The Simon and Schuster Short Prose Reader

by Funk, Robert W.; McMahan, Elizabeth X; Day, Susan X.; Coleman, Linda S.

• ISBN13: 9780131925892
• ISBN10: 013192589X
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

This book combines creative, up-to-date writing instruction using short, high-interest readings that provide ideas for writing, suggest ways to approach a topic, and show how to organize and present information.Topics include: active reading, the reading-writing connection, narration and description, example and illustration, definition and explanation, classification and division, comparison and contrast, process and direction, cause and effect, and argument and persuasion.For anyone interested in improving their writing skills.

Table of Contents

Thematic Contents	xvii
Editing Skills: Contents	xxi
Preface	xxiii
Active Reading	1	(14)
Learning to Be an Active Reader	1	(1)
Keeping a Journal	2	(1)
Previewing the Reading	2	(2)
Title	2	(1)
Author and Other Publication Facts	2	(1)
Visual Features and Supplements	3	(1)
Responses and Predictions	3	(1)
A First Reading	4	(1)
Staying Aware of Conventions	4	(2)
Subject	5	(1)
Main Idea or Thesis	5	(1)
Supporting Material	5	(1)
Patterns of Organization	5	(1)
Paragraphs	6	(1)
Transitions	6	(1)
A Sample Essay: Bob Greene, ``Handled with Care''	6	(2)
``[T]hey understood that the woman was troubled, and that what she was doing had nothing to do with sexual titillation; it was more of a cry for help.''
Marking the Text	8	(3)
Clarifying Meaning	11	(1)
Using the Dictionary	11	(1)
Reading Aloud	12	(1)
Discussing	12	(1)
Rereading	12	(1)
Making Inferences and Associations	12	(1)
Reading between the Lines	12	(1)
Developing Inference Skills	13	(1)
Writing to Understand and Respond	13	(2)
The Reading-Writing Connection	15	(15)
Writing in Response to Reading	15	(1)
Building an Essay	16	(6)
Finding Ideas	16	(2)
Devising a Working Thesis	18	(1)
Making a Plan	19	(1)
Composing a Draft	20	(1)
Improving the Draft	20	(1)
Targeting the Readers	20	(1)
Getting Feedback	21	(1)
Polishing the Final Draft	22	(1)
Sample Student Essay: Tara Coburn, ``Someone to Help''	22	(3)
``The fragility I now see in my dad has given me the chance to be stronger.''
Resources for Writers on the Internet	25	(1)
Responding to a Reading	25	(1)
Russell Baker, ``Learning to Write''	26	(2)
``[W]hat I was feeling was pure ecstasy at this startling demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh.''
Suggestions for Writing	28	(2)
Strategies for Conveying Ideas: Narration and Description	30	(42)
The Point of Narration and Description	31	(1)
Using Narratives	31	(1)
Using Description	32	(1)
The Principles of Narration and Description	32	(2)
Organizing the Events	32	(1)
Including Specific Details	33	(1)
Selecting Descriptive Words	33	(1)
The Pitfalls of Narration and Description	34	(1)
What to Look For in Narration and Description	35	(1)
Images and Ideas	36	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	36	(1)
Evan Thomas, ``Rain of Fire''	37	(8)
``It was a little after 8:40 when she entered the lobby of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.''
Mike Royko, ``Jackie's Debut: A Unique Day''	45	(8)
``When Robinson stepped into the batter's box, it was as if someone had flicked a switch. The place went silent.''
William Recktenwald, ``A Guard's First Night on the Job''	53	(7)
``[G]etting no worse than garbage thrown at you is the prison equivalent of everything going smoothly.''
Judith Ortiz Cofer, ``More Room'' (Combining Strategies)	60	(9)
``Every time a child was due, she would demand, More space, more space.''
Kelly Berlin (student), ``Domestic Abuse''	69	(3)
``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	72	(41)
The Point of Example and Illustration	73	(1)
Using Examples to Explain and Clarify	73	(1)
Using Examples and Illustrations to Convince	74	(1)
The Principles of Example and Illustration	74	(1)
Select Appropriate Examples	74	(1)
Give Plenty of Examples	75	(1)
Include Specific Information	75	(1)
The Pitfalls of Example and Illustration	75	(1)
What to Look For in Example and Illustration	76	(1)
Images and Ideas	77	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	77	(1)
Elizabeth Berg, ``My Heroes''	78	(7)
``If you're smart, I thought, you gratefully take your heroes where you find them. As it happens, they are everywhere.''
Brent Staples, ``'Just Walk On By': A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space''	85	(8)
``It was clear that she thought herself as the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse.''
Daniel R. Meier, ``One Man's Kids''	93	(8)
``My work is dominated by 6-year-olds.''
Tim Jones, ``The Working Poor'' (Combining Strategies)	101	(9)
``After tapping friends and family, maxing out their credit cards, and sufficiently swallowing their pride, at least 23 million Americans stood in food lines last year---many of them the working poor''
