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Thematic Contents

xiii

Editing Skills Contents

xvii

Preface

xix

Active Reading

(13)

Learning to Be an Active Reader

(1)

Keeping a Journal

(1)

Previewing the Reading

(2)

Title

(1)

Author and Other Publication Facts

(1)

Visual Features and Supplements

(1)

Responses and Predictions

(1)

A First Reading

(1)

Staying Aware of Conventions

(2)

Subject

(1)

Main Idea or Thesis

(1)

Supporting Material

(1)

Patterns of Organization

(1)

Paragraphs

(1)

Transitions

(1)

Marking the Text

(1)

Sample Marked Essay: Ronald Dahl, ``Burned Out and Bored''

(4)

Clarifying Meaning

(1)

Using the Dictionary

(1)

Reading Aloud

(1)

Discussing

(1)

Rereading

(1)

Making Inferences and Associations

(1)

Reading Between the Lines

(1)

Developing Inference Skills

(1)

Writing to Understand and Respond

(2)

The Reading-Writing Connection

(14)

Writing in Response to Reading

(1)

Building an Essay

(6)

Finding Ideas

(2)

Devising a Working Thesis

(1)

Making a Plan

(1)

Composing a Draft

(1)

Improving the Draft

(1)

Sample Student Essay with Author's Comments

(3)

Ann Moroney, ``A New Adventure at Six Flags Great America''

(2)

Responding to a Reading

(1)

``Learning to Write''

(2)

Russell Baker

``I did my best to avoid showing pleasure, but what I was feeling was pure ecstasy at this startling demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh.''

Suggestions for Writing

(2)

Strategies for Conveying Ideas: Narration and Description

(36)

The Point of Narration and Description

(1)

Using Narratives

(1)

Using Description

(1)

The Principles of Narration and Description

(3)

Organizing the Events

(1)

Including Specific Details

(1)

Selecting Descriptive Words

(2)

The Pitfalls of Narration and Description

(1)

What to Look for in Narration and Description

(2)

``Wind!''

(6)

William Least Heat-Moon

``The wind got louder, then the windows blew out, and we realized we were in trouble when the heat stove went around the corner and out a wall that had just come down.''

``Jackie's Debut: A Unique Day''

(8)

Mike Royko

``When Robinson stepped into the batter's box, it was as if someone had flicked a switch. The place went silent.''

``A Guard's First Night on the Job''

(6)

William Recktenwald

Getting no worse than garbage thrown at you is the prison equivalent of everything going smoothly.''

``More Room''

(7)

Judith Ortiz Cofer

``Every time a child was due, she would demand, More space, more space.''

``Domestic Abuse''

(3)

Kelly Berlin

``My sister and Scott had been dating a couple of years, despite the disapproval of my family.''

Strategies for Making a Point: Example and Illustration

(33)

The Point of Example and Illustration

(1)

Using Examples to Explain and Clarify

(1)

Using Examples and Illustrations to Convince

(1)

The Principles of Example and Illustration

(1)

Select Appropriate Examples

(1)

Give Plenty of Examples

(1)

Include Specific Information

(1)

The Pitfalls of Example and Illustration

(1)

What to Look for in Example and Illustration

(2)

``Down with Forests''

(5)

