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Critical Reading Critical Thinking: Focusing on Contemporary Issues (with MyReadingLab), 3/E
Richard Pirozzi, Passaic County Community College
Gretchen Starks-Martin
Julie Dziewisz

ISBN-10: 0205574866
ISBN-13: 9780205574865

Publisher: Longman
Copyright: 2008
Format: Paper Bound with PIN; 672 pp
Published: 10/18/2007

Suggested retail price: $72.00
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Focusing on current issues, Critical Reading, Critical Thinking equips students with the critical reading, writing, thinking, and problem-solving skills essential to understanding and responding to issues and ideas.

 

This revision of Richard Pirozzi’s renowned critical reading text continues the precedent of using contemporary issues to engage students in the reading and thinking about a range of relevant topics and apply the skills presented in the text to everyday issues. A new author team has brought the book up to date with fresh readings and new thought-provoking questions that motivate students to use higher-level thinking strategies to address or respond to the issue.

 

Critical Reading, Critical Thinking is ideal for classrooms with diverse reading abilities. Part 1, “Back to Basics,” includes three chapters that cover vocabulary skills, basic reading skills, and textbook reading skills for a brush up on these skills. Part 2, “Dealing with Complexity,” contains two chapters that present the approaches to contemporary issues and basic problem solving. These approached are then used throughout the remainder of the book.  Part 3, “Critical Reading; Evaluating What You Read,” covers  advanced critical reading skills, including using inference, distinguishing between facts and opinions, recognizing purpose and tone, and looking at electronic text with a critical eye.

 


  • The coverage of contemporary issues concerning a variety of high-interest topics piques students’ interest and engages them in the reading, thinking, and writing throughout the text.
  • “Think About It!”/“Looking Back”/“Think Again!” features encourage students to think critically by providing stimulating, enjoyable, and thought-provoking photographs, puzzles, problems, or quotations.
  • The authors teach three research-backed strategies – SQ4R, KWL, and PLAN – for reading flexibility and different purposes for reading. 
  • Students are given ample assessment opportunities as all chapters end with removable “Mastery Tests” to measure student ability.
  • Recognizing the importance of various reading mediums in today’s world, the authors address the critical reading of advertisements, e-mails, Web sites, and other electronic text.

  • A thorough and comprehensive revision by a new author team brings Critical Reading, Critical Thinking up to date and appropriately aligned with the needs of today’s college reader.
  • Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) exercises get students actively involved in the critical thinking process by having them solve a crime mystery.
  • Web Site Investigation (WSI) activities and exercises in each chapter direct students to use the Internet to explore and investigate concepts and issues concerning the topic(s) in the chapter.
  • The third edition is complemented by MyReadingLab. Benefits of MyReadingLab include:
    • Reading skill practice and assessment with Reading Road Trip, the best selling reading skill tutorial.  Reading Road Trip has been thoroughly revised and redesigned with stronger exercises, a new mastery-based format, open-ended questions, and the instructor’s ability to reorganize the arrangement of topics.
    • Reading comprehension practice and assessment using the newly added Lexile system developed by MetaMetrics.  Students’ reading ability (Lexile measure) is initially determined via a diagnostic, and, using a sophisticated framework of modified Cloze-tests and scoring algorithms, is re-assessed as students work through reading sets.  Both students and instructors are thus given quantifiable data to measure reading level advancement. 
    • Personalized study plans to guide students to reading success.
    • Comprehensive assessment of coursework and progress tracking in the grade book.

Detailed Contents

 

Preface

PART ONE BACK TO BASICS

CHAPTER 1 Understanding Vocabulary: A Review

Think About It!

The Power of Words

Using Context Clues

Punctuation

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

General Sentence Clues

Using Word Parts: Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes

Recognizing Word Denotation and Connotation

Using a Glossary

Using the Dictionary

Online Dictionaries

Learning and Reviewing Vocabulary Words

Concept Cards

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Looking Back

Think Again!

And Again!

Mastery Test 1—1

Mastery Test 1—2

Mastery Test 1—3

 

CHAPTER 2 Understanding What You Read: A Review

Think About It!

Distinguishing Topics, Main Ideas, Major Details, and

Minor Details

Unstated Main Ideas

Recognizing Patterns of Organization

Simple Listing of Facts

Time Sequence

Comparison and Contrast

Cause and Effect

Uncovering the Central Message of a Longer Selection

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Looking Back

Think Again!

Mastery Test 2—1

Mastery Test 2—2

Mastery Test 2—3

Mastery Test 2—4

 

CHAPTER 3 Getting the Most Out of Your Textbooks: A Review

Think About It!

