Anker Susan. Real Essays with Readings with 2009 MLA Update

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 1 • Succeeding in College 17

11. Aside from price, what would most inﬂ uence your decision to buy a par-

ticular kind of textbook?

d. the fact that you used a copy before

b. a friend talking about it

c. quickly reading parts of it

a. the way it looks (color, photographs, and so on)

12. What would most inﬂ uence your decision to go see a new movie?

b. You heard a review of it on the radio.

c. You read a review of it.

a. You saw a preview of it.

13. You prefer a teacher who uses

c. textbooks, handouts, readings.

a. diagrams, charts, and slides.

d. ﬁ eld trips, labs.

b. discussions, guest speakers.

Charles C. Bonwell, Green Mountain Falls, Colorado 80819 U.S.A.

Now, count how many a’s you circled, and write that number in the

blank beside the “V ” (visual) below. Put the number of b’s you circled be-

side the “A” (auditory), put the number of c’s you circled beside the “R”

(read/write), and put the number of d’s you circled beside the “K” (kines-

thetic). Circle the letter next to your highest score. This is your strongest

learning style. If you have two scores that are the same, that means that

you have two equally strong learning styles, as many people do.

V Visual

A Auditory

R Read/write

K Kinesthetic (movement)

Use Your Learning Style in College

To ﬁ gure out how to apply your learning style in college, look at the follow-

ing sections, and read the one that matches your style. If you have a prefer-

ence for more than one learning style, read all the sections that apply.

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WRITING ESSAYS

18 Part One • How to Read and Write in College

Visual

Visual learners learn best by drawing, looking at images, or “seeing”

things as they read, write, and listen.

USING YOUR LEARNING STYLE

To read/study ➔

• Draw pictures or diagrams of concepts.

• Use colored highlighters to mark what

you want to remember.

• Note headings in texts, and look at

diagrams, charts, graphs, maps, pictures,

and other visuals.

• Write symbols that mean something to

you in the margins. (For example, write

exclamation points by the most impor-

tant information in a chapter.)

• Make your own ﬂ owcharts or time lines.

• Make outlines in different-colored inks.

To write ➔

• Use mapping or clustering to get ideas.

(See p. 65.)

• Use charts or outlines to plan, write, and

revise. (See Chapter 7.)

• Use correction symbols to edit. (See the

symbols at the back of this book.)

To take a test ➔

• Highlight important information, or put

check marks or other symbols by it.

• Make a ﬂ owchart or outline of your

answers.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 1 • Succeeding in College 19

Auditory

Auditory learners learn best by hearing things.

USING YOUR LEARNING STYLE

To read/study ➔

• Read aloud notes, texts, handouts, and so on.

• Tape lectures and class discussions (but

don’t forget to take notes, too). Later, you

can listen to the recordings.

• Listen to course-related audio CDs or tapes.

• Talk to other students about course material.

• Work with other students to prepare for

class, complete activities, and so on.

To write ➔

• Get ideas by talking to yourself or others.

• Read your writing aloud as you draft.

• Read your writing aloud as you revise and

edit.

To take a test ➔

• Read the directions and test items aloud in a

quiet whisper.

• Read your answers aloud in a quiet whisper.

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WRITING ESSAYS

20 Part One • How to Read and Write in College

Read/Write

Read/write learners learn best by reading and writing throughout

a course.

USING YOUR LEARNING STYLE

To read/study ➔

• Read headings, summaries, and questions in

books.

• Put what you read into your own words.

• Take careful notes from books and lectures,

and read them later.

• Keep and read all handouts.

• Highlight when you read.

• Describe charts, diagrams, maps, and other

visuals in writing.

To write ➔

• Freewrite or brainstorm to get ideas. (See

p. 69.)

• Keep a journal. (See p. 72.)

• Read and reread what you write, making

notes for revision.

• Revise your writing several times.

To take a test ➔

• Read and highlight the directions.

• Write an outline for essay questions, or write

quickly and revise.

• Reread your answers carefully.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 1 • Succeeding in College 21

Kinesthetic (Movement)

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and by moving around.

USING YOUR LEARNING STYLE

To read/study ➔

• Stand up when you read or study.

• Take short breaks, and walk around.

• Underline or highlight readings, or make

notes.

• Make ﬂ ash cards to study course material.

• Make puzzles (like crosswords) to help you

remember important concepts.

• Make your own study guides.

• Relate information to your own experiences.

• Mark examples in texts that are relevant to you.

• Write out questions that you have, and ask

them.

• Work with other students to prepare for class,

complete activities, and so on.

To write ➔

• Imagine your topic as a movie to get ideas.

• Think of ideas for writing as you walk.

