Academic Reading

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Why Do You Need This New Edition? If you’re wondering why you should buy this new edition of Academic Reading, here are seven good reasons! 1. You will get a practical and valuable overview of each academic discipline covered in Chapters 10 through 15. Each chapter now opens with a brief section that defines the discipline and describes fields that comprise it. Each chapter also includes an annotated excerpt chosen from a popular textbook in the discipline. The excerpt provides an overview of the field; the ­annotations call your attention to features of the discipline. An exercise gives you practice in picking out what is important to learn and remember in the discipline. 2. The Academic Success section will help you start college successfully. A more interactive college success section offers skills and strategies for college success. This section has been revised to be more interactive and engaging, and includes a new strategy on managing the many electronic applications and devices available to most students—cell phones, e-mail, text messaging, etc. 3. It is easy to test yourself and keep track of what you are learning. New learning goals have been added that correspond to chapter headings and the Self-Test Summary. The goals tell you what you need to learn, the section corresponding to the goal teaches the

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skills, and the Self-Test Summary gives you an easy way to find out if you have learned what is expected. You will be reading current, up-to-date passages and excerpts in each chapter. Chosen from a wide range of college textbooks representative of over 30 academic courses, over 100 passages have been replaced with current, high-interest topics. Eight new or updated full-length reading selections cover contemporary topics. Topics include stereotypes and prejudice, the rise of African Americans, suicide bombers, and problem solving methods. These topics are representative of the types of readings you will encounter in your college classes, and the questions that follow will show you how to figure out what is important to learn and remember from college reading assignments. The book has been upgraded to a dynamic four-color design. It includes many graphics, diagrams, and photographs to help you maintain your interest and learn more efficiently. A new text-specific MyReadingLab module allows you to complete book exercises online and send them directly to your instructor.

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Academic Reading College Major and Career Applications Eighth Edition

Kathleen T. McWhorter Niagara County Community College

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Credit and acknowledgments for material borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text and on pages 439–443. Library of Congress Control Number: 2012954641

Copyright © 2014, 2010, and 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1—DOC—16 15 14 13

Student Edition ISBN-13: 978-0-321-86582-3 Student Edition ISBN 10:     0-321-86582-0 A la Carte Edition ISBN-13: 978-0-321-85123-9 A la Carte Edition ISBN-10:     0-321-85123-4

Brief Contents Detailed Contents    vi Preface    xii

The Top Ten College Majors   xviii Academic Success in College   1

part one Fundamental Reading Strategies   27 CHAPTER 1    Strategies for Active Reading  27 CHAPTER 2    Fundamental Comprehension Skills  61 CHAPTER 3    Essential Vocabulary Skills  83

part two Critical Reading Strategies   113 CHAPTER 4    Evaluating the Author’s Message  113 CHAPTER 5    Evaluating the Author’s Techniques  141 CHAPTER 6    Reading and Evaluating Arguments  166

part three Academic Reading Strategies   191 CHAPTER 7    Patterns of Academic Thought  191 CHAPTER 8    Reading and Evaluating Graphics and Online Sources  238 CHAPTER 9    Using Writing to Learn  265

part four Strategies for Specific Disciplines   286 CHAPTER 10  Reading in the Social Sciences  286 CHAPTER 11  Reading in Business  308 CHAPTER 12   Reading in the Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Education  334 CHAPTER 13  Reading in Mathematics  362 CHAPTER 14  Reading in the Life and Physical Sciences  388 CHAPTER 15  Reading in Technical and Applied Fields  412 E-Book Chapter: Reading Research, Reference, and Collateral Assignments   Credits  439 Index  444

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Detailed Contents Preface  xii

The Top Ten College Majors  xviii Academic Success in College  1 STRATEGY 1

Get Organized  2

STRATEGY 2

Manage Your Study Time  3

STRATEGY 3

Balance School and Work  6

STRATEGY 4 Take Lecture Notes  8 STRATEGY 5 Take Charge of Your Learning  10 STRATEGY 6

Manage Stress  13

STRATEGY 7

Manage Your Electronic Life  15

STRATEGY 8

Get the Most Out of Your Textbooks  17

STRATEGY 9

Adapt Your Skills to Academic Disciplines  21

STRATEGY 10

Use This Book  23

part one Fundamental Reading Strategies   27 CHAPTER 1 Strategies for Active Reading  27 Reading and Academic Success  28 Assessing Your Learning Style  29 Building Your Concentration  35 Developing Levels of Thinking  37 Previewing and Predicting  41 Developing Guide Questions  47 Checking Your Comprehension  49 Using the SQ3R Reading/Study System  51 Self-Test Summary  56

