Breaking Through

Dr. Brenda Smith, Professor Emerita of Georgia State University, is the author of Bridging the Gap, Breaking Through, and the Reader’s Handbook.  In addition, Dr. Smith has authored other books on college reading and testtaking, as well as being the general editor of a series of study skills books for five different content areas.  Dr. Smith taught Developmental Studies Reading at GSU and developed Freshman Orientation courses for the university.  She was twice awarded “Outstanding Article of the Journal of Developmental Education.”  In addition, other awards include Distinguished Alumni Professor, Distinguished Georgia Educator, and  Georgia Reading Teacher of the Year.  Dr. Smith lives in Atlanta and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Shepherd Spinal Center and the Members Guild of the Atlanta History Center.   Dr. LeeAnn Morris has more than 20 years of community college teaching experience and is committed to helping students achieve their college and career goals. She takes great satisfaction in continuing Brenda Smith’s legacy of excellence by shepherding Breaking Through: College Reading through its ninth and tenth editions and Bridging the Gap: College Reading through its tenth and soon-to-be-published eleventh editions.  LeeAnn is a Distinguished Faculty professor at San Jacinto College near Houston and has been honored there with the Outstanding Faculty Award. She served as chair of the College Preparatory Department and is delighted to return to the classroom fulltime this fall to teach two levels of integrated reading and writing courses.  Dr. LeeAnn Morris is an avid reader and believer in the power and pleasure of lifelong reading. She has done extensive research on reading workshop approaches for college developmental reading students. She has witnessed the satisfaction and growth that come from reading often and widely and has incorporated the reading workshop concept into her teaching and into Breaking Through and Bridging the Gap.

Preface


Chapter 1  SUCCESSFUL READING


Think Success




Set Goals  • Create a Positive Attitude  • Persevere

READING 1 • “Bouncing Back From Failure ” (890 L/367 words)
by Marelisa Fábrega, 5 Tips for Overcoming Failure

“There’s an old Japanese proverb that counsels: ‘Fall seven times, stand up eight.’ But how do you get back up when you’ve fallen flat on your face?”




Act Successful




Manage Your Time  • Study the Course Syllabus  • Preview Your Textbooks  • Mark Your Textbooks


Test Smart on Reading Comprehension




Before the Test: Prepare Mentally and Physically  • During the Test: Relax and Focus  • After the Test: Assess Your Preparation and Learn from Test Results


Recognize Common Types of Comprehension Questions





READING 2 • “Saltwater Slaves ” (1170 L/704 words) 

from Created Equal: A History of the United States, Fourth Edition, by Jacqueline Jones, et al.

“Pregnant mothers gave birth or miscarried; women were subjected to abuse and rape by the crew. Sailors threw the dead to the sharks and even used corpses as bait, catching sharks that they fed to the captives.”

Main Idea Questions  • Detail Questions  • Inference Questions  • Author’s Purpose Questions  • Vocabulary Questions  • Essay Questions





Read Efficiently




Match Rate to Purpose  • Increase Reading Rate


READING 3 • “Children May Be Hazardous to Your Happiness ” (1220L/472 words) 22
from Development Across the Lifespan, Sixth Edition, by Robert S. Feldman

“Research shows that not only does having children not necessarily produce increased happiness, but also it may actually reduce it.”

Be Aggressive—Attack!  • Concentrate  • Stop Regressions  • Avoid Vocalization  • Expand Fixations  • Use a Pen as a Pacer  • Preview Before Reading  • Set a Time Goal for an Assignment  • Practice  Summary Points


Everyday Reading Skills Using Mnemonics


 

Chapter 2 STAGES OF READING


What Is the Reading Process?


Stages of Reading


Stage One: Preview  • Stage Two: Integrate Knowledge  • Stage Three: Recall 




Assess Your Progress as a Learner


Levels of Reading Comprehension


Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • CRIMINAL JUSTICE


“Was Eric Clark Insane or Just Troubled?” (1040L/1361 words)
from Pauline Arrillaga, The Associated Press

“Should Clark be imprisoned, treated for his mental illness, or both?”




