Active Reading Skills: Reading and Critical Thinking in College

Active Reading Skills focuses on essential skill areas for college-reading success, and improves students' reading through concise instruction, and extensive practice and testing. Each chapter focuses on a specific reading and thinking skill, and contains exercises that get students applying the learned skill to textbooks and ends with a vocabulary enrichment exercise.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE:  COLLEGE READING SKILLS       Chapter 1:  READING COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS: AN ACTIVE APPROACH Keys to Academic Success     Control External Distractions     Increase Your Attention Span Read and Learn Actively Preview Before Reading     How to Preview     Demonstration of Previewing     Making Predictions Use Guide Questions Textbook Reading Skills     Textbook Learning Aids     The SQ3R Reading/Study Method     Learning/Recall Strategies An Introduction to Critical Thinking The Textbook Challenge: Reading in Communication/Speech Disciplines:  Kinesics Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Diversity in U.S. Families  (Textbook Excerpt)                                 Chapter 2:  STRENGTHENING YOUR VOCABULARY                           What is Context? Types of Context Clues      Definition Clues     Synonym Clues     Example Clues     Contrast Clues     Inference Clues What Are Word Parts?     Prefixes     Roots     Suffixes Thinking Critically About Vocabulary Textbook Challenge: Reading in Science Disciplines: What Causes Extinction? Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3: Greenwashing   Chapter 3:  IDENTIFYING AND ANALYZING MAIN IDEAS                                  Why Are Main Ideas Important? Distinguishing Between General and Specific Ideas Locating the Topic Locating the Main Idea     Tips for Finding the Main Idea     Tips for Locating the Topic Sentence Locating the Central Thought Thinking Critically About Main Ideas Textbook Challenge: Reading in Business Disciplines: Guerrilla Marketing Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3: Stop Asking Me My Major   Chapter 4:  EXAMINING DETAILS AND TRANSITIONS Why Are Supporting Details Important? UsingTransitions Thinking Critically About: Details Textbook Challenge: Reading in Career Fields: Fear of Crime Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3: Talking A Stranger Through the Night   Chapter 5:  WORKING WITH IMPLIED MAIN IDEAS                              What Does Implied Mean? Distinguishing Between General and Specific Ideas Identifying Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Finding Implied Main Ideas in Visuals Thinking Critically About: Details Textbook Challenge: Reading in the Social Sciences: Who Should Live and Who Should Die? The Dilemma of Rationing Medical Care Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Friendship for Guys (No Tears!)    Chapter 6:  ORGANIZING INFORMATION Why Keep Track of Information? Highlighting and Marking     Highlighting Effectively     Marking  to Record Ideas Outlining Mapping Summarizing Good Reasons to Keep Track Of Information Thinking Critically About: Keeping Track of Information Textbook Challenge: Reading in Health Fields: Gender Differences and Health Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Employee Speech in the Digital Age   Chapter 7:  EXAMINING BASIC PATTERNS OR ORGANIZATION What Are Patterns of Organization? Example  Definition     Combining Definition and Example Chronological Order and Process Listing Combining Patterns of Organization Thinking Critically About the Example Pattern Textbook Challenge: Reading Literature: What is Fiction? (includes a short short , "A Gentleman's C" by Padgett Powell) Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3: Animals at Play  (Textbook Excerpt)   Chapter 8:  EXAMINING COMPARISON/CONTRAST AND CAUSE/EFFECT PATTERNS Comparison/Contrast Patterns     Comparison     Contrast     Using Both Comparison and Contrast Cause and Effect Patterns Other Useful  Patterns     Classification     Statement and Clarification     Summary     Addition     Spatial Order Thinking Critically About Comparison/Contrast and Cause/Effect Textbook Challenge: Reading History: Whether to Vote: A Citizen's First Choice Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3: Global Warming                                                   PART TWO: CRITICAL READING SKILLS   Chapter 9:  MAKING INFERENCES AND ANALYZING THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE What Is Inference?  How to Make Inferences Making Inferences about Graphics Understanding Author’s Purpose Considering Style and Intended Audience Analyzing Language:  Denotation and Connotation Critical Thinking Challenge: Reading Blogs: Green Exercise Better Than Just Plain Exercise Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Boots on the Ground: A Day in the Life of a Border Sheriff   Chapter 10:  DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION Is It Fact or Opinion?     Fact     Opinion     Judgment Words Mixing Fact and Opinion Evaluating Fact and Opinion Recognizing Informed Opinion The Critical Thinking  Challenge: Reading Newspapers: College Apologizes After Instructor Says Spanish Can't Be Spoken in Class Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Therapy Dogs   Chapter 11:  ANALYZING TONE AND BIAS RecognizingTone     Tone and Connotative Meanings     Identifying Tone     Tone:  The Relationship Between the Writer and Reader Understanding Irony and Sarcasm Analyzing Bias     What is Bias?     How to Detect Bias The Critical Thinking  Challenge: Reading Magazine Articles: Fear Itself Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Love on the Internet and Video Dating (Textbook Excerpt)    Chapter 12:  READING ARGUMENTS  What is an Argument? Parts of an Argument     The Issue     The Claim     The Support Questions for EvaluatingArguments     Is the Evidence Relevant?     Is the Evidence Sufficient?     Does the Author Use Emotional Appeals and Are They Used Unfairly? Errors in Logical Reasoning     Circular Reasoning     Hasty Generalization     Non Sequitur     False Cause     Either-Or Fallacy Arguments in Academic Writing The Critical Thinking Challenge: Reading Editorials: Our View on Your Health: What Can Be Done to Shake America's Salt Habit? Chapter Summary Self-Test Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Mastery Test 1 Mastery Test 2 Mastery Test 3:  Don’t Panic     PART THREE:  STUDENT RESOURCE GUIDE Appendix A: Exit Exams and Comptency Tests   Appendix B: Evaluating Internet Sources