Reading Short Texts
Skim for gist, scan for detail, guess from context.
Learn three key reading strategies: skimming (gist), scanning (finding specific info), and guessing meaning from context.
Look & say · Step 1
5 minGet ready
Look at this topic: 'Community noticeboard'. What do you think the text is about? Give yourself 5 seconds!
In a text, how do you find a phone number quickly? Do you read every word?
Read: 'The café is shut on Mondays.' You don't know 'shut'. What do you think it means? How do you know?
Words to learn · Step 2
8 minNew words today
skim
Read quickly to get the main idea
"Skim the text first — what is it about?"
scan
Look quickly for specific information
"Scan the text for the opening time."
context
Words around an unknown word that help you understand it
"Use the context to guess the meaning."
guess
Think of a probable meaning without being sure
"Guess the meaning from context."
notice
A short text with information for people to read
"There's a notice on the door."
A message sent online
"I got an email from my teacher."
detail
A small, specific piece of information
"Read again for the details."
gist
The general meaning of a text
"I got the gist — it's about a meeting."
heading
The title or section title
"Read the heading before the text."
figure
A number in a text
"Scan for figures — prices or dates."
date
A specific day, month, and year
"Scan for the date of the event."
available
Free to use or possible to get
"The room is available on Friday."
Activate · Personalise · Recycle
Use these words now
Make each sentence true for you. Say it aloud to a partner.
figure
"For me, figure is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
available
"For me, available is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
heading
"For me, heading is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
You'll meet these words again in Reading, Listening, Speaking and Homework.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Sounds & saying · Step 3
5 minChunking — reading in phrases, not single words
Good readers read in chunks (groups of words), not one word at a time. This helps with speed and understanding. Practise pausing at natural points.
- • The café / is open / Monday to Friday.
- • Please reply / by email / before Friday.
- • The meeting / is at 3 pm / in Room 4.
- • New members / are welcome / to join.
- • For more information / contact us / at the office.
Language focus · Step 4
10 minReading strategies — skim, scan, and guess
Quick rule
Reading strategies — skim, scan, and guess
Three powerful strategies for short texts: (1) SKIM — read very quickly to get the gist.
- Ask: 'What is this text about?' Don't read every word.
- (2) SCAN — move your eyes quickly to find ONE specific piece of information (a name, time, price, date).
- (3) GUESS FROM CONTEXT — use the words around an unknown word to work out the meaning.
- You do NOT need a dictionary every time!
Skim: read the title, first line, and last line first.
Scan: move your eyes quickly — look for capital letters, numbers.
Guess: 'The café is shut on Mondays.' → shut = closed (opposite of open).
Skim first → then scan for details.
Never stop at every unknown word — keep reading!
Question 1.What is 'skimming'?
Question 2.What is 'scanning'?
Question 3.You don't know the word 'exhausted'. The sentence says 'After ten hours of work, she was exhausted and went straight to bed.' What does it mean?
Question 4.You want to find the price in a text. Which strategy do you use?
Question 5.Which do you do FIRST when reading a new text?
Rebuild each line, spot the natural chunks, then practise responding aloud.
Quick check 1.Skim = read to find…
Quick check 2.To guess meaning from context, you should…
Reading · Step 5
7 min📋 Community noticeboard — email from the centre
Subject: Spring Activities at Greenfield Community Centre 🌱
Dear residents,
We are happy to announce our new spring programme! 🎉 We have lots of exciting activities for all ages.
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we have a yoga class 🧘 from 9 am to 10 am. The class is free for members and £5 for non-members.
Every Saturday afternoon, there is a gardening club 🌷 in the community garden. Beginners are very welcome!
We are also starting a new English conversation group 🗣️ on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. It is a friendly, relaxed group for people who want to practise speaking.
All activities take place at Greenfield Community Centre, 14 Oak Street. 📍 Places are limited, so please register online or call us on 0800 123 456 📞 before 20 April.
We look forward to seeing you! 😊
The Greenfield Team
Question 1.What is the email about?
Question 2.How much does the yoga class cost for non-members?
Question 3.When is the English conversation group?
Q1.You need to register before 20 April.
Q2.The yoga class is only for experienced students.
Listening · Step 6
10 minTalking about a text
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Teacher
OK, look at the email. Don't read every word. Just skim it. What is it about?
Marco
Hmm… I think it's about activities. At a community centre? 🤔
Teacher
Exactly! Now scan for a price. What did you find?
Marco
I can see… £5. For the yoga class, I think. 🧘
Teacher
Great! Now, there's a word here — 'residents'. What do you think it means?
Marco
Well, the email is for people who live near the centre… so 'residents' means people who live in the area? 🏘️
Teacher
Perfect — you guessed from context. That's exactly the right strategy!
Marco
Wow, I didn't need a dictionary! That feels good. 😊
Question 1.What strategy does Marco use to find the price?
Question 2.What does Marco think 'residents' means?
Question 3.How does Marco guess the meaning of 'residents'?
Practice · Step 7
8 minChoose the word
Question 1.Read the text quickly to get the ___. Don't read every word.
Question 2.To find the price, use ___ — move your eyes quickly.
Question 3.I don't know the word, but I can ___ the meaning from the context.
Question 4.Read the ___ first — it tells you the topic.
Question 5.Places are ___. Please register before the deadline.
Q1.Skim strategy: what are the TWO parts of the text you read first?
Q2.What does 'scan' mean in reading? Write one sentence.
Survival English · Step 8
4 minReading — skim and scan in exams
Task
Read the email passage again. Time yourself: (1) 20 seconds — skim: what is the general topic? (2) 30 seconds — scan: find the phone number, the address, and the registration deadline.
Strategy
In reading exams, read questions FIRST. Then scan for keywords from the questions. You do not need to read the whole text carefully every time.
Example
Phone number: 0800 123 456. Address: 14 Oak Street. Deadline: 20 April.
Writing · Step 9
5 minWrite a little
Your task
Write 6–8 sentences to summarise the email about Greenfield Community Centre. Include: what it is about, three activities, a price, a day/time, and the deadline.
Show model answer
The email is from Greenfield Community Centre. It is about their new spring activities. There is a yoga class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 am to 10 am. It costs £5 for non-members. There is also a gardening club every Saturday afternoon. On Wednesday evenings at 7 pm, there is an English conversation group. People need to register before 20 April. They can call 0800 123 456 or register online.
Speaking · Step 10
12 minTalk together
Your teacher gives you a short text (a notice, an email, or a sign). Practise: (1) skim for 15 seconds and say the gist, (2) scan to answer two specific questions, (3) find one unknown word and guess its meaning.
Useful phrases
- • I think the text is about…
- • The main idea is…
- • I can see the word… I think it means…
- • I'm scanning for… I found it — it's…
- • I'm not sure, but from the context…
- TeacherYou see a new text. What do you do first?
- You_______________
- TeacherYou want to find the opening time. What strategy do you use?
- You_______________
- TeacherThe word 'venue' is new to you. The sentence says 'The venue is a large hall in the centre of town.' What does it mean?
- You_______________
Homework · Step 11
Take-homePractice at home
Find a short text in English (a website, a sign, a poster). Practise: skim for the gist, scan for two details, and guess one unknown word.
Write a summary (5–6 sentences) of the text you found, using your own words.
Learn this week's vocab. Write one example sentence for each of the 12 words.
Recap · Step 12
3 minWhat you learned
- ⚡ Skim first — read fast for the main idea, not every word.
- 🔍 Scan for details — move your eyes to find names, numbers, dates.
- 🧩 Guess from context — use the words around an unknown word.
- 📋 Read questions before the text in exams — then scan for answers.