What is skimming in the context of reading?

In the context of reading, skimming refers to the technique of quickly glancing over a text to grasp the main ideas and structure without focusing on every detail. This approach often involves using elements within the text such as headings, subheadings, bolded terms, and definitions to guide the reader in identifying the most important information.

By employing these guides, readers can efficiently determine what sections are most relevant to their needs or interests, allowing them to obtain a general overview of the material. This strategy is particularly useful when needing to assess the content to decide if a deeper reading is necessary or to quickly locate specific information.

The other options, while related to various reading strategies, do not encapsulate the essence of skimming. Reading only the introduction and conclusion indicates a more targeted approach rather than the broader glance skimming implies. Reading faster than usual could be a component of skimming but does not fully represent the method's purpose of identifying main ideas. Summarizing texts in one's own words is a different skill, focusing on comprehension after reading rather than the rapid identification of key points during the reading process.