On the Methods of Improving English Reading Skills提高英语阅读技巧的方法.doc

提高英语阅读技巧的方法 On the Methods of Improving English Reading Skills AbstractEnglish reading is an important part of English learning. It's the most difficult for learners. It makes many learners confused. Many English learners have summarized that if your English reading skills have been improved, you may succeed in your English Tests. In order to help the learners to improve English reading skills . I have read a great many books on improving English reading skills. After thinking of my own reading perience. The paper mainly concerns two parts to improve English reading skills: to cultivate a good reading habit and to grasp some basic skills. So long as readers master the useful skills, they will increase our reading speed and comprehension.Key words: reading habit; reading skills; reading ability内 容 摘 要英语阅读是英语学习的一个重要组成部分。很多英语学习者都总结说，掌握了英语阅读技巧，提高了态度水平，就等于英语学习成功了一半。为了提高英语阅读技巧，本文在参考大量英语阅读技巧方面书籍的前提下，总结他人及自己的阅读经验，整合了两部分对提高英语英语阅读能力进行阐述：养成一个好的阅读习惯和把握一些基本规律。掌握这些有用的技巧，读者就能提高阅读速度和增强理解力。 关键词：阅读习惯；阅读技巧；阅读能力ContentsAbstracti内容摘要iiIntroduction11. Improving reading ability by cultivating a good reading habit11.1 Drawing our whole attention to the materials while reading11.2 Avoiding voiced reading21.3 Prohibiting from looking up the dictionary while reading21.4Avoiding any other additional movements except for eyeball movement while reading21.5 Cultivating the time while reading31.6 Reducing reading reback31.7 Avoiding reading word for word31.8 Thinking in English ways42. Improving reading ability by grasping some basic skills52.1 Enriching and expanding knowledge of background52.2 Guessing unknown words62.2.1 Guessing the words meaning from the information.72.2.2 Guessing the words meaning from semantic relation.72.2.3 Guessing the words meaning by the words construction92.3 Finding the central sentence102.4 Finding the main idea of a paragraph132.5 Lacating specific factsskimming and scanning142.6 Drawing a conclusion and making a summary16Conclusion17Bibliography18Acknowledgements19IntroductionIn order to obtain abundant knowledge, we should read smoothly not only what is written in native language but also in foreign language. English is an international language, which is used widely all over the world, and has a profound and far-reaching influence. If we want to learn scientific technology of foreign countries, master political and financial developing trends of foreign countries, or understand the developing tendency of foreign language and literature, even pass kinds of English tests, we must have the sufficient ability of English reading. Improving reading ability much depends on usual practice. Here, this paper is talking about a few reading skills that seem more important.1. Improving reading ability by cultivating a good reading habit There is a common ability that a good reading habit helps to improve reading ability, for bad reading habit will cut down reading speed. However ,we can not adopt a correct reading habit in a short time.We should persist the following lips while reading.1.1 Drawing our whole attention to the materials while reading We should to draw our whole attention to the materials while reading and be sure to keep it in mind .That is to say,dont stop when we read short articles or eat while reading.1.2 Avoiding voiced reading Silent reading is much faster than voiced reading. If readers read loudly word for word, their reading speed will be certainly very slow. In order to avoid this bad reading habit, readers can press their finger on your lip, and then them can catch a feel while their mouth moves a little. It is a good method to correct this bad habit by forcing themselves.1.3 Prohibiting from looking up the dictionary while reading Dont look up the dictionary when meeting an unfamiliar word, otherwise the reading speed will be cut down and the understanding of the whole test will be affected. The readers should guess its meaning according to the context, or use word-forming knowledge to guess its meaning.After their finishing the whole context,you can look up the dictionary to make sure the meaning and learn a new word.1.4Avoiding any other additional movements except for eyeball movement while reading Readers should avoid any other additional movements except for eyeball movement while reading, such as using finger to trace the word where their are reading, swinging their head left and right, or using pens and rules which can block the following contents. Reading is done by our eyes. So, they should move eyes but not head. If this cant be done, they would hold tightly the edge of the reading material.1.5 Cultivating the time while reading Resders should always remember the time in mind while reading and develop the sense of time urgency. First of all, They should estimate the quantity of words in the reading material, then restrict the