Summarization

Summarizing is a retelling in your own words, a short version of the main ideas, events and details.

• True
• False

To retell in few words is to .

• predict
• summarize
• infer
• explain

Unlike paraphrase this means to explain the meaning of in an understandable way:

• interpret
• summarize
• paraphrase
• cajole

As our landfills grow into large mountains of junk it has become apparent that we need to take action. Every year thousands of water bottles are thrown into landfills where they do not get recycled and they do not decompose. Thus, further adding to our society's waste.

• destroys our environment.
• makes people money.
• helps people stay healthy.
• makes finding clean water easier.

Is it an ant, you wonder, or a termite? Ants resemble termites, but they are quite different and can be easily distinguished. In contrast to termites, ants are usually dark in color, are hard bodied, and have constriction between the thorax and abdomen. Termites are light in color and shed their wings. Flying ants do not shed their wings. Also, ants and termites belong to different orders.
Select the best summary of this paragraph.

• Termites are lighter in color and loose their wings at a certain stage of development.
• Ants are dark in color, hard bodied and belong to a different order than termites.
• Ants and termites are both insects and have many things in common
• Although ants resemble termites, they have differences that can be easily seen.

"I don't want a babysitter. I am eleven years old. My babysitter is only three years older than I am," she loudly yelled to her Mom. Now, she really wished she had somebody with her as she heard the clicking, scratching noises outside of the living room window. "This is silly. It's probably the storm," the girl said. She regretted watching the horror show she had been tuned into for the last half hour. As she searched for the remote to turn off the vampire movie, the front door blew open with a thunderous noise. Carla whirled around to see a dark image."
Carla didn't want a babysitter because:

• She believes she is old enough to take care of herself.
• She wants to watch scary movies.
• Carla's mother leaves her alone all the time.
• Carla's babysitter is only three years older than Carla.

When you determine the main idea of a text, significant details and condensing information into a short one or two sentence summary, you are:

• predicting
• evaluating
• summarizing
• judging

Which of the following statements about SUMMARIZING is true?

• The Summary is a thought that is true but is not in the passage.
• The Summary is what the passage is mostly about.
•  The Summary is specific, detailed information contained in the passage.
• The Summary is always found in the first sentence of the passage.

It started when they got to the bears. Peter felt tired and his stomach hurt. He dragged himself over to see the elephants, which were eating from a stack of hay. Normally, the elephants were his favorite. Without much interest, Peter followed his classmates to the camels, which were busy swatting flies with their tails. Peter knew he should be having fun at the zoo, but he just felt terrible and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Even the lions and tigers did not interest him now. 
The Summary of this passage is:

• Peter's favorite animals were the elephants.
• The camels were swatting flies with their tails.
•  It was really hot at the zoo.
• Peter didn't enjoy the zoo because he felt really bad.

For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.
 The Summary of this passage is:

• Jenny likes bright colors.
• Jenny was going to paint her room.
• Jenny was picking out colors and materials to decorate her room.
• Yellow is a good color to paint your walls.