What Is This Module About?

The ability to read and understand what you read is important to learning. There is a wide
collection of reading materials that you can find in school, the community library and bookstores.
You can choose from books, magazines, newspapers, leaflets, brochures, etc. Have you tried
reading them? Are they easy to understand?
When you read a material, you should know what you want to find out. You may need to
read slowly and carefully or spot some facts and bits of information fast.
This module will help you learn how to increase your speed in reading. It is made up of two
lessons:
Lesson 1 — Skim for Information
Lesson 2 — Scan for Information

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ skim to find out the main ideas and the writer’s purpose for writing; and
♦ scan to get specific information.

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 Let’s See What You Already Know

Before studying this module, take this simple test first to find out how much you already
know about the topics to be discussed.
A. Skim the excerpt of a story below then answer the following questions.
A House Full of Daughters
Kerima Polotan
When you have seven daughters, you can look at life in many ways—seven
dowries (and seven sons-in-law); or, horrible thought, seven spinsters. Perhaps, seven
beauty parlors, seven bakeshops or seven grocery stores? How about seven dress
designers, and possibly, seven models? I used to have seven baby girls and then one
day I looked around and they were no longer babies but little girls with dirty knees and
running noses. I looked again recently and the little girls are gone; I have instead a
house full of young women, a veritable avalanche of femaleness.
There is some guilt in one’s motherhood, remembering with what heartbreak each
daughter had come, because one had wanted sons instead. I don’t remember
everything of how it was when they were babies, except that I seemed to be forever
boiling nursing bottles and buying rubber nipples. All I ate tasted strongly of manzanilla
oil.
From the start, I believed in discipline, less because it made for upright citizens
later on, more because it made life easier, now. For when a daughter knew when she
could, and could not do, one needed no words. A look did it, or a raised eyebrow, or
a whistle or a handclasp, and straightaway, she came to heel. I remember friends
speechless with shock because I could keep any number of daughters quiet for a
length of time, simply by telling them to keep quiet. Quiet was, in fact, the first word
they learned and they practiced it on each other. One friend in particular warned me
against the traumas the girls would later on develop, the horrible fixations, the
psychoses, and the mental blocks that such a stricture would result in, but she was
never around to hear the vehement swells of sound they could generate when they
were free to do so.

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 When do girls stop being children and begin to be young women? When they put
away their comic books and ask you to buy them Emily Loring romances. It was
Bertha Clay in one’s time—all those tiltled ladies fainting away like toppling bowling
pins, and Bertha Clay’s menage of earls, dukes, and disguised princes reviving them
with gloves and mustaches.
My own daughters are transferring their idolatry from movie actresses and pop
singers to their school teachers and real-life friends but they are mildly hostile to those
who strain their accents. A couple of girls are right now undergoing the candy-box
stage, having done with, the pen-pal stage. The box stage is an obsession that reduces
them to scavenging for empty chocolate or toffee boxes to keep their treasure in, odd
buttons, letters, snapshots and pressed flowers. The brightest converses with herself in
her room, nag-i-imagine; the older ones have given up their rough games but the
others still screech like stuck pigs over a test of skill that calls for a twig and a hole in
the ground.
It used to be when they went to the public park that they chased bull frogs and
gathered fireflies in their skirts—that kind of innocence is ended for some, is beginning
for the others. Instead, they looked sideways at all the necking couples in the plaza and
run home to tell stories in annoying wet whispers, then break apart, giggling. But I
caught one daughter, fifteen, stock-still on the cemented walk, arrested on her way
home late afternoon by a sound I no longer hear. She stood in her limp school blouse,
her skirt dragging her knees. She had raised her young hand, and I could not tell
whether to shield herself against, or to gather to her breast, the sweet melancholy of
that twilight. When we met for supper that night, she seemed different, how I could not
say, but secretive and sad, and my heart constricted because I knew she had a long
way to go.

But she was on her way.

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 When that happens, what does a mother do? If all that she has given a daughter is
mere correctness, not rightness; mere form, not substance; veneer, not reality—then all
she has provided her with is shadow, not soul. Because I never had the time and the
energy for the frills of motherhood, I brought my girls up strictly on the essentials—the
daily bath and the clean underclothes; don’t cheat; don’t lie; study your lessons;
choose your friends well; read; help with the housework; don’t snap at the maids; look
after the young ones; run away from friendly strangers; and believe in God.
If I were to distill the motherhood of nearly twenty years, that just about sums up
all I’ve taught them. It’s not impressive, I know. They’d be swallowed up in beauty
contests, a total loss at discotheque parties, but they won’t be too bad coping with the
problems that a hundred million other women do.
Because I didn’t want them “accomplished”—I want them experienced,
equipped with the knowledge that Adlai Stevenson beautifully described as coming not
from the books “but (from) people, places, actions, failures, sleeplessness, devotion,
love—the human experiences and emotions of this earth; and perhaps, so, a little faith
and a little reverence for the things you cannot see.”
One other thing they learned that I’ve kept for the last—to love one another. The
wonder of it is that I didn’t deliberately set out to teach them that but it’s there, to my
joy and gratitude. Grade One brings home little gifts for the baby she buys out of her
meager allowance; Second Year stops to fix the younger child’s sleeping form and
relieve a fallen pillow; Grade Six puts aside a portion of cake for a tardy sister; First
Year checks, at recess time, the small kindergarten enrolee. And so on, without being
told.

