这个问题是指我们要对自己所阅读的文章要有所认识。它是一篇什么样的文章?是故事呢，记叙文，还是议论文?
why am i reading it? (what is my purpose?)
其次我们要有阅读的目的。我们为什么要读它?是为了娱乐消遣，查找知识、信息，还是作阅读练习?
how should i read? (skimming for general understanding; scanning for specific information。
我们该如何读它呢?是为了寻找文章的主题大意而略读课文(skimming)，还是为了寻找某具体信息而扫读(scanning)它呢?
阅读时：如果我们读的是一本书，那么
do i browse(浏览)the book quickly?
do i use the content page, the index, the headings and the subheadings for guidance?
do i identify which parts of which chapters i need and put marks in theses?
在我们读一本书时，先看一下它的题目、目录、封面或封底的介绍。以确定我们是否真正需要读它，它的内容主要是什么，哪一部分是我们所需要的。然后翻到我们所需要的章节，扫读一下确定它的内容的确和我们所预期的需要或兴趣一致。这样做可以使我们接下来的阅读容易许多，使得阅读更为有效。
如果我们读的是一篇文章，那么
do i read the title?
do i read any sub-headings?
do i read the first sentence of each paragraph (which should introduce the topic or idea)?
do i look at any diagrams, graphs or charts?
do i read any summaries or conclusions?
文章的阅读在一开始先浏览一下全文是有必要的，特别是对于篇幅较长的文章。这个策略叫做survey the text。浏览的目的在于了解文章的结构，为接下来的阅读做认识上的准备。浏览要看的是标题、小标题或副标题、任何的插图、图表;任何的黑体字、斜体字、底部划线字等等。因为这些文字和图表所表达的信息往往与文章的中心、主题有关。掌握了它有助于我们更好更快地理解。
关于阅读时的注意力：
do i think about what i`m reading?
do i question what i`m reading? do i look for answers to my questions?
do i keep trying to anticipate what is coming next, or what the conclusions will be?
do i make notes of the important points, and ideas brought out by what i read?
do i challenge the assumptions of the writer, the logic of the arguments, and the validity of the conclusions?
do i take in what i read? and do i make sure i`m doing so by :
---- summing up each section?
---- taking regular breaks