Food Ex 2 After example essay topic

SUMMARY WRITING Writing a summary is like losing weight! For example, if we wish to reduce our bulk, we need to do two basic things: 1 completely cut out things which are unnecessary, and 2 cut down on those things which are essential but in too large a quantity. Before we can do these two things, however, we need to get a general idea about what in involved. TOPIC 1 - TITLES When we read, we should try to find out the main thought in the writer's mind. Before considering longer passages let us look at a few lists of words. If I write Great Britain, Malawi, Egypt, China, Russia, what am I thinking about?

You might write Countries. Ex. 1 -- Look at each of the following lists of words and suggest a title for each. 1 A Blackbirds, canaries, sparrows, budgerigars, gulls. B Daffodils, daisies, roses, sweet peas, carnations. C Aeroplanes, trains, ferries, buses, liners.

D Boots, slippers, shoes, sandals, wellingtons. 2 A Cottages, bungalows, flats, villas. B Flies, bluebottles, beetles, wasps, bees. C Pianos, accordions, organs, guitars, violins. D Football, cricket, rounders, tennis, badminton. E Oak, ash, elm, chestnut, beech, willow.

3 A Tables, chairs, sideboards, wardrobes, beds. B Cups, saucers, plates, bowls, jugs. C Wood, coke, coal, gas, oil. D Novels, dictionaries, encyclopedias, manuals, atlases, biographies.

E Trousers, coats, vests, jerseys, socks. Let us consider another list. Title France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Belgium Countries The suggested title is Countries. Perhaps you could think of a more exact title.

You might suggest Foreign Countries, or even European Countries, which is even more exact. Now look at each of the following lists and suggest a more exact title for each group: Title 4 A Cows, pigs, horses, sheep, goats. Animals B Lions, tigers, elephants, kangaroos, zebras. Animals C Buses, cars, lorries, vans, coaches, bicycles. Transport D Yachts, hovercraft, liners, ferries, canoes. Transport E Apple trees, peach trees, plum trees, pear trees, cherry trees.

Trees 5 A Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, snowdrops, crocuses. Flowers B Buttercups, daisies, dandelions, bluebells, thistles. Flowers C Football, netball, rugby, basket-ball, volley-ball. Games D Mutton, pork, beef, venison, veal, ham.

Food E Cabbages, lettuces, potatoes, turnips, cauliflowers. Food 6 A Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, cherries. Food B Caps, hats, turbans, berets, hoods, sou " westers. Clothes C Cola, limeade, orangeade, lemonade, ginger beer. Liquids D Spade, hoe, rake, fork, trowel. Tools E Salmon, herring, cod, haddock, trout.

Food Ex 2 After you have read the following paragraph carefully, study the titles underneath it. 1 Over the past few years bats have been declining in numbers. The high price of bat skins encourages the hunters who are out to make money. Also, as potholing becomes more popular as a sport, bats are more likely to be disturbed during their long winter sleep in caves and tunnels. If bats are disturbed too often they will die.

It is little wonder that we hear reports that some species are already low in number. A The long sleep of the bat B Potholing as a sport C The decrease in the number of bats Which of the three titles best expresses the main thought of the paragraph? The writer mentions 'the long sleep of the bat', but that is not the main thought in his mind. He also mentions 'potholing as a sport's ince it accounts for possible disturbance. The main thought in the writer's mind is C The decrease in the number of bats The other things are mentioned to explain why this is happening. Read the following paragraph.

Below it are three titles. Select the one which best describes what the paragraph is about. 2 George always looked forward to Saturdays. How delightful to think there was no need to get up early, no last-minute rush and no school.

If the sun shone he would play football in the park; if it rained he would watch television. It was true that he enjoyed the youth club on Tuesday evenings and the inter-school games on Wednesdays, but then he also had to go to school on those days. Saturday could be a day of relaxation or excitement or both, and, best of all, a chance to stay up late at night. A George the footballer B Best day of the week C Saturday delights TOPIC 2 - KEY IDEAS Ex. 3 -- Read the following paragraphs. After each there are suggestions as to what is the main thought in the writer's mind.

Decide which is the correct one in each case. 1 Sound is made by something moving back and forth. If you stretch a rubber band and pluck it, you can watch it vibrating and listen to the sound it makes. A mosquito's wings hum and leaves rustle in the wind.

These are different kinds of sounds, but when the mosquito's wings are at rest and the wind dies away, the sounds stop. To have sound there must be movement. A sounds made by mosquito's wings B movement-making sounds C stretching elastic bands 2 James had read that other animals are frightened of the lion's roar. Perhaps that was true but he gave it little thought until the night when he watched a circus on television. As the lions left the ring, Leo roared loudly. Suddenly, Monty, James' cat, scampered out of sight beneath the settee and Tim, his spaniel who had been asleep on the mat, barked furiously and raced to the door.

The two pet animals were certainly very frightened. A the circus show on television B the lion's frightening roar C James' pets 3 For most children the month before Christmas cannot pass quickly enough. There will be holidays from school, the shops will look bright and gay and perhaps there will be snow on the ground. Which girl or boy does not dream of the presents to be opened on Christmas morning? Later there is Christmas dinner, and in the evening party games, television, or just a rest from the excitement of the day. But it all seems so slow in coming -- a whole month away.

A holidays from school B looking forward to Christmas C playing party games and receiving presents 4 Let us all help to keep our streets tidy. It is so sad to see some people dropping litter anywhere they please. Not only that, but they are often the ones who complain that street cleaners do not keep our streets clean. If only everyone would put their litter into the bins provided or, better still, take it home, our streets would look attractive, the police could spend more time catching criminals instead of litter louts and the street cleaners would have less unnecessary work to do. But everyone must help, and that includes you. A the work of public servants like the police and street cleaners B the prevention of litter C public responsibility 5 Teacher Now we shall read.