David C. Lair (student), ``My Key Chain''	110	(3)
``Of these [possessions], I believe that my key chain says more about myself and my life than anything else does.''
Strategies for Clarifying Meaning: Definition and Explanation	113	(35)
The Point of Definition and Explanation	114	(1)
The Principles of Definition and Explanation	114	(2)
Descriptive Details	114	(1)
Examples	115	(1)
Narration	115	(1)
Comparison	115	(1)
Contrast	115	(1)
The Pitfalls of Definition and Explanation	116	(1)
Missing Your Audience	116	(1)
Going in Circles	116	(1)
Abstraction	116	(1)
Leaving Information Out	116	(1)
What to Look For in Definitions and Explanations	117	(1)
Images and Ideas	117	(2)
For Discussion and Writing	117	(2)
Gloria Naylor, ``Mommy. What Does `Nigger' Mean?''	119	(8)
``[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.''
Isaac Asimov, ``What Is Intelligence, Anyway?'' (Combining Strategies)	127	(7)
``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.''
Wayson Choy, ``I'm a Banana and Proud of It''	134	(7)
``I don't mind being called a `banana,' yellow on the outside and white inside.''
Michael Agger, ``Silent Responsibility''	141	(5)
``Even when the best boy is a woman, the title does not change. As for its origins, they're unclear.''
Kerri Mauger (student), ``Nothing to Be Scared Of''	146	(2)
``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	148	(41)
The Point of Classification and Division	149	(1)
The Principles of Classification and Division	149	(2)
Give a Purpose to Your Classification	150	(1)
Establish a Clear Basis for Your Classification	150	(1)
Make Your Groups Parallel and Equal	150	(1)
The Pitfalls of Classification and Division	151	(1)
What to Look For in a Classification	152	(1)
Images and Ideas	153	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	153	(1)
Judith Viorst, ``Friends, Good Friends---and Such Good Friends'' (Combining Strategies)	154	(9)
``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.''
Paul Chance, ``I'm OK; You're a Bit Odd''	163	(8)
``A sadist and a masochist may work out a mutually rewarding relationship, but does that make them healthy?''
David Elkind, ``Types of Stress for Young People''	171	(7)
``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.''
Juleyka Lantigua, ``The Latino Show''	178	(8)
``Here's an idea: Create a Latino version of Friends where each of the amigos represents one of the larger groups of Latinos.''
Bobby Lincoln (student), ``Contemplating Homicide at the Mall''	186	(3)
``Nothing has proved more of a challenge and an annoyance to my shopping life than the salespeople.''
Strategies for Examining Two Subjects: Comparison and Contrast	189	(43)
The Point of Comparison and Contrast	190	(1)
Using Comparisons to Explain	190	(1)
Using Comparisons to Persuade	190	(1)
Using Contrast to Decide	190	(1)
The Principles of Comparison and Contrast	190	(2)
Using the Block-by-Block Plan	191	(1)
Similarities and Differences	191	(1)
Using the Point-by-Point Plan	191	(1)
The Pitfalls of Comparison and Contrast	192	(2)
Avoid Using Too Many Transitional Words	193	(1)
Avoid Repetition in Concluding	193	(1)
What to Look For in Comparison and Contrast	194	(1)
Images and Ideas	194	(2)
For Discussion and Writing	195	(1)
Mark Twain, ``Two Views of the Mississippi''	196	(7)
``All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!''
Suzanne Britt, ``Neat People vs. Sloppy People'' (Combining Strategies)	203	(9)
``I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral.''
Brendan O'Shaughnessy, ``A Whole New Ballgame''	212	(7)
``Whereas the boys generally either went deadpan or shot me the evil `how dare you' death stare . . . , the girls often sincerely apologized for any mistake.''
Kathy Seal, ``The Trouble with Talent: Are We Born Smart or Do We Get Smart?''	219	(10)
``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.''
Dana Webb (student), ``Shopping Online''	229	(3)
``With only a computer and a credit card, you can shop online from your very own home.''
Strategies for Explaining How Things Work: Process and Directions	232	(36)
The Point of Writing about Process and Directions	233	(1)
The Principles of Process and Directions	233	(1)
The Pitfalls of Process and Directions	234	(1)
Reviewing Your Process	234	(1)
Addressing Your Audience	235	(1)
What to Look For in Process and Directions	235	(1)
Images and Ideas	236	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	237	(1)
Carol Fleischman, ``Shopping Can Be a Challenge'' (Combining Strategies)	237	(7)
``'Shop till you drop' or `retail therapy' could never by my motto. To me, `charge' means going into battle.''
Garrison Keillor, ``How to Write a Personal Letter''	244	(7)
``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.''
Emily Nelson, ``Making Fake Flakes''	251	(7)
``But while TV studios can create talking animals and alien neighbors, snow can be trickier.''
