Practice - Critical Reading Strategies and the Thesis Statement: Foundations of Argument
Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
Define "Active Reading" in your own words based on the text.
- Answer: Active reading is the process of interacting with a text through notes and questions to uncover deeper meanings rather than just passively consuming the words.
- Hint: Think about the difference between a "spectator" and a "participant."
💡 Hint: Think about the difference between a "spectator" and a "participant."
What are the four tools mentioned in the A.Q.I.T. mnemonic?
- Answer: Annotate, Question, Identify Assumptions, and Trace Development.
- Hint: Look at the "Memory Aids" section.
💡 Hint: Look at the "Memory Aids" section.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a S.A.F.I. thesis statement?
- Type: MCQ
- Options: Strong, Anonymous, Focused, Insightful
- Correct Answer: Anonymous
- Explanation: The mnemonic S.A.F.I. stands for Strong, Arguable, Focused, and Insightful.
- Hint: One of these implies the author is hidden; the others describe the quality of the argument.
💡 Hint: One of these implies the author is hidden; the others describe the quality of the argument.
Annotation is limited to highlighting key sentences.
- Type: Boolean (True/False)
- Options: True, False
- Correct Answer: False
- Explanation: Annotation involves a "handshake" with the page, including summarizing, identifying devices, and recording visceral reactions in the margins.
- Hint: Is highlighting a "dialogue" or a passive act?
💡 Hint: Is highlighting a "dialogue" or a passive act?
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Challenge Problems
Push your limits with advanced challenges
Transform the following factual statement into a "Strong" thesis statement: "The Great Gatsby is a book about the American Dream in the 1920s."
- Solution: (Example) "Through the tragic downfall of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald argues that the American Dream of the 1920s was an unattainable illusion corrupted by inherited wealth and social rigidity."
- Hint: Make it Arguable and Specific by focusing on a specific perspective of the American Dream.
💡 Hint: Make it **Arguable** and **Specific** by focusing on a specific perspective of the American Dream.
You are reading a political editorial. Use the "Identifying Assumptions" strategy to list three questions you should ask to uncover the author's unspoken premises.
- Solution: 1. Does the author assume I share their moral/ethical framework? 2. What does the author take for granted as "common sense"? 3. What perspectives or groups are being excluded from this argument?
- Hint: Look for the "unspoken premises" mentioned in the detailed summary.
💡 Hint: Look for the "unspoken premises" mentioned in the detailed summary.
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Reference links
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