Making notes from a

reading passage
Paper 2 Reading and Writing (Extended)
June and November 2013 Examinations
By Damian Gauci
 Making Notes from a reading passage
• As a part of your Reading test, you will be asked to complete a note-
taking exercise.
• This also involves some writing skill, or course, but the main skill being
tested is to locate relevant notes from a long passage and to produce notes
in two to three specific areas.
 Making Notes from a reading passage
Here are some useful techniques for making notes:
• Be aware of the specific areas you are taking notes for before you read the
article – this focuses your reading so that you scan for only relevant
details in the text.
• Scan and highlight the text for relevant details. Ignore all irrelevant detail.
• Transfer relevant details in note form – full sentences are not required and
are usually counter-productive.
 Making Notes from a reading passage
• Make your notes as brief as possible.
• Only include one note (so one detail) on each line. You will never be
required to provide two notes on one line.
• Make sure that each note refers to a different detail – so try to avoid
repeating the same facts or details in separate notes.
 Making Notes from a reading passage
• When you are asked to make notes about a text, you will generally be
given a heading or headings to guide you. All the marks are usually given
for the content (what you write).
• Usually there are no marks awarded for your language (how you write).
• You should try to keep your notes brief, but still make sure you have
included all the relevant information.
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Astonishing (adjective): very ​surprising:
Her first ​novel ​enjoyed an astonishing ​success.
[+ to infinitive] It's astonishing to ​think that only a few ​years ago he was a ​
completely ​unknown ​actor.
Astonishingly, I've never ​visited the British Museum in all the ​years I've ​
lived here.
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Clarity (noun): the quality of being clear and easy to understand 清楚明了；
清晰易懂
There has been a call for greater clarity in this area of the law.
人们呼吁这个领域的法规应该更加明确一些。
Skull (noun): the bones of the head, which surround the brain and give the
head its shape 头（盖）骨，颅骨
The soldiers discovered a pile of human skulls and bones. 士兵们发现了一堆
人的头盖骨和尸骨。
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Account for sth: to ​form the ​total of something:
Students ​account for the ​vast ​majority of ​our ​customers.
Adapt (verb): to change something to suit different conditions or uses 使适
应不同情况（或用途）；改动；改造；改装；改编
Many software companies have adapted popular programs to the new
operating system. 许多软件公司已经改编了常用的程序以适应新的操作
系统。
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Species (noun): a set of ​animals or ​plants in which the ​members have ​similar
​characteristics to each other and can ​breed with each other: Mountain ​
gorillas are an ​endangered species.
Situated (adjective [after verb]): in a particular position 位于…的
The school is situated near to the station. 该学校位于车站附近。
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Skim (verb): to move quickly just above a surface without touching it 掠过，
擦过（表面）
The birds skimmed (across/along/over) the tops of the waves. 鸟儿从浪尖
上飞过。
Bald (adjective) (NO HAIR)
with little or no ​hair on the ​head:
At 20 he was already going bald.
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Astounding (adjective): very ​surprising or ​shocking:
an astounding ​fact/​decision/​revelation
an astounding (= very ​great) ​victory/​achievement/​success
Majestic (adjective): ​beautiful, ​powerful, or ​causing ​great ​admiration and ​
respect:
The majestic Montana ​scenery will ​leave you ​breathless.
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Complex (adjective): ​involving a lot of different but ​related ​parts:
a complex ​molecule/​carbohydrate
a complex ​network of ​roads
a complex ​procedure
The ​company has a complex ​organizational ​structure.
 A Bird’s-Eye View
Droplet (noun): a ​small ​drop of ​liquid
Indicate (verb): to show, ​point, or make ​clear in another way: Exploratory ​
investigations have indicated ​large ​amounts of ​oil below the ​sea ​bed.
[+ question word] Please indicate which ​free ​gift you would like to ​receive.
[+ (that)] She indicated to me (that) she didn't ​want me to say anything.
Portion (noun): a part or share of something larger 一部分；一份
A large/major portion of the company's profit goes straight back into new projects.
公司利润的一大部分／主要部分又直接投入了新的项目。
 Mobile Phones
Subscribe (verb): to ​pay ​money to an ​organization in ​order to ​receive a ​
product, use a ​service ​regularly, or ​support the ​organization:
2.3 million ​people subscribe to this ​online ​music ​service.
She subscribes to several women's ​magazines.
Reject (verb): to refuse to accept, use or believe something or someone 拒
绝接受；拒收；不录用；不相信
The appeal was rejected by the High Court. 上诉被最高法院驳回。
 Mobile Phones
Appreciate (verb): to ​recognize how good someone or something is and to ​
value him, her, or it:
There's no ​point ​buying him ​expensive ​wines - he doesn't appreciate them.
• Struggle (verb): to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in
order to do something 奋斗，努力，拼搏
• [+ to infinitive] The dog had been struggling to get free of the wire noose.
那条狗一直拼命想挣脱金属套索。
 Mobile Phones
Client (noun): a ​customer or someone who ​receives ​services:
Mr. ​Black has been a client of this ​firm for many ​years.
We always ​aim to give ​our clients ​personal ​attention.
Convenient (adjective): suitable for your purposes and needs and causing the least
difficulty 方便的；便利的；省事的
Our local shop has very convenient opening hours. 我们当地的商店营业时间很
合宜。
 Mobile Phones
Unconvincing (adjective): If an ​explanation or ​story is unconvincing, it does
not ​sound or ​seem ​true or ​real:
They gave some unconvincing ​explanations for the ​system ​failure.
The ​dialogue was unconvincing, ​partly because it was American ​actors ​trying
to ​speak London ​English.
Obvious (adjective): clear; easy to see, recognize or understand 清楚的；显
然的，明显的；明白的
[+ (that)] It's obvious (that) she doesn't like him. 显然她不喜欢他。
 Mobile Phones
Overlook (verb): to provide a view of, especially from above 眺望；（尤指）俯瞰，俯视
Our hotel room overlooked the harbour. 从我们酒店的房间可眺望港口。
The house is surrounded by trees, so it's not overlooked at all (= it cannot be seen from any other
buildings).
Barrier (noun): anything that ​prevents ​people from being together or ​understanding each other:
Despite the ​language barrier (= not ​speaking the same ​language), they ​soon ​became good ​
friends.
Shyness is one of the ​biggest barriers to making ​friends (= something that makes this ​difficult).
 Mobile Phones
Anxiety (noun): an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about
something that is happening or might happen in the future 焦虑，不安，担
心
Children normally feel a lot of anxiety about their first day at school. 第一
天上学，孩子们通常都会感到非常不安。
Depression (noun): the ​state of ​feeling very ​unhappy and without ​hope for
the ​future:
I was ​overwhelmed by ​feelings of depression.
 Mobile Phones
Obsession (noun): something or someone that you ​think about all the ​time: an ​
unhealthy obsession with ​death
her ​chocolate obsession
He's always ​wanted to ​find his ​birth ​mother but ​recently it's ​become an obsession.
Addiction (noun): the need or ​strong ​desire to do or to have something, or a very ​
strong ​liking for something:
His addiction ​began with ​prescription ​drugs.
I have an addiction to ​mystery ​stories.