diff --git a/djvureader.lua b/djvureader.lua
index e929f765d..fed95555d 100644
--- a/djvureader.lua
+++ b/djvureader.lua
@@ -17,3 +17,61 @@ function DJVUReader:open(filename)
 	self.doc = djvu.openDocument(filename)
 	return self:loadSettings(filename)
 end
+
+function DJVUReader:_isWordInScreenRange(w)
+	return	(self.cur_full_height-(w.y0*self.globalzoom) <= 
+				-self.offset_y + width) and
+			(self.cur_full_height-(w.y1*self.globalzoom) >=
+				-self.offset_y)
+end
+
+function DJVUReader:_genTextIter(text, l0, w0, l1, w1)
+	local word_items = {}
+	local count = 0
+	local l = l0
+	local w = w0
+	local tmp_w1 = 0
+
+	-- build item table
+	while l <= l1 do
+		local words = text[l].words
+
+		if l == l1 then 
+			tmp_w1 = w1 
+		else
+			tmp_w1 = #words
+		end
+
+		while w <= tmp_w1 do
+			if self:_isWordInScreenRange(words[w]) then
+				table.insert(word_items, words[w])
+			end -- EOF if isInScreenRange
+			w = w + 1
+		end -- EOF while words
+		-- goto next line, reset j
+		w = 1
+		l = l + 1
+	end -- EOF for while
+
+	return function() count = count + 1 return word_items[count] end
+end
+
+function DJVUReader:_drawTextHighLight(text_iter)
+	for i in text_iter do
+		fb.bb:paintRect(
+			i.x0*self.globalzoom,
+			self.offset_y+self.cur_full_height-(i.y1*self.globalzoom),
+			(i.x1-i.x0)*self.globalzoom,
+			(i.y1-i.y0)*self.globalzoom, 15)
+	end -- EOF for 
+end
+
+function DJVUReader:startHighLightMode()
+	local t = self.doc:getPageText(self.pageno)
+
+	--self:_drawTextHighLight(self:_genTextIter(t, 1, 1, #t, #(t[#t].words)))
+	-- highlight the first line
+	self:_drawTextHighLight(self:_genTextIter(t, 1, 1, 1, #(t[1].words)))
+	fb:refresh(0)
+end
+
diff --git a/unireader.lua b/unireader.lua
index 98a196312..0a198bcf9 100644
--- a/unireader.lua
+++ b/unireader.lua
@@ -725,28 +725,7 @@ function UniReader:showJumpStack()
 end
 
 function UniReader:highLightText()
-	local t = self.doc:getPageText(self.pageno)
-
-	local function isInScreenRange(v)
-		return	(self.cur_full_height-(v.y0*self.globalzoom) <= 
-					-self.offset_y + width) and
-				(self.cur_full_height-(v.y1*self.globalzoom) >=
-					-self.offset_y)
-	end
-
-	for k1,v1 in ipairs(t) do
-		local words = v1.words
-		for k,v in ipairs(words) do
-			if isInScreenRange(v) then
-				fb.bb:paintRect(
-					v.x0*self.globalzoom,
-					self.offset_y+self.cur_full_height-(v.y1*self.globalzoom),
-					(v.x1-v.x0)*self.globalzoom,
-					(v.y1-v.y0)*self.globalzoom, 15)
-			end -- EOF if isInScreenRange
-		end -- EOF for words
-	end -- EOF for lines
-	fb:refresh(0)
+	return
 end
 
 function UniReader:showMenu()
@@ -893,7 +872,7 @@ function UniReader:inputloop()
 					self:setrotate( self.globalrotate - 10 )
 				end
 			elseif ev.code == KEY_N then
-				self:highLightText()	
+				self:startHighLightMode()
 			elseif ev.code == KEY_HOME then
 				if Keys.shiftmode or Keys.altmode then
 					-- signal quit