Start where we left off yesterday. Pupil Thee leetle sheep Teacher Not 'thee', say 'the'. Pupil The leetle sheep - Teacher No! The little ship!

Pupil The little sheep - Teacher Not sheep, you ass, but ship. Pupil The leetle ship. Teacher Are you deaf? I've already said 'little ship', not 'leetle ship'. Start all over again.

Pupil Thee little ship - The teacher is teaching A how to spell B how to pronounce C how to understand meaning 6 Prosecutor I suggest, Mr Jones, that you did see Tom Davies at the road junction. Mr Jones I was not looking in the direction of the road junction. I don't know if he, Tom Davies, was there. Prosecutor In which direction were you looking?

Mr Jones I can't remember. Prosecutor So how do you remember you were not looking towards the Junction when Tom Davies passed? Mr Jones Because if Tom Davies was at the junction, as you say, I would have seen him. Prosecutor How do you know you would have seen him? Mr Jones Because you say he was there, and I know him, and if I had looked towards the junction, I would have seen him. Prosecutor You are lying.

You did see Tom Davies at the road junction. The main question was whether A Tom Davies was at the junction B Mr Jones was looking towards the junction C Mr Jones saw Tom Davies at the junction TOPIC 3 -- TOPIC SENTENCE Ex. 4 -- Pick out the sentence which describes the general theme: 1 There are many different kinds of computer games on the market today. Some involve attacking invaders from space, others require the player to use his skill at catching things such as toys or eggs and yet others involve racing against the clock.

These games vary in price and can be purchased for between $30 and $50.2 I was in the canteen recently talking to my friend, Angela. I told her about a certain teacher I did not like. I said the teacher looked like a horse and spoke like a hippo. Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. It was the teacher. People have a habit of being in places at the wrong time while others have a habit of speaking at the wrong time.

3 On an autumn day in 1854, Miss Nightingale and her team arrived at the Barrack Hospital at Scutari on the shore of the Bosporus. The conditions at the hospital were utterly deplorable. Some patients had beds near windows from which they could see into the central courtyard of the hospital, and out from the window of the operating-room came flying amputated arms and legs, making an ever-increasing pile on the pavement. From their beds wounded men watched. Miss Nightingale immediately gave orders for the rotting mass of human flesh to be carted away. Already, her organising power was beginning to be felt.

4 Suddenly, as the track wound through a particularly dense stretch of jungle, I saw lying in front of me a really treacherous-looking patch of mud, between five and ten metres in length. Only one of those old Argentine farm carts with wheels four metres high, I thought, would stand much chance of getting through it. Then I noticed an old tree trunk lying in this mud along the full length of it. If the ground underneath the trunk was still firm, I could hack away the undergrowth at the side of the track with my bush-knife and drive over this hazardous stretch with two wheels on the log and two on the verge that I had cleared.

('O' level 86) 5 More remarkable even than the size of America's immigrant population was its diversity. Indeed, except for France and Spain, there was not a country in Europe which did not contribute substantially towards the peopling of America. There were also sizeable numbers from Asia and China, and from Canada and S. America too. Thus, the U.S.A. represents an extraordinary variety of nationalities, races, cultures and religions. (GP 92) Ex 5 -- TOPIC SENTENCE AND KEY IDEAS Read the following passage: Domestic animals which go astray and have to fend for themselves often become so wild that they will attack human beings.

The following story is about a British teacher in Singapore who was terrorized in his own home by a cat which had been domesticated but which was now completely savage. One evening quite recently, Mr Tony Wharton and his family went to bed as usual, leaving open one of the bedroom windows for their own cat, Tiddles, to enter or leave the house. At about two o'clock in the morning, Mr Wharton was awakened by a frightful wailing sound coming from inside the bedroom. Thinking that the sound was being made by Tiddles, Mr Wharton got out of bed to see what was the matter. Suddenly, there was a loud hissing sound and a ball of fur equipped with razor-sharp teeth and claws hurled itself at Mr Wharton and before he could do anything, his arm and hand were ripped and torn and dripping blood. Another story tells of the encounter between a jogger and a savage dog.

Mr Richard Lin was running along Portsdown Road last November as he did every evening when from nowhere appeared a large black dog which barked angrily and bared its teeth. Mr Lin tried to run away as fast as he could but the dog quickly caught up with him and sank its teeth into his ankle. The dog was later caught and shot and Mr Lin had to have injections against rabies. The first thing we must do is to try and understand what the passage as a whole is about. If you were to answer in a sentence, which one below would you pick out to sum up the passage? A Mr Wharton and the savage cat B domestic cats and dogs which go wild and attack men C domestic animals which go wild and attack people, or D domestic animals with sharp teeth and claws IDENTIFY KEY IDEAS Which of these statements sums up paragraph 2?

A Foolishly, Mr Wharton left his bedroom window open. B A certain British teacher in Singapore was attacked by a wild cat quite recently. C Wild cats can cause serious injuries to human beings. D Wild cats hiss and have sharp teeth and claws. Which of these statements sums up paragraph 3? A A jogger was attacked by a savage dog last November.

B Savage dogs bark angrily and bare their teeth. C Mr Lin should not have run away from the savage dog. D People usually have to have injections against rabies if they have been bitten by savage dogs. Now, if we add the topic sentence and the key ideas, we get: Domestic animals which go astray and have to fend for themselves often become so wild that they will often attack human beings.

For example, a certain British teacher in Singapore was attacked by a wild cat recently. Moreover, a jogger was attacked by a savage dog last November. Ex. 6 - Revision. Read this passage. Pick out the general theme sentence and then select the key ideas from the statements given.

