by

Prof. Maha El Said

Department of English
Faculty of Arts
Cairo University

2022

1302 Critical Reading (3 )

2 Critical Reading

Copyrights Reserved
2022

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E-mail: entagalketab@yahoo.com
Critical Reading 3

Contents

Subject Page
Course Objectives ……………………………………… 5
Introduction ……………………………………………..7
Unit One: Fake News …………………………………... 15
Unit Two: Recognizing Fake News ……………………. 27
Unit Three: Media Framing ……………………………..43
Unit Four: Framing Theory ……………………………..55
Unit Five: Extended Reasoning …………………………71
Unit Six: Reading Scientific texts ………………………105
Practice Extra Critical Reading ……………………… 131
Answer Key ……………………………………………. 142
4 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 5

Course Objectives

This level of reading goes a step further from levels one and
two. By the end of this course students will be able to:

✓ Develop a critical mindset

✓ Identify ways of deconstructing texts critically

✓ Compare texts critically

✓ Evaluate the credibility of texts

✓ Recognize the structure of scientific texts

6 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 7

Introduction

This level of reading goes a step further from levels one and
two. While in the first two levels you were introduced to reading
skills such as skimming and scanning at this level we move to
looking closely at texts and analysing them.
In this course you will be introduced to reading passages not
simply for the purpose of comprehension, but in order to think
critically about what you read. You will be able to do this through
learning how to discuss both form and content. Becoming
competent in doing this will help you to develop your basic skills
of translation. You are not simply absorbing the information;
instead, you are interpreting, categorizing, questioning, and
weighing the value of that information in order for you to be
able to provide the best translation.
Critical reading means that a reader applies certain skills and
poses questions, that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension.
There is more involved, both in effort and understanding, in a critical
reading than in a mere "skimming" of the text. A critical reading gets
at to the depth of the text and not only interpret its surface meaning
but goes deeper to interpret the text and subtexts. When reading
critically you analyse and infer meanings to uncover any hidden
messages and clarify the intention of the writer.
Critical reading does not only depend on your English language
capacity but it challenges your critical skills as you challenge texts
and read in between the lines. As a critical reader you read a text
with an open mind paying attention to how the writer develops
8 Critical Reading

ideas, how ideas are supported and most importantly reflecting

thoughtfully and objectively about the text.
To be able to read critically you need to read slowly and do
what we call “close reading”. That is reading that is thoughtful,
and includes critical analysis of a text. Reading that focuses on
significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise
understanding of the text’s form, craft, and meanings. To read
critically is to exercise your judgement about what you are
reading – that is, not taking anything you read at face value.
Critical reading involves using logical and rhetorical skills.
Identifying the author's argument and how the author supports it.
The support for the author's claim is in the evidence provided to
suggest that the author's intended argument is sound, or
reasonably acceptable. What ties these two together is a series of
logical links that convinces the reader of the coherence of the
author's argument. If the author's premise is not supportable, a
critical reading will uncover the lapses in the text that show it to
be unsound.
Critical reading means engaging in what you read by asking
yourself questions such as, ‘what is the author trying to say?’
or ‘what is the main argument being presented?’ or to put it
simply it is to answer the three main questions:
What? How? Why?
Critical Reading 9

Critical reading and Critical

Thinking:
How do we make the judgment?
Think about how we make the guess
– we use:
✓ past experience (including
have we seen it before)
✓ logic and argument
✓ where we are not sure, we require more evidence

What is critical thinking?

“Good critical thinking includes

recognising good arguments even when we
disagree with them, and poor arguments even
when these support our own point of view.”
Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Skills,
New York, Palgrave. p47

It’s about using the ability to reason

• It's about being active (as opposed to passive) in your
learning – reading and writing
• It means that when you approach an idea, you do so with
scepticism and doubt, rather than unquestioning acceptance
• Always questioning if the ideas, arguments and findings
are the whole picture, and being open to finding that
they're not
• Identifying, analysing and, where possible, solving.
10 Critical Reading

What is Critical Reading?