It is the miracle of my life that they learned love from me who wasn’t able to give
it, who only wanted at the beginning to survive their number. We live in a large musty
house canopied by ancient trees and we fight daily over the bathroom, seven young
women and this I’d sow, but in gay confusion, we borrow each other’s hairpins and
dip our hands into the same powder box—at least in many things, and good made in
all.
—Condensed

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 Give the paragraph numbers where you find the following information:
1. total number of daughters in the house;
2. young women idolizing their school teachers and friends; and
3. the daughters learning what love is.
B. Scan the clasisfied ads below then answer the questions that follow.

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 1. List down the positions you can apply for if you just graduated from a secretarial
course.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. If you are an education course graduate, what employment opportunities await
you based on the ads on the previous page? List them down below.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. If you want to apply as a maid, what numbers can you call? List them down
below.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those in the
Answer Key on page 35 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know much about
the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what you already know. Who
knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This just means that this module is for you. It will help
you understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you study this
module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot more! Are you
ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

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 LESSON 1

Skim for Information

Some books are to be tasted,

Others to be swallowed,
And some to be chewed
And digested.

—Francis Bacon

What does the passage above tell you? For all the reading you do, you must choose
whether to taste a material (meaning you just skim or scan it), swallow it (meaning you read for
enjoyment) or chew and digest it (meaning you read for mastery).
What purpose do you have in mind when you read a movie theater or T.V. guide, a news
summary or a telephone directory?
When reading a newspaper, you usually skim over the articles in it before actually reading
those which interest you. This is the same thing you do when looking for an interesting book to
buy and read when in a bookstore.
This lesson will teach you how to skim over reading materials.

Let’s Learn

Do you know what skimming means? To skim means “to read, study or examine
superficially and rapidly, especially: to glance through (as a book) for the chief ideas or the plot.
Why do you skim?
♦ to get the general idea of an article; and

♦ to get the main plot of a story or book.

Skimming to Get the General Idea of an Article

You can skim an article in the following ways:
♦ Read the opening and closing paragraphs first. These will tell you what the article is
about as well as the writer’s purpose for writing it.

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 ♦ Let your eyes go quickly over the article. As you do, look for topic sentences or main
points, key words and phrases.
A topic sentence tells the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually placed at or near the
beginning of the paragraph.

Let’s Try This

Read the following paragraphs and identify the topic sentence of each.
1. Tribal leaders from the plant site and surrounding areas seem to have conflicting views
themselves. Says Edtami Mansayagan, secretary-general of Alyansa ng mga Lumad sa
Habatagang Mindanao Alang sa Demokrasya (ALUHAMAD): “It is said that the
PNOC has succeeded in dividing my people. But this only shows the lowlanders’ lack
of understanding of our ways. Our lands have been claimed by countless incursions, all
in the guise of development, and the Mount Apo plant is but the latest. This time we
are not backing down from the struggle for our ancestral domain.”
—Arquiza, Yasmin D. and Lan
Mercado-Carreon, “People or
Power?”
Topic sentence: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2. People who work in science have certain characteristics in common. Among these
characteristics are curiosity about one’s environment and the willingness to try to
understand it. Other characteristics of scientists include logical work strategies and a
willingness to share what is learned with others.
—McLaren, James E., et al. Heath
Biology.
Topic sentence: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3. Adolescence is a stage of physical, emotional and social changes. Physical changes
include rapid growth and voice change. Even your skin becomes affected because the
increase in oil secretions and the enlargement of pores may cause pimples or acne
when bacteria enter the skin. Thus there is an equal if not a greater need to care for
your physical body as in any other period of growth. Within, you change emotionally.
Heterosexual interest is awakened in both boys and girls. You become conscious
about your physical appearance, including your manner of dressing and grooming.
More than these, you crave for recognition, self-expression and autonomy.
—Alonzo, Rosario I. Literature in
Focus I.

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 Topic sentence: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 35. How well did you do?

Let’s Learn

Skimming to Get the Main Plot of a Story

When skimming to get the main plot of a story, you can follow the same guidelines given
when skimming an article which are:
♦ Read the opening and closing paragraphs first. These will tell you what the story is
about as well as the writer’s purpose for writing it.
♦ Let your eyes go quickly over the story. As you do, look for topic sentences or main
points, key words and phrases.

