Advanced reading power: extensive reading, vocabulary building, comprehension skills, reading faster

321 Pages·2007·2.89 MB·English

by  Linda Jeffries

Acknowledgments
The authors thank Laura Le Dréan , executive editor, whose feedback was invaluable as we developed Advanced
Reading Power, and Gosia Jaros-White, associate development editor, who helped us clarify our ideas and stay
on schedule.
We gratefully acknowledge the gentle pressure from the many teachers who have wanted us to write an
advanced level book for the Reading Power series. We have made every effort to respond to their concerns.
We would also like to thank friends and colleagues, including Anita Belt and Jane Stevenson, for their
helpful input and encouragement.
We acknowledge the influence of Tom Cobb, Averil Coxhead, and I. S. Paul Nation, whose work was
essential in planning the new vocabulary development units.
Finally, we wish to thank Richard M. Ravin for his outstanding work in researching and drafting the
reading passages in Part 4.
The publisher would like to extend special thanks to the following individuals who reviewed Advanced
Reading Power and whose comments were instrumental in developing the book.
Jennifer Altman, University of Washington English Language Program, Seattle, WA; Mary Hill, North
Shore Community College, Danvers, MA; Helen Kallenbach, Sonoma State American Language Institute,
Rohnert Park, CA; Alessandro Massaro, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA; Susan Reynolds,
Seminole Community College, Oviedo, FL; Ishida Saori, University of Hawaii at Manoa, NICE Program
Outreach College, Honolulu, HI
Advanced Reading Power:
Extensive Reading, Vocabulary Building, Comprehension Skills, Reading Faster
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. 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 the prior permission of the publisher.
Pearson Education, 10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606
Staff credits: The people who made up the Advanced Reading Power team, representing editorial,
production, design, and manufacturing, are Christine Edmonds, Ann France, Gosia Jaros-White,
Laura Le Dréan, Edith Pullman, Jennifer Stem, and Paula Van Ells.
Text composition: Rainbow Graphics
Text font: 10/14 Stone Serif
Text, Illustration, and Photo credits: See page 311
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mikulecky, Beatrice S.
Advanced reading power : extensive reading, vocabulary building,
comprehension skills, reading faster / Beatrice S. Mikulecky, Linda
Jeffries.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-13-199027-6 (pbk.)
1. Reading (Higher education) 2. College reading improvement
programs. 3. Vocabulary—Study and teaching. 4. Reading comprehension.
I. Jeffries, Linda. II. Title.
LB2395.3.M53 2007
428.4'3—dc22
2006032213
LONGMAN ON THE WEB
Longman.com offers online resources
for teachers and students. Access our
ISBN - 13: 978-0-13-199027-2
Companion Websites, our online catalog,
ISBN - 10: 0-13-199027-6
and our local offices around the world.
Printed in the United States of America Visit us at Iongman.com.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-VHG-11 10 09 08
Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Extensive Reading
Unit 1: Choosing a Book for Extensive Reading
Unit 2: Reading and Discussing Nonfiction 12
Unit 3: Reading and Discussing Fiction 14
Unit 4: Responding to and Reporting on
Your Extensive Reading Books 22
Part 2: Vocabulary Building 25
Unit 1: Strategies for Building a Powerful Vocabulary 26
Unit 2: Learning New Words from Your Reading 31
Unit 3: Inferring Meaning from Context 36
Unit 4: Word Parts 47
Unit 5: Collocations 62
Part 3: Comprehension Skills 73
Unit 1: Previewing 75
Unit 2: Making Inferences 88
Unit 3: Understanding Paragraphs 105
Unit 4: Patterns of Organization 134
Unit 5: Reading Longer Passages Effectively 155
Unit 6: Skimming 170
Unit 7: Study Reading 183
Unit 8: Summarizing 200
Unit 9: Critical Reading 216
Part 4: Reading Faster 239
Unit 1: Learning to Read Faster 240
Unit 2: New Technology and Its Impact Around the World 255
Unit 3: People Who Have Made a Difference 271
Unit 4: Inventions That Are Changing Our Lives 287
Appendix 1: List of 2,000 Most Frequent Words 303
Appendix 2: Academic Word List 308
Appendix 3: Record of Books Read 310
Contents
Introduction
To the Teacher
Advanced Reading Power is unlike most other reading textbooks. First, the focus is different.
This book directs students' attention to their own reading processes, while most other
books focus primarily on the content. Second, Advanced Reading Power is organized in a
different way. It contains four separate sections that correspond to four important aspects
of proficient reading, and therefore it is like four books in one. Teachers should assign work
on all four parts of the book concurrently.
