Academic Reading: Pearson New International Edition

444 Pages·2013·16.276 MB·English

by  Kathleen T. McWhorter, Brette M. Sember

Academic Reading
Kathleen T. McWhorter Brette M. Sember
Eighth Edition
ISBN 10: 1-292-02361-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-292-02361-8
Pearson Education Limited
Edinburgh Gate
Harlow
Essex CM20 2JE
England and Associated Companies throughout the world
Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk
© Pearson Education Limited 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the
prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any trademark
in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark ownership rights in such
trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affi liation with or endorsement of this
book by such owners.
ISBN 10: 1-292-02361-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-292-02361-8
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Printed in the United States of America
1112222331461469253587397793111799
P E A R S O N C U S T O M L I B R AR Y
Table of Contents
1. Strategies for Active Reading
Kathleen T. McWhorter 1
2. Fundamental Comprehension Skills
Kathleen T. McWhorter 37
3. Essential Vocabulary Skills
Kathleen T. McWhorter 59
4. Evaluating the Author's Message
Kathleen T. McWhorter 89
5. Evaluating the Author's Techniques
Kathleen T. McWhorter 117
6. Reading and Evaluating Arguments
Kathleen T. McWhorter 143
7. Patterns of Academic Thought
Kathleen T. McWhorter 169
8. Reading and Evaluating Graphics and Online Sources
Kathleen T. McWhorter 217
9. Using Writing to Learn
Kathleen T. McWhorter 247
10. Reading in the Social Sciences
Kathleen T. McWhorter 269
11. Reading in Business
Kathleen T. McWhorter 293
12. Reading in the Liberal Arts,Humanities and Eduation
Kathleen T. McWhorter 321
13. Reading in Mathematics
Kathleen T. McWhorter 351
I
344703955
14. Reading in the Life and Physical Sciences
Kathleen T. McWhorter 379
15. Reading in Technical and Applied Fields
Kathleen T. McWhorter 405
Index 435
II
strategies for
active Reading
thinking
Visually...
About Active Reading
This photograph shows fans attending a
sporting event. Can you sense their ex-
citement and team spirit? The fans
demonstrate active involvement with
the team and the game. Fans often di-
rect plays, criticize calls, encourage the
players, and reprimand the coaches.
They become part of the game, and the
team is their team.
In a similar way, active readers get
m
involved with the material they read. o
c
They think, question, challenge, and ws
e
criticize the author’s ideas. They try to e/N
make the material their material. This m
o
chapter will give you some strategies for hr
C
becoming an active, successful reader. orts
p
S
Learning
Goals
In this chapter, you will learn how to . . .
Goal 1 Understand how reading Goal 6 Develop questions to guide your
contributes to college success reading
Goal 2 Assess how you learn Goal 7 Check your level of comprehen-
sion
Goal 3 Improve your concentration
skills Goal 8 Use SQ3R to improve your
learning
Goal 4 Develop multilevel thinking
skills
Goal 5 Learn to preview and predict
before reading
From Chapter 1 of Academic Reading, 8th Edition. Kathleen T. McWhorter. Copyright © 2014 by
Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
1
StRAtegIeS foR ACtIve ReADIng
aCTiVE REaDiNG:  The Academic Link
When you think of college, you may think of attending classes and labs,
completing assignments, studying for and taking exams, and writing papers.
A closer look, however, reveals that reading is an important part of all these
activities. Reading is at the core of a college education.
aCTiVE REaDiNG:  The Career Link
Whether in college or in your career, reading is the primary means by which
you acquire ideas and gather information. Knowing how to read actively
will not only help you earn better grades in college; it will also help you be
effective in your chosen profession.
■ Reading and Academic Success
Goal 1 Reading involves much more than moving your eyes across lines of print,
Understand how more than recognizing words, and more than reading sentences. Reading is
reading contributes thinking. It is an active process of identifying important ideas and comparing,
to college success evaluating, and applying them.
Have you ever gone to a ballgame and watched the fans? Most do not sit
and watch passively. Instead, they direct the plays, criticize the calls, encour-
age the players, and reprimand the coach. They care enough to get actively
engaged with the game. Just like interested fans, active readers get involved.
They question, challenge, and criticize, as well as understand. Table 1 contrasts
the active strategies of successful readers with the passive ones of less success-
ful readers.
Throughout the remainder of this chapter, you will discover specific strate-
gies for becoming a more active learner. Not all strategies will work for every-
one. Experiment to discover those that work for you.
ExErcisE 1 rEading activEly
Consider each of the following reading assignments. Discuss different ways in which
you could get actively involved with them.
1. Reading two poems by e.e. cummings for a literature class
2. Reviewing procedures for your next biology lab
3. Taking notes on an article in Time magazine assigned by your political
science instructor ■
2
StRAtegIeS foR ACtIve ReADIng
TAbLe 1 Active versus PAssive reAding
active Readers ... Passive Readers ...
Tailor their reading to suit each assignment. Read all assignments the same way.
Analyze the purpose of an assignment. Read an assignment because it was assigned.
Adjust their speed to suit their purpose. Read everything at the same speed.
Question ideas in the assignment. Accept whatever is in print as true.
