In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Underlining/highlighting passages is a great way to engage with the text and find your place if you need to refer back to the text at a later date. Annotating the margins with notes, questions, or observations is another great way to stay engaged, as it forces you to ask questions of the text and look for significant passages. Some things to look for as you read include:  definitions or relevant terms (especially those you're not familiar with) methods and results (for text books) cause-and-effect relationships references to earlier material, as this will probably be an important concept Another good learning tool to help you stay focused is to extract important material from the text and re-phrase it in your own words. This forces you to pay close attention and to actually process what you read, rather than passively skimming the text.  Reading actively requires you to extract and bring together related pieces of information from the text. By doing this, you may find that a passage from the middle or end of the book is directly related to an earlier section in ways you might have missed. As you read, try to paraphrase difficult passages in your own words. This has been shown to help students retain information. In addition to synthesizing material, you should force yourself to ask questions of the text. Then try to find the answer, which may come from reading onward or from quickly referring back to previous pages or chapters (in which case underlining/highlighting/annotating will come in handy).  Try to decipher what the author is trying to accomplish with each chapter you read. How does it stand alone, and how does it fit into the larger context of the book's intended goal(s)? How does each chapter you read build off of the previous chapters? Are they related, or do they seem disconnected? Was this a deliberate choice by the author? Ask yourself, "Can I learn anything from this text?" Surely the answer is yes; it's just a matter of figuring out what it is you can learn. Ask yourself questions about any passages or sections that are difficult/confusing. Try to answer those questions before moving on, either by reflecting on the material you've just read or browsing through your underlined and annotated sections from earlier in the book.
Summary: Annotate the margins and underline/highlight. Synthesize material and put it in your own words. Force yourself to ask/answer comprehensive questions.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Lay the leather belt outside on a sunny day. Leave it out for about ten minutes to open the pores and prepare the material. Coconut oil (the organic kind that you'd use for cooking) is a great easy-to-find softening agent. Try avocado oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, or almond oil. Use any natural oil that you would put onto yourself as a skin-softener. Leather is the dried and treated skin of a cow – so it essentially made from the same stuff as your own skin.  Natural oils have the added benefit of smelling pleasant. Rubbing alcohol and Vaseline will do a great job of softening up your belt, but you might be off-put by the decidedly chemical scent. Pick an oil that you like to smell. Avoid using chemically hydrogenated oils – namely, most commercial corn oils and vegetable oils. Simply dip your fingers into the oil, then rub it thoroughly over the surface of the belt. Add multiple layers of oil for an improved softening effect. The more oil you use, the softer the leather will get. Don't worry about using too much. Most natural oil should not damage leather. Note that the oil—especially coconut oil—may slightly darken the belt. However, it also turns your stiff leather into a smooth, wearable material. If your belt is not soft enough, try repeating the oil treatment. You can use this darkening effect to change up the look of your leather belt. Just make sure that you apply it evenly so there aren't any mismatching lighter splotches!
Summary: Prep the leather in the sun. Choose your oil. Rub the oil into the belt. Let the oil dry into the leather.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Water and electricity do not mix, and it is dangerous to get electrical equipment wet. Don't use your power washer anywhere near electrical equipment or active power lines. If you have to wash an area with an exterior outlet, cover it with multiple layers of duct tape to keep water out. Keep your washer's engine behind you as you move around during your pressure washing. This will keep water from getting in the engine. Pressure washers obviously produce quite a bit of force. Even if you don't hit sensitive areas with the pressure washer directly, the ricocheting water can still cause damage. Cover areas that you wish to protect with a heavy drop cloth. Lay it on top of the area you want to protect, and weigh down the corners with heavy objects or tie it down with duct tape. A drop cloth will not protect sensitive areas if you aim your nozzle directly at them. It will merely prevent incidental damage from unwanted splashing. Pressure washers create a lot of kickback when you turn them on. For this reason, using the washer on a ladder or unstable surface can be extremely dangerous. Besides, pressure washers are strong and you should be able to hit a hard-to-reach area with higher power settings and a thinner nozzle from 10–30 feet (3.0–9.1 m) away. If you're using a soap dispenser, soap scum can dry up in your water lines after you're done using your washer. Clean your pressure washer by refilling it with water and running it for 3-5 minutes before emptying the tank and wiping it down with a microfiber cloth. Inspect the lines and hoses on your washer for damage before each use.  Some pressure washers are designed to be taken apart for cleaning. Refer to your washer's manual to see how to take it apart. If you have a gas-powered washer, you may need to change out the oil regularly. Store your pressure washer in a warmed section of your home during the winter to prevent water lines from freezing.
Summary:
Avoid electrical lines, outlets, and light sources. Cover shrubs, gardens, or air conditioners with drop cloths. Don't use your pressure washer on a ladder or unstable surface. Clean out water lines after using soap in your pressure washer.