Turning Failure into Success
Ⅰ.Reading Strategy: Recognizing Signal Words
Signal words aid comprehension of all reading materials.These are words that authors often use to help the reader to follow the directions of a writer s thought, to understand how in formation is organized and provide clues about what is important.By using signal words to predict what is about to happen，readers can decide whether they should speed up their reading, slow down or pause to make sure what is being read is understood.Recognizing signal words enables readers to improve both reading speed and comprehension.
Understanding them is a key to comprehension.They are like signposts on the road that guide the traveler.
There are basically five groups of signal words.
1.Emphasis Words.
Among the most valuable signals are emphasis words, through which the writer tells you directly that a particular idea or detail is especially important.
Look over the following words, which contain some typical words showing emphasis.
most important of all important to note a significant factor a chief outcome a primary concern a key feature above all.
Example:
To be happy, adolescents must be realistic about the achievements they are capable of, about the social acceptance they can expect to receive, and about the kind and amount of affection they will receive.Of the three, social acceptance is the most crucial.Well-accepted adolescents will automatically receive affection from those who accept them, and their achievements will winapproval if not acclaim (称赞).
When you see the phrase the most crucial, you know social acceptance is most important,and should pay attention to it.
2.Addition Words.
Addition words tell you that the writer s thought is going to continue in the same direction.He is going to add on more points or details of the same kind.
Look over some addition words.
Example:
A computer is often called a“thinking machine”,and in many ways it is just that.Computers perform difficult and timesaving mathematical computations, as well as problems in logic and reasoning.In addition, computers run other machines and answer questions.Also, they are used to guide astronauts on take-off.
When you see the addition words, you can continue reading rapidly without worrying about a completely new idea or thought coming.There is no need to slow down your reading-thinking process.
3.Comparison and Contrast Words.
Comparison words signal that the author is pointing out a similarity between two subjects.They tell you that the second idea is like the first one in some way.Look over the following words:
Example:
The sex of the instructor affected the extent of active student participation.
In classes taught by men with roughly equal proportions of male and female students, male students were responsible for about 75% of all class discussion.
Similarly, with women as instructors, female student participation rose from 25% to 42%；in contrast,male participation slipped from 75% to 58%.
4.Cause-and-Effect Words.
Cause-and-effect words signal that the author is going to describe results or effects.If the sentence states the reason and results of the thing, its relationship is cause and effect,and any information with reasons and results is usually easier to accept.Look over the following cause-and-effect words.
Example:
Without the computer, we would not have made the tremendous medical advancements that we have made in the last century.These advancements have been the result of the computer s ability to analyze data that would have been impossible to analyze before.This analysis of data has led to many specific discoveries and medical breakthroughs.Because of these breakthroughs, life expectancy has increased over twenty-two years since the beginning of the century.It is evident,then, that we have benefited tremendously because of the computer.
5.Conclusion Words.
This group of words signals that a conclusion or summary is about to be made.Look over the following conclusion words.
Example:
If a person is not allowed to dream in his sleep, he becomes tense and anxious.He becomes irritable.He has trouble in concentrating and his mental health is temporarily damaged.In short, he can not get the benefit of rest.
The phrase“in short”here signals that the main point of whatever has been said before is about to be summarized.
The definitions of the signal words are not important, really.What is important is the signal they send you as you re reading.If you react to them quickly, as you do a red, yellow, or green traffic light,your mind will automatically begin to see the organization of ideas behind the author s words.
Ⅱ.Applying the Reading Strategy
In this part you are required to practise the reading strategy you have just learned.
1.Find out the main signal words in the following paragraph and decide what group each signal belongs to.The number in parentheses tells you how many signal words to look for.
The greatest value of play technique is in the study of personality.Children often cannot or will not explain themselves in the first person.However, they may reveal much of their inner lives in play.The child who will not tell about his or her own fears and conflicts may readily project these feelings into dolls.Feelings of rejection,insecurity, repressed (压 抑 的 ) hatred, fears, and aggressions may all be freely revealed in play.As a result, the play technique, when properly handled, offers opportunities for understanding the child.(3 signal words)
2.Fill in each blank with appropriate signal words below.
for example, consequently, because, on the other hand, whereas Many of the restless and dissatisfied sons and daughters of these middle,upper-middle, and upper class homes had never known poverty, ( )they could not understand their parents emphasis upon money, status, and work.
Parents,( ),could not understand how some of their children could be indifferent (冷漠的),even hostile, to such practical things as formal education and preparation for work.
Ⅲ.Reading Tasks
A.Pre-reading activity
