Question 1: Summarize the article. For this summary, imagine that you're explaining the reading to a fellow student in this class. What are the most important points for another student to understand? What can you leave out?
Question 2: Now, summarize the article in a sentence. For this summary, imagine that you're speaking to a middle school student who has asked you what kinds of reading you do in college. What did you choose to include or leave out this time? What changes did you make to accommodate the smaller space? What changes did you make to accommodate a different audience?
Question 3: Now, summarize the article in one word. Your audience is your fellow students again. You can choose any word you like, but see how much you can express with that single word. What aspect or aspects of the longer article were you able to retain in that one word.