Compare and connect textbook material Study lecture notes and textbook separately.
with lecture content.
Skim headings to find out what an assign- Check the length of an assignment and then begin reading.
ment is about before beginning to read.
Make sure they understand what they are Read until the assignment is completed.
reading as they go along.
Read with pencil in hand, highlighting, Simply read.
jotting notes, and marking key vocabulary.
Develop personalized strategies that are Follow routine, standard methods.
particularly effective.
ExErcisE 2 listing activE rEading stratEgiEs
Write a list of active reading strategies you already use. Add to your list several new
strategies that you intend to begin using. Compare your list with a classmate’s.
■
■ Assessing Your Learning Style
Goal 2 People differ in how they learn and the methods and strategies they use to
Assess how you learn learn. These differences can be explained by what is known as learning style.
✓ Tip for Education Your learning style can begin to explain why some courses are easier for you
Majors than others and why you learn better from one instructor than another.
You have your own Learning style also can explain why certain assignments are easy for you and
distinctive learning
other learning tasks are difficult.
style, but the students
you’ll be teaching will The following brief Learning Style Questionnaire will help you analyze how
use all of the learning you learn and show you how to develop an action plan for learning what you
styles listed on the next
read. Complete and score the questionnaire before continuing with this section.
few pages. to be an
effective teacher, you
will benefit not only Learning Style Questionnaire
from understanding
how different types of
DIRECTIONS: Each item presents two choices. Select the alternative that best
students learn, but also
from learning to teach describes you. In cases in which neither choice suits you, select the one that is
the same concept in closer to your preference. Write the letter of your choice on the line to the left
different ways.
of each item.
3
StRAtegIeS foR ACtIve ReADIng
Part One
1. I would prefer to follow a set of a. language (words).
a. oral directions. b. images (pictures).
b. printed directions.
5. I prefer classes in which the
2. I would prefer to instructor
a. a ttend a lecture given by a a. lectures and answers questions.
famous psychologist. b. uses PowerPoint illustrations
b. r ead an online article written and videos.
by the psychologist. 6. To follow current events, I would
prefer to
3. When I am introduced to some-
a. listen to the news on the radio.
one, it is easier for me to remem-
b. read the newspaper.
ber the person’s
a. name. 7. To learn how to operate a ma-
b. face. chine, I would prefer to
a. listen to a friend’s explanation.
4. I find it easier to learn new
b. watch a demonstration.
information using
Part twO
8. I prefer to 12. I prefer tasks that require me to
a. work with facts and details. a. follow careful, detailed instruc-
b. c onstruct theories and tions.
ideas. b. use reasoning and critical
analysis.
9. I would prefer a job that involves
a. following specific instructions. 13. For a criminal justice course, I
b. r eading, writing, and analyzing. would prefer to
a. discover how and when a law
10. I prefer to
can be used.
a. s olve math problems using a
b. learn how and why it became
formula.
law.
b. d iscover why the formula
works. 14. To learn more about the opera-
tion of a digital camera, I would
11. I would prefer to write a term
prefer to
paper explaining
a. work with several types of
a. how a process works.
cameras.
b. a theory.
b. understand the principles on
which they operate.
Part three
15. To solve a math problem, I would 16. To best remember something, I
prefer to a. create a mental picture.
a. draw or visualize the problem. b. write it down.
b. study a sample problem and
use it as a model.
4
StRAtegIeS foR ACtIve ReADIng
17. Assembling a bicycle from a 20. I enjoy
diagram would be a. drawing or working with my
a. easy. hands.
b. challenging. b. speaking, writing, and listening.
18. I prefer classes in which I 21. If I were trying to locate an office
a. h andle equipment or work on an unfamiliar campus, I
with models. would prefer
b. p articipate in a class discussion. a. a map.
b. printed directions.
19. To understand and remember
how a machine works, I would
a. draw a diagram.
b. write notes.
Part FOur
22. For a grade in biology lab, I a. person presenting the idea.
would prefer to b. ideas themselves.
a. work with a lab partner.
26. When on a team project, I
b. work alone.
prefer to
23. When faced with a difficult a. work with several team
personal problem, I prefer to members.
a. discuss it with others. b. divide the tasks and complete
b. resolve it myself. those assigned to me.
24. Many instructors could improve 27. I prefer to shop and do errands
their classes by a. with friends.
a. i ncluding more discussion and b. by myself.
group activities.
28. A job in a busy office is
b. a llowing students to work on
a. more appealing than working
their own more frequently.
alone.
25. When listening to a lecturer or b. less appealing than working
speaker, I respond more to the alone.
Part Five
29. To make decisions, I rely on 31. I prefer to express my ideas and
a. m y experiences and gut feelings through
feelings. a. music, song, or poetry.
b. facts and objective data. b. direct, concise language.
30. To complete a task, I 32. I prefer instructors who
a. c an use whatever is available a. allow students to be guided by
to get the job done. their own interests.
b. m ust have everything I need at b. make their expectations clear
hand. and explicit.
5