Write out a paragraph combining the controlling theme with the key ideas. Use linking words where necessary. The number of crimes committed by children has been increasing all over the world. Many reasons have been given for this.

Firstly, it has been noted that in the twentieth century, family breakdown is common and divorce rates have been rising. In times of conflict between parents, children are often neglected so they seek attention in different ways. The influence of their friends is often very strong so that children will often do anything to gain approval and acceptance to make up for the loss felt at home. Committing crime is one way of getting attention.

Key idea 1: choose one of the statements - A Lack of attention at home makes children seek the company of friends. B The influence of friends causes children to turn to crime. C Rising divorce rates may mean more neglected children and therefore more crime. D Children from broken homes always turn to crime.

Secondly, as societies change rapidly with educational, economic and technological development, some people reach the top whereas others are left behind. The ones who lose out in the race for success and wealth may turn to crime in order to keep up with their more lucky counterparts. On the other hand, others less fortunate may turn to crime in opposition to those who have 'had it lucky'. Key idea 2: choose one of the statements - A The more society develops, the more crime we have.

B As society develops, there may be an increase in crimes committed by children who lose in the race to be successful. C As society develops, two types of people emerge: the less fortunate and those who have 'had it lucky'. D Success and wealth may make people turn to crime. Summary: Ex 7 -- REVISION Can you find the main ideas in a longer passage?

Read the following three paragraphs and from the list below each one select what you think is the main idea in that paragraph. 1 There was excitement in the air as the people of Paris crowded the banks of the Seine in their thousands to see if Fulton's ship could really sail against the current of the river. Some thought it possible, but many more doubted it. Fulton himself was very worried about the possibility of failure. He watched anxiously as smoke poured from the funnel. The paddle had almost completed its first turn and the ship lay still.

Would it be able to move the ship forward? As the paddle gathered speed the ship slowly but surely began to move up river. Fulton sighed with relief. He turned and smiled to the cheering crowds for he knew, and they knew, that he had proved his critics wrong. This paragraph is about A the size of the crowds on the river bank B the success of Fulton's ship in France C what Fulton's critics said Although Fulton was very distressed to find that so few people in England were interested in what he thought was a very exciting invention, he set sail for America determined to build a new steamship there.

He made plans, bought the necessary materials and employed American workers. There were many difficulties and much hard work and delay but he pressed on with great enthusiasm, and by the summer of 1807 was proud to have succeeded in his work in America. The steamship Clermont was ready for sea trials. This paragraph is about A Fulton's disappointment in England B building the new ship Clermont in America C the slow progress of Fulton's work 2 Now try the following: 1 If you had enough money would you go on a cruise in the Caribbean? Perhaps one day you will be one of the lucky ones. 2 As you sail among the islands your guide may suggest the boat should anchor near the shore.

When he tells you to look down into the clear water at the coral below, you may gaze in wonder at a magnificently coloured fish. You will be looking at no ordinary fish but at the tropical flying fish. Suddenly it may burst through the surface and skim over the sea displaying its colourful wings. 4 Perhaps it is full of glee or it may, just in time, have seen the open fierce jaws of the barracuda. When full grown the barracuda is nearly two metres long. It lurks quietly around on the sea bed, and looks harmless until it shows its vicious teeth, a sight which frightens the flying fish and causes it to flee.

5 Perhaps a few fishermen are standing, armed with spears in a small boat nearby. Their patience seems endless but they are looking intently not at the flying fish but for a glimpse of the barracuda. It is popular with the islanders, indeed it is one of their favourite dishes. If it stays still on the sea bed, spears will dart through the water. When one has been caught the fishermen move on a short distance to look for another. Which of the following is the main idea in the writer's mind?

Par 2 the beautiful flying fish the boat at anchor the clear tropical sea Par 3 the sea bed the barracuda the teeth Par 4 the fishermen are armed the fishermen are eager to catch the barracuda the fishermen are patient Ex. 8 - REVISION Read all five paragraphs before you choose a title from the list given for any of them. 1. You will be able to recognise many different kinds of insects. Some of them you may like, but others may frighten you because they are liable to bite. Sometimes this can be serious because a biting insect may carry disease.

If it happens to bite and suck the blood of a person suffering from some disease and then later on bites a healthy person, it injects some of the disease germs into his blood and so infects him with the disease. In this way diseases spread rapidly in some parts of the world. 2. The mosquito is a biting insect. With its sharp beak, rather like a tiny hollow needle, it pierces your skin.

It does not mean to harm you but to feed on your blood. In order to suck blood up through its minute tube, it injects some of its saliva to keep your blood from clotting in the tube. It is this saliva which causes the itch in your skin, but much more serious is the fact that it may contain disease germs with which you may be infected. 3. Not all irritating insects actually bite us. Some of them sting.

The bee and the wasp carry a sting at the tip of the tail. This has nothing to do with feeding but is used in attack, usually on a person who has been annoying them. Their sting is also like a hollow tube but it does not suck up blood. It pierces the skin and injects a poison which causes pain and discomfort. We would be well advised not to annoy bees and wasps. 4.

There is one marked difference between wasps and bees. The sting of the wasp is sharp and smooth and, therefore, it can sting many times without harm to itself. But the sting of the bee is barbed and extremely difficult to pull out of the skin. Very often it is left behind. When the sting has been torn out, the bee suffers such severe injury that it dies. Normally, therefore, a bee can sting only once.

5. Insects are a very serious problem in tropical regions of the world. Large sums of money are spent there to destroy insects before they spread disease. We are fortunate in this country because few insects carry disease, even though they may often cause us a great deal of discomfort. Here are five titles, one for each paragraph. See if you can choose the correct title for each paragraph. (a) Bees and wasps sting when annoyed. (b) Tropical insects are more of a problem than British insects. (c) Bees sting once, wasps many times. (d) Mosquitoes may spread diseases as they bite. (e) Biting insects often carry disease.