• Imagine what pictures could express your ideas.

• Write ideas or details for a paper on sticky

notes, and move the notes around.

• Create a writing notebook with different

pockets for different kinds of ideas or writing.

• Write and ask questions about your topic.

To take a test ➔

• Breathe deeply and regularly throughout the

test.

• Stand up and walk to a different part of

the room (after asking your instructor for

permission).

• Calculate the time you will spend on each

part of the test, and time yourself.

• Stand and take a deep breath as you review

your answers.

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Reading and Writing

in College and Beyond

What You Need to Know

Reading carefully and purposefully can boost your chances of success in

college, on the job, and in everyday life. Good readers can ﬁ nd solid, prac-

tical information about anything they are interested in — making money,

investing, starting a business, ﬁ nding a job, treating an illness, buying a

car at the best price, and so on. Most of us don’t need to become lovers of

good literature — though some of you may — but we do need to know how

to read carefully — in college, at work, and in our everyday lives.

This chapter previews the skills you need to succeed and also shows

how they are linked to good writing. So use this chapter’s information to

help you: Your grades depend on good reading skills.

How to Read in College

In college, you will read a variety of materials — course syllabi, handouts,

textbooks, articles, essays, literature, Web sites, and more. While you will

read these materials in slightly different ways, they all require you to be

able to read closely and critically.

Close reading means paying attention to every word and every point.

You should closely read course syllabi, tests, and textbooks, taking in every

word and highlighting important points. Critical reading requires both

■ IDEA JOURNAL

What do you read

regularly? When you

need to concentrate,

where do you read?

Have you ever ﬁ nished

reading something

and realized that

you haven’t really

remembered it? Why

do you think this

happens?

You Know This

You read and

write all the time.

• You read and

respond to text

messages.

• You compose

résumés and

cover letters

when searching

for a job.

• You go online to

research the pur-

chase of a car.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 2 • Reading and Writing in College and Beyond 23

close reading and more — asking yourself why the author has made these

points in this way, what they mean, and whether you agree. You will apply

critical reading to textbooks, articles, essays, and literature.

Critical reading is active. You have to get involved with what you read

in order to understand it, and this means being mentally alert. For many

people, lying down is not a good way to read because it can cause drowsi-

ness. Instead, read sitting up with a good light source, and have a pencil,

pen, or highlighter in your hand. Try reading aloud, too.

The following basics will help you get the most out of the reading you

do in this course and others.

FOUR BASICS OF CRITICAL READING

Preview the essay, article, or chapter.

2. Find the main point and the support for that point.

3. Take notes on paper or in the text.

4. Review and respond to what you have read.

Preview the Reading

Before reading any piece of writing, skim or preview the whole thing, using

the following steps.

Read the Title, Headnote, and Introductory

Paragraphs Quickly

The title of a chapter, an article, or any other document usually gives

you some idea of what the topic is. Some documents are introduced by

headnotes, which summarize or provide background about the selection.

If there is a headnote, read it. Whether or not there is a headnote, writers

often introduce their topic and main point in the ﬁ rst few paragraphs, so

read those, and note what you think the main point might be.

Read Headings, Key Words, and Deﬁ nitions

Textbooks and magazine articles often include headings to help readers

follow the author’s ideas. These headings (such as “Preview the Reading”

above) tell you what the important subjects of the writing are.

Any terms in boldface type are especially important. In textbooks,

writers often use boldface for key words that are important to the topic.

Read the deﬁ nitions of key words as you preview the writing.

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WRITING ESSAYS

24 Part One • How to Read and Write in College

Look for Summaries, Checklists, and Chapter Reviews

Many textbooks (such as this one) include features that summarize or list

main points. Review summaries, checklists, or chapter reviews to make

sure you have understood the main points.

Read the Conclusion Quickly

Writers usually review their main point in their concluding paragraphs.

Read the conclusion, and compare it with the note you made after you

read the introduction and thought about what the main idea might be.

Ask a Guiding Question

As the ﬁ nal step in your preview of a reading, ask yourself a guiding

question — that is, a question you think the reading might answer. Some-

times, you can turn the title into a guiding question. For example, read the

title of this chapter, and write a possible guiding question. As you begin

your close reading, try to answer your guiding question. Having a guiding

question gives you a purpose for reading and helps keep you focused.

Find the Main Point and the Support

After previewing a reading, begin reading carefully for meaning, trying

especially to identify a writer’s main point and the support for that point.

Main Point

The main point of a reading is the central idea the author wants to com-

municate. Writers usually introduce their main point early, so read the

ﬁ rst few paragraphs with special care. After reading the ﬁ rst paragraph (or

more, depending on the length of the reading selection), stop and write

down — in your own words — what you think the main idea is. If the

writer has stated the main point in a single sentence, double-underline it.