Critical reading goes further than just being satisfied with
what a text says, it also involves reflecting on what the text
describes, and analysing what the text actually means. It is going
beyond the surface meaning to reveal the deep meanings and
subtleties in a text.
The following table shows the difference(1):
READING Critical Reading
Purpose To get a basic grasp To form judgments about HOW a
of the text text works.
Activity Absorbing/Understan Analysing/Interpreting/
ding Evaluating
Focus What a text SAYS What a text DOES and MEANS
Questions What is the text How does the text work? How is it
saying? argued? What are the choices
What information made? The patterns that result?
can I get out of it? What kinds of reasoning and
evidence are used? What are the
underlying assumptions? What
does the text mean?
Direction WITH the text (taking AGAINST the text (questioning its
for granted it is right) assumptions and argument,
interpreting meaning in context)

(1) © Jennifer Duncan. The Writing Centre, University of Toronto

Scarborough. Modified by Michael O’Connor.
Critical Reading 11

In this course you will learn the skills of critical reading and
be given tips on how to enhance these skills. Plenty of
opportunities will be provided for practice. Different texts on a
variety of topics in a variety of genres such as web blogs,
newspaper articles, scientific research and literature will be used
to help you read critically.
Steps in critical Reading:
✓ Scanning and Remembering
(what you know about the subject)
✓ Creating connections
(between what you are reading and other works/theoretical
views)
✓ Questioning
(what is being said, context, date, author’s positionality,
audience, quality of data/evidence, validity of argument, bias)
✓ Concluding
(what the author wants you to think, whether the argument
stacks up, and whether you agree)
How do you follow these steps: Remember the five Rs
Read: read slowly and reread if you don’t get the full picture.
Use a dictionary if you can’t guess the meaning of a
word from its context.
Record – any important information. Keep a reading journal
Reduce – to key words and phrases
Reflect – how your ideas fit in with the new information
Review – write main points, summarise argument
12 Critical Reading

Reading Journal:
A "reading journal" is used and is helpful for recording
observations and questions. Reading journals help you process
your experience with reading texts and focus on what is
significant to you.
After reading a text you write a journal entry based on your
reading. Consider your general impressions and move toward
more specific observations and analysis.
Here are 20 prompts written by Pat Thomson is Professor of
Education in the School of Education, The University of
Nottingham, UK https://patthomson.net/2019/09/02/20-reading-
journal-prompts/
• What’s the first thing you remember about this text? Write
a sentence.
• What was something that puzzled you about it? Write a
sentence.
• Was there something you disagreed with? What? Why?
Write a sentence.
• Was there something that linked to your work? What?
How? Write a sentence.
• Did the text give you an idea? Write a sentence.
• What was the most memorable thing about the text? Write
a sentence.
• How are you going to work with the text? Write a
sentence.
• What did the text make you think about? Write a sentence.
• What do you need to read more about now? Why? Write a
sentence.
Critical Reading 13

• Who would you really like to read this text? Why? What
would reading it make them say/see/do? Write a sentence.
• What question would you like to ask the author? Write a
sentence.
• What do you most admire about the writing? Write a
sentence.
• How does this writing differ from other things you’ve
read? Write a sentence.
• What would you have to do to make your writing more like
this? Write a sentence.
• What are you afraid might stop you being able to write this
well? Write a sentence.
• How does the text the compare with what you already
know? Write a sentence.
• What would you say to the writer if you could meet them?
Write a sentence.
• What other text immediately came to mind when you read
this text? Write a sentence.
Of course you don’t need to answer all the questions nor
answer the exact questions these are just prompts to help you start
a reading journal.
14 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 15

Unit One
Fake News

Objectives:
By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate news

• Identify author purpose

• Understand the use of evidence

Before you read:

Answer the following questions

1. What is Fake news?

2. Have you heard of the term ‘fake news”?

3. Write down what you think fake news is?

16 Critical Reading

Fake news

Fake news is
✓ Stories that aren't true. These are deliberately invented
stories designed to make people believe something false, to
buy a certain product, or to visit a certain website.

✓ Stories that have some truth, but aren't 100 percent

accurate. For example, a politician attends a conference,
but a news story reports that he or she was there to criticize
policy rather than to support it.