Ex. 9 - REVISION Can you suggest suitable titles for the following passages? 1 Things went pretty well for the rest of that day. It continued to rain and Sue decided on a kitchen party. The games were mostly guessing rice and barley and sago while blindfolded by the feel of them, and drinking eggcups full of water with salt or sugar or vinegar in them, and saying what each was. There was also tossing in a blanket but this did not amount to much as Sue and Bob could not manage a real toss and merely jiggled the occupants about or tipped them out on the floor.

And there was making the round of the kitchen without touching the floor. Chairs, the table, the window ledge, an open cupboard (if you could get round the door), the fender and such things provided footholds. Sometimes the stretch from one spot to another was enormous and though Bob might manage it, the twins had to risk a spring. The whole party was a great success and the younger children quite forgot that Mother and Daddy had gone away. (The Children who lived in a Barn - Eleanor Graham) 2 October, 1st. Dear Daddy-Long-Legs, I love College and I love you for sending me - I'm very, very happy, and so excited every moment of the time that I can scarcely sleep.

You can't imagine how different it is from the John Grier Home. I never dreamed there was such a place in the world. I'm feeling sorry for everybody who isn't a girl and who can't come here. I am sure the College you attended when you were a boy couldn't have been so nice. (Daddy-Long-Legs - Jean Webster) The main thought in the writer's mind is?

Ex. 10 - REVISION Suggest a title for each paragraph: 1. In the spring of 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie faced many great difficulties. The morale of his army was low after the wearisome retreat from Derby and the frequent disagreements amongst the clansmen. The long cold winter made many long to go home and forget about war. Worst of all, the soldiers were short of food and the Prince had no money with which to pay them or buy supplies.

2. He looked to France for assistance. King Louis expressed sympathy and friendship but these were of no immediate help. He did not send troops who could have aided the cause and been a match for Bonnie Prince Charlie's enemies. But help was sent in the form of a large sum of money, perhaps lb 20 000, and for this Charles was very grateful.

3. The journey of the sloop, Le Prince Charles, which carried the gold, was no pleasure trip. Captain Talbot and his crew were in a state of fear and alarm all the way from France lest an English ship should appear. A sloop would be no match for a man-of-war.

All went well until they approached the Moray Firth. Captain Talbot beat a hasty retreat when he spotted British warships on guard. But it was too late. The Sheerness gave chase northwards, through the Pentland Firth. 4. Realising he could not outrun the Sheerness, Captain Talbot tried a more cunning plan.

With the approach of evening he steered into the Kyle of Tongue hoping that the warship would not follow. The Sheerness kept coming so Le Prince Charles was deliberately run ashore to ensure that the warship could not come alongside to take the gold since it could sail only in deeper waters. 5. As darkness fell the crew decided they must speedily abandon ship and get ashore. Le Prince Charles might well have been damaged as she grounded. This would have been nothing compared to the destruction that the guns of the Sheerness began to inflict on her from long range.

The sounds of gun-fire might well attract Charlie's enemies from the surrounding areas. Not only had each man to get ashore but he had to take a quantity of gold with him. 6. Their luck on landing was remarkable. They approached the house of William Mackay of Mel ness to discover he was strong supporter of their side and he welcomed them. In his house, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the refreshing food he provided, they rested thankful for their escape from the death that had seemed so near.

In the early hours of the morning William Mackay sold them two horses to carry their money and sent his son to guide them to their Prince near Inverness. 7. But their high spirits did not last long. An enemy supporter, Lord Read, who lived on the other side of the Kyle, sent armed men to delay their progress. While his snipers held up the Jacobites, word was sent for other government supporters to come and capture the men and the gold. Very soon all avenues of escape were blocked.

In despair Captain Talbot and his men broke open the boxes and threw the gold pieces into Loch Hak on or in the heather and then surrendered. 8. What of the gold? Is it still lying there in the silt at the bottom of the loch? TOPIC 4 - OMISSIONS A REPETITION Read the sentence below: Regular exercise does you good and makes you feel better. Why not go jogging or running at the beginning of the day in the early morning?

Look at the amount of repetition: Does you good makes you feel better Jogging running At the beginning of the day in the early morning A summary of the sentence with the repetitions omitted would look like this: Regular exercise does you good. Why not go jogging in the early morning? Ex. 11 -- Read the passage and pick out any expressions which you feel mean almost or exactly the same as other expressions. Keeping one self slim and trim is a problem in Singapore, a country which offers such tasty and delicious food.

A compromise must be made between intake (what you take in) and output (what you put out). You can, if it is possible, reduce and cut down on a little of one's intake (food and drink) regularly every day. However, to go without food and starve oneself in order to look slim and not fat is both unwise and foolish. The best possible way perhaps is to eat how you would usually eat normally but then to work harder to use up the extra calories which are left over. It is certainly not necessary or obligatory to stop eating and not take food at all. Neither does one have to gorge or stuff oneself.

As has been said before, a compromise must be made between intake and output. You will have to be strict with yourself and enforce self-discipline or alternatively you may, in twelve or a dozen years from the present day, be twice your present weight now. B EXAMPLES In reading a passage, examples may be included to support statements. As a general rule, these examples can be omitted when you write a summary. Look at the following passage and note the use of examples: Supermarkets have the advantage of being able to stock large quantities of a wide variety of imported items such as tinned fish, meat and vegetables. Similarly food which needs to be kept frozen or cool, including fresh meat, fish, vegetables, pastries, cakes, butter and fresh milk can be kept in large refrigerators.