SELECTION 2 • ESSAY  "Run the Race . . . It’s Yours to Run” (1270L/834 words)
from Calvin Mackie, PhD, The Black Collegian

“When I graduated from high school with an 800 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score and began Morehouse College in remedial reading, there were not too many people betting that four years later I would graduate number one in mathematics. . . .”




SELECTION 3 • ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE


“Plastics” (840L/480 words)
by E. Andrew Boyd, in Houston Public Radio’s Engines of our Ingenuity

“Recycling plastic isn’t as simple as just melting it down and forming it into something new. . . .”

VOCABULARY LESSON: Not, Not, and Not


Everyday Reading Skills Selecting a Book


 

Chapter 3 TEXTBOOK LEARNING


Expect to Learn from Reading


Annotate




When to Annotate  • How to Annotate  Take Notes  When to Take Notes  • The Cornell Method of Note Taking  • Summarizing  • Outlining  • Mapping

Take Organized Lecture Notes


Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • BUSINESS


“Marketing Online: The Web Knows What You Want” (1430L/1137 words)
from Marketing: An Introduction, Eleventh Edition, by Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler

“Thanks to the growing world of blogs, social networks, and other Internet forums, marketers now have near real-time access to a flood of online consumer information.”




SELECTION 2 • COMMUNICATION


“Eye Communication” (1180L/1114 words)
from The Interpersonal Communication Book, Thirteenth Edition, by Joseph A. DeVito

“In much of the United States, direct eye contact is considered an expression of honesty and forthrightness. But the Japanese often view eye contact as a lack of respect.”




SELECTION 3 • HEALTH


“Behavior Change” (1190L/1294 words)
from Health: The Basics, Fifth Edition, by Rebecca J. Donatelle

“On any given day, countless numbers of us get out of bed and resolve to begin to change a given behavior ‘today.’”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON: For or Against?


Everyday Reading Skills Reading News and Feature Stories in the Newspaper


 

Chapter 4 VOCABULARY

Expanding Vocabulary




Unlocking Meaning While Reading  • Remembering New Words

Types of Context Clues




Definition  • Elaborating Details  • Elaborating Examples  • Comparison  • Contrast  • Multiple Meanings of a Word

Word Parts




Roots  • Prefixes  • Suffixes

Dictionaries




Guide Words  • Pronunciation  • Spelling  • Word Meaning  • Parts of Speech  • Word History  • Word Origins

Thesaurus


Textbook Glossary


Analogies


Easily Confused Words


Enriching Your Vocabulary


Summary Points


VOCABULARY LESSON: Before and After


Everyday Reading Skills Getting Information from News Web Sites and Online Communities


 

Chapter 5 TOPIC, MAIN IDEA, AND SUPPORTING DETAILS


What Is a Topic? What Is a Main Idea?


What Are Major and Minor Supporting Details?


Identifying Topics




Recognize General and Specific Words  • Recognize General and Specific Phrases  • Recognize the General Topic for Sentences

Identifying Topics and Main Ideas




Recognize General and Supporting Sentences  • Differentiate Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details

Answering Topic and Main Idea Test Questions




Differentiate Distractors in Test Questions About the Topic

Questioning for the Main Idea




Establish the Topic  • Identify the Key Supporting Details  • Focus on the Message of the Topic  • Stated Main Ideas  • Unstated Main Ideas  • Getting the Main Idea of Longer Selections

Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • HEALTH


“The Dark Side of Food Science” (1240L/1843 words)
by Catherine Guthrie, in Experience Life Magazine

“Commercial foods like chicken nuggets, French fries, chips, crackers, cookies and pastries are designed to be virtually irresistible. And, for a lot of reasons most of us don’t fully understand, they are.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 2 • PSYCHOLOGY


“Sleep” (1230L/1364 words)
from Mastering the World of Psychology, Fifth Edition, by Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood, and Denise Boyd

“In fact, consistent sleep habits are probably important to getting good grades. Why?”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 3 • HISTORY


“The Dream of Nonviolent Reform” (1210L/878 words)
in From These Beginnings, Sixth Edition, Volume Two, by Roderick Nash and Gregory Graves

“King’s eloquence dramatized the anguish of black history.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON: One Too Many


Everyday Reading Skills Researching Online


 

Chapter 6 SUPPORTING DETAILS AND ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS


What Are Supporting Details?




