. They constantly feel like they are being watched; they feel that if they go out, the burglars will again come in. They feel uncomfortable when they are home, and they feel uncomfortable when they aren’t home.

Burglars get lucky or make their own luck. Sometimes homeowners forget to lock all their windows or doors. Sometimes burglars will break a window, cut through a screen door, or force open a side door.

Thieves have no shame. They will steal from anyone that they think is vulnerable. Of course, that means the elderly are their frequent victims. Some thieves are very clever; some are very lucky. All of them make an honest person’s life more difficult.

Imagine that: a world with no larceny, a world where you can park your bicycle unsecured on the sidewalk, or leave your purse unattended in your shopping cart. Is this only a dream? Some say that if you can dream about it, it can happen.

Text 8. The Street is Burning

Scan the story and say: • What unusual incident happened in the street? • What was the cause? • How was the problem solved?

Alvin was walking down 6th Street on a hot sunny day when he saw smoke coming out of the street. He could smell the smoke, and it was getting thicker. It was coming out of a storm drain. Alvin used his cell phone to call the fire department.

“The storm drain is on fire!” he said. The fire department asked for his whereabouts and he said he was near 6th and Main. They said they’d be right there to investigate the situation. Alvin didn’t have to be anywhere, so he waited for the firemen to arrive. He was curious himself as to what could possibly be burning beneath the street. As far as he knew, there wasn’t anything beneath the street except concrete. And everyone knows that concrete doesn’t burn.

A fire truck arrived a few minutes later. “Are you the man who called?” asked the driver. Alvin said yes. By now Alvin could hear crackling sounds, like wood burning. The firemen didn’t seem to consider it an emergency.

“What do you think it could be?” Alvin asked the driver.

“Oh, we know what it is. We have to take care of a problem like this every few months. It’s the homeless people in their houses.”

Homeless people have been living under the streets for years. Using their knowledge of the storm drain system, they set up their own “bunkers” beneath the streets. These living areas frequently contain tables, mattresses, chairs, and sofas. The residents often “borrow” electricity by connecting to a live wire above ground to power their own lamps and even TVs underground. Either this borrowed electricity or a discarded cigarette causes an occasional fire.

Alvin watched as a couple of firemen lifted a manhole cover and descended beneath the street with a fire hose. A few minutes later, the black smoke turned white. Shortly afterward, the firemen reappeared with a homeless person who seemed to have just been woken up.

Text 9. Time to Shop

Scan the story and say: • What did the man buy? • Was it a successful shopping on the whole?

It was time to go to the market. He had no bananas, no apples, and no milk. He got into his car and drove to the market. It was only five minutes away. The parking lot was almost empty. Good, he thought. He wouldn't have to stand in a long line.

He parked his car and walked over to the shopping cart area. He pulled out one of the carts and pushed it ahead of him into the store. Inside, he grabbed an alcohol wipe and wiped the handle of the cart. Then he grabbed another wipe and wiped his own hands. You can never be too careful, he thought.

He turned left and walked over to the produce section. Today was his lucky day. Apples were on sale, a dollar a pound. Usually they were two dollars a pound or more. He put 10 apples into a plastic bag and weighed the bag. It was three pounds. He walked over to the bananas. They were the regular price, 79 cents a pound. He bought three pounds of bananas.

When he saw the carrots, he remembered that he needed carrots, too. He put a two-pound bag of carrots into his cart. They were only $1.29. He walked to the dairy section and saw that a gallon of milk was $4. He put a gallon into his cart and walked back to the front of the store.

He paid for his food, got his receipt, and walked out to his car. He put the food into his trunk and drove home.

Text 10. Trees Are a Threat

Scan the story and say: • Where did it take place? • In what way did the trees threaten the people? • How was the problem to be solved? • Were the locals happy about this?

The mountain town of Canton is at an elevation of 6,000 feet. It is surrounded by thick underbrush and pine trees. Because of six years of drought, these plants are a major fire hazard. Thousands of trees and tons of underbrush are going to be removed over the next five years at a minimum cost of $3 million. The brush will be removed first, then the trees will be toppled and removed. A cleared nonflammable area will then safely surround the town of 4,000.

Residents look forward to the work, because it will help their town survive a future inferno. “But there are two problems,” said one resident. “All the extra trucks are going to make traffic pretty bad. Once the area is cleared, we have to make sure dirt bikers don’t try to make the cleared area their personal playground.”

A recent fire burned 4,000 acres and destroyed 11 homes in nearby Hamilton. The fire was raging toward Canton, but a sudden rainstorm put it out. Residents know that they won’t get lucky twice, so they are looking forward to this massive clearing operation.

Ninety percent of the cutting and clearing will be paid with federal funds. Unfortunately, if the trees are on private property, they must be paid for by the residents themselves. Prices can range as high as $1,000 to cut and remove one tree. Officials say that residents can apply for state and federal loans if necessary.