Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

c,
exhausted, but the context
tells us that this word has something to do
with eating.
S u m m a r y
The ability to determine the meaning of unfamiliar
words from their context is an essential skill for read-
ing comprehension. Sometimes, there will be unfa-
miliar words whose meaning you can’t determine
without a dictionary. But more often than not, a care-
ful look at the context will give you enough clues to
meaning.
–
D E F I N I N G V O C A B U L A R Y I N C O N T E X T
–
3 7
■
Circle any unfamiliar words you come across today and the rest of the week. Instead of looking them
up in a dictionary, try to figure out the meanings of these words from their context. Then, look them up
in a dictionary to make sure you are correct.
■
Begin a vocabulary list of the words you look up as you work your way through this book. Many peo-
ple feel insecure about their reading and writing skills because they have a limited vocabulary. The more
words you know, the easier it will be to understand what others are saying and to express what you have
to say. By writing down these new words, you’ll help seal them in your memory.
Skill Building until Next Time

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W
hat’s the difference between fact and opinion, and what does it matter, anyway? It matters a great
deal, especially when it comes to reading comprehension.
During your life, you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of literature, ranging from analyti-
cal articles based on cold hard facts to fictional novels that arise wholly from the author’s imagination. However,
much of what you read will be a mixture of facts and the author’s opinions. Part of becoming a critical reader means
realizing that opinions are not evidence; for opinions to be valid, they must be supported by cold, hard facts.
Facts
are:
■
Things 
known
for certain to have happened
■
Things 
known
for certain to be true
■
Things 
known
for certain to exist
Opinions
, on the other hand, are:
■
Things 
believed
to have happened
■
Things 
believed
to be true
■
Things 
believed
to exist