Reading Faster The only way to read faster is to

Reading Faster
    Good morning, boys and girls. Today, we are going to talk about how to read faster when you are doing reading comprehension.
    Actually the only way to read faster is to read faster. This may sound like a double talk, but it is a serious suggestion. The fact is that most people can read faster simply by making a conscious effort to do so.
    The following are some guidelines from the "Just Do It" school on speed reading.
    First, get your body ready. Get off the couch. Sit at a desk or a table and sit up, on the edge of your chair, with your feet flat on the floor. When you feel your body ready to start the reading, breathe in and out deeply for several times.
    Next, set a time limit. Use a clock or a digital watch with a built-in stopwatch to time yourself. The objective is not to set speed records, so be realistic. The idea is to give yourself a gentle push, increasing your reading speed without sacrificing comprehension.
    Another hint from the "Just Do It" school is to relax. Relaxation promotes concentration. But remember, relaxation is not the same thing as sleep. So focus on the reading material and relax when you find it difficult to comprehend.
    You may begin the experiment with the "Just Do It" method right now. Read the reading comprehension material as fast as you can. After you finish, come back and reread the same paragraphs at your usual rate. Notice how much you remembered from your first sprint through.
You can also read faster by moving your eyes faster. When we read, our eyes leap across the page in short bursts called speed-reading. Your eyes can move faster if they take in more words with each burst—six instead of three, for example.
    When you’re in a hurry, scan the assignment and read the headings, subheadings, lists, charts, graphs and summary paragraphs. By doing this, you get the general idea of the passage and then you may focus on the questions as well as the details.
    Another way to read faster is not to vocalize. Obviously, you’re more likely to read faster if you don’t read aloud or move your lips. To stop doing it, just be aware of it.
    And also you may practice reading faster with simpler materials at first. That way you can pay closer attention. A cautionary note about these techniques is that speed isn’t everything. Skillful readers vary their reading rate according to their purpose and the nature of the material.
    You can also use different reading rates on the same materials. That is the method we should use in everyday English learning. When you comprehend the passage in our textbook, you may skim the passage to get the main idea and key words. Then pay attention to the questions that follow, and focus on the answers where they appear in the passage. Also you should pay attention to the difficult part of the passage.
    As you are practicing reading more and reading faster, you will surprisingly find you can not only read faster, but also comprehend better. That is all for today’s lecture. Thanks for your attention.