The GIST of this paragraph is

____________________________

Read the first two sentences of the next paragraph. Write a summary of the two sentences using no more than 15 words. Read the second two sentences of the paragraph. Write a summary of the two sentences using no more than 15 words.

The Food Guide Pyramid includes information on the types of food that people should consume on a daily basis as well as how much of each food type. The Pyramid includes the “servings” that a person should consume of each food type – however it does not include examples of what a “serving” is. This information is provided separately from the USDA and is important information for students to have when developing healthy eating habits. The Pyramid should be considered only as a guide for identifying the foods people consume. Life experiences, food intolerances, allergies, and even family background and culture impact what people choose to eat. The Pyramid is merely a starting point to determine eating patterns that ensure each person gets the nutrients he/she needs to be healthy.

Step 1 (First two sentences) ____

Step 2 (Second two sentences)

____

Step 3 (Third two sentences)

____

The GIST of this paragraph is

______

Get the GIST of the entire passage (both paragraphs) by summarizing your GIST sentence from paragraphs one and from paragraph two into one of not more than 15 words.

The GIST of this passage is

_________

“About Point” Activity Sheet

Read the material from your textbook that your teacher has assigned. Then decide what the passage is Aboutand what details or Pointssupport your answer. Then complete the “About Point” Activity Sheet. You can work with a partner if you want.

This reading is ABOUT

______

and the POINTS are

___________

Appendix III

Oral Presentation Skills

Definition: Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or learner.

Here are the essential elements and some tips on preparing and organizing a successful oral presentation in English or any other language to be presented to fellow students, colleagues or other interested groups.. The same structure can also be used to some extent in the context of a written text, i.e. dividing the text into three parts - introduction, development and conclusion. Other useful elements for the written text include expressions to indicate lists, narrative, links and examples.

It is also important to remember that there are perhaps several formulae for an oral presentation, this being just one. Are you explaining a procedure, trying to convince or persuade, give information or outline possible courses of action? What you are trying to do in your presentation should have a bearing on how you present. There are also cultural aspects to take into consideration in that different communities will react differently to the same presentation.

Each one will expect and react in various ways according to the linguistic, scientific, academic or business culture it is familiar with. Different people speak in different ways in different languages and different conventions depending on to whom, where, when and why they are speaking. All of these questions are, of course, vital to take into consideration during the preparation.

Remember: anyone can give a good presentation. Don’t worry if you are not naturally extrovert. Preparation and practice can be the keys to success!

I. Preparation and Planning

I.1 Essential Preparation and Planning Checklist

This is a checklist of the essential elements to consider in preparing and planning an oral presentation. Use it yourself by filling in the boxes on the right under “My Ideas”.

questions to ask yourself	examples	my ideas
1. What is the aim?	get an idea about an economic notion to adopt my recommendations to join the club to give me a job
2. What is my title?	role of money in the society How to reduce production costs The INT Chess Club
3. Who am I speaking to?	What are the benefits to the audience of my product/report/speech? Are these people the decision makers? What do they know of the subject? What sort of questions will they ask me? What are the answers? What aspects will they be interested in?
4. What are the main points I want to make?	1, 2, 3; first, second, third; point a, point b, point c
5. What do I want the audience to do after listening to my presentation?	We must invite them: to start a discussion to accept my findings to join the club to give me a job

I.2 Other questions concerning physical aspects.

Who is the audience?

How many people will there be in the audience?

Check beforehand, if you can, the place where you are going to make your presentation and some technical aspects, such as equipment you may need, the necessity of handout materials etc.

When?

What time of day is it? What day is it? Will the audience be more or less receptive when listening?

How long?

In relation to what the audience knows or time constraints, what can I eliminate if necessary?

Other

Am I dressed appropriately? Shoes polished? Are my hands and fingernails clean?

Experienced presenters are able to improvise and adapt to changing circumstances

but you may have only one chance to present your information, so be prepared.