Charles Kuralt

``I walked out into the morning wondering how our national forests can ever survive our breakfasts.''

```Just Walk on By': A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space''

(7)

Brent Staples

``It was clear that she thought herself the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse.''

``One Man's Kids''

(7)

Daniel Meier

``My work is dominated by 6-year-olds.''

``Civil Rites''

(6)

Caroline Miller

``[T]he confusion extends to everything from deciding who goes through the door first to who initiates sex.''

``My Key Chain''

(2)

David C. Lair

``Of these [possessions], I believe that my key chain says more about my self and my life than anything else does.''

Strategies for Clarifying Meaning: Definition and Explanation

(33)

The Point of Definition and Explanation

(1)

The Principles of Definition and Explanation

(1)

Descriptive Details

(1)

Examples

(1)

Narration

(1)

Comparison

(1)

Contrast

(1)

The Pitfalls of Definition and Explanation

(1)

Missing Your Audience

(1)

Going in Circles

(1)

Abstraction

100

(1)

Leaving Information Out

100

(1)

What to Look for in Definition and Explanations

100

(2)

``Mommy, What Does `Nigger' Mean?''

102

(7)

Gloria Naylor

``[T]he word `nigger' was used in my presence, but it was set within contexts and inflections that caused it to register in my mind as something else.''

``What Is Intelligence, Anyway?''

109

(6)

Isaac Asimov

``In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly.''

``When It Comes to Chewing the Fat, We're Obsessive''

115

(6)

Dave Barry

``Virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products, are now marketed as being `low-fat' or `fat-free.' Americans are Obsessed with fat content.''

``Cultural Baggage''

121

(7)

Barbara Ehrenreich

``Motherhood put the screws on me, ethnicity-wise.''

``Nothing to Be Scared Of''

128

(2)

Kerri Mauger

``Hallucinations can include all of the senses, and my mother had both seen and heard things that weren't there.''

Strategies for Sorting Ideas: Classification and Division

130

(39)

The Point of Classification and Division

130

(1)

The Principles of Classification and Division

131

(1)

Give a Purpose to Your Classification

131

(1)

Establish a Clear Basis for Your Classification

132

(1)

Make Your Groups Parallel and Equal

132

(1)

The Pitfalls of Classification and Division

132

(2)

What to Look for in a Classification

134

(2)

``It's Only a Paper World''

136

(7)

Kathleen Fury

``Many experts claimed that the computer age heralded the advent of the paperless office....If anything, offices are overwhelmed by even more paper, much of it now with sprocket holes.''

``Friends, Good Friends---and Such Good Friends''

143

(8)

Judith Viorst

``The best of friends, I still believe, totally love and support and trust each other, and bare to each other the secrets of their souls, and run---no questions asked---to help each other, and tell harsh truths to each other when they must be told.''

``I'm OK; You're a Bit Odd''

151

(8)

Paul Chance

``A sadist and a masochist may work out a mutually rewarding relationship, but does that make them healthy?''

``Types of Stress for Young People''

159

(7)

David Elkind

``The major task of psychological stress management is to find ways to balance and coordinate the demands that come from within with those that come from without.''

``Stats on ER''

166

(3)

Megan Quick

``Some people are so obsessive about not missing one episode that all other activities cease while ER is on.''

Strategies for Examining Two Subjects: Comparison and Contrast

169

(38)

The Point of Comparison and Contrast

169

(1)

Using Comparisons to Explain

169

(1)

Using Comparisons to Persuade

170

(1)

Using Contrast to Decide

170

(1)

The Principles of Comparison and Contrast

170

(2)

Using the Block Plan

170

(1)

Using the Point-by-Point Plan

171

(1)

The Pitfalls of Comparison and Contrast

172

(1)

Avoid Using Too Many Transitional Words

172

(1)

Avoid Repetition in Concluding

173

(1)

What to Look for in Comparison and Contrast

173

(2)

``Two Views of the Mississippi''

175

(7)

Mark Twain

``All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river.''

``Neat People vs. Sloppy People''

182

(8)

Suzanne Britt

``I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral.''

``Women and Men''

190

(6)

Scott Russell Sanders

``I was baffled when the women at college accused me and my sex of having cornered the world's pleasures.''

``The Trouble with Talent: Are We Born Smart or Do We Get Smart?''