Let’s Try This

Skim the selection below and answer the questions that follow.
The Philippines is rich in rare animals. Among its zoological wonders are 950 species and
subspecies of birds from courtly white cuckatoos to raucous parrots, doves, and tiny black
ricebirds, as well as 700 rainbow varieties of butterflies. There are squirrels and deer. The wild
boar abounds to the delight of the hunter and to the distress of the farmer whose crop it roots out.
In some remote places huge bats live in caves where they deposit guano that farmers use as
fertilizers. Crocodiles and caymans were once numerous in swamps in Palawan, Mindoro, and
Surigao. But the growing demand for their skins in the world markets has led to intensive hunting
for their hides. Poison lurks in the bush with numerous snakes, pythons, and cobra. Annually
millions of eggs from the green turtle are gathered in the Sulu Sea.
What other species are found only in our country? The tarsius, known as the smallest of all
monkeys, is found in Mindanao. The peacock pheasant known as bartik or tandikan, is found in
Palawan. Also found in Palawan is the mouse deer which is hardly a foot high. The tamaraw, or
wild water buffalo, roams in the mountains of Mindoro.
The most interesting is the monkey-eating eagle called the haribon, or “king of birds,” which
is in grave danger of becoming extinct. This splendid bird was first sighted in 1896 on Samar
Island by John Whitehead, an English naturalist. The birth rate of the haribon is slow: a pair
produces one egg every two years but they live long. An eagle was kept at a zoo in Rome for
more than 40 years. The haribon is a creature of great strength and beauty—nearly four feet high
from tail to beak. Its head is adorned with a crest of long tapering feathers which stand erect
when it senses danger or is about to lunge at its prey. It has huge and powerful talons which
enable it to catch and eat live monkeys. It also eats flying squirrels, rats, hawks, bats, deer,
hornbills, owls, lizards, and snakes.

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 ______ 1. What is the main idea of the whole selection? Write the letter of the correct
answer in the blank.
a. The monkey-eating eagle or haribon is the king of birds.
b. The Philippines is rich in rare animals.
c. The Philippines has 950 species of birds.
d. The most interesting bird of all in the Philippines is the monkey-eating
eagle.
Study the following statements. Write True in the blanks if they are correct. If they are not,
write the correct words to substitute for the underlined ones to make them correct.
______ 2. The Philippines has 700 rainbow varieties of butterflies.
______ 3. Cockatoos, parrots and doves live in the Philippines.
______ 4. The farmer is delighted because wild boars abound.
______ 5. Guano that comes from huge bats is used as fertilizer.
______ 6. Huge bats live in the ricefields.
______ 7. Crocodiles and caymans are killed for their skins or hides.
______ 8. Millions of eggs are gathered yearly from the green turtles of South China
Sea.
______ 9. The smallest of all monkeys, the chimpanzee, is found in Mindanao.
______ 10. The smallest bird, called peacock pheasant or tandikan, can only be found
in Palawan.

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 35. How well did you do?

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Skim the fairy tale below and answer the following questions.
Beauty and the Beast
Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he
had everything his heart desires, he was selfish and unkind.
One winter’s night, an enchantress came to the castle disguised as an old beggar woman.
She offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the cold. But the prince sneered at her gift,
and turned her away.
So the enchantress transformed him into a hideous beast, and transformed all his servants
into household objects. The spell would be broken only if the Beast could learn to love, and
earned someone’s love in return before the last petal fell from the enchanted rose.

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 Ashamed of his ugliness, the Beast locked himself away in his castle. An enchanted mirror
was his only window to the outside world.
As the years passed, he lost all hope. For who could ever love a beast?
Not far from the castle, in a small village, lived a beautiful girl named Belle.

Belle loved to read tales of far-off places, magic spells and princes in disguise. She yearned
for excitement in her life—and for someone with whom to share it.
That someone was definitely not the handsome Gaston, who had announced his intention to
marry Belle because she was the most beautiful girl in the village. Belle considered Gaston self-
centered and arrogant. Besides, she had other plans.
Belle’s father, Maurice, was an inventor, although most of his inventions failed. “I’m about
ready to give up on this hunk of junk,” Maurice said one day, kicking his latest project.

11
 “You always say that,” Belle laughed. “But I just know you’ll win first prize at the fair.”
With Belle’s encouragement, Maurice finally finished one of his inventions. That afternoon,
he packed it onto the wagon behind his horse, Philippe, and headed for the fair.
Hours later, they were still on the road. “We’ll have to take a short cut through the woods,”
Maurice decided.
The forest road was dark and scary. Then Philippe heard wolves howling, and reared in
alarm.
“Whoa, Philippe, whoa!” Maurice cried. But the terrified horse bolted, and threw his rider.

Maurice had to flee from the wolves on foot. Just when he felt his strength would give out,
he stumbled through the rusty gates of a gloomy castle.
No one answered his knock, so Maurice stepped cautiously inside the door. “Hello?” he
called.
“Shh! Not a word,” a mantel clock whispered to a golden candelabrum.

