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What Is Speed Reading, and Why Do We Need It?: Ielts First Steps Reading Practice

Speed reading is about reading quickly while retaining information. The world's fastest readers can read between 1,000-2,000 words per minute while remembering at least 50% of the content (Paragraph A). Speed reading is now an essential skill for professionals and students who need to process large volumes of information efficiently (Paragraph B). Readers can adjust their approach based on whether they need an overview or every detail, and techniques like chunking words and silent reading can increase reading speed (Paragraphs C, D, E). Skilled readers read in large chunks with few regressions, processing more information, while slow readers spend more time on small chunks and frequently regress (Paragraphs F, G). Practice is the best way to improve

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Nguyễn Phạm Thảo Nguyên
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142 views2 pages

What Is Speed Reading, and Why Do We Need It?: Ielts First Steps Reading Practice

Speed reading is about reading quickly while retaining information. The world's fastest readers can read between 1,000-2,000 words per minute while remembering at least 50% of the content (Paragraph A). Speed reading is now an essential skill for professionals and students who need to process large volumes of information efficiently (Paragraph B). Readers can adjust their approach based on whether they need an overview or every detail, and techniques like chunking words and silent reading can increase reading speed (Paragraphs C, D, E). Skilled readers read in large chunks with few regressions, processing more information, while slow readers spend more time on small chunks and frequently regress (Paragraphs F, G). Practice is the best way to improve

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Nguyễn Phạm Thảo Nguyên
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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IELTS FIRST STEPS

Reading Practice
SPEED READING

What is speed reading, and why do we need it?


A. Speed reading is not just about reading fast. It is also about how much information you can remember
when you have finished reading. The World Championship Speed-Reading Competition says that its top
competitors average between 1,000 and 2,000 words a minute. But they must remember at least 50
percent of this in order to qualify for the competition.
B. Nowadays, speed reading has become an essential skill in any environment where people have to master
a large volume of information. Professional workers need reading skills to help them get through many
documents every day, while students under pressure to deal with assignments may feel they have to read
more and read faster all the time.
C. Although, there are various methods to increase reading speed, the trick is deciding what information you
want first. For example, if you only want a rough outline of an issue, then you can skim the material
quickly and extract the key facts. However, if you need to understand every detail in a document, then
you must read it slowly enough to understand this.
D. Even when you know how to ignore irrelevant detail, there are other improvements you can make to your
reading style which will increase your speed. For example, most people can read much faster if they read
silently. Reading each word aloud takes time for the information to make a complete circuit in your brain
before being pronounced. Some researchers believe that as long as the first and last letters are in place,
the brain can still understand the arrangement of the other letters in the world because it logically puts
each piece into place.
E. Chunking is another important method. Most people learn to read either letter by letter or word by word.
As you improve, this changes. You will probably find that you are fixing your eyes on a block of words,
then moving your eyes to the next block or words, and so on. You are reading blocks of words at a time,
not individual words one by one. You may also notice that you do not always go from one block to the
next: sometimes you may move back to a previous block if you are unsure about something.
F. A skilled reader will read a lot of words in each block. He or she will only look at each block for an instant
and will then move on. Only rarely will the reader’s eyes skip back to a previous block of words. This
reduces the amount of work that the reader’s eyes have to do. It also increases the volume of information
that can be taken in over a given period of time.
G. On the other hand, a slow reader will spend a lot of time reading small blocks or words. He or she will skip
back often, losing the flow and structure of the text, and muddling their overall understanding of the
subject. This irregular eye movement quickly makes the reader tired. Poor readers tend to dislike reading
because they feel it is difficult to concentrate and comprehend written information.
H. The best tip anyone can have to improve their reading speed is to practice. In order to do this effectively,
a person must be engaged in the material and want to know more. If you find yourself constantly having
to re-read the same paragraph, you may want to switch to reading material that grabs your attention. If
you enjoy what you are reading, you will make quicker progress.
Questions 1–6: The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-H.
NB You may use any letter more than once

1. The types of people who need to read more quickly


2. The fastest reading speeds
3. How a reader can become confused
4. Why reading material should be interesting
5. A definition of speed reading
6. What you should consider before you start reading

Questions 7–13: Complete the table below


Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Type of reader Reading method Effect of method on reader

Skilled reader * many (7) __________________ in a * reader’s (8) ____________ do less


block work
* reader hardly ever goes back * more (9) ____________ is processed

(10) ____________ * small blocks * reader easily gets (12) ___________


* reader (11) _______________ goes * finds it hard to (13) __________ on
back passage

------------------------------------------------------------------
 List of synonym / antonym
Keywords in question Similar/opposite words in the passage
the fastest reading speeds
become confused
reader hardly ever goes back
is processed
finds it hard to

 Vocabulary and structures should be learned :


* qualify for (st):  làm cho có đủ tiêu chuẩn (để đảm nhiệm một việc gì)
Ex: Nigeria was the first  team  to qualify  for  the  World  Cup
* get through (st): hoàn thành (cái gì_
Ex: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
* (be) under pressure to (V) …: chịu áp lực (làm gì)
Ex: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
* spend (time) (V-ing)…: sử dụng/giành (thời gian) (làm gì)
Ex: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
* tend to (V) …: có xu hướng (làm gì)
Ex: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
* make (adj.) progress in (V-ing): tiến bộ (như thế nào) trong (làm gì)
Ex: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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