reading time, and check out whether we can finish reading in the limited time or not. Keep practicing in this time-limited way,and reduce the time gradually; the reading speed will be improved day by day. 1.6 Reducing reading reback Most of readers, when they meet a long or difficult sentence, they cant help reading reback on it.Even when reading a text, they look for the former information again and again, but dont read it smoothly to get the complete idea. This reading habit seriously affects the reading speed, information expanding, logic speculating and material understanding. They should cultivate a good habit, that when eyes have swept a group words, they pretend they have disappeared and read on.1.7 Avoiding reading word for word Usually, most of readers are accustomed to read word for word at the beginning, or read every word with a finger.That is because we try not to losing any content of the text, but sometimes they only get words meaning. Reading word for word lead information of the text to deviate from anticipation and instead of the whole meaning of sentence and passsage. They should get the meaning of the phrase instead of one word. High efficient readers can catch the meaning of a sentence at every four or five words in their reading. Compare the following two examples:Read the meaning:Glass and paper are named insulators/which have no free charges that able to move/under the influence of the electric filed.Read word for word:Glass and paper/are named/insulators/which have no/free charges/that are/ able to/ move/under the/influence/of the/electric field.Obviously, divide the text into larger meaning phrases can not only speed up reading, but also draw attention to the understanding of the reading contents, In this way,understanding level will be improved further.1.8 Thinking in English waysDont translate every sentence into Chinese in mind or mouth. Improving high-speed reading ability mainly depends on English reading; readers can read anytime and anywhere as long as we have a book in hand. Cultivating a good reading habit is good for improving reading ability. Therefore, when they want to be successful in English learning, it is necessary to like reading, keep reading and be good at reading. If they can get rid of relying excessively on dictionary, and move eyeball suitable, it is possible to improve their English level, extend field of vision, and increase kinds of professional knowledge through reading. Their reading ability will be improved quickly. But thats not enough, whats more, they need also grasp some special read style. That is to say, they must have abundant knowledge of background, understand further meaning obtain furthering skills.2. Improving reading ability by grasping some basic skills 2.1 Enriching and expanding knowledge of backgroundOne basic requirement of reading is understand. Every text is finished in a special environment by author. The purpose of a text is revealed by reader in terms of his knowledge of the background. Enriching, expanding knowledge of background, inferring information and logic, is very important to understand text profoundly. Understanding includes not only words meaning, but also further inference, which processes that varies of people experence with are different. understanding words meaning in general can be finished by using grammar and vocabulary, but further understanding will be reached through the information readers get in appearance,by connecting with knowledge of background, and by using logical inference. Any text require that the reader has certain common or special knowledge. Most texts which written by English writer or American reporter contain their social culture.Such as, the politics, history geography, value ideas, customs and religion of England or America. If they dont know these backgrounds, they will cause a big obstacle. Please take the following sentence for example;Though Amusable spoke French and German fairly well, he had never altogether lost the New England accent, which he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.From the sentence we can infer that Amusable is American, because Boston is an American city.We make a mistake New England as an English place, we understanding theinterior meaning is a very important and necessary technique in reading.2.2 Guessing unknown wordsAnyones reading ability much bases on vocabulary which he has been grasped. In order to improve reading speed, it is important to extend vocabulary as much as possible. Enlarging vocabulary mainly depends on accumulation usually, and remembering them hardly. Rome wasnt built in a day. Reading practice for a long time is not enough for, readers couldnt grasp enough vocabulary to deal with all kinds of problems in reading. Even them have large quantity of vocabulary, may also meet some new words. Grasping some skills to deal with new words in