12
 “Oh, Cogsworth, have a heart,” the candelabrum replied. Then he called out, “You are
welcome here, monsieur.”
Maurice was astonished to see a talking candelabrum. But when Lumiere invited him to
warm himself by the fire, he sank gratefully into a giant chair.
By the time Mrs. Potts arrived with her son, Chip, to offer Maurice a nice cup of tea, he
was quite enjoying himself. “What service!” he said.
Just then, however, the door burst open, and the Beast’s shadow fell over the room. “What
are you doing here?” he growled.

The next thing Maurice knew, great claws had grabbed him and hauled him off to the barred
cell in the dungeon.
Back in the village, Belle was waiting for her father to return when Gaston swaggered in with
a proposal.
“Picture this,” he said. “A hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my little wife
massaging my feet. And do you know who that little wife will be? You, Belle!”
Belle couldn’t think of what to say. Finally, she replied, “I’m very sorry, Gaston, but I just
don’t deserve you.”
As she maneuvered to get away from him, Gaston fell out the doorway and into a mud
puddle—right in front of all the villagers he had invited to see his wedding. “I’ll have Belle as my
wife,” he fumed. “Make no mistake about that.”
But Belle didn’t hear him, for at that moment, Philippe galloped into the yard.
“Where’s Papa?” Belle cried. “You have to take me to him!”

13
 The tired horse carried Belle back through the woods. When she saw her father’s hat on the
ground inside the gate, she knew she had to enter the forbidding castle.
Lumiere took one look at Belle, and realized she was the one they had all been waiting
for—the one who would break the spell. So he led the girl to her father.
“Oh, Papa! We have to get you out of here!” Belle cried. But just then, the Beast entered.

“Please let my father out. He’s sick,” Belle begged.

“He shouldn’t have trespassed,” the Beast replied. “There’s nothing you can do. He’s my
prisoner.”
“Take me, instead,” Belle said.
“Then you must promise to stay here forever,” the Beast replied.
So it was agreed. The Beast dragged Maurice out the door to an enchanted carriage, and
sent him home.

14
 Belle was heartbroken as she watched her father leave. She had not even been allowed to
say good-bye. But she knew she had to keep her promise to the Beast.

Then the wardrobe in her bedroom told her the Beast wasn’t as bad as he appered. And
the food at the castle was delicious. So Belle tried to make the best of things.
Meanwhile, as soon as he returned to their village, Maurice burst into the tavern shouting,
“Help! He’s got Belle locked in a dungeon!” But when he spoke of “a horrible beast,” the
villagers decided the old inventor was crazy.
While the others laughed at Maurice, Gaston took his friend Lefou aside. “I have a plan,” he
said. He had thought of a way to try to convince Belle to marry him.
At the castle, Belle was not locked up at all. The Beast had given her permission to go
anywhere in the castle she wanted . . . except the West Wing.
Soon, the West Wing was all Belle could think about. So when no one was looking, she
crept in. She found a dirty room full of cracked mirrors and broken furniture. The only beautiful,
living thing was the enchanted rose, glowing inside a bell jar. She was about to touch it when the
Beast roared at her.
“Why did you come here?” he bellowed. “Get out!”
Belle was terrified. Lumiere and Cogsworth saw her as she ran through the halls, but they
could not stop her. She ran out the front door, saddled Philippe and escaped into the freezing
night.
As Belle and Philippe raced through the woods, they glimpsed the wild yellow eyes of
wolves in the darkness. But when they tried to run faster, Philippe’s reins caught on a tree branch.
He reared up in fear, and Belle was thrown to the ground. Instantly, snarling wolves surrounded
her.

15
 Suddenly, the Beast’s giant paw snatched one of the wolves and tossed him through the air.
After a fierce battle, the wolves fled whining into the forest. But the Beast had been hurt.

Belle was about to jump back on the horse when she noticed that the Beast had collapsed in
pain. She hesitated only a moment before running to his side.
Bellle helped the Beast back to the enchanted castle, and nursed his wounds until he was
better. Before long, Belle and the Beast were reading books, eating meals, and taking walks
together.
“Isn’t it wonderful!” the enchanted objects agreed as they watched the couple becoming
friends.
Finally, the Beast allowed the enchanted objects to dress him in new clothes.
“Tonight, when the moment is right, you might confess your love to her,” Lumiere advised
the Beast.

16
 So that night, after dinner, the Beast led Belle into the ballroom and they danced together to
a beautiful love song.

“Belle, are you happy here with me?” the Beast asked.
“Yes, but . . .,” Belle said, “if only I could see my father, just for a moment.”
“There is a way,” the Beast told her. And then he brought out his enchanted mirror.
When Belle looked into the mirror, she saw her father lost and shivering in the woods,
searching for her. “Oh, no! He’s sick! He may be dying!” Belle said.
“Then you must go to him,” the Beast said. “I release you. But take the mirror with you, so
you will always have a way to look back . . . and remember me.”
“How can you let her go?” Cogsworth asked, near tears.
“Because I love her,” the Beast replied.
With the mirror’s help, Belle found her father and took him home. “How did you escape
from the horrible beast?” her father sked.
“I didn’t escape, Papa. He let me go,” Belle said. “He’s changed somehow.”
Meanwhile, Gaston had convinced the director of the insane asylum to lock up Maurice. His
plan was simple—he would convince Belle that he was the only one who could save her father—
but only if she agrees to marry him.
“Everyone knows her father is a lunatic, talking about some giant beast. But Belle will do
anything to protect him,” Gaston explained.

