1. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Chapter 10: Critical Thinking and Reading College Reading and Study Skills, Ninth Edition by Kathleen T. McWhorter

2. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Objectives:  This chapter will show you how to improve your critical reading skills by reacting to and analyzing what you read.  You will learn to make inferences, ask critical questions, and analyze arguments.  LEARNING PRINCIPLE: Elaborating—or thinking about and reacting to what you read—helps you remember more of what you read and will prepare you to write about and discuss the ideas.

3. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers MAKING INFERENCES  An inference is a reasoned guess about what you don’t know based on what you do know.  Authors do not always directly state what they mean. Instead, they may only hint at or suggest an idea.

4. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Making Inferences “As Agatha studied Agnes, she noticed that her eyes appeared misty, her lips trembled slightly, and a twisted handkerchief lay in her lap.” Inference: Agnes is upset and on the verge of tears.

5. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers How to Make Inferences  Understand the literal meaning first.  Ask yourself a question, such as “What is the author trying to suggest?”  Use clues provided by the writer’s choice of words.  Consider the author’s purpose.  Look back at the facts to verify your inference.

6. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Asking Questions: The Key to Critical Thinking  What is the source of the material?  What are the author’s qualifications?  Is the material fact or opinion?  What is the author’s purpose?  Is the author biased?  What is the tone?

7. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Fact or Opinion?  Facts –The costs of medical care increase every year. –More than one million teenagers become pregnant every year.  Opinions –Government regulation of our private lives should be halted immediately! –By the year 2025, most Americans will not be able to afford routine health care.

8. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers What Is the Author’s Purpose?  Consider the source and intended purpose. Is it biased?  Consider the point of view or perspective from which an article or essay is written.  Decide whether the writer tries to prove anything about the subject.

9. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Is the Author Biased?  Pay attention to emotional language.  Notice descriptive language. How does the author make you feel?  Look for opposing viewpoints. If there are none, it is biased.

10. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers What Is the Tone?  It reveals feelings, attitudes, or viewpoints not directly stated by the author.  The author uses word choice, sentence patterns, and length to establish tone.  Bias can be revealed by his or her tone.

11. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers ANALYZING ARGUMENTS  An argument takes one position on an issue and provides reasons and evidence that the claim is sound or believable. –All handguns should be legal. –No handguns should be legal. –Some handguns should be legal for certain individuals.

12. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Types of Evidence  Facts  Personal Experience  Examples  Statistics  Comparisons and Analogies  Appeal to Authority  Cause-Effect Relationships Determine if the evidence is relevant and sufficient.

13. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Questions to Ask about Arguments  What is the issue?  What is the claim?  What types of evidence are used?  Is the evidence convincing?  Is there sufficient evidence?  What other types of evidence could have been used to strengthen the argument?

14. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Summary Questions  How can you learn to make better inferences?  How can you become a critical reader?  What is the key to analyzing arguments?  What are the common types of evidence used in arguments?

15. © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Take a Reading Road Trip! Take a trip to the AMERICAN SOUTHWEST and visit the Critical Thinking module on your CD-ROM.