However, if you wish to buy fresh vegetables, for example kai lan, c hye sim, spinach and kang kong, the local market is probably far better. You can easily recognise when examples are being given because they are often introduced by words such as (and these are examples! ): such as, for example, including, like, for instance, etc. Omit these examples when writing a summary. This only applies, however, if the examples given form a list. Sometimes example words may introduce long anecdotes. Example: Mr Lin is a very strange man.

One day, for example... In this case, the rest of the story may be very important to the understanding of the passage as a whole so do not omit this paragraph. In other words, omit examples in a list but not whole stories given as illustrations. Ex.

12 -- The sentences in the paragraphs below have been written in the wrong order. Rewrite the passage in the correct order and omit all unnecessary examples. 1 After all, most human beings would much prefer to engage in leisure activities such as swimming, watching television or going to the cinema. Most students have mixed feelings about going to school. However, too much leisure becomes boring. Other subjects such as geography and science can be made interesting because they often relate to concrete things in the environment. P.E. can be enjoyable since it includes many leisure activities, for example, football, running and badminton.

At school, many teachers try to incorporate enjoyment into work. In some subjects, for instance maths and history, this is often difficult because the concepts and facts may seem remote. On the other hand, if the pupils are expected only to sit passively (doing listening and reading, for example), then boredom may set in. The English lesson can either be interesting or not interesting.

If the lesson contains a variety of activities like language games and problem-solving exercises, it can be very enjoyable. Omit all unnecessary examples from the following sentences: 2 Powell commissioned four boats from the Bagley Boat Yard in Chicago and designed them himself, adding watertight compartments to hold barometers, chronometers, thermometers, sextants, compasses and food. (FMSS 97 MYE S 4) 3 Old Reza khan remembered clearly his own journey to Hormuz over the Sarvizan Pass with a large train of 200 mules, camels and horses, la dened with grapes, pistachios, almonds, carpets and cotton goods. (FMSS 96 MYE S 4) 4 Man is a highly unique creature, migrating and travelling to every part of the world. In this we are not unique. Migratory birds regularly navigate over amazing distances; whales and sharks roam the oceans; salmon, eels and other fish cross the seas in their breeding cycles; wildebeest, caribou and other animals make group migrations, as do locusts and other plague insects.

(FMSS 96 Prelim) 5 How did he deal with a farmer's blaming a withered potato crop or sick cattle on a neighbour's evil eye, I asked Father Joseph Kearney at dinner one evening. Or such practices, recorded in the west of Ireland, as making a curse while turning a cursing stone against the sun. (FMSS 97 Prelim) 6 The hunter's rewards are only personal trophies to remind him of the successful hunt, and are decaying ones at that, which will soon lose their initial freshness: whiskers fall out, the coat's shine disappears and the antlers soon resemble burnt twigs. ('O' Level 88) C INTENSIFIERS Intensifiers are used to modify describing words or adjectives and emphasise what is being described.

Some examples of intensifiers are: absolutely, totally, completely, exceedingly, very, and so on. These can be omitted in a summary because they do not add very much to the information already presented. Ex. 13 -- Identify the intensifiers in the following extracts and cross them out: 1 The Ramsay's were perfectly respectable people and there was every reason to suppose that Tom Ramsay would have a useful and honourable career.

(FMSS 93 FE) 2 The writer told of the French: 'Their medical arrangements are extremely good; they have the help of the Sisters of Charity who have accompanied the expedition; these are excellent nurses. ' (FMSS 92 MYE) 3 They were past mid-stream when the swollen carcass of a kangaroo was swept towards them. He tried to avoid it but it crashed against the mare's shoulder. She swung away in panic; he shouted angrily and she suddenly turned completely over. Man and horse were under water fighting for life.

('O' Level Jun 89) D UNNECESSARY DETAILS When writing a summary, it is important to include the main points made in a passage but not the original details. Look at this paragraph and note the information which we can omit in a summary. One of the most pleasant spots in Singapore is the Portsdown Road swimming-pool which is about eight kilometres from the city far from Queenstown. The pool is situated in beautiful grounds, containing bougainvillea, frangipani and fan palms.

There is also a restaurant nearby serving both Western and Chinese food. Set lunches are also served there. In a summary, we would simply rewrite this as: One of the most pleasant spots in Singapore is the Portsdown Road swimming-pool. The pool is situated in beautiful grounds (and) there is also a restaurant nearby. Ex. 14 -- Now rewrite the passages below giving the essential facts but omitting unnecessary details.

1 The appearance of the plain was different in what was called a 'thistle year'. The giant thistles, which usually grew in isolated patches, suddenly sprang up everywhere, and for a season covered most of the land. In these luxuriant years the plants grew as thickly as rushes, and were taller than usual, attaining a height of about three metres. The wonder was to see plants which throw out such vast leaves producing stems so close together as to be virtually touching. Standing among the thistles in the growing season one could almost hear them growing, as the huge leaves freed themselves with a jerk from a cramped position, producing a crackling sound. (Dec 94) Ans: 2 Not long afterwards, the chief engineer, in fact the only engineer, abandoned his post and came to the bridge to dry out.

As he passed through the gate, there was a rush of passengers behind him, led by a voluble character who insisted on addressing the other passengers in French, the second language of the country. It took minutes of detailed and elegant argument, he speaking in French, the officers in English, before he agreed to withdraw. While this was taking place, the gate remained ajar, so firmly wedged in the helmsman's back that he could hardly manage the wheel. (Dec 93) Ans: 3 Soon the driver abandoned the elephant for a gossip and a smoke, leaving the animal to go on its way for a mile or more. The elephant turned into the jungle, where he began to rend and tear the trees, and going to a mud-hole he drew what water there was out of it, and squirted it with a loud noise over himself and his riders, soaking my clothes with it. When he turned back to the road again, he several times stopped and seemed to stand on his head by stiffening his trunk and leaning upon it, and when I hit him with my umbrella he uttered the loudest roar I ever heard.