17
 But when Gaston and the director arrived, followed by a crowd of curious villagers, Belle
held up the enchanted mirror, and showed them the image of the Beast. “My father’s not crazy!”
she protested. “The Beast is real, but he’s also quite kind.”

Gaston realized that Belle had feelings for the Beast instead of himself. Enraged, he snatched
the mirror from her.
“She’s as crazy as her old man!” he told the crowd. “The Beast will make off with your
children. I say we kill him!”
And so the angry crowd followed Gaston through the woods to storm the Beast’s castle.
The enchanted houdehold objects saw the mob from the castle windows, and prepared their
defense. By the time the villagers battered through the castle door, an army of angry objects was
ready for them.
“Now!” Lumiere yelled, leading the attack. Immediately, forks and brooms and furniture and
objects of every description hurled themselves through the air towards the astonished
townspeople.

18
 But the Beast, sure he had lost Belle forever, had no heart for fighting. “What shall we do,
master?” Mrs. Potts asked him.
“It doesn’t matter now. Let them come,” the Beast replied. So when Gaston stormed into
his room, the Beast didn’t even attempt to defend himself.
When Belle arrived seconds later, she saw that Gaston had forced the Beast to the edge of
the castle roof.
“No!” Belle screamed.
The sound of Belle’s voice snapped the Beast into action. He grabbed Gaston by the neck
and dangled him over the edge of the roof.
“Let me go! I’ll do anything!” Gaston pleaded.

Full of rage, the Beast hesitated for just a moment. Then he realized he was not really a
beast at heart. He tossed Gaston safely back on the balcony, and turned towards Belle, who had
raced up the stairs to find him.
But just as the Beast moved to embrace Belle, Gaston pulled a long hunting knife from his
boot . . . and stabbed the Beast in the back.
The Beast let out a howl of pain. Gaston took a frightened step backwards, tripped over the
edge, and plunged from the roof.
But the Beast had been terribly wounded. Belle ran to his side and embraced him. “You
came back,” the Beast whispered. “At least I got to see you one last time.”

19
 “Don’t talk like that. You’ll be all right,” Belle said, fighting back tears.

In the Beast’s room, the last petal was about to drop from the rose.
“No! Please don’t leave me. I love you,” Belle sobbed, leaning down to kiss him just as the
last petal fell.
Magically, the Beast rose, and changed back into his human form.
“Belle, it’s me,” said the Prince.
Belle rushed into the Prince’s arms. As they kissed, magic filled the air. Soon Lumiere,
Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip, and all the other enchanted objects were transformed back into
their human forms.
That night, the castle was filled with love as Belle and the Prince danced and danced, barely
able to take their eyes off each other. And the castle was once again filled with life and laughter.
1. What is the main idea of the whole selection?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

20
 2. Why did the enchantress turn the Prince into a hideous beast?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. Why did the Beast keep Maurice prisoner?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4. Why did the Beast let Belle go when she learned that her father was sick?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
5. How was the spell over the Beast finally broken?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 35 and 36. Did you get all
the correct answers? If you did, that’s very good. That means you learned a lot from this lesson
and are ready to go to the next one. If you did not, don’t worry. Just review the items you made
mistakes in before going to Lesson 2.

21
Let’s Remember

♦ To skim means “to read, study or examine superficially and rapidly, especially: to
glance through (as a book) for the chief ideas or the plot.”
♦ We skim to:
• get the general idea of an article; and
• get the main plot of a story or book.
♦ You can skim an article or book by:
• reading the opening and closing paragraphs first to get what the article or story is
about as well as the author’s purpose for writing it; and
• letting your eyes go quickly over the article or story while looking for topic
sentences or main points, key words and phrases.
♦ A topic sentence tells the main idea of the story or paragraph. It is usually placed at
or near the beginning of the paragraph.

22
 LESSON 2

Scan for Information

Have you ever experienced looking through the classified ads of a newspaper? Why do
people read the classified ads pages anyway?
These pages usually give us ideas on what jobs are being offered all over the country and
even outside the Philippines. You can also find things/places for rent or sale in these pages.
So what does this have to do with our lesson?
Well, that’s simple! This lesson will teach you all about scanning, the process involved when
you look through the classified ads in a newspaper, the phone numbers in a directory or wherever
you may be looking for specific information.

Let’s Try This

Look at the page of a directory below and answer the questions that follow.