Psychology READING

Stereotypes and Prejudices: Seen One, Seen ’Em All  57

CHAPTER 2 Fundamental Comprehension Skills  61 Finding the Main Idea  62 Identifying Topic Sentences  63 Finding an Implied Main Idea  67 Recognizing Primary and Secondary Details  69 Adjusting Your Rate to Meet Comprehension Demands  71 Self-Test Summary  76

SOCIOLOGY READING

Diversity in U.S. Families  77

CHAPTER 3 Essential Vocabulary Skills  83 Techniques for Vocabulary Development  84 Using a System for Learning New Vocabulary  86 Using Context Clues  88

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DETAILED CONTENTS

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Learning Word Parts: The Multiplier Effect  93 Using Word Mapping to Expand Your Vocabulary  100 Learning Specialized and Scientific Vocabulary  102 Self-Test Summary  106 Interpersonal Communication Reading

Principles of Verbal Messages  107

part two Critical Reading Strategies 

113

CHAPTER 4 Evaluating the Author’s Message  113 Make Inferences as You Read  114 Assessing the Author’s Qualifications  120 Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion  121 Identifying the Author’s Purpose  124 Evaluating the Data and Evidence  126 Analyzing the Writer’s Tone  127 Annotating as You Read  131 Synthesizing Your Ideas  133 Self-Test Summary  136 EDUCATION READING

His Name Is Michael  137

CHAPTER 5 Evaluating the Author’s Techniques  141 Does the Writer Use Connotative Language?  142 Does the Writer Use Figurative Language?  144 Is the Author Fair or Biased?  146 What Isn’t the Author Telling Me?  149 Does the Author Make and Support Generalizations?  150 What Assumptions Is the Author Making?  152 Does the Author Use Manipulative Language?  154 Self-Test Summary  162

Public Relations READING

Women Mobilize Against Scruffy-Faced Men  163

CHAPTER 6 Reading and Evaluating Arguments  166 What Is an Argument?  167 Parts of an Argument  168 Inductive and Deductive Arguments  171 Strategies for Reading an Argument  173 Strategies for Evaluating Arguments  176 Errors in Logical Reasoning  180 Self-Test Summary  184

PAIRED TECHNOLOGY READING

Should Online Sites Ban Postings by Groups the Government Identifies as Terrorists? (Pro)  185 Should Online Sites Ban Postings by Groups the Government Identifies as Terrorists? (Con)  186

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part three Academic Reading Strategies 

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CHAPTER 7 Patterns of Academic Thought  191 Patterns: A Focus for Reading  192 The Definition Pattern  194 The Classification Pattern  197 The Order of Sequence Pattern  200 The Cause and Effect Pattern  208 The Comparison and Contrast Pattern  213 The Listing/Enumeration Pattern  217 Mixed Patterns  221 Other Useful Patterns of Organization  224 Self-Test Summary  232 HISTORY READING The Rise of African Americans  233

CHAPTER 8 Reading and Evaluating Graphics and Online Sources  238 How to Read Graphics  239 Types of Graphics  241 Understanding Visuals  249 Evaluating Internet Sources  251 Avoiding Plagiarism  255 Self-Test Summary  258

BIOLOGY READING Biodiversity Loss and Species Extinction  259

CHAPTER 9 Using Writing to Learn  265 Writing to Assess and Strengthen Comprehension  266 Highlighting and Annotating Textbooks  267 Note Taking to Organize Ideas  272 Mapping to Show Relationships  273 Summarizing to Condense Ideas  278 Self-Test Summary  281

CRIMINAL JUSTICE READING New Ways of Administering Justice and Punishment  282

part four Strategies for Specific Disciplines 

286

CHAPTER 10 Reading in the Social Sciences  286 What Are the Social Sciences?  287 Should You Major in a Social Science?  289 Tips for Studying Social Science—Even if You Are Not a Major  290 Social Science Textbooks: The Basics  290 Specialized Reading Techniques  291