My Malay fellow-rider jumped off and ran back for the driver, at which the baskets both came down on my side of the elephant. I hung on with difficulty, wondering what other possible problems could occur, always expecting that the beast, which was flourishing his trunk, would lift me off with it and deposit me in a mud-hole. (Jun 93) Ans: 4 Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place in the entire world. No other is further away in any direction from the next nearest habitation.

Pitcairn Island lies some 2200 kilometres to its west, and the South American coast some 3700 kilometres to its east. All the rest is water. Not surprisingly, the island is difficult to get to. Indeed, until an airport was made in the 1960's, it was all but impossible, because the only connection with the rest of the world was a ship which visited the island once a year. There is now something called an hotel on the island. Otherwise, many of the islanders, who number about 2000, are keen to put up visitors: there is always a crowd at the airport to meet incoming planes and offer rooms and meals.

(Dec 92) Ans: 5 The bicycle, meaning literally 'two wheels', is rapidly being used in the West, and especially in Britain and the United States, as an alternative to the petrol-driven motor-car. Because of the increase in the price of oil, which has probably doubled in the last eight years, many people both young and old have turned to the older but cheaper mode of transport, the bicycle. There have been as a result many interesting side-effects from this switch to the bicycle: a cyclists have saved money, especially from no longer having to pay for car services, repairs, fuel costs and motor tax plus insurance; b they have become fitter through increased vascular-cardiac exercise; c air pollution in the city, which is usually attributed to fumes from car exhausts, has been reduced. In Britain, in spite of the weather which is frequently cold, windy and rainy (not the most suitable conditions! ), more and more cyclists are to be found since travelling by bus and train is very expensive. A bus journey equivalent to the distance from Toa Pay oh to the city can cost the equivalent of between Singapore $7 and $8. Ans: E COMPARISONS Ex.

15 -- Identify the comparisons in the following passages and rewrite the passages without them. 1 The two Englishmen on camels met each other in the desert between Jerusalem and Cairo. Because they had not been introduced, they passed each other quite distantly as if they had passed in Pall Mall. (FMSS 99 MYE) 2 One went up a narrow lane of cactus, then along a rutted, dusty bullock-cart track, with bamboos as tall as flagstaff growing densely on either side. (FMSS 86 Prelim) 3 A bamboo the thickness of a man's wrist had fallen and hung across the path.

(FMSS 86 Prelim) 4 Where was the carousing? In County Clare, I heard that some wakes went on for a week. Here was no drinking, no singing, no game of love to symbolism procreation to offset death. (FMSS 97 Prelim) 5 The others stood looking on with serious bored faces, like men in church.

(FMSS 97 Prelim) F IDIOMS Idioms are figures of speech. Some examples of idioms are similes and metaphors. Similes are used when the writer wants to compare things that possess some similar quality. You can identify similes because they usually come in the form of 'as... as' or 'like...

'. While in similes, the writer says that something is like something else, in metaphors, he says that something is something else. Look at the examples given below. You should omit similes and metaphors in your summary and get to the main point of the description. Heart in mouth, I approached the tent. (idiom) Terrified, I approached the tent.

The evidence was as clear as crystal. (simile) The evidence was clear. He died in the flower of youth. (metaphor) He died young. Ex. 16 -- Identify the idiomatic expressions in the following passages and omit them if they are unnecessary or change them into simple language.

1 When the public houses opened at noon the stories of Kenneth Horsfall's death spread like wildfire and as they closed at the end of the lunch period violence was close. (FMSS 87 Prelim) 2 My father, who has taken to buses like a fish to water, was once a motorcycle man. (FMSS 92 MYE) 3 I am not a doctor, far less a good one, and all I could tell about the man behind the desk was that he had been dead long enough for rigor mortis to set in but not long enough for it to wear off. He was stiff as a man frozen to death in a Siberian winter. TOPIC 5 - REDUCTION A PARAPHRASING In this unit we are going to deal with how to reduce in length what needs to be retained. Imagine that we have already made all the necessary omissions and our summary looks like this.

Note what we can reduce in the passage. Mr Li was a man of advancing years but he still considered himself to be very active. As a rule, he took considerable pains to avoid going to lifts and instead walked all the way up the steps to his flat which was situated on the fifth floor. One day, however, he decided to take advantage of the lift. Once he had made his way inside the lift, a man at least forty years his junior dashed towards him clutching in his hands a knife which looked very dangerous indeed. Now let's see how we can reduce the passage in length.

