Essential Reading Skills (with MyReadingLab Student Access Code Card)

Essential Reading Skills focuses on the four essential skill areas for college-reading success (active reading and thinking, vocabulary development, literal and critical comprehension, and organizational emphasis) and improves students' reading through concise instruction, and extensive practice and testing. Each of the eleven chapters 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:
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