Recognize Levels of Importance  • The Roles of Major and Minor Details

Follow Detailed Directions


Patterns of Organization




Simple Listing  • Classification  • Definitions With Examples  • Description  • Time Order, Sequence, or Narration  • Comparison and Contrast  • Cause and Effect  • Clues to the Organizational Pattern

Summary





SELECTION 1 • COMMUNICATION


“Excuses and Apologies” (1100L/1315 words) 

from The Interpersonal Communication Book, Thirteenth Edition, by Joseph DeVito

“Despite your best efforts, there are times when you’ll say or do the wrong thing and an excuse and/or an apology may be necessary.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 2 • SCIENCE


“Golden Rice” (1370L/590 words)
from Biology: Life on Earth, Tenth Edition, by Teresa Audesirk, Gerald Audesirk, and Bruce E. Byers

“Is Golden Rice the best way, or the only way, to solve the problems of malnutrition in poor people?”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 3 • BUSINESS


“When Interview Questions Turn Illegal” (1070L/1277 words)
from Interviewing for Success, by Arthur H. Bell and Dayle M. Smith

“You’re probably aware that interviewers are not supposed to ask you certain questions. There are five areas of special sensitivity in selection interviewing.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON: See, Hear, and Voice Your Concerns


Everyday Reading Skills Reading and Organizing Research Materials


 

Chapter 7 INFERENCE

What Is an Inference?


Inference From Cartoons


Understanding Inferences


Recognizing Suggested Meaning  • Connecting With Prior Knowledge  • Recognizing Slanted Language  • Drawing Conclusions


Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • LITERATURE: SHORT STORY


“A Deal in Diamonds” (690L/1732 words)
by Edward D. Hoch, in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

“It was seeing a girl toss a penny into the plaza fountain that gave Pete Hopkins the idea.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 2 • HISTORY


“The Strange Career of Christopher Columbus” (1140L/850 words)
from American Stories: A History of the United States, Combined Edition,by H. W. Brands, et al.

“If it had not been for Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo), Spain might never have gained an American empire.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 3 • CRIMINAL JUSTICE


“Human Smuggling and Trafficking” (1330L/1518 words)
from Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century, Twelfth Edition, by Frank Schmalleger; and Facts and Issues “Human Trafficking in Texas: A Study by the League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund,” Summer 2013

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON: Call Out and Remember to Send


Everyday Reading Skills Reading Newspaper Editorials


 

Chapter 8 ANALYTICAL REASONING


What Is Analytical Thinking?


Engage in Problem Solving


Analytical Reasoning in Textbooks


Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • BUSINESS


“Motivating Yourself” (1010L/1358 words)
from Your Attitude Is Showing, Ninth Edition, by Elwood N. Chapman and Sharon Lund O’Neil
“How can you motivate yourself to live close to your potential despite a negative environment?”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 2 • SCIENCE


“Profile of a Hurricane” (1220L/1291 words)
from The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology, Twelfth Edition, by Frederick Lutgens and Edward Tarbuck

“Places such as islands in the South Pacific and the Caribbean are known for their lack of significant day-to-day variations. . . . It is ironic that these relatively tranquil regions occasionally produce some of the most violent storms on Earth.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 3 • SOCIOLOGY


“Gender and Social Institutions” (1230L/1790 words)
from Social Problems, Fifth Edition, by John J. Macionis

“At countless bridal showers, women celebrate a friend’s upcoming marriage by showering her with gifts to help her keep house. But the scene is very different at bachelor parties, where men give their friend one last fling before he must settle down to the constraints and humdrum routines of married life.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON:Turn and Throw


Everyday Reading Skills Reading Credit Card Offers


 

Chapter 9 CRITICAL READING


What Do Critical Readers Do?


