1. Interpreting What We Read
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
PART 3
Interpreting What We Read
Chapter 5
Inference
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Introduction to Inference Skills
A good reader makes educated guesses based upon observable details by using one’s intuition and experiences to create a likely interpretation
of what is happening in a story, while being careful that the interpretation
is logical and realistic.
Chapter 5: Inference 2
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Test-taking Tip
Creating Review Tools
Make To-Do Lists
Make a list of the things you need to study for your course and check each item off as you study it.
Chapter 5: Inference 3
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Use 3X5 flash cards to test yourself
On one side of the card write the word you need to know, and on the other write the definition. Or, on one side write a review question, and on the other write the answer.
Carry the cards with you, so you can study them whenever you have extra time.
Chapter 5: Inference 4
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Create summary sheets
Go through your lecture notes and text underlinings, and write down the key points on a piece of paper.
Quiz yourself on these key points by asking yourself to recall what is on the sheet.
Chapter 5: Inference 5
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Create question-and-answer sheets
Fold a piece of paper in half or use the front and the back of the paper to create tests for yourself.
Chapter 5: Inference 6
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Vocabulary
This unit addresses words having opposite meanings, such as “love” and “hate.” We will also introduce you to the word parts meter, equi, and a(n).
phil(o) - love
bibliophile
Since biblio means “book,” a bibliophile is a person who loves or collects books.
philanderer
a man who makes love to a woman he can’t or won’t marry. Ander means “male.”
Chapter 5: Inference 7
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
 philanthropist
a person who shows love for others by donating money
or services to help them.
philosopher
a person who offers views and theories on profound questions;
“a lover of wisdom.”
philharmonic
loving music; a symphony or orchestra.
philately
the collection and study of postage stamps and post marks.
Chapter 5: Inference 8
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
mis - hate; bad(ly)
misanthrope
a person who hates or distrusts people.
misogynist
Since gyn means “woman,” a misogynist is a person who hates or is hostile toward women.
miscreant
a vicious or depraved person.
misconstrue
to think of in a wrong way, to misunderstand.
Chapter 5: Inference 9
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
misnomer
a wrong name; an error in naming a person or thing.
eu - good or well; dys - bad, abnormal, difficult
eulogy
a speech or writing praising a person or thing, especially a speech praising a person who has just died.
euphemism
a word or phrase that is used in place of another that is considered to be offensive.
euphoria
a feeling of great joy or excitement.
Chapter 5: Inference 10
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
euthanasia
the act of putting someone to death painlessly or allowing them to die by withholding medical measures. “To euthanize” means to subject to euthanasia.
dysentery
infectious disease of the large intestine marked by diarrhea. Dysentery literally means “bad bowel.”
dyslexia
any of a variety of reading disorders.
Chapter 5: Inference 11
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

12. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
meter - measure
speedometer
an instrument to measure the rate of travel in miles or kilometers.
odometer
an instrument for measuring distance traveled, as in a car.
pedometer
an instrument that measures the distance walked or run by recording the number of steps taken.
barometer
an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
Chapter 5: Inference 12
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
macro - large or long ; micro - small
macrocosm
the universe considered as a whole. Cosmo means “universe.”
microcosm
a little world, a world in miniature; a group thought of as representing a larger group.
microbe
a disease-causing bacterium; a small bit of life.
microfilm
a film bearing a miniature photographic copy of graphic material.
Chapter 5: Inference 13
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

14. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
equi - equal
*Don’t get equi confused with equus, which means “horse.” Equestrian competition involves horse-riding.
equity
fair or just. The value of a piece of property after subtracting the amount owed on it in mortgages and liens.
equitable
fair or just.
equivalent
equal in value, measure, force, or significance.
Chapter 5: Inference 14
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

15. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
a(n) - not, without
atypical
not typical; irregular; abnormal.
amoral
without a sense of moral responsibility.
aseptic
free from the living germs of disease.
atrophy
a wasting away or a shrinking up of a part of the body.
Chapter 5: Inference 15
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

16. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
anomaly
not following the usual rule or pattern; abnormal.
amorphous
without a definite shape or form.
anemia
a condition in which a person’s blood does not have enough red blood cells.
asymmetrical
having or showing a lack of symmetry; not balanced.
Chapter 5: Inference 16
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
poly - many
polychromatic
having or exhibiting many colors.
polysyllabic
consisting of four or more syllables. Pol y syl lab ic has five syllables.
polytechnic
pertaining to or offering instruction in a variety of industrial arts, applied sciences, or technical subjects.
Chapter 5: Inference 17
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.