Summarizing and Paraphrasing a Source Activity

In the University of Phoenix Material Summarizing and Paraphrasing a Source Activity Part 1: Summarizing Review the following passage and summarize it in the box as though you were including this information in a research paper. Use the reference to create an appropriate APA-formatted in-text citation. Aggressive driving is characterized by the tendency to view driving as a competition rather than as a means of getting from one place to another. Although most drivers are content to move along with the flow of traffic, aggressive drivers weave from lane to lane, seeking any advantage that will place them ahead of others. Aggressive drivers are also more likely to tailgate and honk the horn in an effort to intimidate other drivers or simply to move them along faster. When confronted with heavy traffic, aggressive drivers often engage in dangerous behavior such as passing on the right, using utility or turn lanes as driving lanes, and ignoring traffic signals. Paradoxically, aggressive drivers often pride themselves on their skill. They see other, more cautious drivers as the problem, not themselves. Reference Arlov, P. (2007). Wordsmith: A guide to college writing (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall. Summary As stated by P. Arlov in Wordsmith: A guide to college writing, â€Å"Aggressive diving is characterized by the tendency to view driving as a competition †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2007) Those type of drivers do not follow the rules of driving, and can create unsafe situations for other drivers in the road. Part 2: Paraphrasing and Quoting Review the following passage and paraphrase it in the following box. Use the reference to create an appropriate APA-formatted in-text citation. Additionally, include one direct quotation. One of the most valuable skills a student can develop is focus. Focus is the ability to concentrate on one thing for an extended period of time, shutting out everything else. The person who is focused has no trouble with homework; her mind is on the task until it is finished. The focused person has no trouble concentrating during a test. She does not even notice the voice of the lecturer in an adjacent classroom, the tapping pencil of the student two rows over, or her instructor’s squeaking chair. People differ widely in their ability to concentrate. Some seem capable of laser like focus on any job until it is completed. Others are easily distracted, jumping up from homework to do a hundred small, but suddenly urgent, tasks as the homework gets pushed further into the background. Like any other skill, the ability to focus can be learned and reinforced through practice. To improve your ability to concentrate, start by establishing a set time and place to study. If possible, study at the same time and in the same place every day. Establishing a routine gives study the importance it deserves and helps make studying a habit. Then, to keep yourself on task, set a small timer as you begin studying. Start by setting the timer to go off after 15 minutes. Until the timer goes off, give studying your full attention. If your mind wanders—and it will—pull it back to the task. Then reward yourself with something small: 5 minutes of solitaire on your computer or a trip to the refrigerator for a glass of iced tea. Time your reward, too—about 5 minutes should be sufficient. Then set the timer for another 15 minutes. As concentration becomes a habit, that habit will spill over into the classroom, too. You will be better able to focus on your instructor’s words or on the test you are taking. If extraneous noises during a test still distract you, invest in a pair of earplugs to shut out noise as you take your test. The ability to concentrate is a necessary skill. Fortunately, it is a skill that can be improved with effort. Reference Arlov, P. (2007). Wordsmith: A guide to college writing (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall. Paraphrase and Quotation Focusing is a skill that can be learned by practicing. Students can make certain changes in their studying habits in order to make this possible. This can be done in many different ways like using timers and setting time frames to accomplish any task in hand. Another way of getting your mind in to this habit is by rewarding you time spent on studying with breaks, but these have to be kept short so that focus will not be lost in other ways of distractions. Everyone is different so each person that has trouble focusing must learn their own type of style of focusing that works from them. One way of knowing if focusing is an issue for a student is if they are easily distracted by noise or activity around them while trying to study or take tests. Sometimes noise distractions can be fixed by using some kind of noise blocking device such as earplugs. The most effective way is to keep a routine in place to study and do homework same time and same place every time. As stated by P. Arlov in Wordsmith: A guide to college writing; â€Å"One of the most valuable skills a student can develop is focus† (3rd ed. , 2007). This is one of the most important skills to success of a college student to learn because this skill can transfer over to being able to learn more in a class room setting, and be able to pick up more information while the instructor is speaking. Reference: Arlov, P. (2007). Wordsmith: A guide to college writing (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall.