常會有同學覺得閱讀明明應該是最容易拿分、最容易練習的科目了，為什麼實際考試時卻會如此不穩定呢？有時候可以到26，然後下次考試又掉到21分，整個很打擊信心。
閱讀最難做到的莫過於時間掌控了，假如一篇可以做兩小時，那麼當然可以慢慢把答案找到，但是托福考試一篇大約700字的文章只給你20分鐘的時間。要讀懂文意又要選對答案，確實有些難度。
而面對充滿著各式專有名詞以及複雜句型的文章，通常同學只使用了一種閱讀方式—細讀。也就是一個字一個字慢慢看，翻譯理解後再看下一句話。再試著去理解每句話之間的關聯性，最後看完一整個段落，還有整篇文章。
也就是說，一般同學除了靠自己的英文實力硬看之外，沒有其他種閱讀方法。
這不是很奇怪的事情嗎？
面對這麼難懂的文章，時間又是如此短的情況下，居然沒有其他工具幫助你戰勝托福考試？
這就像是同學玩快打旋風的電動時一樣，假如不會任何招式，不知道任何大絕，卻希望靠著亂按鍵盤，用蠻力跟他硬拼，妄想打贏三場比賽，一樣地不合乎邏輯。
其實，閱讀要穩定考到28分以上的關鍵秘密在於你是否能夠自由地運用scan與skim。
scan與skim這兩種閱讀技巧真的是在準備托福閱讀裡的大絕招了。
甚至同學正在準備GMAT/GRE，需要短時間做大量閱讀時，也會是必備的技巧喔！
以下讓我來好好介紹這兩種不同的閱讀技巧。
（部分文章擷取自：Skimming And Scanning: Two Important Strategies For Speeding Up Your Reading，有興趣的讀者歡迎再自行閱讀原文）
skim與scan都是適用於時間限制下的閱讀方式。如果同學能夠掌握skim與scan，而且於考試時依照不同情境，使用不同的閱讀方法，那麼閱讀實力便會大福提升，也能夠輕鬆選對答案了。
首先先來看scan，scan是指瀏覽、尋讀。目的為快速地找到特定資訊。
什麼時候要使用scan呢？當問題問的是特定資訊的答案時，就會使用scan，例如：detail 題，purpose題，等。
注意：scan不需要讀每個句子，單純使用眼睛快速尋找相關的keyword，定位後再讀懂該句即可。
scan的關鍵在於，選答案前必須要根據自己找到的資訊，在腦海中有清楚的想法，再選答。
當你可以很快辨認題型，以及確實使用scan時，便能夠在45秒內答對一題detail題。
我們現在使用TPO 34裡面的題目試試看這樣的閱讀技巧。
現在請用手機開始計時，測試你需要花多久時間scan。
According to paragraph 1, floral nectar and extrafloral nectar are alike in that….
此時，當你看到了題目要的是特定資訊，有特定的keyword，就能夠運用題目裡面的keyword來scan整個段落。
看完題目後，你會抓什麼關鍵字？
把關鍵字記在腦中，試著從下文中快速定位。
Many plants – one or more species of at least 68 different families – can secrete nectar
even when they have no blossoms, because they bear extrafloral nectaries (structures that
produce nectar) on stems, leaves, leaf stems, or other structures. These plants usually occur where ants are abundant, most in the tropics but some in temperate areas. Among those of northeastern North America are various plums, cherries, roses, hawthorns, poplars, and oaks. Like floral nectar, extrafloral nectar consists mainly of water with a high content of dissolved sugars and, in some plants, small amounts of amino acids. The extrafloral nectaries of some plants are known to attract ants and other insects, but the evolutionary history of most plants with these nectaries is unknown. Nevertheless, most ecologists believe that all extrafloral nectaries attract insects that will defend the plant.
找到keyword了嗎？你需要多久時間？
這題我會這麼做，首先題目中先抓keyword，
According to paragraph 1, floral nectar and extrafloral nectar are alike in that….
此時，我會想著 F nectar vs. E nectar，文中哪裡有比較兩種不同的nectar？
然後快速掃過整段，發現在第六行有出現比較類的字眼。
Many plants – one or more species of at least 68 different families – can secrete nectar
even when they have no blossoms, because they bear extrafloral nectaries (structures that
produce nectar) on stems, leaves, leaf stems, or other structures. These plants usually occur where ants are abundant, most in the tropics but some in temperate areas. Among those of northeastern North America are various plums, cherries, roses, hawthorns, poplars, and oaks. Like floral nectar, extrafloral nectar consists mainly of water with a high content of dissolved sugars and, in some plants, small amounts of amino acids. The extrafloral nectaries of some plants are known to attract ants and other insects, but the evolutionary history of most plants with these nectaries is unknown. Nevertheless, most ecologists believe that all extrafloral nectaries attract insects that will defend the plant.