Recognize the Author’s Purpose or Intent  • Recognize the Author’s Point of View or Bias  • Recognize the Author’s Tone  • Distinguish Fact From Opinion  • Recognize Valid and Invalid Support for Arguments


Summary Points





SELECTION 1 • ESSAY


“Shedding the Weight of My Dad’s Obsession” (1050L/842 words)
from Newsweek, November 13, 2000, by Linda Lee Andujar

“I heard the garage door rumble shut, and I knew that Daddy was home. He came in the back door, kissed Mother, and asked what my weight was for the day.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 2 • ESSAY


“Operation D-Minus” (1010L/1290 words)
from This American Life, Huffington Post, Houston Chronicle, and AnandTech Forums

“Justin thought it was good luck that brought this great-looking new girl into his life during his last semester of high school.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT





SELECTION 3 • PSYCHOLOGY


“Eyewitness Testimony” (1260L/1060 words)
from Mastering the World of Psychology, Fifth Edition, by Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood, and Denise Boyd

“As you’ll see, research on remembering, forgetting, and the biology of memory can help us understand eyewitness testimony.”

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT


VOCABULARY LESSON: Bend, Born, and Body


Everyday Reading Skills Evaluating Internet Information


 

Chapter 10 SURVIVOR CASEBOOK: APPLY YOUR READING SKILLS


Survivors


What Motivates a Person to Survive? 




SELECTION 1 • SURVIVORS OF SEX TRAFFICKING: Narrative


“Barbara Amaya’s Story” (950L/731 words)
from http://richmondjusticeinitiative.com/human-trafficking/survival-stories  by Barbara Amaya

“When I ran away, I was a walking target for traffickers and predators who look for damaged children: I had been abused; I was depressed and was in desperate need of help.”




SELECTION 2 • SURVIVOR OF CANCER: Narrative


“Gary Bonacker: Biking for Life” (1000L/369 words) 

from Cancer Adventures, by Marlys Johnson

“There’s not a day that I don’t go into a dark place, thinking about things I might miss. . . .”




SELECTION 3 • SURVIVORS OF SERIOUS DEBT: Newspaper Feature Article
“The Harbs: Couple Escapes Credit Card Debt and Keeps Marriage” (1050L/905 words)
by Catherine New, in the Huffington Post, June 18, 2012

“On their fifth wedding anniversary, Scott and Jacynta Harb were broke and living off credit cards.”




SELECTION 4 • SURVIVOR OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS: Essay


“Jess’s Story: The New Face of Homelessness” (1060L/1229 words)
from www.theshawhouse.org,  by Rick Tardiff

“National organizations like Homeless Youth Among Us quote well over a million children in the United States are living on the streets or couch surfing on any given day.”




SELECTION 5 • SURVIVOR OF PERSONAL TRAGEDY: Newspaper Feature Article


“Austin Hatch: Basketball Dreams Deferred…and Achieved” (1210L/966 words)
from The Daily Mail; http://www.dailymail.co.uk

“I’m not sure there is anyone who has been through and survived two plane crashes.”

Synthesize


Create


VOCABULARY LESSON: Come Together, Hold Together, and Shut


Everyday Reading Skills Managing Workplace Reading


 

Appendix 1 Sample Textbook Chapter
Chapter 9: “Interpersonal Relationships,” from Interpersonal Messages: Communication and Relationship Skills, Third Edition, by Joseph A. DeVito

Appendix 2 Word Parts: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes


Appendix 3 Spelling Confusing Words


Appendix 4 ESL: Making Sense of Figurative Language and Idioms


Appendix 5 Test-Taking Preparation and Practice


Appendix 6 Practice for Reading Efficiency


Glossary


Acknowledgments


Index