Chapter-10-Critical-Thinking-and-Reading第10章批判性思维与

©2004PearsonEducation,Inc.,publishingasLongmanPublishersChapter10:CriticalThinkingandReadingCollegeReadingandStudySkills,NinthEditionbyKathleenT.McWhorterObjectives:Thischapterwillshowyouhowtoimproveyourcriticalreadingskillsbyreactingtoandanalyzingwhatyouread.Youwilllearntomakeinferences,askcriticalquestions,andanalyzearguments.LEARNINGPRINCIPLE:Elaborating—orthinkingaboutandreactingtowhatyouread—helpsyouremembermoreofwhatyoureadandwillprepareyoutowriteaboutanddiscusstheideas.MAKINGINFERENCESAninferenceisareasonedguessaboutwhatyoudon’tknowbasedonwhatyoudoknow.Authorsdonotalwaysdirectlystatewhattheymean.Instead,theymayonlyhintatorsuggestanidea.MakingInferences“AsAgathastudiedAgnes,shenoticedthathereyesappearedmisty,herlipstrembledslightly,andatwistedhandkerchieflayinherlap.”Inference:Agnesisupsetandonthevergeoftears.HowtoMakeInferencesUnderstandtheliteralmeaningfirst.Askyourselfaquestion,suchas“Whatistheauthortryingtosuggest?”Usecluesprovidedbythewriter’schoiceofwords.Considertheauthor’spurpose.Lookbackatthefactstoverifyyourinference.AskingQuestions:TheKeytoCriticalThinkingWhatisthesourceofthematerial?Whataretheauthor’squalifications?Isthematerialfactoropinion?Whatistheauthor’spurpose?Istheauthorbiased?Whatisthetone?FactorOpinion?Facts–Thecostsofmedicalcareincreaseeveryyear.–Morethanonemillionteenagersbecomepregnanteveryyear.Opinions–Governmentregulationofourprivatelivesshouldbehaltedimmediately!–Bytheyear2025,mostAmericanswillnotbeabletoaffordroutinehealthcare.WhatIstheAuthor’sPurpose?Considerthesourceandintendedpurpose.Isitbiased?Considerthepointofvieworperspectivefromwhichanarticleoressayiswritten.Decidewhetherthewritertriestoproveanythingaboutthesubject.IstheAuthorBiased?Payattentiontoemotionallanguage.Noticedescriptivelanguage.Howdoestheauthormakeyoufeel?Lookforopposingviewpoints.Iftherearenone,itisbiased.WhatIstheTone?Itrevealsfeelings,attitudes,orviewpointsnotdirectlystatedbytheauthor.Theauthoruseswordchoice,sentencepatterns,andlengthtoestablishtone.Biascanberevealedbyhisorhertone.ANALYZINGARGUMENTSAnargumenttakesonepositiononanissueandprovidesreasonsandevidencethattheclaimissoundorbelievable.–Allhandgunsshouldbelegal.–Nohandgunsshouldbelegal.–Somehandgunsshouldbelegalforcertainindividuals.TypesofEvidenceFactsPersonalExperienceExamplesStatisticsComparisonsandAnalogiesAppealtoAuthorityCause-EffectRelationshipsDetermineiftheevidenceisrelevantandsufficient.QuestionstoAskaboutArgumentsWhatistheissue?Whatistheclaim?Whattypesofevidenceareused?Istheevidenceconvincing?Istheresufficientevidence?Whatothertypesofevidencecouldhavebeenusedtostrengthentheargument?SummaryQuestionsHowcanyoulearntomakebetterinferences?Howcanyoubecomeacriticalreader?Whatisthekeytoanalyzingarguments?Whatarethecommontypesofevidenceusedinarguments?©2004PearsonEducation,Inc.,publishingasLongmanPublishersTakeaReadingRoadTrip!TakeatriptotheAMERICANSOUTHWESTandvisittheCriticalThinkingmoduleonyourCD-ROM.