Skim for Dummies

Skim is a word that we often use when we talk about reading or looking at something quickly. It means to take a very fast look at something, like when you quickly glance at the words on a page without reading them closely. When we skim something, we're not trying to read every word or understand every detail, but instead, we're just trying to get a general idea of what it's about.

Imagine you have a chocolate chip cookie in front of you. Now, picture yourself taking a quick bite without actually savoring all the flavors, textures, and deliciousness of the cookie. That bite may give you a general idea of what it tastes like, but you won't fully experience the joy of all the different ingredients coming together. Skimming is a bit like taking that quick bite of the cookie - you're not diving deep into the details, but you're still getting a taste or a sense of what it's all about.

Now, let's think about another example. Have you ever looked through a photo album? When you flip through the pages quickly, just glancing at the pictures without really studying each one, that's called skimming. You're not examining every single detail, but you're still getting a general idea of the moments captured in the photos.

So, to summarize, when we say skim, it means to quickly glance at or read something without going into too much detail, just to get a general understanding of what it's about. It's like taking a quick bite of a cookie or flipping through the pages of a photo album without fully experiencing every aspect of it.