Mr Li was a man of advancing years but still considered himself to be very active 'a Mr Li was an old but very active man As a rule, he took considerable pains to avoid going in lifts 'a He usually tried hard to avoid going in lifts and instead walked all the way up to his flat which was situated on the fifth floor 'a and instead walked up the steps to his fifth-floor flat One day, however, he decided to take advantage of the lift 'a One day, however, he decided to use the lift Once he had made his way into the lift, a man at least forty years his junior dashed towards him 'a Once inside, a young man dashed towards him Clutching in his hands a knife which looked very dangerous indeed 'a clutching a dangerous-looking knife (clutching a knife / knife-wielding man) We have managed to reduce the original summary from about 90 words to a much shorter summary containing only 52 words. Ex. 17 -- Rewrite the sentences below as economically as possible: a Henry is one of those people who not only find it difficult to resist yawning after only a few minutes concentration but also whose attention is easily diverted by the slightest distraction. b Do you think I could offer you a cup of some thirst-quenching beverage such as tea, coffee or milk? c This is to inform you that with regard to your offer of employment made to me in the letter which I received today my answer is in the affirmative. d One of the favourite occupations in which many young Malay youths like to indulge in their spare time is the spinning of wooden tops. e At Sound Incorporated's main branch in Orchard Towers, there is going to be for the next seven days a selling off of cassette decks, turntables, amplifiers and loudspeakers at discount prices. f It would be much more to the advantage of the Chinese population living in Singapore if they ceased their habit of conversing with each other in dialect and instead switched to communicating with each other in Mandarin. g Visitors to my house are kindly requested to refrain from lighting up in my presence all forms of tobacco such as cigarettes and cigars. h Life would be much more pleasant if people such as yourselves realised the benefit of treating one another with the greatest politeness and civility. i The speaker expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the principal for extending an invitation for him to visit the school and deliver an address on the subject of 'Brevity'. j 'Interlink' is not only a series of books which generates a lot of interest to students in Singapore secondary schools but it also contains some very amusing tidbits. 3 See if you can reduce the length of the passage below to approximately half its present length. There once lived a lady who was called Celia and who was known throughout the land for her considerable beauty. Unfortunately, she was also of a mean and selfish disposition since her parents had always allowed her to have her own way when she was a little girl.

Many young men with faithfulness in their hearts and honour in their swords had visited her to seek her fair hand in marriage. However, on each and every occasion she had set them a task to perform which was impossibly difficult to do, saying that she would not give her consent to their offer of marriage until the task had been performed successfully. One night, however, a man whose appearance was extremely ugly made his way into the room where Celia slept. While she slumbered in a sleep as deep as any pond, this man, whose face resembled that of a toad, stood over the place where she lay and whispered words of great magical significance before taking his leave with great stealth.

As the light of dawn crept into the bedroom, Celia awoke. She got out of bed and looked at the mirror. Seeing her own face, she let out a scream which rang throughout the whole house. Her face was not as it had been before but was now of an extremely ugly appearance resembling that of a toad.

Ans: B COMPOUND ADJECTIVES Compound adjectives, or double-barrelled adjectives abound in English. They are adjectival expressions made up of two (or sometimes more) words, usually linked by hyphens. Some examples are 'a self-centred person', 'a bullet-proof vest' and 'a dark-haired boy'. Compound adjectives make for more concise writing and knowing how to form them can be useful when you write summaries. A hyphenated word is considered one word, so you condense your writing when you use compound adjectives.

However, you should always remember to check if it is necessary to include these adjectives in your summary. It might be useful to bear in mind the following when forming compound adjectives: a the 'ly' form is usually avoided: new-found, clean-shaven, close-fitting, etc. instead of newly-found, cleanly-shaven and closely-fitting. b even after a 'plural' number, the second element remains in the singular form: a three-storey house, a ten-dollar bill, an eleven-man team, etc. c a noun describing a colour is placed in front of the colour itself: lime-green plant, pearl-grey dress, sky-blue ceiling, etc. d parts of the body and some other nouns add an 'ed' to form the second part of double-barrelled combinations: a brown-eyed girl, a thick-skinned man, a loud-mouthed fool, etc. Ex. 18 -- Read the following passages and form compound adjectives where possible. 1 We met no woman with red hair on the way, no person with eyes that are crossed, saw no black snail first thing that morning. (FMSS 97 Prelim) 2 I watched my two boatmen fix holes in the curragh's canvas bottom, which was covered with black tar, melting the tar with an open flame and pressing over the mossy rocks, and upending it sunwise in the surf.

(FMSS 97 Prelim) C PHRASES AND CLAUSES Phrases and clauses can be condensed to help save words in a summary. Change phrases into single words wherever possible: He approached the problem in a careful manner. (phrase) He approached the problem carefully. Change clauses into phrases wherever possible: When the visitors arrived, they were warmly welcomed. (clause) On arrival, the visitors were warmly welcomed. (phrase) Ex. 19 -- Condense the phrases and clauses in the following sentences wherever possible. Omit unnecessary details as well. 1 As soon as it caught sight of the tethered goat, the tiger lay flat on the earth.

(FMSS 2000 S 3 MYE) 2 He understood then, why they were careless of the noise they made. He was in the one spot they would not expect him to be - within a stone's throw of their own camp. (FMSS) 3 He had to be on the look-out for farms which lay on his route and blow a horn to warn the farmer of his approach, so that the farmer would have ample time to prepare. Imagine the confusion if the farmer's own cattle were to get mixed up with the travelling herd! Many hours would be spent in sorting them out and quarrels would break out over disputed ownership. (Nov 89) D USING SYNONYMS & PARAPHRASING Good writers do not repeat vocabulary, hence, in their writing, they often use synonyms so as not to sound repetitive.

In writing your summary, you should try to use synonyms for the words in the passage. This is necessary if you want to score marks for the language component of the summary. You should try to paraphrase the information or rephrase them in your own words. Read the example below to see how synonyms can be used and how to paraphrase. experts exact was undiscovered Even among scholars, the precise location of Pompeii remained unknown, Mainly covered primarily because a thick flow of molten rock had poured over the area from eruptions subsequent eruptions in later years. Ex.

20 -- Now, try to replace words and phrases from the original text with your own. 1 The layers of volcanic ash had entirely altered the shape of the coast. 2 Also, when the digging to uncover the ruins began in the eighteenth century, the debris from these excavations had been left in scattered heaps around the site, further obscuring it. 3 The early excavators had acted purely for the sake of plunder; they made no genuine effort to investigate the past. ('O' Level 96) 4 Before the advent of the cinema and television, city-dwellers rarely encountered wild animals in any form except in zoos.