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 1. If you live in Kamuning and want to call the nearest Metrobank branch, what phone
numbers should you dial to get some information?
_________________________________________________________________
2. How about if you live in Cubao? List down the phone numbers of the possible
branches you can call.
_________________________________________________________________
3. If you live along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, in which column should you
refer to to get the phone number/s of the branch there?
_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 36. How well did you do?

Let’s Learn

To answer the questions in the activity above, what reading skill did you apply?
When trying to get specific information, we scan what we read. To scan means “to glance
from point to point often hastily, casually or in search of a particular item” as when you scan the
classified ads when looking for a job or when you scan the directory when looking for a phone
number or address.
There are two hand motions that can help you when scanning reading materials. The first is
called the circular hand motion. This can be done by letting one of your hands move in sweeping
circles quickly. Refer to the illustration below to see how this is done.

Did you use these hand motions when you scanned the directory page presented on page
23? If your answer is yes, very good! This process will help you get the information you need
with less effort and time.

24
 Let’s Try This

Scan the selection below for specific details and answer the questions that follow.
Dengue fever, now commonly identified as H-fever, is alive and well in the metropolis. The
troublesome disease-carrying female mosquito is on the loose.
Dengue (H-fever) is not contagious. But it needs immediate attention and prompt medical
care in a hospital where the disease can be properly diagnosed and monitored. There are several
cases of adults and children afflicted with H-fever.
There is no immunization for H-fever. Unfortunately, one can get dengue several times.
Every unfortunate time you are bitten by a disease-carrying female mosquito, you can get the
disease all over again. In some cases, entire households have been afflicted by dengue. That
means that some very active female mosquitoes were busy sucking blood from the different
members of the household.
Many of our villages and condominiums are built near creeks, ponds, and esteros. This is
where the mosquitoes breed. We need a stepped-up campaign to make sure that we can
successfully eradicate the disease-carrying mosquitoes from our gardens and our homes. We
must put on mosquito repellent when we go to the garden, especially near a pond or a creek. We
must light insect repellent candles in the garden or in the open terrace.
It is a good precaution to have a pest control man fumigate the garden. Burning lanzones
peels or mangosteen shells are native practices that are believed to be effective in repelling
mosquitoes. Burning insect repellent candles outdoors will ward away the mosquitoes.
Some people will say that the mosquitoes bearing the dreaded disease are the mosquitoes
that bite during the day. It is wise to be wary of all mosquitoes, night and day. Mosquitoes are
found all over the world. But in a tropical country, like the Philippines, they thrive with wild
abandon. Almost 2000 species of mosquitoes have been found. Each year scientists are
dicovering new species.
Fortunately, in the last decades we have successfully eradicated the malaria mosquito from
our countryside. The only areas left are Palawan and other remote jungle areas. However, a new
strain of malaria has been discovered. It is resistant to the common anti-malaria tablets that used
to effectively combat the deadly disease.
We have to make a clear and sustained effort to rid our country of these pesky and
dangerous mosquitoes. We call on health officials and villagers to support the war against
mosquitoes in an environment-friendly manner. These buzzing blood-sucking female insects are
dangerous. Let’s join forces and make sure the disease-carrying female insects do not feast on
the warm blood of our family and household members, our pets, and birds.
A. What is the main idea of the selection? Put a check (3) on the blank before the
number to show your answer.
_______ 1. Dengue or H-fever is not contagious.
_______ 2. Lanzones peels are good mosquito repellents.
_______ 3. We should eradicate disease-carrying mosquitoes.

25
 B. Write True in the blank if the statement is correct and False if it is wrong.
_______ 1. Dengue fever is commonly identified as H-fever.
_______ 2. H-fever is a contagious disease.
_______ 3. There are vaccines for immunization against H-fever.
_______ 4. Ponds, creeks and esteros are the breeding places of mosquitoes.
_______ 5. Insect repellent candles drive and kill mosquitoes.
_______ 6. Smoke from burning lanzones peels or mangosteen shells can repel
mosquitoes.
_______ 7. Mosquitoes that carry H-fever bite at night.
_______ 8. Mosquitoes are found only in warm tropical countries.
_______ 9. Malaria has been eradicated in the whole country.
_______10. There are almost 2000 species of mosquitoes.
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 36. How well did you do?

Let’s Learn

The second hand motion follows a zigzag pattern. Refer to the illustration below to see
how this is done.

Did you try using these hand motions in doing the activities? These will also facilitate the
easy gathering of information from reading sources and minimize wasting time and energy.

26
 Let’s Try This

Look at the classified ads page below and answer the questions that follow.

1. If you are a U.P. student in Diliman and are looking for a nearby room where you can
stay in, what possible numbers can you call to get some information?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Under what category should you look if you are looking for a place where you can
bed-space?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. If you are planning to put up a canteen or a food service business and want to rent a
place near other businesses, which of the advertised places can you take a look at or
call for more information?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 36. How well did you do?

27
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Scan the first page of an on-line newspaper below and answer the following questions.