DETAILED CONTENTS

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Thought Patterns in the Social Sciences  300 Adapting Your Study Techniques  302 Test-Taking Tips: Preparing for Exams in the Social Sciences  302 Self-Test Summary  303

Psychology Reading Persuasion or “Brainwashing”? The Case of Suicide Bombers  304

CHAPTER 11 Reading in Business  308 What Are the Business Disciplines?  309 Should You Major in Business?  311 Tips for Studying Business—Even if You Are Not a Major  312 Current Hot Topics in Business  313 Specialized Reading Techniques  314 Thought Patterns in Business  324 Adapting Your Study Techniques  325 Test-Taking Tips: Objective Exams  326 Self-Test Summary  327

MARKETING READING New Advertising Techniques  328

CHAPTER 12 Reading in the Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Education  334 What Are the Liberal Arts and Humanities?  335 Should You Major in the Liberal Arts?  337 Tips for Studying the Liberal Arts—Even if You Are Not a Major  338 Advice for Education Majors  338 Reading and Analyzing Literature  339 The Visual Arts: Expression Without Words  352 Reading Criticism  356 Thought Patterns in the Liberal Arts and Humanities  357 Learning Strategies for Liberal Arts and Humanities Courses  357 Test-Taking Tips: Preparing for Exams in the Liberal Arts and Humanities  358 Self-Test Summary  359

LITERATURE READING Leaves  360

CHAPTER 13 Reading in Mathematics  362 What Is Mathematics?  363 Should You Major in Mathematics?  365 Tips for Studying Mathematics—Even if You Are Not a Major  366

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DETAILED CONTENTS Reading Mathematics Textbooks  366 Thought Patterns in Mathematics  379 Studying Mathematics  379 Test-Taking Tips: Preparing for Exams in Mathematics  381 Self-Test Summary  382

Mathematics Reading Problem Solving  383

CHAPTER 14 Reading in the Life and Physical Sciences  388 What Are the Life and Physical Sciences?  389 Should You Major in the Life and Physical Sciences?  391 Tips for Studying the Life and Physical Sciences—Even if You Are Not a Major  392 Specialized Reading Techniques  393 Thought Patterns in the Life and Physical Sciences  398 Adapting Your Study Techniques  404 If You Are Having Difficulty  405 Test-Taking Tips: Preparing for Exams in the Life and Physical Sciences  406 Self-Test Summary  407

BIOLOGY READING The Promise of Stem Cell Research  408

CHAPTER 15 Reading in Technical and Applied Fields  412 What Are the Technical and Applied Fields?  413 Should You Major in a Technical/Applied Field?  414 Should You Major in an Allied Health Field?  415 Tips for Being a Successful Allied Health Major  415 Reading Technical Material  416 The Allied Health Fields 424 Thought Patterns in Technical Fields  427 Study Techniques for Technical Courses  432 Test-Taking Tips: Preparing for Exams in Technical Courses  433 Self-Test Summary  434 NURSING READING Telehealth: Promise or Peril?  435



E-BOOK CHAPTER Reading Research, Reference, and Collateral Assignments Reading Research Materials Alternative Reading Strategies Documentation and Note Taking Reading Collateral Assignments



DETAILED CONTENTS Evaluating Sources Synthesizing and Comparing Sources Self-Test Summary Reading

Plagiarism Additional Practice Credits 439 Index 444

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Preface ■ Approach Each academic discipline has its own subject matter, approach, and methodology. Consequently, reading assignments in each discipline require a unique set of reading skills and strategies. Many students have not learned to adapt their reading skills to the demands of different academic disciplines. Academic Reading: College Major and Career Applications, Eighth Edition, focuses on developing essential reading skills and showing students how to adapt them to specific academic disciplines. It also shows students how to adapt reading skills to specific college majors and specific career paths.

■ Changes in the Eighth Edition The eighth edition of Academic Reading offers a new, dynamic four-color design that enhances the many graphics, photographs, and learning aids in the book. In addition, there is: (1) a more engaging and interactive introduction to each discipline covered in Part 4; (2) an updated and more interactive college success section; (3) new learning goals that correspond to chapter headings; (4) extensive updating of in-chapter passages and excerpts; and (5) eight new full-length reading selections. Specific additions and changes to the text include the ­following:

