INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Check your desk, backpack, briefcase or junk drawer for a graphite pencil. For best results, you'll want to use a traditional wooden pencil rather than one of the mechanical varietythe broader tip will make it easier to get the graphite onto the zipper. Graphite naturally makes a very effective dry lubricant.

SUMMARY: Find a pencil.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Ask yourself, "Why am I reading this?" or "What am I supposed to learn from reading this?" By understanding your purpose for reading the material, you will be able to stay on task and focus on the more relevant parts of the text. For example, if you keep in mind that you are reading the material for an exam, this will help you focus on important dates, events, and people. Become familiar with the topic by doing a quick Internet search. The more you understand and know about a particular topic, the more likely you will be able to make associations and remember the information better. For example, if you will be reading about Islam, type in "Islam" in your search engine. Then, click on an article, for example a Wikipedia article, and familiarize yourself with the basic tenets of Islam. Before reading the material, take note of headings, pictures, tables, blurbs, charts, and opening paragraphs. Focus on the important information that fulfills your purpose for reading the material. Skimming the material primes your memory, orients your thinking so you can focus on important information, and helps you formulate a bigger picture of the content, which makes it easier to remember important information. Reading when you cannot focus is a waste of time. Therefore, to maximize your focus, read in short segments. For example, read only a section, or read for only 10 to 15 minutes at a time. After you read the section, go over what you just read in your mind. Increase your reading endurance by steadily increasing the amount of time you read each day or week. For example, if you read in short segments of 10 to 15 minutes one week, read for 20 to 25 minute segments the next week.

SUMMARY: Know what goal you hope to achieve by reading the material. Become familiar with the topic. Skim the material. Read in short segments.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You'll need to think carefully about what your planting conditions are like when selecting which purple flowers to grow. Think about the type of soil you have, the average temperatures your area experiences, and what you want to get out of your flowers. The following steps list out some common purple flowers that are grown in rows. For stunning, long lasting flowers and a heavenly scent, lavender makes an excellent choice for mass planting. In the fields of France's Provence region you'll see fields of them growing in neat clumps. You'll need a Mediterranean type climate for lavender to really thrive but the plants will grow in US zones 5 through 9, which means that they can survive temperatures that drop down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-28.9 degrees Celsius). If you are in zone 5, try the hardy variety Lavendula angustifolia (English lavender). Lavender requires really well-drained soil such as chalk or sand; avoid growing in clay or poorly drained soil. If you are keen to get oil from your lavender, Lavandula x intermedia yields well. Lavandula stoechas is a good choice if you are in zone 7 or warmer. Zone 7 means that temperatures do not drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.8 degrees Celsius). Irises are easy to grow from bulbs in zones 4 through 9, which means that they can handle temperatures that drop down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34.4 degrees Celsius). They are also drought resistant. These flowers will make a good choice in an area with lots of deer, as deer generally avoid eating irises. If you grow bearded iris you may get a second flowering period later in the season. You'll see the foliage year-round but it can look a bit messy. These plants will need dividing every few years. If it's early color you want in your field, rows of tulips or hyacinth are ideal. These will return year after year and require little attention. They do, however, need a well-drained soil and possibly a protective mulch to help shelter the bulbs over winter. Keep in mind that if you grow these flowers, you'll have a bare field for much of the year unless you plant another crop above them. A field of sweet peas is a joy to behold and the scent is divine. Sweet peas are usually annuals but there are perennial varieties. Lord Anson's Pea is a purple perennial. Most varieties will require support and you may need to help train them up their stakes. Sweet peas are great for taking cut flowers as the more you cut the flowers, the more they produce. The plants will look very messy by late summer and need clearing away after blooming. The field will then be bare for the rest of the year unless you plant another crop. Before you plant an entire field of one variety of plant, it's an excellent idea to test out your local conditions by planting 'pilot' plants of the same variety. This means planting a small number of the plant you intend to grow and seeing how they thrive in your conditions. For example, if you plan to grow a field of lavender, try growing three plants of the variety you are considering. You might also grow two substitute varieties (or a different plant species altogether) just in case your first choice doesn't thrive quite as you wished.

SUMMARY:
Understand that you will have to consider the quality of your land when picking out flowers to grow. Consider growing lavender. Take irises into consideration. Think about growing tulips or hyacinths. Grow sweet pea if you would like a sweet-smelling field. Test out the flower you plan to plant in your field.