Dave Barry, ``There Are Rules, You Know''	258	(7)
``The game is divided into four 15-minute quarters, each of which lasts a little over three hours.''
Ann Moroney (student), ``A Graceful Stride''	265	(3)
``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	268	(40)
The Point of Cause-and-Effect Writing	269	(1)
The Principles of Cause-and-Effect Writing	269	(2)
Types of Causes and Effects	269	(1)
Patterns of Cause and Effect	270	(1)
The Pitfalls of Cause-and-Effect Writing	271	(1)
What to Look For in Cause-and-Effect Writing	272	(1)
Images and Ideas	272	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	272	(1)
Rick Reilly, ``The Biggest Play of His Life''	273	(7)
``One of the captains of the high school football team had something big he wanted to tell the other players.''
Stephen King, ``Why We Crave Horror Movies'' (Combining Strategies)	280	(8)
``The mythic horror movie, like the sick joke, has a dirty job to do. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us.''
Jade Snow Wong, ``Fifth Chinese Daughter''	288	(8)
``Did a daughter have any right to expect more than a fate of obedience, according to the old Chinese standard?''
Greg Critser, ``Supersize Me''	296	(9)
``Human hunger could be expanded by merely offering more and bigger portions.''
Amee Bohrer (student), ``Blogging: An Emerging Addiction''	305	(3)
``Any idiot can get a blog---that's the beauty of it.''
Strategies for Influencing Others: Argument and Persuasion	308	(57)
The Point of Argument and Persuasion	309	(1)
The Principles of Argument and Persuasion	309	(1)
The Elements of Good Argument	310	(2)
Claims	310	(1)
Evidence	311	(1)
Refutation	312	(1)
A Sample Annotated Argument: Joshua Wolf Shenk, ``Ignoring the Solution''	312	(3)
``[T]here's another message leaders should heed---that no one has to die needlessly.''
The Pitfalls of Argument and Persuasion	315	(1)
Taking on Too Much	315	(1)
Mistaking the Audience	315	(1)
Logical Fallacies	315	(1)
What to Look For in Argument and Persuasion	316	(1)
Images and Ideas	317	(1)
For Discussion and Writing	317	(1)
Arthur Ashe, ``Send Your Children to the Libraries''	318	(7)
``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.''
Bill Bryson, ``The War on Drugs''	325	(7)
``The saddest part of this zealous vindictiveness is that it simply does not work.''
Barbara Huttmann, ``A Crime of Compassion'' (Combining Strategies)	332	(8)
``[E]very night I prayed that Mac would die, that his agonized eyes would never again plead with me to let him die.''
Debate: Examining the Death Penalty
David Leihowitz, ``Death Penalty Showdown''	340	(4)
``Execution represents a proportional, measured response to mankind's most barbarous act.''
Jim Dwyer, Peter Neufeld, and Barry Scheck, ``When Justice Lets Us Down''	344	(7)
``In the last decade. DNA tests have provided stone-cold proof that 69 people were sent to prison and death row in North America for crimes they did not commit.''
Debate: The Right to Same-Sex Marriage
Mary Ann Glendon, ``For Better or for Worse?''	351	(3)
``Whether one is for, against, or undecided about same-sex marriage, a decision this important ought to be made in the ordinary democratic way.''
Katha Pollitt, ``Adam and Steve---Together at Last''	354	(3)
``[A]s long as marriage is here, how can it be right to deny it to those who want it?''
Leonard Pitts, ``Dearly Beloved, Why Are We Debating This?''	357	(3)
``[Marriage] is, indeed, our civilization's bedrock. But you know something? That bedrock has been crumbling for years, without homosexual help.''
Mace Boshart (student), ``Gay Marriage Should Be a Civic Issue''	360	(5)
``If we want to consider our county free from persecution, then we must see how the line drawn between church and state has been blurred and how this has led to injustice and unfairness.''
Combining Strategies: Further Readings	365	(18)
David G. Myers, ``Do We Fear the Right Things?''	366	(4)
``It's perfectly normal to fear purposeful violence from those who hate us. But with our emotions now calming a bit, perhaps it's time to check our fears against facts.''
Langston Hughes, ``Salvation''	370	(3)
``So I decided that maybe to save further trouble, I'd better lie, too, and say that Jesus had come, and get up and be saved.''
Cynthia Crossen, ``Marriage in the U.S.: Early, Often, and Informal''	373	(3)
``If marriage law became a thicket of red tape, divorce was a jungle.''
Jack Hitt, ``Navajo Code Talkers: The Century's Best Kept Secret''	376	(3)
``The language of the Code Talkers, their mission, and every detail of their messaging apparatus was a secret they were all ordered to keep, even from their own families.''
Richard Selzer, ``The Discus Thrower''	379	(4)
``'Every morning he orders scrambled eggs for breakfast, and, instead of eating them, he picks up the plate and throws it against the wall.'''
Glossary	383	(14)
Credits	397	(4)
Index	401