1. List down the titles of the articles under the category “Breaking News.”
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. What are the names of the different columnists for the day? (Hint: Look under the
category “Inquirer Op-Ed.”)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

28
 3. Under what major news category can you find the following articles:
a. “Estrada, son must attend bail hearings—Sandigan”
_____________________________________________________________
b. “After five years, Australian IT exec becomes Filipino at heart”
_____________________________________________________________
c. “18 dead, 75 injured in suicide bombing in Tel Aviv”
_____________________________________________________________
d. “Bright boy opted for lowest paying job”
_____________________________________________________________
e. “Kidnap-for-ransom gang leader falls”
_____________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 36 and 37. Did you get all
the correct answers? If you did, that’s very good. That means you learned a lot from this lesson
and are now ready to go to the next part of the module. If you did not, don’t worry. Just review
the parts of the lesson you did not understand very well before going to the next part of the
module.

Let’s Remember

♦ To scan means “to glance from point to point often hastily, casually or in search of a
particular item.”
♦ There are two hand motions that can help you when scanning reading materials and
these are:
• the circular hand motion; and
• the zigzag hand motion.
Well, this is the end of the module! Congratulations for finishing it. Did you like it? Did you
learn anything useful from it? A summary of its main points is given on the next page to help you
remember them better.

29
 Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

♦ To skim means “to read, study or examine superficially and rapidly, especially: to
glance through (as a book) for the main ideas or the plot.
♦ We skim to:
• get the general idea of an article; and
• get the main plot of a story or book.
♦ You can skim an article by:
• reading the opening and closing paragraphs first to know what the article or story
is about as well as the author’s purpose for writing it; and
• letting your eyes go quickly over the article or story while looking for topic
sentences or main points, key words and phrases.
♦ A topic sentence tells the main idea of the story or paragraph. It is usually placed at or
near the beginning of the paragraph.
♦ To scan means “to glance from point to point often hastily, casually or in search of a
particular item.
♦ There are two hand motions that can help you when scanning reading materials and
these are:
• the circular hand motion; and
• the zigzag hand motion.

30
 What Have You Learned?

A. Skim and scan the selection below and answer the questions that follow.
Long ago, people believed there were gods and goddesses with magic powers.
Many stories were told about them. In one of these stories, it was said that Jupiter, the
father of the ancient Roman gods, created all the animals in the world.
Soon after he did this, the horse galloped up to Jupiter’s mountain palace and
shouted:
“O great god Jupiter, I am told by all the other animals, that I am the most
wonderful creature you have created. I think this is true, for I am surely more beautiful,
stronger, and faster than any other animal.”
“I see,” Jupiter said, smiling kindly. “And having all this beauty, strength, and
speed, is there anything else you want?”
The horse looked himself over and felt very pleased with what he saw. “Well,” he
said, “there are just a few changes I would suggest.”
“Really!” exclaimed the god. “I see nothing wrong with you, but tell me what
changes you wish me to make.”

The horse lifted one of his handsome legs. “Well,” he said, “if my legs were a little
longer and thinner, I would have even more speed than I have now.”
“Yes, you might,” agreed Jupiter.

31
 “And don’t you think,” asked the horse, stretching his neck, “that I would be
even more handsome if my neck were longer and more like that of a swan?”
“Perhaps,” replied Jupiter.
“I am very strong,” the horse went on, making his muscles ripple in the sunlight,
“but I believe a broader chest would give me even more strength.”
“That’s possible,” said Jupiter.
“And since you made me to carry people, wouldn’t it be better to have the
saddle as part of my broad back?”
“You may be right,” replied Jupiter. “Be patient for a little while and I will see
what I can do.”
In a deep voice the great god then said a magic word, which rang out from the
mountains and was echoed by the clouds. The wind blew, and dust whirled in the air.
The dust whirled and whirled until finally, when the air cleared, there stood a camel.

The horse stared at this new animal, wondering why the god had made such an
ugly creature.
Smiling, Jupiter watched the horse. “Here you are,” he said. “His legs are longer
and thinner. He has a long, swanlike neck. And see his broad chest? What strength!
And see how his two humps make a saddle between them. Nothing to put on at all.
Do you wish to look like him?”
The horse shook with fear, but he said nothing.
“I see you do not,” Jupiter said. “Very well! I have been kinder to you than you
deserve. I made this creature to show you what you might look like, but I believe I
shall always keep this animal on earth. I shall call it camel. It will remind you to be
happy with what you have.”
The horse walked away, and no one has ever heard him complain again.
—Retold

