Nearly all "speed reading"courses have a"pacing"element-some timing device which lets the student know how many words a minute he is reading.You can do this simply by looking at your watch every 5 or 10 minutes and noting down the page number you have reached. Check the average number of words per page for the particular book you are reading How do you know when 5 minutes has passed on your watch if you are busy reading the book?Well, this is difficult at first. A friend can help by timing you over a set period or you can read within hearing distance of a public clock which strikes the quarter hours. Pace yourself every three or four days,always with the same kind of easy, general interest books. You should soon notice your accustomed wpm.ratecreeping up
Obviously there is little point in increasing your wpm.rate if you do not understand what you are reading.When you are consciously trying to increase your reading speed, stop after every chapter (if you are reading a novel)or every section or group of ten or twelve pages (if it is a text-book)and ask yourself a few questions about what you have been reading.If you find you have lost the thread of the story, or you cannot remember clearly the details of what was said,reread the section or chapter
You can also try"lightning speed"exercise from time to time,Take four or five pages of the general interest book you happen to be reading and read them as fast as you possibly can. Do not bother about whether you understand or not. Now go back and read them at what you feel to be you"normal"w.p.m.rate,the rate at which you can comfortably understand After a"lightning speed"reading through(probably600wpm.) you will usually find that your"normal"speed has increased-perhaps byas much as50-100 wpm. This is the technique sportsmen use when they usually run further in training than they will have to on the day of the big race.
1. According to thepassagea"pacing"device
A. is used as an aid to vocabulary learning B.is used to time student.s reading speed
c.is not used in most, speed reading courses D.should be used whenever we read alone
2. In speed reading,lookingatyour watch every 5 or 10 minutes
A. may seem unworkable at first B.is not the same as pacing
C.avoids the need for reading faster
D.helps you toremember your page number
3. When you are reading a novel, you should check your understanding of
the content after A. every section
B.every ten or twelve pages C. every four or five pages D.every chapter
4. The purpose of the"lightning speed" exercise is to
A.test your maximum readingspeed
B. help you understand more of the content of the book C.increase your speed by scanning the text first
D.enable you to win reading races against your friends
The best title for this passage would be A. Hints for Successful Reading B.LightningSpeed Exercises C.Hints for Speed Reading D.Effective Reading
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