A Guide To College Reading - Chap. 7

Before reading this chapter I already knew much about this topic. Since I recently have taken a Writing 100 class, as a prerequisite, I'm familiar with details and transitions in a paragraph. After reading this chapter I learned that a paragraph has four essential elements, which are: a topic, a main idea, supporting details, and transitions.

Supporting details are basically facts and ideas that prove or explain the main idea of a paragraph. Even though details support the main idea, they are not at all that important. The important details are, key details, which directly explain the main idea. There are five most common types of supporting details, which happen to be: examples, facts or statistics, reasons, descriptions and steps. Using examples make ideas real and understandable. Facts or Statistics provide evidence to the reader that the main idea is correct. Reasons are used by writers who show the readers why a main idea is correct. Descriptions are deals that help create a mental picture of the object described. Lastly, steps are used when the writer explains how to do something in a paragraph.

The last thing that I learned about in the chapter was a broader definition of the term transitions. Transitions are linking words or phrases used to lead the reader from one idea to another. Also, I learned that paraphrasing paragraphs is a useful technique for both building and checking your comprehension. This involves substituting synonyms and rearranging sentence parts. 

Body Piercing and Tattooing: Risks to Health

            Before reading this article, I knew very much about the topic discussed. When I turned sixteen years old, that's when I begged and pleaded my mom to get a second piercing on the lobe of my ears. Of course, she said no, she claimed that I was too "young" and that taking care of a piercing was a lot of work. My mom had experience since as a young child, piercing her ears were a hobby. After weeks of harassing her, she finally gave in. Afterwards, each and every year I would ask if I can get another piercing. The adrenaline running throughout your body right before getting a piercing is an incredible feeling. It seemed that I used to be addicted to wanting to have that feeling over and over again. I will be nineteen years old in a few months, and I've already gotten ten piercings. However, I have gone through my share of infected piercings, and unfortunately, learned the hard way.
          I would like to know more about the history of body piercings and tattoos, in addition to learning more about cultures and their beliefs on body art. As a person who gets a lot of piercings, I haven't really learned much from the article since I just so happen to know most of the consequences of piercings. As much as I suffered from the piercings that have gone wrong, nothing can stop me from getting more.

A Guide To College Reading - Chap. 5

Before reading this topic, I did not know much about the subject. I want to know more about the "SQ3R" system. I believe that this system can improve my reading skills quite a bit. I understand what the acronyms stand for in 'SQ3R', however, if that doesn't work out, then what is the 'back up system'? I learned from reading this material how to preview textbook chapters along with articles and essays.

Previewing Textbook Chapters:

I. Read the title and the subtitle

II. Read the chapter introduction

III. Read the first paragraph

IV. Read bold faced headings

V. Read first sentence under each heading

VI. Typographical aids

VII. Read graphs, charts, and pictures

VIII. Read the final paragraph/summary

IX. End-of-chapter material

Previewing Articles and Essays:

I. Check authors name

II. Check the source of the article

III. Read the first sentence of a few paragraphs throughout the essay

Along with learning how to preview, I've also learned how to read for meaning. In addition, I've also learned a few key terms, one of them being, "prewriting".

Prewriting: a way of quickly familiarizing yourself with the organization and context of written material before beginning to read it.