![]() ![]() What is the chapter title? Is the chapter divided into sections? What are the section titles? Which sections are longer? Are there any illustrations? What are they about? Illustrations in books cost money, so chances are the author and publisher thought these topics were particularly important, or they would not have been included. This is why it is so important to learn to define where to invest your efforts. What parts of a reading assignment should you pay special attention to, and what parts can you browse through? As we mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, you will be expected to do a considerable amount of reading in college, and you will not get through it all by reading each and every word with a high level of focus and mental intensity. Remember that you are not merely reading-you are reading for a purpose. Think of your reading assignment in relation to the large themes or goals the instructor has spelled out for the class. Your first step in any reading assignment is to understand the context of what you are about to read. Now it is time to develop a plan of attack for your assignment. ![]() Doing this exercise once per textbook will give you a great deal of insight throughout the course. Has the instructor said anything about the book or the author? Look at the table of contents how does it compare with the course syllabus? What can you learn about the author from the front matter of the book (see Table 5.1 “Anatomy of a Textbook”)? Understanding this background will give you the context of the book and help define what is most important in the text. Start by thinking about why your instructor has chosen this text. Alternative Approaches for Preparing to Read. ![]()
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