INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It will be very difficult to summarize a story without actually reading it. So crack open your book, or plug in some headphones and listen to it on your iPod. Don't always trust the internet sites that claim to summarize books, because they aren't always accurate. As you're reading, you need to keep in mind what the central idea of the story is. For Lord of the Rings, for instance, the central idea might be something about how the power of greed (i.e. the Ring) is a strong force for evil, or even the actions of one insignificant person (like a hobbit) can change the world. Concentrate fully on the book. Don't get distracted by anything, not even music. You'll need to take notes as you read so that you have refer to them when you're ready to start the summary. Look for the "who? what? when? where? why?" These will give you the basis for what you want to cover in your summary. You'll need to know who the story is about, after all, and you need to figure out which characters aren't as important to the narrative. If you're reading a story with tons of characters, you won't want to note down every single character that appears. For example: for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone you would write down Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, because they are the main characters. You might even note down Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Quirrell, and Voldemort because they figure importantly in the story. You wouldn't need to write down Peeves the poltergeist, or Norbert the dragon, because while they are important in their places in the story, they don't influence the main storyline enough to be part of the summary. A shorter story like "Little Red Riding Hood" is easy because you only have to note down Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the wolf, and the woodcutter (depending on the version). The setting is where the events take place. Now this can get complicated if the story you're reading takes place in a lot of different places. If that's the case, you'll need to be more broad. Continuing the Harry Potter example: the main action takes place at Hogwarts, so you could write down something like 'the magical school Hogwarts in the United Kingdoms.' Now for a story like Lord of the Rings, which takes place over a large amount of territory, you can mention that it's Middle-Earth, and note some places of important like the Shire, Mordor, and Gondor. You don't have to go too specific (like mentioning the forest Fangorn, or the tower Minas Morgul). This means whatever is the main problem that the characters are having to overcome. It doesn't necessarily have to be a villain, like with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. For Harry Potter, the main conflict is Voldemort's attempt to steal the Sorcerer's Stone and return to menace the Wizard World (and kill Harry). For example, if you're summarizing The Odyssey, the main conflict is Odysseus trying to get home to Ithaca. Everything about the story is driven by his desire to get home and all the obstacles standing in his way. These are the most important parts of the story. You don't need to note down every single thing that a character does. In fact, that is exactly what you're supposed to not do! Just look for the events that further the main conflict, or help resolve it. For Harry Potter, some main events would be Harry finding out he's a wizard, or Harry meeting the three-headed dog and, of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione defeating Voldemort. It might seem easier for a shorter story like 'Little Red Riding Hood,' but you should only note down the most important moments like Riding Hood meeting the wolf, getting eaten after she mistakes the wolf for her grandmother, and the appearance of the woodcutter. This is the big event, usually, that wraps up the story's conflict and resolves the problems. Even in a book that is part of a series there is usually some sort of conclusion to the story. Spoilers below! For Harry Potter the conclusion is defeating Voldemort. The story after that isn't important to the summary, even if it is important to the overall story. You won't need to go into the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry at the end, or even the Gryffindor House winning points, because it isn't really part of the main Voldemort storyline. For Red Riding Hood, the conclusion is the appearance of the woodcutter to save her and her grandmother. For something like Lord of the Rings, the conclusion is complicated for a summary, because you may want to stop off at the destruction of the Ring, but (especially if the central idea of the story is the importance of the the deeds of one insignificant person) you will want to mention the Scouring of the Shire, and Frodo's departure from the Grey Havens.

SUMMARY: Read the story. Take notes. Find the main characters. Note down the setting. Note the story's conflict. Note the main events. Note the conclusion.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Remember, a person will never truly quit using drugs until he is ready to do so. The decision has to be yours. A great way to help you get clear on all of the advantages of living a drug-free life is to make a list of the benefits of sobriety. Here are some things that you may want to consider: Meth use often impacts your quality of life. Your finances take a hit and relationships may be destroyed because of the erratic behavior that addiction creates. Also, you always run the risk of being arrested when you use illegal drugs. These are all things that could change when you stop using meth. Prolonged use of meth can cause negative health consequences such as extreme weight loss, severe dental problems including tooth loss, and skin sores that result from excessive scratching. Meth use can also increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis. Being healthy for you and your family is often a pretty good reason to quit. Be intentional about removing the people who introduced you to the drugs from your life altogether. This includes old friends that you have gotten high with in the past as well as your drug supplier. You should remove any avenue that you could potentially use to contact them. This includes phone numbers that are stored in your cell phone, phone numbers that may be written down on pieces of paper in your wallet or in your home, and even social media contacts. This way you will no longer have access to people who have a negative influence on you. If negative influences are still contacting you, then you may want to consider changing your phone number and deleting your social media accounts for a while. It is just as important to avoid going into old environments that may trigger your desire to use meth. Many people even take alternate routes to work to avoid driving past old acquaintances. Staying busy can also help you avoid negative influences. Try getting a job and even a second one if possible. Experiment with working longer hours or get started with a new hobby. Try to keep yourself busy so that you're less likely to be distracted by negative people and places. It is really important to have a strong support system as you move through the process of quitting meth. There should be at least one person who you can call at any time to help you get through a tough moment. Keep your sobriety partner's phone number in your wallet, in your cell phone, or in any place where you will have easy access to it at all times. Identifying one person to be your sobriety partner is fantastic but having several people that you can call at a moment's notice is ideal. Keep in mind that the larger your support network is, the more successful you'll be with quitting.

SUMMARY:
Write down all of the reasons that you want to quit. Delete all of the negative influences from your contacts. Keep yourself busy. Call a friend and ask him to be your sobriety partner.