# Question first: scanning vs reading in detail

URL: https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/lezen/question-first-scan-then-read
Course: Lezen: the reading exam, step by step (https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/lezen)
Level: A2 and B1
Publisher: Inburgeringklaar

> Use the question to decide where to look and how carefully to read.

## Goals
- Pick out the key words in a question
- Scan a text quickly for a name, number or date
- Switch to careful reading at the right sentence

## Two speeds of reading

Good readers do not read everything at the same speed. They use two modes:

- **Scanning:** your eyes move fast over the text, looking for one thing: a word, a number, a name, a heading. You do not try to understand the rest.
- **Reading in detail:** you slow down and read one or two sentences word by word, including the small words.

In the exam you need both, in that order. First you scan to find *where* the answer is. Then you read *that place* in detail.

## Step 1: take the question apart

Before you look at the text, read the question and find two things.

**1. The question word.** It tells you what kind of answer to look for.

| Question word | You look for… |
|---|---|
| *Wanneer…?* | a day, date, time |
| *Hoe laat…?* | a clock time |
| *Hoeveel…?* | a number or price |
| *Waar…?* | a place, address, room |
| *Wie…?* | a person, job, organisation |
| *Waarom…?* | a reason (*omdat, want, daarom, door*) |
| *Wat moet je doen…?* | an action (*moet, graag, vergeet niet*) |

**2. The key word.** This is the most specific word in the question: a name, a thing, a place. In *Hoe laat gaat de bibliotheek op zaterdag dicht?* the key words are **zaterdag** and **dicht**.

## Step 2: scan for the key word

Now let your eyes run over the text looking only for *zaterdag*. Headings, bold words, tables and numbers jump out first, so use them. Don't stop for words you don't know. They are not your problem yet.

Be careful: the text may use a **different word** with the same meaning. The question says *dicht*, the text may say *gesloten* or *tot 17.00 uur*. The question says *kosten*, the text says *prijs* or *tarief*. Keep a few synonyms in mind while you scan.

| In the question | Maybe in the text |
|---|---|
| *dicht* | *gesloten, sluit om…* |
| *kosten* | *prijs, tarief, betalen* |
| *beginnen* | *starten, van … tot* |
| *meenemen* | *bij je hebben, neem … mee* |
| *afspraak maken* | *aanmelden, inschrijven, reserveren* |

## Step 3: read in detail around the spot

When you find the key word, stop scanning. Read the full sentence, plus the sentence before and after. That is where conditions hide:

*Op zaterdag zijn wij open van 10.00 tot 16.00 uur. In de zomervakantie sluiten wij op zaterdag al om 13.00 uur.*

If the question is about a normal Saturday, the answer is 16.00. If it is about a Saturday in July, it is 13.00. You only see this if you read the sentence after the first hit.

## Step 4: check the options

Compare each option with what you read. Don't choose the first option that "sounds right". Check all three or four. Lesson 5 covers the traps in detail.

## When to read the whole text first

Scanning first works for detail questions. For questions like *Wat is het doel van deze brief?* or *Waarover gaat deze tekst?* you need the big picture. For those, read the title, the first paragraph and the last paragraph. At A2 a short text is quick to read in full anyway.

A practical order for one text:

1. Read all the questions for this text (not the options yet).
2. Read the title and first lines of the text.
3. Answer the questions one by one, scanning for each.

## Practise this at home

Take any Dutch text with numbers in it: a supermarket folder, a bus timetable, a website of a sports club. Write three questions for yourself (*Wanneer…? Hoeveel…? Waar…?*). Time how fast you find each answer. Most people get much faster within a week.

## Useful Dutch
- **wanneer**: when
- **hoe laat**: at what time
- **hoeveel**: how much / how many
- **waarom**: why
- **gesloten**: closed
- **het tarief**: the rate, fee
- **aanmelden**: to sign up, register
- **meenemen**: to bring (along)
- **van … tot …**: from … until …
- **uitzondering**: exception

## Worked example: Opening hours with a condition

Sportcentrum De Linde
Maandag t/m vrijdag: 7.00 – 22.00 uur
Zaterdag: 8.00 – 18.00 uur
Zondag: 9.00 – 14.00 uur
Let op: op feestdagen zijn wij open zoals op zondag.

Vraag: Het is Tweede Paasdag (maandag). Tot hoe laat kun je sporten?
A 14.00 uur
B 18.00 uur
C 22.00 uur

Question word: tot hoe laat, so you need a closing time. Key words: Tweede Paasdag and maandag. Scanning for maandag gives 22.00, and that is option C. But you must read the line under the table: on public holidays (feestdagen) they open as on Sunday. Tweede Paasdag is a feestdag, so the Sunday hours apply: until 14.00. The answer is A. Option C is the trap for people who stop at the first hit.

## Common mistakes
- Reading the whole text slowly before even looking at the question.
- Stopping at the first place where the key word appears and missing the condition in the next sentence.
- Only scanning for the exact word from the question, while the text uses a synonym.
- Choosing the first option that seems right without checking the others.

## Check yourself
1. The question is: 'Hoeveel kost een kaartje voor kinderen?' What do you scan for first?
   A) The word 'kinderen' and prices near it
   B) The title of the text
   C) The last paragraph
   Answer: A. The key word is 'kinderen' and the question word asks for a price. Find the word, then read the prices around it.
2. The question says 'Wanneer is het kantoor dicht?' Which word might the text use instead of 'dicht'?
   A) geopend
   B) bereikbaar
   C) gesloten
   Answer: C. 'Gesloten' means closed. 'Geopend' is open and 'bereikbaar' means reachable.
3. You found the key word in the text. What should you do next?
   A) Choose the option that contains that word
   B) Read that sentence and the ones around it carefully
   C) Go to the next question
   Answer: B. Conditions and exceptions are often in the next sentence. Read the area in detail before choosing.