Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

LESSON 12
Diction: What’s in a Word?
95
Defining tone from the choice of words
LESSON 13
Style: It’s Not What They Say but How They Say It
101
Sentence structure; degree of detail, description, and formality
LESSON 14
How They Say It, Part Two: Tone
107
How tone influences meaning
LESSON 15
Word Power: Putting It All Together
111
Reviews Lessons 11–14
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
LESSON 16
Finding the Implied Main Idea
119
Making inferences, determining an unstated purpose
LESSON 17
Assuming Causes and Predicting Effects
125
Reading between the lines, implied action and reaction
LESSON 18
Emotional Versus Logical Appeals
131
Being aware of strong and weak arguments
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LESSON 19
Finding Meaning in Literature
137
Identifying themes, working with poetry
LESSON 20
Drawing Conclusions: Putting It All Together
143
Reviews Lessons 1–19
POSTTEST
149
APPENDIX A
Preparing for a Standardized Test
169
APPENDIX B
Additional Resources
175
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C O N T E N T S
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T
his book is designed to help you improve your reading comprehension skills by studying 20 minutes
a day for 20 days. You’ll start with the basics and move on to more complex reading comprehension
and critical thinking strategies. Please note that although each chapter can be an effective skill builder
on its own, it is important that you proceed through this book in order, from Lesson 1 through Lesson 20. Each
lesson builds on skills and ideas discussed in the previous chapters. As you move through this book and your read-
ing skills develop, the passages you read will increase both in length and in complexity.
The book begins with a pretest, which will allow you to see how well you can answer various kinds of read-
ing comprehension questions 
now,
as you begin. When you finish the book, take the posttest to see how much
you’ve improved.
The text is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different group of related reading and thinking strate-
gies. These strategies will be outlined at the beginning of each section and then reviewed in a special “putting it
all together” final lesson.
Each lesson provides several exercises that allow you to practice the skills you learn. To ensure you’re on the
right track, each lesson also provides answers and explanations for all of the practice questions. Additionally, you
will find practical suggestions in each chapter for how to continue practicing these skills in your daily life.
The most important thing you can do to improve your reading skills is to become an active reader. The fol-
lowing guidelines and suggestions outlined will familiarize you with active reading techniques. Use these techniques
as much as possible as you work your way through the lessons in this book.
How to Use This Book
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