• New introduction to each academic discipline.  Because students are often unfamiliar with what the six major disciplines covered in Part 4 encompass, a new introduction titled “What Is/Are (Name of Discipline)?” now opens each chapter. The introduction defines the discipline by delineating the specific fields included within it and shows an annotated passage from an introductory textbook from the discipline that defines the discipline and describes its focus. An exercise is also included to immediately engage students and provide them with an opportunity to read and write about the discipline. • New revised and expanded Academic Success in College section.    This newly expanded section now includes sections on how to apply the ten strategies presented. Also a new strategy—“Manage Your Electronic Life”—offers students advice on how to use cell phones, e-mail, text messages, apps, and other technology such as Skype to their advantage. This section also discusses the positive features of technology and encourages students to manage technology rather than allow technology to manage them. • New learning goals that correspond to chapter headings.  These new learning goals directly correspond to chapter headings and appear again in the Self-Test Summary. The goals help students identify what to focus on in each section; the Self-Test Summary provides students with a convenient and efficient way to assess their learning while reviewing chapter content. xii



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• Extensive updating of in-chapter passages and excerpts.    Over 100 textbook passages and excerpts have been replaced with engaging and contemporary materials from a wide range of academic disciplines. • New full-length reading selections.  Eight new reading selections have been added to the text, representing one or more of the top ten college majors. Topics include stereotypes and prejudices (sociology), problem solving (mathematics), advertising techniques (business), and the rise of African Americans (history). • New four-color design.  The book’s pedagogy is presented in an engaging and dramatic format, using color and graphics to demonstrate to students what is important to learn.

■ A Unique Focus on Academic Disciplines Many students are unfamiliar with the content and topics addressed in various academic disciplines or the career paths to which the disciplines lead. They drift from one academic course to the next without a clear career focus. This text offers a unique, contextualized approach that focuses on academic reading skills, but also motivates students toward a particular area of interest or field of study. Students learn important comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills, as well as how to adapt these skills to study specific academic disciplines. While doing so, they also learn what each discipline involves and what career opportunities are available. This book, then, teaches essential reading skills while opening up new worlds and new possibilities to students. Academic Reading, Eighth Edition, uses several current, effective methodologies to develop reading skills:

• Active Reading.  For many students, reading is a passive assimilation process: their goal is to acquire as many facts and as much information as possible. The active reading approach used in Academic Reading encourages students to interact with the text by predicting, questioning, and evaluating ideas. • Levels of Thinking.  Using Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive skills (updated by Anderson) as a framework, this book shows students how to apply higherorder thinking skills to their course work. • Metacognition.    Metacognition is the reader’s awareness of his or her own comprehension processes. Mature and proficient readers exert a great deal of cognitive control over their reading: they analyze reading tasks, select appropriate reading strategies, and monitor the effectiveness of those strategies. This text guides students in developing these metacognitive strategies. • Academic Thought Patterns.  The text describes six common academic thought patterns that are used in various disciplines to organize and structure ideas. Four additional patterns are also discussed. These patterns,

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­ resented as organizing schemata, are used to establish order, consistency, p and predictability within academic disciplines. • Writing as Learning.  Although most students regard writing as a means of communication, few are accustomed to using it as a reading aid to help them organize information, focus ideas, recognize relationships, or generate new ideas. This text introduces writing as a vehicle for learning. Techniques such as highlighting, outlining, note taking, and cognitive mapping are approached as learning strategies. • Writing in Response to Reading.  Since many college classes require students to respond in writing to what they read, this text offers ample opportunity to practice this important skill. All of the questions that follow the end-of-­ chapter readings are open-ended and require written response.

• Learning Style.  Not all students learn in the same way. To help students discover their unique learning preferences, the text includes a Learning Style Questionnaire (Chapter 1) and offers students suggestions for adapting their study methods to suit their learning style characteristics.

■ Discipline-Specific Reading Skills With the fundamental skills in place, college students are able to develop a diverse repertoire of reading strategies and to select and alternate among them. Professors from each of the academic disciplines worked as consultants during the writing of the book. A new set of specialists was used to develop a revision plan for the preceding edition. These consultant teams offered suggestions for both skill coverage and methodology. Some of the discipline-specific reading skills included are the following:

In the Social Sciences • understanding theories in the social sciences • reading research reports • making comparisons and applications

In Business • • • •

reading models reviewing case studies studying organization charts and flowcharts approaching supplemental readings

In the Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Education • understanding figurative language • reading poetry and short stories



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• working with literary criticism • studying visual elements in art

