Reading: Reading Fluency and Strategies (Strategic Reading): B2 Lesson 4: Synthesizing Information from Different Parts of a Text or Multiple Texts
CEFR Level: B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Target Reading Sub-skill: Reading Fluency and Strategies (Strategic Reading)
Specific Focus: Synthesizing Information from Different Parts of a Text or Multiple Texts
What You Will Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand what it means to synthesize information.
- Identify key ideas from different parts of a text or from multiple short texts.
- Find connections and relationships between these key ideas.
- Combine related ideas to form a new, more complete understanding of a topic.
Hello Cambodian Learners!
When you read, especially longer articles or several pieces on the same topic, you often need to do more than just understand each part separately. You need to synthesize the information. This means putting together different ideas to see the bigger picture, find new connections, or form a more complete understanding. For example, you might read one article about traditional farming in Battambang and another about modern agricultural techniques in the same region. Synthesizing would involve combining these to understand the overall agricultural situation in Battambang.
What is Synthesizing?
Synthesizing is like being a detective for ideas. You gather clues (key information) from different places and put them together to solve a puzzle or create a new understanding. It's more than just summarizing; it's about creating something new from the existing pieces.
Steps to Synthesize Information:
- Identify Key Ideas: What are the main points or most important pieces of information in each section of a text, or in each separate text?
- Look for Connections: How do these key ideas relate to each other?
- Do they support each other (e.g., provide more evidence for the same point)?
- Do they contrast or show different perspectives?
- Do they show a cause-and-effect relationship?
- Are there common themes or patterns?
- Combine and Reorganize: Group related ideas together. Think about how they fit into a larger picture.
- Formulate a New Understanding: Based on the combined information, what new insights, conclusions, or overall understanding can you draw? This new understanding is your synthesis.
Practice Time!
Activity 1: Synthesizing Information from Two Short Texts
Read the two short texts below on a similar topic. Then answer the question that requires you to synthesize information from both.
Quick Quiz!
Great Job!
Synthesizing information is a high-level reading skill that allows you to build deep understanding and make new connections. Keep practicing this as you read different texts!