reading, trying best to sweep the barrier of new words are necessary to improve reading ability. There are many ways to guess words meaning:2.2.1 Guessing the words meaning from the information. Their can deduce the words meaning by general knowledge according to the whole context. For example: In old days, when girls from rich family were married to their husbands, they expected to bring with themselves a large quantity of dowry.We know “dowry” is a noun, and from the foregoing context and ancient customs, we guess “dowry” means “things like furniture, washing closet, TV and so on”.2.2.2 Guessing the words meaning from semantic relation.New words appearing in some text are not separated. Its meaning relates closely to other words of the sentence or paragraph. Using semantic relation is good for guessing wordings meaning, even understanding the sentence or paragraph. For example:(1) He takes a special interest in botany, which concerns the study of plants.It is a simple attribution subordinate clause; we can make sure that “botany” means “the study of plants”.(2) The nurse was on the night shiftfrom midnight to 7 a.m. The dash explains the phrase night shift, so we know “night shift” means “someone works at night, from about midnight to 7 a.m.”(3) In the ancient city of Rome, we visited every mansion, battle site, theatre and other public halls. We know battle site theatre and other public halls are buildings that many people visit, and certainly “mansion” is “a building”.(4) Like the other mountain boys, Dee was tedium. But he became talk active when I mentioned the fish King Salomon to him.Suspect “tedium” is a new word, through a turning conjunction “but”, we know “tedium” and talk active” are antonyms. “tedium” means “speak less” .(5) The hot-air balloon took off. It was as buoyant in the air as a rose leaf in water.From the structure “asas, we can see that this is a metaphoric sentence, and buoyant” concerns something moves on the water, so the meaning of “buoyant” is “drift”.(6) All his attempts to unlock the door were futile; because she was using the wrong key.If you use a wrong key, all attempts you have done will be useless. So “futile” means “useless”. (7) Human is an up semantic word, indicates general concept. It includes man, woman, child and something with specific concept. This semantic relation can help us judge words meaning, as:She likes red colors, so today she is in crimson.Though you dont know the down semantic word “crimson”, you also can comprehend its meaningthe color like red.2.2.3 Guessing the words meaning by the words constructionSuch as prefix, suffix, derivative, compound, root and affix cant only help English learners remember words,and expand vocabulary in ordinary days, but also guess the unknown words meaning. They help readers sweep the barrier, so as to improve reading speed. For instance,root-log-can produce dozens of words with different prefix and suffix. Such as dialogue, prologue, monologue. If we are familiar with these prefix dialrelative, probefore, monolonely.The words meaning will come out quickly, respectively. Other word “philanthropist” has prefix “philove ardently”, “rootanthrophuman”, “noun suffix-its”, so the meaning of the word is one person who loves human ardently. “Unpredictable” with prefix unnot, prebefore, dicespeak, and adjective suffixable, its meaning is something that can not be anticipated. “Mormonism” with root mammonwealth, suffixism, its basic meaning is “somebody regards money as God”, “superabundance”, this word is so long and may be threaten some readers firstly, but its root abundant means enough, full ,with prefix superover, comes out meaning “too much, too plenty”. If readers can analysis words construction and grasp basic regulation with clue, unknown words meaning will be inferred. For example:“They were not unconscious of their own mistakes”. In this sentence, “not” and adjective prefix “un-from” is double negative, which equal sure. So the whole sentence means “They were fully conscious of their own mistakes”.2.3 Finding the central sentenceGenerally speaking, there is a topic sentence that can express general or succinct, and the sentence structure is relatively simple. If readers can identify the topic sentence, it is easy to grasp firmly the main idea of a text. It is efficient to grasp general ideas through identifying topic sentence. The topic sentence usually appears in the following position (1) at the beginning; (2) in the middle; and (3) at the end.(1) At the beginning The topic sentence of many passages in paper or some standard explanations is usually located at the beginning. It is common to locate the close topic sentence at the beginning. This kind of deduct the passage or text normally follows this writing feather: from general to specific. That is to say, the first sentence generates the whole passage, and the following explain t