Comprehension questions

A. Check off the option which best completes each statement.

1. The author states that there is no educational substitute for

( ) a. intelligent practice

( ) b. a serious intention to improve

( ) c. Selective Reading

( ) d. hard work

2. What does the author say is a sign that you have begun to improve?

( ) a. concern over your reading

( ) b. initial resistance

( ) c. ability to recognize words

( ) d. ability to read selectively

3. Selective Reading consists of

( ) a. reading 1,200 words per minute

( ) b. choosing the right kind of reading for the right occasion

( ) c. picking out the vital facts

( ) d. all of the above

4. This course encourages the reader to

( ) a. employ many different kinds of reading

( ) b. diversify his reading skills

( ) c. learn to read selectively

( ) d. all of the above

5. Skimming as a reading skill

( ) a. can be used on all kinds of materials

( ) b. can be efficiently employed only on certain materials

( ) c. is most useful for intensive reading

( ) d. is best used on factual, well-organized materials

6. Poor reading is characterized by

( ) a. few fixations

( ) b. many regressions

( ) c. jerky eye movements

( ) d. all of the above

7. We can infer that faulty eye movements are

( ) a. the cause of poor reading

( ) b. the result of poor reading

( ) c. symptoms of poor reading

( ) d. unrelated to poor reading

8. The paragraph skills necessary for selective reading are

( ) a. paragraph recognition

( ) b. paragraph identification

( ) c. paragraph analysis

( ) d. all of the above

9. One assumption we can make from this lesson is that

( ) a. most readers do not read selectively

( ) b. important materials should be read selectively

( ) c. all materials should be read selectively

( ) d. selective reading is more intensive than other kinds of reading

10. The author states that we are all creatures of habit. This implies that

( ) a. in many respects we are like the lower creatures

( ) b. we act habitually rather than intelligently

( ) c. we tend to persist in our habits

( ) d. some people do not consider themselves creatures of habit

B. Complete the sentences using the information from the text above.

1. To become more efficient in your work means that you will be able ________.

2. Reading helps us _____________________.

3. There is no educational substitute for _________________.

4. Reading is not simply the ability ____________,___________,________.

5. The eyes actually move_____________. These stops are called____________.

6. The backward movements are called_____________.

7. Poor reading is characterized by __________________.

8. The skills presented in this lesson develop the reader’s ability _____________.

9. Skimming is__________________.

Supplementary exercise

Directions: Following is a list of skills which should be used in selective reading. These are the skills this lesson will teach. You may consciously or unconsciously be employing some of these skills now. Rate yourself on these skills using on the scale below to indicate how frequently you employ each skill. Plot your rating on the graph with an X. Connect the X’s for your profile. As you progress through this program, return regularly to this graph and record new progress as it occurs.

N	R	S	F	C
Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Frequently	Consistently

1. Preview before reading.

2. Use paragraph functions (the jobs that paragraphs do).

3. Read introductory paragraphs to form a mental outline of what is to come.

4. Isolate and learn definitions.

5. Read concluding paragraphs first.

6. Read selectively on factual material looking for main ideas.

7. Use author's clues to comprehend supplementary data.

8. Use paragraph patterns to locate main ideas.

9. Skim to gather information rapidly.

10. Study by reviewing main ideas and filling in supplementary information from memory.

C
F
S
R
N
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10