Step 2: Selecting relevant points
- Read the relevant section of
the passage, and as you read, underline (in pencil) or highlight each
relevant point you find.
- Include only main points in your list. Leave
out the following:
- Dialogue
- Examples
- Repetitions
- Quotes
If, however, the question
specifically asks you to summarise the various examples, decide on which
examples qualify to be main points.
- Select at least 8 main points
to be included. – 8 marks are allocated to Content, so you will only be
awarded marks for the first 8 relevant points you identify. More often than
not, there will be at least 8 relevant points in the marking scheme. 7
marks are awarded for Language use. So, there is a total of 15 marks for
summary.
- List out the main points you
have selected (in point form). Re-examine each point to make sure they are
relevant to the topics in the summary question.
- Sometimes it may help to
organise the points and link them by using effective connectors in the
order that you will present them in your summary. For example, if you are
required to summarise the advantages and disadvantages of the transport
system in Singapore, it may be good to write on the advantages first, then
the disadvantages (or vice versa).
Task 2
For each of the following passages,
(1) read the question carefully and highlight
/ underline the key words or phrases;
(2) decide on the number of topics to be
summarised for each question; then
(3) create a list of relevant points for your
summary.
- Changes in the design of the family home reflect changes in the
lifestyle of modern city dwellers. In the 1950s, the typical suburban home
had a kitchen, which was separate from the dining room. Most homes today
have dispensed with this, and have a combined dining and kitchen area.
During the last decade, it has become standard for home designs to include
a family room, which is primarily for the use of children. This was not
known in the 1950s. Today, parents retire to a master bedroom which will
have an ensuite bathroom. For the previous generation, one bathroom was
sufficient for the whole family.
Q:
Summarise the features of the modern home which were not present in earlier
homes.
- Mr Tan was charming. He stood in front of us each morning and we
all listened to his lessons attentively. He was witty and humorous. His
presentation was not only instructive but also entertaining. He maintained
interest by displaying slides of the places he described. His material was
dazzling. He had collected spears and shrunken heads, all of which he
brought into the classroom. Despite his great knowledge, he impressed us
all with his modesty.
Q: Summarise the reasons why Mr Tan’s lessons
were popular.
- witty
and humorous
- presentation
is instructive and entertaining
- maintained
interest by displaying slides
- materials
are dazzling
- modest
despite being knowledgeable
- Beached whales are a regular occurrence on the Tasmanian coastline.
There are several theories about why whales become stranded on a beach,
but no one knows for certain. Some scientists believe it is a deliberate
suicide, perhaps caused by the whales’ rejection from the pod. Others
believe that an infection of the inner ear affects the sonar by which
whales navigate, causing them to lose their way. There is another view
that it is the coastal terrain which is to blame. Invariably, whales are
beached on long, sandy beaches, where the incline of the sea-bed is
gentle. It is thought that this somehow deceived them and they are
accidentally run aground. They may be chasing fish who intentionally lead
them to shallow water in order to avoid being eaten. Perhaps there is no
single reason. Each one of the above may apply, depending on the
particular circumstances of each stranding.
Q: Summarise the possible reasons why whales
beach themselves.
- The Internet is perhaps the most remarkable invention of the
twentieth century. It is an advertising medium through which commercial
enterprises promote their products. Some businesses no longer operate
through conventional retail outlet, but use the Net exclusively as the
site from which their business is conducted. The Net is also a means of
sharing knowledge, as a form of non-commercial transaction. There are many
academic sites devoted to discussion between individuals about issues of
importance. The Net has also revolutionised personal communications.
Electronic mail allows instantaneous communication between individuals and
‘chat lines’ even facilitates conversations between people who may be
thousands of miles apart.
Q: Summarise the uses of the Internet.
- \
-
r
art.
- Before 1960, schooling was perceived as a means through which a set
body of facts was transmitted to a new generation. However, in the second
half of the twentieth century, it became apparent that what counted for a
“fact” was open to dispute: many so-called “facts” were no longer facts.
In Science, new theories in Physics changed our understanding of atomic
particles, and astronomers changed our understanding of the universe. New
maps of Europe, Africa and Asia turned a generation’s geographical
knowledge into history. To accommodate this, education systems began to
emphasise processes of enquiry rather than products of enquiry. Put
simply, thinking becomes more important than memory.
Q: Summarise the points which describe, exemplify and
give reasons for the change in the
education system in the second half of the twentieth century.
- many
so-called
-