In Mathematics • • • • •

understanding mathematical language reading sample problems verbalizing processes reading graphics approaching word problems

In the Life and Physical Sciences • • • •

previewing before reading understanding scientific approaches studying sample problems learning terminology and notation

In Technical and Applied Fields • • • • •

reading illustrations and drawings using visualization reading technical manuals employing problem-solving strategies benefiting from practicum experiences

■ Special Features The following features enhance student learning and skill application:

• Academic Success in College Introduction. This section offers ten strategies that will get first-year students off to the right start in college by providing them with essential learning and study skills. Strategies include getting organized, managing time, balancing school and work, taking lecture notes, taking charge of learning, managing stress, managing technology, learning from textbooks, adapting your skills to academic disciplines, and how to use this textbook. This introduction also features quotations from students suggesting specific ways these skills can be applied. Each strategy includes an Applying Your Skills section that offers exercises and activities for working with the skills students have learned. • “Thinking Visually” Chapter Openers.  Each chapter begins with one or more visuals that link the chapter content to students’ interests and their world of experience. The openers in Chapters 1–9 also provide an academic link and a career link that demonstrate the utility of the skills taught

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in the chapter to other college courses and to workplace demands. The openers in Part 4, Chapters 10–15, offer three visuals that illustrate a topic of study, an academic application, and a career application of the academic discipline to be discussed. Learning Objectives. Each chapter includes a brief list of learning objectives that establishes the chapter’s focus and provides students with purposes for reading. The objectives can be used as a way to review and check retention after reading the chapter. Key Strategy Boxes.  Throughout the text, essential techniques and strategies are boxed to emphasize their importance and make them easy to find for future reference. Examples of these boxes include “How to Preview Textbook Assignments,” “How to Make Inferences,” and “How to Read an Argument.” Discipline Overviews (Part 4). The text provides an introduction to six major academic disciplines. Each chapter in this section defines the discipline and explains the fields it encompasses. Each chapter also discusses what majoring in the discipline involves and offers tips to help students determine whether a major in that discipline is right for them. Tips for nonmajors taking a course in the discipline are also provided. Tips for Majors.  The top ten college majors are featured in the Academic Success in College introduction. Throughout Chapters 1–9, marginal tips are provided that offer advice to students in specific majors. These tips demonstrate the importance of certain skills and show students how to apply them in specific fields of study. For example, in Chapter 2, math/ physical science majors are advised that main ideas are often spelled out in the form of theorems, principles, or laws. In the same chapter, life science/ allied health students are urged to pay attention to details, as exact and detailed procedures are important in lab work and clinical experience. Self-Test Chapter Summaries.  Each chapter includes a question-and-answer summary intended to help students review and consolidate chapter content through self-testing. Reading Selections. Each chapter concludes with one or more reading selections from a college textbook or related academic source to reinforce the skills and strategies presented in the chapter. Each reading is accompanied by a vocabulary review exercise, comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, and an exercise on applying learning/study strategies. Academic Applications. Exercises labeled “Academic Application” require students to apply their reading skills to textbook or course materials from their other college courses. Exercises for Collaborative Learning. Additional exercises designated “Collaborative Learning” provide structured activities in which students can learn from one another as they analyze and apply skills introduced in the chapter.



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■ Book-Specific Ancillary Materials The Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank The Instructor’s Manual section provides numerous suggestions for using the text, including how to structure the course and how to approach each section of the book. It also contains a complete answer key for the text and a set of overhead projection transparency masters. The Test Bank section includes chapter review quizzes for each chapter. (ISBN 0-321-86583-9)

■ Acknowledgments I wish to acknowledge the contributions of my colleagues and reviewers who have provided valuable advice and suggestions for this and previous editions of Academic Reading. These include academic discipline reviewers from each of the disciplines covered in Part 4, as well as reading specialists. Reviewers who contributed to the current edition include: Anna Masters, Brookhaven College; Jeffrey Siddall, College of DuPage; Maria Spelleri, State College of Florida; and Andrea Williams, Purdue University. I am particularly indebted to Janice Wiggins-Clarke, my Development Editor, for her most valuable advice and guidance. She has contributed knowledge, creativity, and energy, as well as practicality. I also wish to thank Nancy Blaine, Senior Acquisitions Editor, for her support of the revision plan and for overseeing its implementation. Kathleen T. McWhorter