In order to read critically you will need to ask certain

questions about the text.
1. Consider is the author and source. Questions for this
area can be asked before you read the text, and are
mostly quite straightforward.
2. Another area is the author’s purpose or argument.
Questions for this are a little more complex to
identify the authors point of view.
3. An important area to consider is the evidence the
writer uses to support his points. These questions
are more difficult, and require careful reading of the
text.
4. A final area to look at is the assumptions and bias
which the writer may have. (this will be practiced in
Unit 2).
Critical Reading 17

Read this text moving through the three steps of critical

reading by going through three stages of reading
1.General understanding
2. Text analysis
3. Personal judgment

Living in the Fake News Era(2)

By Tom Bradbury

Nobody likes being deceived. Finding out that you misplaced trust in
something, or someone, can make you feel foolish. Or perhaps like
you’ve been taken advantage of. This applies to relationships,
friendships, business deals, purchases, and basically every other
interaction we experience. That’s why you’d probably to do some
investigation before jumping right in.

For example you want to know that a company isn’t going to scam you.
And you’ll do some digging to
establish the facts. But what about
the news we read? What about
stories we hear? Do we commit to
the same level of research? Are our
reactions the same when we’re
tricked by a hoax story, or an entirely
made up report?

The rise of fake news in recent years suggests that’s simply not the case.
Surprisingly, it’s the elders of society that are the least cautious. A
recent study found that those aged 65 or over are eight times more

(2) Adapted from Living in the Fake News Era | CyberGhost Privacy Hub
CyberGhost Privacy Hub.html
https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/privacyhub/fake-news
18 Critical Reading
likely(3) to share bogus news. And that’s even with the study
controlling for both ideology and education level. So much for the
wisdom of age, then.

Still, it’s easy enough for anyone to fall for a deceitful scoop on social
media. No matter their age. We’ve probably all seen it. A friend or
family member shares something, and then there’s a comment: “This
never happened.” Or, “This is from 2012.”

Fake news has been around for a while. The person posting the piece
hadn’t taken the time to check all the details. Maybe they didn’t read it
at all. Sometimes a headline alone is enough to provoke a share. With
big profits to be had and deepfake videos becoming more convincing(4),
it certainly seems like our factchecking skills will continue to be tested
in the coming years.

What does fake news look like? How can you identify it? And what can
you do about it? Here’s a few tips to help you navigate what can be a
deceptive digital landscape.

What exactly does fake news mean?

Fake news is a relatively new term, but the general idea has been rooted
in human activity for a long time. In fact, you can go all the way back
to 1274 BC and find evidence of fake news. Ramses the Great invented
a story following the Battle of Kadesh. He told his people that the result
was a big victory for the Egyptian people. In reality, the battle was a bit
of a dead end with no clear winner. He even re-inscribed monuments
dedicated to the achievements of others, so that historians gave him all
the credit. Ramses deliberately spread false news to achieve certain
goals. In his case, it was to please his people and cement his status in
history as a great Pharoah.
Today, we get hoaxes trying to convince people that Donald Trump
had an accident in his pants while playing golf.

(3) the research can be found at https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/1/eaau4586.full

(4) Article available at https://www.pbs.org/video/deepfake-videos-are-getting-terrifyingly-
real-xywbdx/
Critical Reading 19

That’s a doctored photo. Don’t go spreading it around!

But defining fake news is not always so simple. False information can
spread very easily, and it’s not always intentional. Journalists, for
example, may only know part of a story and report on what they know.
It’s important to publish quickly in the digital media industry, to get
ahead of competitors and be seen as the original source for the news in
question. And later, further information can prove these original stories
to be wrong, or at least not entirely correct. News can also get
published without the journalist even knowing the story is false.
Sources can check out, and people can swear their testimony is true,
only for disputes to arise down the line.

Fake news comes in many forms.

Articles, pictures, videos, audio clips; basically anything can be
manipulated to achieve a desired effect. A lot of fake news has spread
in recent years. Some are perfectly innocent tricks, but others have a
darker side.

Social Media has become a breeding ground for fake news.

Unfortunately, one of the key ingredients to why fake news is so
effective on social media is us. You and me. Mom and dad. Family and
friends. We’re the ones reacting, liking and sharing. And that’s why it’s
such an effective tactic.

Think how many times have you shared fake news? Be honest we all
have!
20 Critical Reading

Exercise I: General Understanding

How well did you understand the passage?
Sometimes there are words that we understand in a passage
that can stop us from understanding the true meaning or even
the gist of what is being said. Therefore we need to make sure we
understand at least the general meaning. As a translator, it
becomes even more important as you need to understand every
word before you even attempt to translate.
Study Tip
Every topic or subject has its own vocabulary that you may not be familiar
with. We call this “jargon”. That is special words or expressions that are
used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to
understand like for example medical jargon or legal jargon.. Sometimes even
words are used in different contexts to mean different things like the use of
words in idioms or expressions.

