1 7
Building a
Strong
Foundation
Y
ou may not have thought of it this way before, but critical
readers are a lot like
crime scene investigators. In their search for the truth, they do not let opin-
ions sway them; they want to know what actually happened. They
collect tan-
gible evidence and facts and use this information to draw an informed conclusion.
Separating fact from opinion is essential during a crime scene investigation. It is also a cru-
cial skill for effective reading.
When you read, look for clues to understand the author’s meaning. What
is this pas-
sage about? What is this writer saying? What is his or her message? At times, it may seem
like authors are trying to hide their meaning from you. But no
matter how complex a piece
of writing may be, the author always leaves plenty of clues for the careful reader to find. It
is your job to find those clues. Be a good detective when you read. Open your eyes and ask
the right questions. In other words, read carefully and actively.
The five lessons that follow cover the basics of reading comprehension. By the end
of this section, you should be able to:
■
Find
the basic facts in a passage
■
Determine the main idea of a passage
■
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from context
■
Distinguish
between fact and opinion
I
magine, for a moment, that you are a detective. You have just been called to the scene of a crime; a house
has been robbed. What’s the first thing you should do when you arrive?
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