196

(9)

Kathy Seal

``Our national mania for positive self-esteem too often leads us to puff up kids' confidence, and we may forget to tell them that genius is 98 percent perspiration.''

``Four Eyes''

205

(2)

David A. Dean

``Instantly the world is crisp and clear. You walk toward the bathroom in confidence, knowing you will not stub your toe on invisible obstacles.''

Strategies for Explaining How Things Work: Process and Directions

207

(34)

The Point of Writing about Process and Directions

207

(1)

The Principles of Process and Directions

208

(1)

The Pitfalls of Process and Directions

208

(1)

Reviewing Your Process

209

(1)

Addressing Your Audience

209

(1)

What to Look for in Process and Directions

209

(3)

``How to Make Your Dendrites Grow and Grow''

212

(5)

Daniel Golden

``Date provocative people. Better yet, marry one of them.''

``How to Write a Personal Letter''

217

(7)

Garrison Keillor

``Probably your friend will put your letter away, and it'll be read again a few years from now---and it will improve with age.''

``Flea Facts''

224

(6)

Richard Gray, Jr.

``The plague was transmitted to humans by a flea that rode a rat that rode a boat that visited ocean-side city after city. Now this was a flea problem.''

``Cow Tools''

230

(8)

Gary Larson

`` `Cow Tools' awakened me to the fact that my profession was not just an isolated exercise in the corner of my apartment.''

``A Graceful Stride''

238

(3)

Ann Moroney

``At every one of my races, I sat in my blocks looking at the line of hurdles in front of me with fear in my heart.''

Strategies for Analyzing Why Things Happen: Cause and Effect

241

(36)

The Point of Cause-and-Effect Writing

241

(1)

The Principles of Cause-and-Effect Writing

242

(1)

Types of Causes and Effects

242

(1)

Patterns of Cause and Effect

242

(1)

The Pitfalls of Cause-and-Effect Writing

243

(1)

What to Look for in Cause-and-Effect Writing

244

(2)

``Ignorance Is Not Bliss''

246

(7)

Eric Marcus

``The actual telling was far less terrifying than all the anticipation. While my grandmother cried plenty, my family was wrong, because the truth didn't kill her.''

``Why We Crave Horror Movies''

253

(7)

Stephen King

``The mythic horror movie, like a sick joke, has a dirty job to do. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us.''

``Fifth Chinese Daughter''

260

(8)

Jade Snow Wong

``Did a daughter have any right to expect more than a fate of obedience, according to the old Chinese standard?''

``Working: Nobody Talks about the Common Person's Life''

268

(7)

Steve Lopez

``No one is talking about how to educate, train, and employ those who have fallen behind or never even got started.''

``Soap Operas: Entertainment for Everyone''

275

(2)

Amelia Doggett

``As a matter of fact, none of the soap opera fans I know are housewives, have a lot of spare time, or eat bon-bons.''

Strategies for Influencing Others: Argument and Persuasion

277

(39)

The Point of Argument and Persuasion

277

(1)

The Principles of Argument and Persuasion

278

(1)

The Pitfalls of Argument and Persuasion

278

(2)

Taking on Too Much

278

(1)

Mistaking the Audience

279

(1)

Logical Fallacies

279

(1)

What to Look for in Argument and Persuasion

280

(2)

``Why Prisons Don't Work''

282

(7)

Wilbert Rideau

``If getting tough resulted in public safety, Louisiana citizens would be the safest in the nation.''

``Of Headless Mice...and Men: The Ultimate Cloning Horror''

289

(2)

Charles Krauthammer

``For sheer Frankenstein wattage, the purposeful creation of these animal monsters has no equal.''

``Will Cloning End Human Evolution?''

291

(3)

Michael Mautner

``Without the satisfactions of love and sex, of dating and of families, will cloned generations even care to propagate further?''

``The Case for Cloning''

294

(6)

J. Madeleine Nash

``Most lawmakers are focused on a nightmarish vision in which billionaires and celebrities flood the world with genetic copies of themselves.''

``Send Your Children to the Libraries''

300

(7)

Arthur Ashe

``I strongly believe the black culture expends too much time, energy and effort raising, praising and teasing our black children as to the dubious glories of professional sports.''

``A Crime of Compassion''

307

(7)

Barbara Huttmann

``[E]very night I prayed that Mac would die, that his agonized eyes would never again plead with me to let him die.''

``Too Bad It's Just an Ad''

314

(2)

Amanda Davis

``Why can't I graciously surrender to a man's desires without fear of rape or retribution?''