Vocabulary:
The underlined words are words that are usually associated
with fake news. Look them up in the or the internet and use them
in a sentence of your own.
1. Scam
2. Hoax
3. Scoop
4. Deepfake
5. Doctored
Critical Reading 21

There other words that you do not understand in the passage

and cannot guess their meaning? If the answer is yes, write them
down and look them up.
Expressions: Analyse this!
cement his status in history.
What is cement used for?
What other word can we use to give the same meaning?
So what does the expression mean?
accident in his pants
This easy just look at the picture! But don’t believe it it is a
doctored picture.
Who usually has accidents in their pants?
Comprehension questions
• What is fake news?
• What are the types of fake news?
• How does fake news spread?
• What are the tools of fake news mentioned in this article?
22 Critical Reading

Text Analysis: Critical Reading

Author purpose:
There are three main purposes for writing:
1- Informative: text provides factual information about a
topic.
2- Persuasive: text expresses an opinion (may use facts to
support).
3- Entertain : All such as stories and poetry

1. What is the writer’s purpose for writing?

2. Who is the audience for this writing?
3. Does the writer take a clear stand on this issue?
4. Does the writer seem to assume readers will agree with
his/her position?
II. Evidence:
Writers use evidence to support their argument, like for
example the writer in this text cites several references to prove his
Critical Reading 23

point of view. This is what we call reference citation, that is the

author cites other references to give evidence of what he/she is
saying. Therefore you need to zoom in aske detailed questions.

For example In the third paragraph the writer says:

“A recent study found that those aged 65 or over are
eight times more likely(5) to share bogus news. And
that’s even with the study controlling for both ideology
and education level.”

This may be difficult to believe

How does the writer support this?

The fact that the writer references the actual research is the
evidence he gives us. So if we check the website we will find the
full research.

Another example is when the writer gives the example of

Ramses the great.

Is he stating a fact or giving an opinion?

Remember A fact is something that has already been proven
right while an opinion is a personal judgment. So in this case he
actually is stating a fact that has been documented in history and
again he references the site where we can find the source of this
information.

(5) the research can be found at

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/1/eaau4586.full
24 Critical Reading

Evidence is given by
• Reference citation. That is referring to research and citing it
• Stating facts that has already been proven right

Answer the following 10 questions and be ready to discuss

in class:
1- What evidence does the writer use to support the essay’s
thesis/central argument?
2- Does the writer include enough evidence?
3- Do you understand the writer’s references/citations?
4- Are all the points made by the author supported by evidence?
5- Does the writer avoid making unsupported generalisations?
6- Is there a clear distinction between fact and the author’s
opinion?
7- According to this article who is the most effected by fake
news? How does the writer support this?
8- When the writer gives the example of Ramses the great, is
he stating a fact or giving an opinion?
9- Do you agree with the author about the rise of fake news?
10- Have you ever been a victim of a hoax?
By doing this you have actually read the text critically and
formulated your opinion.
III. Personal Judgment: What do you think:
Now that you have analysed the text you are ready for the
final phase which is your own personal judgment:
1. Do you agree with the author about the rise of fake news?
Critical Reading 25

2. Was there something you disagreed with? What? Why?

3. Have you ever been a victim of a hoax?

Journal entry:
When I read this article I found it
______________________________________________

It made me feel
26 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 27

Unit Two
Recognizing Fake News

Objectives:
By the end of the unit, students will be able to:
• Distinguish between fake news and real news
• Identify ways fake news is created
• Use critical tools to verify news

Before you read:

From your reading of the previous passage can you identify
ways to spot fake news?
Write down as many as you can think of.
_________________________
_________________________
____________________________________________________
28 Critical Reading

Recognizing Fake News

How to Spot Real and Fake News(6)

Critically Appraising Information

Developing a critical mindset is the
first step to spotting fake news.

Alice rushes to work with her cell

phone in one hand and a coffee in
the other. Scrolling through her
social media feed, she's stopped in
her tracks by the news that her
company is about to be bought out
by its biggest rival.

She quickly posts a response,

shares the story with her contacts, and emails it to her team so that they
can discuss it later.

