Which activity best fits a pre-reading activity?

• A. Create a quick outline before reading
• B. Discussing the text read
• C. Skimming the next chapter
• D. Listening to background music while reading

Answer: (A)

Before reading, you want to set a purpose and rough structure for what you’re about to learn. Creating a quick outline does that by quickly identifying the main idea and likely subtopics, giving you a mental map to follow. This pre-reading plan primes your thinking, helps you focus on key points, and makes it easier to connect details to the overall message as you read.

Discussing the text after you’ve read is the kind of activity that supports understanding once you’ve finished, not before. Skimming the next chapter can help you get a sense of what’s coming, but it doesn’t build the same planning and comprehension support as making an outline. Listening to background music while you read can distract you and hinder concentration, so it doesn’t count as a productive pre-reading activity.