Essential Reading Skills

Chapter Reading Selections

 

Preface

 

1. Reading Actively

Starting with a Positive Attitude

Improve Your Surroundings

Pay Attention

Previewing Before You Read

How to Preview

Demonstration of Previewing

Guide Questions

Putting Your Positive Attitude to Work

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #1: Active Test-Taking

Reading Selection: To Love and to Cherish by Michelle Kearns (Mastery Test 1-3)

2. Using Your Dictionary

Buying a Dictionary

Using a Dictionary

Abbreviations

Word Pronunciation

Etymology

Multiple Meanings

Spelling

Idioms

Other Aids

Pronouncing Unfamiliar Words

Using Word Mapping to Expand Your Vocabulary

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #2: Taking Vocabulary Tests

Reading Selection: We Don’t Have AIDS, But We Suffer, Too by Kerrel McKay (Mastery Test 1-3)

3. Building Vocabulary: Using Context Clues

What Is Context?

Types of Context Clues

Definition Clues

Synonym Clues

Example Clues

Contrast Clues

Inference Clues

Using All of the Context Clues

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #3: Answering Vocabulary Questions

Reading Selection: Online Dating Sites Aren’t Holding People’s Hearts by Randy Dotinga (Mastery Test 3-3)

4. Building Vocabulary: Using Word Parts

What Are Word Parts?

Prefixes

Roots

Suffixes

Using Word Parts

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #4: Using Word Parts

Reading Selection: Saved by the Kindness of a Virtual Stranger by Mark Zelermyer (Mastery Test 3-3)

5. Locating Main Ideas

What Is a Main Idea?

Understanding General versus Specific Ideas

Identifying the Topic

Finding the Main Idea

Tips for Finding the Main Idea

Tips for Locating the Topic Sentence

Learning More about Paragraphs

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #5: Questions on the Topic and Main Idea

Reading Selection: Don’t Ask by Deborah Tannen (Mastery Test 4-3)

6. Identifying Supporting Details and Transitions

What Are Supporting Details?

What Are Transitions?

Putting It All Together

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #6: Answering Detail Questions

Reading Selection: How to Ace a Job Interview by Richard Koonce (Mastery Test 5-3)

7. Understanding Implied Main Ideas

What Does Implied Mean?

Remembering the Difference between General and Specific Ideas

How to Find Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs

Working with Paragraphs

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #7: Answering Questions about Implied Main Ideas

Reading Selection: Primary Colors by Kim McLarin (Mastery Test 6-3)

8. Keeping Track of Information

Why Keep Track of Information?

Highlighting and Marking

Outlining

Mapping

Summarizing

Good Reasons to Keep Track of Information

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #8: Using Highlighting and Summarizing

Reading Selection: Body Piercing and Tattooing by Rebecca Donatelle (Mastery Test 7-3)

9. Recognizing the Basic Patterns of Organization

What Are Patterns of Organization?

Example

Definition

Combining Definition and Example

Chronological Order and Process

Listing

Combining Patterns of Organization

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #9: Answering Questions about Patterns

Reading Selection: Right Place, Wrong Face by Alton Fitzgerald White (Mastery Test 8-3)

10. Recognizing Comparison/Contrast and Cause/Effect Patterns

Comparison/Contrast Patterns

Comparison

Contrast

Using Both Comparison and Contrast

Cause/Effect Patterns

Moving beyond Patterns

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #10: Answering Questions about Comparison/Contrast and Cause/Effect

Reading Selection: When Mommy Goes Off to Fight a War by Peter Madsen (Mastery Test 9-3)

11. Reading and Thinking Critically

What Is Inference?

How to Make Inferences

Understanding a Writer’s Purpose

Style

Intended Audience

Language: Denotation and Connotation

Identifying Tone

Distinguishing Fact and Opinion

Facts

Opinions

Judgment Words

Understanding More of What You Read

The Textbook Challenge

What Have You Learned?

What Vocabulary Have You Learned?

Test-Taking Tip #11: Critical Reading Questions

Reading Selection: The Beautiful Laughing Sisters by Mary Pipher (Mastery Test 10-3)

Student Resource Guide A

Introduction to College Textbook Reading

Textbook Excerpt 1: Civil Liberties and the Right to Privacy

Textbook Excerpt 2: Food Safety: A Growing Concern

Textbook Excerpt 3: Legible Clothing

Student Resource Guide B

Test-Taking strategies: A Review

Student Resource Guide C

A Guide for ESL Readers

Multicultural Reader

1. The Most Hateful Words, Amy Tan

2. Seoul Searching, Rick Reilly

3. Coming into My Own, Ben Carson, M.D.

4. Living Life to the Fullest, Maya Angelou

5. Samerican Indian Mascots Should Go, Rich Heffern

6. Hispanic USA: The Conveyor-Belt Ladies, Rose del Castillo Guilbault

7. I Have Had To Learn To Live With Peace, Alephonsion

Credits

 

Index