32
 Encircle the letter that gives the correct answer to each of the following questions.
1. What is the selection all about?
a. gods and goddesses
b. horses and camels
c. Jupiter and the horse
d. complaints and more complaints
2. What is the message of this selection?
a. Gods and goddesses have magic powers.
b. One must be contented with what he/she has.
c. Everything in this world can be changed.
d. Animals are like people because they ask for changes.
3. What is the best title for the selection?
a. Father of Ancient Gods
b. An Ugly Creature
c. The Most Wonderful Creature
d. Jupiter and the Horse
B. Scan the story for specific details of fact and fiction. Write Fact in the blank if the
sentence states something factual or based on facts and Fiction if it states something
fictional or based on fiction.
______ 1. Gods and goddesses of the olden days possessed magic powers.
______ 2. The father of the ancient Roman gods was called Jupiter.
______ 3. The horse is more beautiful, stronger and faster than any other animal.
______ 4. Long legs enable four-footed animals to run fast.
______ 5. Longer necks would make horses more handsome.
______ 6. A broad chest generally gives men and animals more strength than a
small chest.
______ 7. People ride horses better if they use saddles.
______ 8. When a great god says a magic word, dust whirls in the air.
______ 9. The camel has a broad chest, long, thin legs and two humps.
______ 10. The horse does not complain about his looks anymore.

33
 C. Scan the given index page below and identify on what page/s can you find information
on each of the given topics.

1. Grating method
_____________________________________________________________
2. Intercept method
_____________________________________________________________
3. Median
_____________________________________________________________
4. Functional notation
_____________________________________________________________
5. Parallel lines
_____________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 37. Did you get a perfect
score? If you did, that’s very good. That means you learned a lot from this module and are ready
to study Part 2. If you didn’t, don’t worry. Just review the parts of this module you did not
understand very well before going to the next one.

34
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 2–6)

A. 1. first paragraph
2. fifth paragraph
3. eleventh paragraph
B. 1. office clerk, secretary (granting that you are female), office staff,
telemarketer
2. office clerk, office staff, secretary, telemarketer, tutor
3. 8330946, 8330947, 3147232 (if you are Visayan), 9273866, 8067246,
2881311, 8891171, 8671937, 9136810

B. Lesson 1
Let’s Try This (pages 8–9)
1. Tribal leaders from the plant site and surrounding areas seem to have
conflicting views themselves.
2. People who work in science have certain characteristics in common.
3. Adolescence is a stage of physical, emotional and social changes.
Let’s Try This (pages 9–10)
1. (b)
2. True
3. distressed
4. True
5. True
6. caves
7. True
8. True
9. tarsius
10. True
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 10–21)
1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2. The enchantress turned the Prince into a beast because he did not know
how to love others.

35
 3. The Beast kept Maurice prisoner because he trespassed on the Beast’s
property.
4. The Beast let Belle go then because he loved her.
5. The spell over the Beast was broken when he learned to love and was
loved by someone in return.

C. Lesson 2
Let’s Try This (pages 23–24)
1. 9246989, 9207813, 9207814, 9207816
2. 9110430, 9213226
3. second column
Let’s Try This (pages 25–26)
A. Check number 3.
B. 1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. False
9. False
10. True
Let’s Try This (page 27)
1. 9215874 (if you are female), 9266843
2. Bed spaces
3. 7218135, 3642902, 3663946, 3663947
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 28–29)
1. “Five hostages escape, Abu Sayyaf take four new captives”; “GMA wants
SEC to stress on capital market buildup”; “GMA stresses need for AFP
modernization”; “Abu Sayyaf gunmen escape cordon”; “Lack of teachers
still a major problem: Roco”; “Mediator Castillo to Abu Sabaya: Call me”;
“Abu Sayyaf mounts counter attack on security forces”; “Social welfare,
DOH ready food, medicine for wounded, evacuees”

36
 2. Isagani A. Cruz; Fr. Jerry M. Orbos, Svd; Randy David; Antonio T.
Carpio; etc.
3. a. “Nation”
b. “Business”
c. “World News”
d. “Sunday Biz”
e. “Metro”

D. What Have You Learned? (pages 31–34)

A. 1. (c)
2. (b)
3. (d)
B. 1. Fiction
2. Fact
3. Fact
4. Fact
5. Fact
6. Fact
7. Fact
8. Fiction
9. Fact
10. Fiction
C. 1. page 71
2. page 185
3. pages 464 and 505
4. page 166
5. pages 195 and 328

37
 References

Alonzo, Rosario I. Literature in Focus I. Quezon City: SIBS Publishing House, Inc., 1998.
Arquiza, Yasmin D. and Lan Mercado-Carreon. “People or Power?” Saving the Earth:
The Philippine Experience. 4th ed. Metro Manila: Philippine Center for Investigative
Journalism, 1997.
“Beauty and the Beast.” Disney’s All-Time Favorite Classics. Canada: Brimar Publishing
Inc., 1998.
Borabo, Milagros L., et al. Skill Builders for Efficient Reading 4. 3rd ed. Quezon City:
Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 1997.
Inq7.net. (2000). http://www.inquirer.net/. June 3, 2001, date accessed.
Manila Bulletin. June 1, 2001.
McLaren, James E., et al. Heath Biology. U.S.A.: D.C. Heath and Company, 1991.
Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 22, 2000.
Sia, Lucy O. 21st Century Mathematics Second Year. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc., 1995.

38