The four parts of Advanced Reading Power are:
• Part 1: Extensive Reading
• Part 2: Vocabulary Building
• Part 3: Comprehension Skills
• Part 4: Reading Faster
Advanced Reading Power was designed to meet the needs of students who are enrolled in
pre-college programs, college bridge programs, or advanced reading classes at the post-
secondary level. Consequently, emphasis has been placed on the development of skills
necessary for academic success, including building academic vocabulary.
The purpose of Advanced Reading Power is to develop students' awareness of their own
reading and thinking processes so that they can be successful in reading college-level texts.
To accomplish this, the book addresses the various reading skills in a direct manner, calling
students' attention to how they think as they read.
Many students have a conceptualization of reading as translating, and that can
interfere with their ability to read well in English. In Advanced Reading Power, students
acquire an accurate understanding of what it means to read in English and gain confidence
in their ability to deal with college-level reading assignments.
In order to allow students to focus on the process of reading, the lexical and syntactic
content of some exercises has been controlled. In other exercises, however, students
practice working with authentic texts of different types, including excerpts from college
textbooks.
Student awareness of reading and thinking processes is further encouraged in many
parts of the book by exercises that require them to work in pairs or small groups. In
discussions with others, students formulate and articulate their ideas more precisely and
thus acquire new ways of talking and thinking about a text. When students are asked to
write sentences or paragraphs, they are also asked to exchange their work with others and
discuss it so they can experience the connections between reading and writing.
The success of a reading class depends to a large extent on the teacher. You can
enhance your students' learning while working with Advanced Reading Power by providing
the following:
• an anxiety-free environment in which students feel comfortable taking risks and trying
new ways of reading.
Introduction V
• enough practice so the students can master new strategies.
• friendly pressure in the form of persuasion and timing.
• positive examples of how to approach a text.
• a model for the kind of thinking that good reading requires.
• an inspiring example of an enthusiastic reader.
Note: A rationale for the approach taken in Advanced Reading Power, specific
suggestions for using it in the classroom, and a Sample Syllabus can be found in the Answer
Key booklet. For a more complete explanation of the theory and methodology see A Short
Course in Teaching Reading Skills by Beatrice S. Mikulecky (Addison-Wesley, 1990).
To the Student
Using Advanced Reading Power
Since this book is different from other reading textbooks, it must be used in a different
way. Advanced Reading Power is divided into four parts. Instead of working on one part at a
time, as you would in most books, you should work regularly on all four parts of the
book.
Part 1: Extensive Reading. The more you read, the better you read. In Part 1, you
will have an opportunity to develop the habit of reading extensively—that is, reading
many books that you choose for yourself. This will help improve your reading fluency,
increase your comprehension and expand your vocabulary.
Part 2: Vocabulary Building. Research has shown that a strong vocabulary is an
essential aspect of reading ability. In this part, you will develop strategies for expanding
your knowledge of vocabulary, particularly words used often in academic texts.
Part 3: Comprehension Skills. Reading is a complex activity that involves a wide
variety of skills. Your ability to understand and remember what you read depends in large
part on your ability to apply these skills to your reading. Each unit in Part 3 focuses on an
essential reading skill for you to explore and practice. In the Focus on Vocabulary section
at the end of each skills unit, you will also have the opportunity to learn some of the
academic words from the unit.
Part 4: Reading Faster. Reading rate (speed) is a crucial factor in academic
performance, but one that is often overlooked. Reading faster allows you to save time on
reading assignments. It also makes reading more enjoyable so you are likely to read more,
and it leads to better comprehension. In this part of the book, you will work on improving
your reading rate.
Reading questionnaires
What is your experience as a reader? What do you know about reading?
vi
Introduction
Questionnaire 1
Reading in your native language (
For each statement, write T (true) or F (false).
1. It is always necessary to read every word of a passage.
2. It is a good idea to say the words aloud when you read.
3. Reading more slowly improves comprehension.
4. Knowing every word is necessary for comprehension.
5. As you read, you should always look up the meaning of words you do not know.
6. To read well, you need to know the pronunciation of every word.
7. Learning vocabulary is the only way to improve reading ability.
8. Learning grammar is the only way to improve reading ability.
9. You can read all kinds of texts (books, newspapers, etc.) the same way.
10. Reading in different languages requires some different reading methods.
Questionnaire 2
Reading in English
For each statement, write T (true) or F (false).
1. It is always necessary to read every word of a passage
2. It is a good idea to say the words aloud when you read.
3. Reading more slowly improves comprehension.
4. Knowing every word is necessary for comprehension.
5. As you read, you should always look up the meaning of words you do not know.
6. To read well, you need to know the pronunciation of every word.
7. Learning vocabulary is the only way to improve reading ability.
8. Learning grammar is the only way to improve reading ability.
9. You can read all kinds of texts (books, newspapers, etc.) the same way.
10. Reading in different languages requires some different reading methods.
Were your answers the same in both questionnaires? Compare your answers with those of another
student. Do you agree?
