Developing Critical Reading Skills

by Spears, Deanne

• ISBN13: 9780073385730
• ISBN10: 0073385735
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-06
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

Although the world has changed a lot since the first edition, the underlying premise ofDeveloping Critical Reading Skillshas not. The premise of the text is that good reading and clear thinking go hand in hand. For this reason, it emphasizes practice in sustained, analytical reading. Students first work with high-quality short passages before moving on to more substantive pieces of greater complexity. The readings explore diverse subjects: anthropology, sports, human behavior, politics, social policy, education, ethics, autobiography, personal reminiscence, the minority and immigrant experience, humor, satire, and so forth. The passages also reflect diverse writing styles, thereby giving students the experience of reading high-level prose by its best practitioners. This book succeeds when students become more self-assured about their reading and when they recognize that reading wellwith confidence, fluency, and enjoymentis a significant part of their emotional and academic lives. As the book's epigram by Tobias Wolff says: "A true piece of writing is a dangerous thing. It can change your life." Students will feel genuine excitement when they encounter a writer who shows them a new way of looking at their lives and at the world. It is this feelingthis inspirationthat Deanne Spears imparts.

Table of Contents

Preface Preface to the Student An Overview of the Text

The Characteristics of Good Readers Online Learning Centers Becoming a First-Rate Reader College Reading Assignments How to Read This Textbook (and other Textbooks)

Getting the Most out of This Text Part I reading for Understanding: Practice in Basic Comprehension Skills

Building a Foundation: Vocabulary, Annotating, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Improving Your Vocabulary Vocabulary in Perspective Daily Reading and Vocabulary Improvement

A Personal Sidenote Further Suggestions for Vocabulary Improvement Using the Dictionary Using Context Clues Annotating

Reading with a Pencil in Your Hand Writing Paraphrases Chapter Exercises

Mark Stevens, n++Chief Josephn++s Revengen++

Michele Simon, from Appetite for Profit

Sandra Mackey, from The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom Practice Essay: Laura Hillendbrand, from Seabiscuit: An American Legend Writing Summaries How to Write a Summary

Reading for the Main Idea and Authorn++s

Purpose Main Idea in Paragraphs Main Idea and Controlling Idea Placement of the Main Idea Implied Main Ideas Levels of Supportn++Major and Minor Supporting Details The Authorn++s

Purpose and Modes of Discourse Narration Description Exposition Persuasion Mixed Modes of Discourse Chapter Exercises

Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

David Orr, n++Verbiciden++

Jonathon Franzen, n++Sifting the Ashesn++ Practice Essay: Bill Buford n++Among the Thugsn++

On the Web In the Video Store

Reading Between the Lines: Making Accurate Inferences Facts and Inferences Definition of Inferences Problems with Inferences Using Evidence to Make Inferences Making Open-Ended Inferences

Making Inferences in Textbook Material Making Inferences in Literature Making Inference with Visual Material Cartoons Graphs and Charts Chapter Exercises

n++Good Idean++ Utne

Jan Yoors, The Gypsies

Diane Ackerman, The Natural History of the Senses Practice Essay

n++Design Risingn++ Practice Short Story

n++The First Dayn++ Part 2 Discovering Meaning: The Importance of Form

Methods of Paragraph Development Modes of Discourse and Methods of Development Compared Methods of Paragraph Developmentn++

The First Group Facts and Statistics Examples and Illustration Illustration in Textbooks Process Comparison and Contrast Contrast in Textbooks Methods of Paragraph Developmentn++

The Second Group Cause and Effect Cause and Effect Relationships in Visual Material Analysis and Classification Analysis in Textbooks Definition Definition in Textbooks Analogy Combination of Methods Chapter Exercises

Sam Harris, The End of Faith

Daniel Duane, Caught Inside: A Surfern++s year on the California Coast

James E. Rosenbaum, n++Itn++s Time to Tell the Kids: If Youd Donn++t Do Well in High School, You Wonn++t Do Well in College (or on the Job)n++ Practice Essay: Richard Selzer, n++The Pen and the Scalpeln++ In the Library

Patterns of Paragraph Organization Patterns of Organization Defined Chronological Order Spatial Order Deductive Order Inductive Order Coherence in Paragraphs Achieving Coherence: Transitions Achieving Coherence: repetition of Key Words and Phrases Achieving Coherence: Pronouns Chapter Exercises

Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World

The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom

n++The Power of Storyn++ Practice Essay: Conrad

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