W Writing guide A summary Page 23 A summary is a shortened version of a text that highlights its key points. The primary purpose of a summary is to give an accurate, objective representation of what the original text says. Checklist: Summary • The summary is shorter than the source. • It repeats the ideas of the source in different phrases and sentences. • Include important data but leave out minor points. • Do not include your own ideas. You are simply repeating what the source text says, using fewer words. • There is no conclusion to a summary. Sample prompt Summarise the text “Marathon kids: Too young to run?”. 1 Two weeks ago Nicholas Burke completed his second marathon in just under three and a half hours. There’s nothing sensational about this story – except that Nicholas is only 17. Nicholas is among a small but growing number of teenagers reported to be completing marathons and 21-kilometre half marathons at important races all over Canada. Their participation highlights one of the most controversial questions in the running world: How young is too young to run 42.2 kilometres? Many adults are worried about these young competitors, fearing that some are being forced to dangerous extremes by over-ambitious parents. Marathons can cause permanent injury to growing bodies, some sports doctors say, who warn that the road race may be the newest sports arena where children’s bodies are being pushed too hard. On the other hand, so many organisations are worried about overweight kids and their sedentary lifestyle of computers, TV and cars that running programmes for the young are now promoted at marathon events all over North America – and they are becoming very popular. One doctors’ organisation sees nothing wrong in letting children run marathons, as long as they train properly. But does it have to be the full 42.2-kilometre marathon? “Yes,” Nicholas says. He caught the marathon bug at 10, when he saw athletes on TV running over the finish line at the New York Marathon. By 12, he was running two kilometres a night after dinner. At 15, he completed his first 5-kilometre competitive race. Not being able to find a running coach in the small Canadian village where he lives, Nicholas followed a 6-month marathon-training programme online. “My doctor gave me the green light, too,” he said, “so my mum quit worrying about my health.” Nicholas’s goal is to qualify for the race that first inspired him: the New York Marathon. By the time he has to qualify in May, Nicholas will be 18 and thus able to meet New York’s age requirement. “When I run, I get this fantastic feeling,” he says. “That it’s my own time and everything, just for me. And nobody can stop me.” 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Sample summary A new trend that is becoming more and more popular for teenagers is taking part in marathons and 21-kilometre half marathons. However, whether or not this is harmful to a young body is currently being discussed in the medical world. On the one hand, too much sport obviously can have negative effects on bodies that are not yet fully grown, many doctors warn. Moreover, there is the danger of parents forcing their children to perform well. On the other hand, however, health organisations are increasingly worried about overweight kids. 17-year-old Canadian Nicholas Burke started running when he was ten and has already run two full marathons, one of them in under three and a half hours. His next aim is to take part in the New York Marathon, and he is waiting impatiently because there is an age limit of 18. (141 words) 5 10 15 160 Writing guide Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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