You should have written F for every question in both questionnaires! If you marked
some answers T, then you may need to learn more about reading. In Advanced Reading
Power, you will discover more about the reading process and will have opportunities to
re-evaluate your ideas about reading.
VII
Introduction
PART
Extensive Reading
Introduction to Extensive Reading
Questionnaire
Answer the questions below on your own. Then form a group of two to four students and compare
your answers.
1. Looking back at your childhood, what do you remember as your first reading
experiences?
2. What kinds of reading material did your parents have in the house when you were
young?
3. Do you remember having books or other materials read to you as a child? If so, what
did you like best?
4. When you were able to read on your own, what did you enjoy reading?
5. Did your parents or other members of the family like to read? If so, what did they
read?
6. What kind of reading is important in your life today? For example, do you read a lot
for school or for your job?
7. About how many hours a week do you usually read materials of your own choice
(magazines, newspapers, novels, nonfiction)?
8. Do you have a favorite writer in your first language? A favorite book?
9. What books have you read in English?
10. If you could easily read anything in English, what would you like to read?
Would you like to . . .
. . read English faster with good comprehension?
. . . increase your vocabulary in English?
. . . improve your grammar in English?
. . . improve your writing skills in English?
. . . succeed in academic courses in English?
. . . gain broad knowledge of the world?
If you answered yes to these questions, then
extensive reading is for you.
2 Extensive Reading
What is extensive reading?
• reading a lot—at least one book every two or three weeks;
• choosing a book that is interesting to you;
• no tests on comprehension or vocabulary;
• reading at your own pace.
You will benefit most from extensive reading if you follow these three essential rules:
Rule 1: Enjoy!
Rule 2: Enjoy!
Rule 3: Enjoy!
(Source: "Rules" adapted from J. Bamford and R. Day, Extensive Reading Activities for Teaching Language.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004, p. 5)
Because extensive reading is enjoyable, you will read faster and more, which makes it
more enjoyable, so you will read even faster and more. This is the cycle of positive
reinforcement that leads to the positive effects on comprehension and general language
skills listed on page 2.
What the experts say about extensive reading
"Extensive reading is the most efficient way to help students change old habits and become
confident second language readers." Prof. Mary Lee Field, Wayne State University, Michigan
". . . reading for pleasure [extensive reading] is the major source of our reading competence, our
vocabulary and our ability to handle complex grammatical constructions." Prof. Stephen
Krashen, University of Southern California
"Extensive reading may play a role in developing the capacity for critical thinking so important
for success in higher education." Prof. Richard R. Day, University of Hawaii and Prof. Julian
Bamford, Bunkyo University, Japan
"It is clear from these studies that extensive reading can be a major factor in success in learning
another language." Prof. I. S. P. Nation, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Extensive Reading 3
Choosing a Book for
UNIT
Extensive Reading
Where to Find a Book
Ask your teacher, classmates, or friends for suggestions, or look on best-seller lists or the
Internet (http://www.NYTimes.com or http://www.Amazon.com , for example) for titles that
might interest you. Then go to a bookstore or library to see what is available.
How to Choose a Book
1. Choose a book that interests you. Your teacher and classmates may have good
suggestions, but choose the book that is best for you, not for them.
2. Choose a full-length book, not a collection of articles or stories. Reading a whole book
by a single author allows you to become comfortable with the writer's style and
vocabulary.
3. Avoid a book whose story you are already familiar with because you have read it in
another language or have seen the movie made from it. Knowing what will happen may
make it less interesting for you.
4. Evaluate the book. To find out about the author and the genre (type of book), read the
front and back covers. Read the first few pages, to find out about the style and subject.
5. Check the level of difficulty. If a book is too easy, it may be boring; if it is too difficult,
you may become discouraged and stop reading. To find out how difficult the book is for
you, count the number of unknown key words on a typical page. (A key word is a word
you must know in order to follow the general meaning.) Five unknown key words on
one page means the book is difficult for you. No unknown key words means the book
is easy.
Hints for success in extensive reading
• Set a goal for yourself. Decide how many books you would like to read during the
semester.
• Make reading a part of your daily routine. Set a time and place for reading. Read for
at least thirty minutes at a time so that you can become involved in your book.
• Carry your book wherever you go and read it whenever you have time.
• Keep a journal. Write about your reactions to the book or any thoughts that are
stimulated by your reading.
• When you finish a book, complete a Book Response Form, following the form on
page 24. Then make an appointment with your teacher for a book conference to
share your thoughts and reactions to it.
4 Extensive Reading