此時再讀懂該句話。
Like floral nectar, extrafloral nectar consists mainly of water with a high content of dissolved sugars and, in some plants, small amounts of amino acids.
並且抓SVO，簡化該句話的訊息，才能夠在短期記憶中留下印象。
Like floral nectar, extrafloral nectar consists mainly of water with a high content of dissolved sugars and, in some plants, small amounts of amino acids.
這時候我腦海中的理解是
Both nectar have water with high sugar and acids.
切記，托福考各位的，便是信心。
請注意，當我看到amino acids時，我不會在內心大叫，天呀！這是什麼？這會不會是答題關鍵？只要不懂就完了？
而是心想既然我不懂，我想大家都不懂，這是專有名詞，當成一般資訊處理即可，假如我需要理解這個專有名詞，我相信他會解釋，於是便能夠很有信心地不受任何專有名詞的影響，依然選對答案。
此時，有了內心的想法，我才會去看答案選項，便能夠輕鬆選出答案。
1. According to paragraph 1, floral nectar and extrafloral nectar are alike in that
A) they are likely to be produced by the same plants
B) they basically consist of the same chemical components
C) they attract only insects that will defend the plant
D) they are produced by the same parts of the plant
同學選到答案了嗎？
有了清楚的想法，當然便能夠輕鬆選出正確答案。
我們再試一題，一樣請同學計時，看自己需要多久才能夠藉由scan找出正確答案。
According to paragraph 4, what effect does the destruction of the corolla have on
plants?
One example shows how ants attracted to extrafloral nectaries protect morning glories
against attacking insects. The principal insect enemies of the North American morning glory feed mainly on its flowers or fruits rather than its leaves. Grasshoppers feeding on flowers indirectly block pollination and the production of seeds by destroying the corolla or the stigma, which receives the pollen grains and on which the pollen germinates. Without their colorful corolla, flowers do not attract pollinators and are not fertilized. An adult
grasshopper can consume a large corolla, about 2.5 inches long, in an hour. Caterpillars and seed beetles affect seed production directly. Caterpillars devour the ovaries, where the
seeds are produced, and seed beetle larvae eat seeds as they burrow in developing fruits.
找到答案了嗎？
這題一樣，看到是細節題，需要特定的資訊，所以我決定用scan。
According to paragraph 4, what effect does the destruction of the corolla have on
plants?
腦中想著corolla destroy後會有什麼結果？
回文中定位關鍵字。
One example shows how ants attracted to extrafloral nectaries protect morning glories
against attacking insects. The principal insect enemies of the North American morning glory feed mainly on its flowers or fruits rather than its leaves. Grasshoppers feeding on flowers indirectly block pollination and the production of seeds by destroying the corolla or the stigma, which receives the pollen grains and on which the pollen germinates. Without their colorful corolla, flowers do not attract pollinators and are not fertilized. An adult
grasshopper can consume a large corolla, about 2.5 inches long, in an hour. Caterpillars and seed beetles affect seed production directly. Caterpillars devour the ovaries, where the
seeds are produced, and seed beetle larvae eat seeds as they burrow in developing fruits.
此時再讀懂該句。
Grasshoppers feeding on flowers indirectly block pollination and the production of seeds by destroying the corolla or the stigma, which receives the pollen grains and on which the pollen germinates.
一樣抓SVO簡化資訊。
Grasshoppers feeding on flowers indirectly block pollination and the production of seeds by destroying the corolla or the stigma, which receives the pollen grains and on which the pollen germinates.
一樣如果不懂pollination，當客觀資訊處理即可。真的必須看懂文意的話，我會用production of seeds去理解。
腦中想著destroy corolla會block pollination，再去選最相近的答案選項。
A) It leaves the seeds exposed and unprotected.
B) It prevents the stigma from developing.
C) It keeps pollen grains from attaching properly.
D) It prevents the flower from attracting pollinators.
此篇分享如何scan，記得scan的關鍵在於，你能夠多快在文中定位keyword並且在腦中形成清楚的答案呢？
務必要把上述的幾個步驟完全內化，便能夠取得高分。
在此做個小總結：
STEP 1: 題目中找關鍵字
STEP 2: 回文scan關鍵字
STEP 3: 簡化資訊，腦海中有清楚想法
STEP 4:選答案
如果同學發現你很不會找SVO，那麼可以閱讀以下這本書，
黃玟君的觀念英文閱讀──從看懂句子開始
裡面介紹如何抓SVO，雖然很基本，但卻是很多同學在求快，背了大量單字後，可能會不小心忽略的部分。
好好練習scan，不論面對的是托福，或是其他種類的考試，都能夠在閱讀上面穩定地取得高分！
