Summarize a variety of texts to demonstrate comprehension.

Assignment Brief

COM101 - Communicating Across Contexts

Subject Description 
This course introduces students to the core concepts of communication. Students will cultivate an awareness of these concepts by analyzing how they are used in a variety of texts and contexts, and they will apply these concepts strategically in their own writing. Through a variety of writing tasks centred on these core concepts of communication, students will develop the transferrable reading and writing skills essential for success in their post-secondary studies, workplaces, and communities.

Summarize a variety of texts to demonstrate comprehension.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Summarize a variety of texts to demonstrate comprehension.
• Compose written texts using communication strategies suitable for the intended purpose and audience.
• Analyze a variety of texts to determine the credibility of those sources.
• Create informed arguments in response to a variety of texts.
• Revise writing for clarity, coherence, and grammatical correctness.

Sample Answer

COM101 – Communicating Across Contexts
Assignment Title: Summary Task Demonstrating Text Comprehension

Introduction

This assignment focuses on summarising different texts to show clear understanding of their core ideas. Summarising is an important skill in communication because it shows how well someone has grasped the meaning of a message and can explain it in their own words. I have chosen three different types of texts, a news article, an academic article, and a short story, to summarise and demonstrate my comprehension.

Text 1: News Article Summary

Title: “Global Warming and Its Impact on Polar Ice Caps”
Source: BBC News, 2024

Summary:

The article discusses how global warming is leading to the fast melting of polar ice caps, particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Scientists explain that rising temperatures are causing sea ice to shrink at record levels, affecting both wildlife and global sea levels. The article highlights how polar bears and seals are struggling to survive as their habitats disappear. It also points out that the melting ice contributes to rising oceans, which can flood coastal areas. Experts call for immediate action by world governments, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and switching to renewable energy sources.

Key Idea: Climate change is accelerating polar ice melting, affecting both the environment and human populations.

Text 2: Academic Article Summary

Title: “The Role of Communication in Team Performance”
Author: Dr. Linda Martin
Journal: International Journal of Business Communication
Year: 2022

Summary:

This academic article explores how effective communication boosts performance in team settings. Dr. Martin conducted a study with 15 teams across different industries to see how their communication style influenced success. She found that teams with open, respectful, and frequent communication were more productive, more innovative, and more likely to meet their goals. In contrast, teams with poor communication often failed to complete tasks or experienced conflict. The article also explains the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication and recommends training sessions to improve team dynamics.

Key Idea: Strong communication within teams improves performance and reduces misunderstandings.

Text 3: Literary Text Summary

Title: “The Gift of the Magi”
Author: O. Henry

Summary:

This short story tells the tale of a young couple, Jim and Della, who are poor but deeply in love. As Christmas approaches, both want to buy each other a special gift. Della sells her long, beautiful hair to buy Jim a chain for his prized pocket watch. Meanwhile, Jim sells his watch to buy Della some expensive combs for her hair. In the end, both realise they no longer have the items their gifts were meant for. However, the story highlights their selfless love and willingness to sacrifice for each other. The message is that love is more important than material things.

Key Idea: True love is shown through selfless giving, not through expensive gifts.

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