1.3 Clarifying; Summarizing
CLARIFYING means making clear and fully understanding what you read. One way to
do this is by asking yourself questions about the material. In your answers, restate in
your own words what you have read.SUMMARIZING means condensing what you read into fewer words. You state only
the main ideas and the most important details. In your own words, reduce the
paragraph or section into a brief report of its general ideas.Understanding the Skill
STRATEGY: UNDERSTAND AND CONDENSE THE TEXT. The passage below tells about
trade in West Africa between 300 and 1600. Following the description is a summary
that condenses and also clarifies the key information.STRATEGY: FIND AND CLEARLY RESTATE THE MAIN IDEA.
STRATEGY: WRITE A SUMMARY.
Applying the Skill
CLARIFY AND WRITE YOUR OWN SUMMARY. Turn to Chapter 30, pages 874–876,
and read “A Government of Total Control.” Note the main ideas. Look up any words
you don’t recognize. Then write a summary of the section. Condense the section in
your own words.Section 1: Reading Critically
Summarize: Look for topic
sentences stating the main
idea. These are often at the
beginning of a section or para-
graph. Restateeach main idea
briefly.Clarify: Look up words or
concepts you don’t know.Summarize: Include key
facts and statistics. Watch
for numbers, dates, quantities,
percentages, and facts.Clarify: Make sure you under-
stand. Ask yourself questions
and answer them. For example,
who’s carrying what?4
3
2
1
3
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West African Trade
The wealth of the savanna empires was based on trade in two precious commodities, gold
and salt. The gold came from a forest region south of the savanna between the Niger and Senegal
rivers. Working in utmost secrecy, miners dug gold from shafts as much as 100 feet deep or sifted it
from fast-moving streams. Until about 1350, at least two thirds of the world’s supply of gold came
from West Africa.
Although rich in gold, the savanna and forest areas lacked salt, a material essential to human life.
In contrast, the Sahara contained abundant deposits of salt. Arab traders, eager to obtain West Afri-
can gold, carried salt across the Sahara by camel caravan. After a long journey, they reached the mar-
ket towns of the savanna. Meanwhile, the other traders brought gold north from the forest region.
The two sets of merchants met in trading centers such as Timbuktu. Royal officials made sure that all
traders weighed goods fairly and did business according to law.1
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R4SKILLBUILDERHANDBOOK
MAIN IDEA
Gold and salt were traded in West Africa.Clarify and Summarize:
Write a summary to clarify
your understanding of the
main ideas.Summary
Trade in West Africa was based on gold from the south and salt from the north. Gold
was mined in the forest regions. Two thirds of all the world’s gold supply came from
West Africa. Salt came from the desert. Arab traders met with African traders at
trade centers such as Timbuktu.