Overviewing Your Textbooks

Previewing Textbook Chapters

Reading a Textbook Chapter Critically: Questions and Answers

Textbook Reading Strategies: SQ4R, PLAN, KWL

SQ4R

PLAN

KWL

Looking Back

Think Again!

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Mastery Test 3—1

Mastery Test 3—2

Mastery Test 3—3

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

 

PART TWO DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY

 

CHAPTER 4 Critical Thinking and Contemporary Issues

Think About It!

Critical Thinking Versus Random Thinking

Benefits and Uses of Critical Thinking

Characteristics of Critical Thinking

Flexibility

Clear Purpose

Organization

Time and Effort

Asking Questions and Finding Answers

Research

Coming to Logical Conclusions

What Is a Contemporary Issue?

Determining What Is at Issue

Distinguishing Among Opposing Viewpoints

Expressing a Personal Viewpoint

Eye on Vocabulary

Looking Back

Think Again!

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Mastery Test 4—1

Mastery Test 4—2

Mastery Test 4—3

 

CHAPTER 5 Basic Problem Solving

Think About It!

Problem-Solving Exercise

What Is a Problem?

What Is a Solution?

How Do You Solve Problems?

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

A Basic Method for Personal Problem Solving

Step 1: Identifying the Problem

Step 2: Gathering Information and Determining If the

Problem Can Be Broken Down

Step 3: Thinking About Possible Solutions and Weighing

the Advantages and Disadvantages of Each

Step 4: Choosing a Possible Solution

Step 5: Checking Back on the Problem and the Possible

Solution

Applying the Method to a Typical Problem

Situation

Step 1: Identifying the Problem

Step 2: Gathering Information and Determining If the

Problem Can Be Broken Down

Step 3: Thinking About Possible Solutions and Weighing

the Advantages and Disadvantages of Each

Step 4: Choosing a Possible Solution

Step 5: Checking Back on the Problem and the Possible

Solution

Eye on Vocabulary

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Looking Back

Think Again!

Mastery Test 5—1

Mastery Test 5—2

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

 

PART THREE CRITICAL READING: EVALUATING

WHAT YOU READ

 

CHAPTER 6 Using Inference

Think About It!

Problem-Solving Exercise

What Is Critical Reading?

Drawing Inferences

Using Knowledge to Infer

Using Experience to Infer

Using Clues to Infer

Using Critical Thinking skills to Infer: The Internet

Using Figurative Language Cues to Infer

Looking at the World with a Questioning Mind

Using Inferences with Contemporary Issues

and Problem Solving

Eye on Vocabulary

Looking Back

Think Again!

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Mastery Test 6—1

Mastery Test 6—2

Mastery Test 6—3

Mastery Test 6—4

 

CHAPTER 7 Distinguishing Between Facts and Opinions

Think About It!

Problem-Solving Exercise

What Is a Fact?

What Is an Opinion?

Distinguishing Between Facts And Opinions

Facts and Opinions in Combination

Relating Facts and Opinions to Problem Solving

and Contemporary Issues

Eye on Vocabulary

Looking Back

Think Again!

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Mastery Test 7—1

Mastery Test 7—2

 

CHAPTER 8 Recognizing Purpose and Tone

Think About It!

Problem-Solving Exercise

The Importance of Recognizing Purpose

To Inform

To Persuade

To Entertain

Combination of Purposes

Eye on Vocabulary

The Importance of Recognizing Tone

Matter-of-Fact Tone

Humorous Tone

Angry Tone

Sad Tone

Ironic Tone

Eye on Vocabulary

Looking Back

Think Again!

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

Mastery Test 8—1

Mastery Test 8—2

Mastery Test 8—3

 

CHAPTER 9 Looking at Advertisements and the Internet

with a Critical Eye

Think About It!

Problem-Solving Exercise

Advertisements and Critical Thinking

Evaluating an Advertisement

How Does It Try to Catch the Interest of Readers?

To Whom Is It Designed to Appeal?

What Is It Trying to Persuade Readers to Buy,

Do, or Think?

What Benefit to Readers Is It Stressing?

How Convincing Is It?

Website Investigation (WSI): Advertisements

Evaluating E-mails

Evaluating Web Sites

Is the Authority Trustworthy

Is the Site Accurate

Is the Site Current

What Is the Purpose of the Site

Website Investigation (WSI): Critical Reading

Eye on Vocabulary

Crime Scene Investigation

Looking Back

Think Again!

Mastery Test 9—1

Mastery Test 9—2

Mastery Test 9—3

Mastery Test 9—4

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

Holmes and Watson to the Rescue One Last Time

For Advanced Reading (10-12+ grade level)


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