5 Tourist pollution is considered the main cause in the dramatic decline of the numbers of certain predatory animals like the cheetah and leopard. ('O' Level 97) F INDIRECT SPEECH In writing a summary, you are actually giving an account of the information presented in the passage. In a sense, you are retelling what you understand of the passage. All information in quotations or direct speech, therefore, has to be converted into indirect speech.

You need to remember the rules that apply to these conversions. Remember too, to condense the information contained within the quotation. You should not rewrite every word in the quotation. Read the example below and then try the exercise. 'Now, now!' urged Louisa Mebbin with some excitement, 'if he doesn't touch the goat we needn't pay for it. ' Ans: Louisa Mebbin urged her to shoot immediately for if the goat is unharmed, they need not pay for it.

Ex. 21 1 Kenneth Horsfall's father jumped onto a garden wall and said to the violent mob:' It is me that is suffering. It is me that has to go to my son's funeral. I don't want to see anything like this and my son would not have liked it either. ' (FMSS 87 Prelim) 2 The old lady at last had a lucid moment and saw the stranger sitting beside her.

'Who's this?' she demanded of her hovering daughter. The girl leaned over the bed. 'It's all right Mother,' said the daughter distinctly. 'It's only a police-station gentleman.

He hasn't come to make any trouble. He just wants to hear about the watch. ' The old lady gave the stranger a sharp clear look and uttered not another word; she just leaned back on the pillow, closed her lips and eyes, folded her hands and died. (FMSS 91 Prelim) G SYNTHESIS OF SENTENCES In a summary, you need to combine sentences if there is a logical relationship between them. This will help you cut down on the number of words you use in the summary. Read the example below.

The villagers faced incredible hardships. Once, they were forced to sell the very animals they needed for their fields. Facing incredible hardships, the villagers were forced to sell the very animals they needed for their fields. Incredible hardships forced the villagers to sell... In this instance, there is a cause-effect relationship between the first and the second sentence. Ex.

22 -- Try to identify such logical relationships between the sentences in the exercise before you combine them. 1 We were daily bombarded by the sights and sounds of advertising. It was little wonder then that we have become confused in our values and tastes. 2 What I now discovered was that there are hundreds of statues: they are all over the island. The greatest concentration of the figures is near the eastern tip.

Here lies the quarry from which the stone was taken. ('O' Level 92) 3 Tourist pollution is considered the main cause in the dramatic decline of the numbers of certain predatory animals like the cheetah and leopard. In desperation, some of these animals have abandoned their natural behaviour patterns and concentrate on nocturnal hunting to avoid the swarm of trucks, zebra-striped vans and other vehicles that bump and lurch through the game parks from the first light. (Nov 97) 4 When further messages about icebergs came in from the ship Californian, the young radio operator on Titanic ignored them. Although he was dedicated to his profession, he did not have that degree of judgement which comes from years of experience. (Nov 99) Ex.

23 - REVISION Try summarising these passages taken from GCE 'O' Level papers: 1 At first light, my companions were awake, anxious to push on before the air grew unbearably hot. We plodded alongside the camels in silence, while the jagged crusts of sand stung and cut our feet. Then more and even bigger hills of sand began to stretch in front of us like a huge mountain range. One vast dune, well over 300 metres high, with a steep, almost sheer face, blocked our path. Surely this meant the end of our journey across the Empty Quarter. (Jun 97) Ans: 2 After all this abuse of the giant thistle, it may sound odd to say that a 'thistle year' was a blessing in some ways.

Admittedly, it was an anxious year on account of the risk of fire, and a season of great apprehension, too, when reports of robberies and other violent crimes were widespread. It was especially worrying for the wives of the gauchos who were left so much alone in their low-roofed mud houses, shut in by dense, prickly growth. But a 'thistle year' was also called a fat year, since the animals -- cattle, horses, sheep and even pigs -- gorged themselves on the huge leaves and soft, sweetish-tasting stems, and were in excellent condition. The only drawbacks were that the riding-horses lost strength as they gained in fat, and milk did not taste nice. (Dec 94) Ans: 3 Steam also revolutionise d travel on land.

Steam-powered locomotives began to haul their loads of freight and passengers from city to city, over a network of railways that quickly embraced one country after another. As the speed and comfort of railway travel developed, people found travel becoming an everyday part of their lives. In fact, the whole shape of society was beginning to change as travel became cheaper and easier. People left their simple life on the land and moved to work in the new cities and industries that were springing up, and to enjoy a more prosperous existence. The railways had made it all possible. (Jun 94) Ans: 4 And finally, try summarising this amusing story: A very funny story arises from the time when President Glick ruled Utopia.

In 1991, Glick, a prominent member of the Utopian army, seized power in a military coup. Glick's first step as the second president of Utopia was to establish law and order not only in the capital, Prefect ia, but also in remoter districts such as Kane, and Fort Abel. Therefore, road blocks -- three oil drums manned by young privates armed with machine guns -- were set up in the rural countryside areas. A teacher, Tom Bewley aged 28 years, who was attached to a government secondary school, used to pass through one of these road blocks twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. One day, after he had come to a halt by the road block, two young soldiers aged about seventeen and eighteen, told him to get out of his car and step outside. They then told him in a matter-of-fact tone to open the bonnet of the car.

The officers peered inside and look around. They then instructed Mr Bewley, the teacher, to take off his boots. This he did: he took off his boots. Completely bewildered and almost at a complete loss for words, Mr Bewley asked them why they wanted him to take off his boots. The young men shrugged their shoulders, indicating they were not sure. 'We don't know,' said one in a voice which sounded rather trembling.

'We " ve been given orders by our superior officers to search all car bonnets and boots'.