PRACTICE 1 FINDING THE MAIN POINT

Read each of the following paragraphs. Then, write the main point in your

own words in the spaces provided.

1. Neighbors who are too friendly can be seen just about anywhere. I mean

that both ways. They exist in every neighborhood I have ever lived in and

■ TEAMWORK

Practice 1 works well

as a group activity.

■ For more on main

points, see Chapter 5.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 2 • Reading and Writing in College and Beyond 25

seem to appear everywhere I go. For some strange reason these people

become extremely attached to my family and stop in as many as eight to

ten times a day. No matter how tired I appear to be, nothing short of open-

ing the door and suggesting they leave will make them go home at night. (I

once told an unusually friendly neighbor that his house was on ﬁ re, in an

attempt to make him leave, and he still took ten minutes to say goodbye.)

What is truly interesting about these people is their strong desire to cook

for us even though they have developed no culinary skill whatsoever. (This

has always proved particularly disconcerting since they stay to watch us eat

every bite as they continually ask if the food “tastes good.”)

— From Jonathan R. Gould Jr., “The People Next Door”

Answers will vary. Possible answer: Over-friendly neighbors plague the

author.

2. Relief from depression may be a mouse click away. Australian researchers

have developed Web sites to ﬁ ght depression. In a study of 525 people,

those who visited a site designed to reduce anxiety and develop coping

skills (moodgym.anu.edu.au) showed a 25 percent improvement in de-

pression symptoms. Those who visited a site offering information about

depression (bluepages.anu.edu.au) improved by 20 percent. A control

group who participated in weekly phone discussions improved by only

8 percent. The sites are available online for public use.

— From Kate Dailey, ed., “Health Bulletin,” Men’s Health, June 2004

Answers will vary. Possible answer: Certain Web sites can help with

depression.

3. Entrepreneurs have certain traits, such as being creative innovators, mod-

erate risk takers, independent, and determined to achieve success. Also,

previous experience in managing a business often helps to make a success-

ful entrepreneur. However, a person who has these characteristics may

not be motivated to use them to launch a business until a precipitating

event occurs. A precipitating event is a change in the environment that

spurs an individual to take action. Such events can take various forms.

They may be part of an individual’s personal life, such as a change in

health, family makeup, or ﬁ nancial status. They may be technological

innovations that enable a new type of work or work in a new location.

Or else they may be job-related events beyond the individual’s control —

layoffs, mergers, changes in corporate management, market changes, or

even a sudden entrepreneurial opportunity.

— From Kenneth H. Blanchard et al.,

Exploring the World of Business (1996)

■ For online exercises

on main points, visit

Exercise Central at

bedfordstmartins

.com/realessays.

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WRITING ESSAYS

26 Part One • How to Read and Write in College

Answers will vary. Possible answer: Some people don’t start their own

businesses until unexpected circumstances motivate them.

4. Class attendance and participation are essential since we do many in-

class writings and much group work, which are part of a student’s grade

in the course. If you must miss a class and know this in advance, please

contact me so that we can discuss work and assignments that you will

miss. For excused absences — student illness, a death in the family, an

accident, and religious holidays — you must arrange to make up work

missed, and that work must be submitted within a week. Other absences

will be considered unexcused absences unless discussed with me. Any

student who has more than three unexcused absences will be asked to

drop the course.

— From a syllabus for a writing course

Answers will vary. Possible answer: Students must attend class, do the

work assigned, and follow procedures for absences.

Support

Support for the main point consists of details, explanations, or evidence.

The type of support provided depends on the purpose of the piece of

writing.

PRACTICE 2 FINDING SUPPORT

Go back to Practice 1 (p. 24), where you identiﬁ ed the main point of each

passage. Now, underline the support for each main point.

Note to instructor:

All sentences other

than the thesis

should be underlined.

■ TEACHING TIP

Ask students to anno-

tate the main points in

your course syllabus.

■

TEACHING TIP

Ask students if they

can identify the main

idea and support in

passages from the

textbook examples on

pages 32 or 37 or in

any of the essays in

Part Eight, Readings for

Writers.

■ For more on

support, see Chapter 6.

■ For online exercises

on support, visit

Exercise Central at

bedfordstmartins

.com/realessays.

DOCUMENT SUPPORT

Course syllabus Details about course objectives, grading policies,

classroom rules, and assignment due dates

Textbook Explanations of topics or concepts in a chapter

Essay Details, facts, and examples that help explain the

author’s main point

Short story Details that reveal characters and situations

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