But then Alice has a troubling thought. What if the story wasn't true?
What if she just shared a "fake news" story? After all, she didn't check
the source, and it was from a website she'd never heard of before.

If she has been a victim of fake news, and then added to the rumour
mill herself, how will people ever trust her again?

Fortunately, there's lots you can do to avoid making the same mistake
as Alice. In this article, we explore how you can separate fake news
from the truth.

(6) Adapted from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fake-news.htm

Critical Reading 29

Note:

To confuse matters further, there are also people who claim that
factually accurate stories are fake news, just because they don't agree
with them or find them uncomfortable.

Where Does Fake News Come From?

Fake news is nothing new. But, what is new is how easy it's become to
share information – both true and false – on a massive scale.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn allow

almost anyone to publish their thoughts or share stories to the world.

The trouble is, most people don't check the source of the material that
they view online before they share it, which can lead to fake news
spreading quickly or even "going viral."

At the same time, it's become harder to identify the source of news
stories, particularly on the internet, which can make it difficult to assess
their accuracy.

This has led to a flood of fake news. In fact, one study (7) found that
more than 25 percent of Americans visited a fake news website in a six-
week period during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

But, not all fake news stories are found online. Co-workers who gossip
by the water cooler and print publications that fail to check their facts,
for example, are also guilty of spreading misinformation, even if
accidentally.

(7) http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/fake-news-2016.pdf
30 Critical Reading
The Impact of Fake News in the Workplace

Research(8) shows that 59 percent of people are concerned about the

effect that fake news has in the workplace, and with good reason!

For example, some people might start to believe that they no longer
need facts to back up their arguments. Others start to mistrust
information all together. They stop listening to industry news or
reports, and disengage entirely, slowing their professional growth and
development. Ultimately, this can damage an organization's learning
culture.

Fake news can affect behavior, too. It encourages people to invent

excuses, to dismiss others' ideas, to exaggerate the truth, and to spread
rumor. This can create divided, anxious workplaces where people are
cynical and unsure of who to trust.

(8) https://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/study-fake-news-hits-the-
workplace
Critical Reading 31

Misinformation and fake news can also harm your organization.

Invented reviews of your products or inaccurate financial updates, for
example, can do serious reputational damage

Vocabulary
There are two expressions in this part that you may not know
- stopped in her tracks
- reputational damage
What do they mean?

How is Fake News Created?

Fake news is based on disinformation that is information that is altered

or parts of it only are being said. There are seven main techniques used
to produce false news
32 Critical Reading
1. Satire or parody: Though there is no intention to cause harm it can
sometimes fool us.

Example:

One example of a funny story that circulated on Twitter involved

Starbucks.

Fake tweets advertised “Dreamer Day” and claimed Starbucks would

offer free frappuccinos to all migrants living in America.

2. Misleading content: that is wrong information or incomplete

information to give the wrong impression. It is saying only part of
the truth.

3. Imposter content: When real sources are imitated and pretend to be

real.

Example: The Pope Francis to support Donald Trump’s presidential

candidacy. This hoax was posted on a website that claimed its primary
source was an appearance on the American TV station “WTOE 5
News.” Only, there is no TV station by this name. The news that Pope
Francis had endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy spread
incredibly fast and created a huge splash on Facebook.

4. Fabricated content: 100% false designed to deceive and harm

5. False connection: when the headline or a picture has no relation to

the actual story.

6. False context: When true content is put out place or date.

Example: Missing children after the Manchester attack

A terrorist attack occurred in Manchester UK, right after Ariana

Grande finished her concert. Due to an enormous media
coverage and since a significant part of the spectators were
children and teenagers, the social media was soon invaded with
false alarms. Viral photos claimed to show missing children and
Critical Reading 33
teenagers during the concert. The pictures were in fact stolen
and misused: they portrayed youngsters who were on different
continents at the time of the attack.

7. Manipulated content: when pictures or videos are doctored

Six Ways to Spot Fake News

Separating fact from fiction accurately can seem exhausting. But
getting to the truth is always worth the effort – even if it's not what you
want to hear! Use these six steps to weed out the truth from the lies:

1. Develop a Critical Mindset

One of the main reasons fake news is such a big issue is that it is often
believable, which means it's easy to get caught out. Many fake news
stories are also written to create "shock" value.

This means it's essential that you keep your emotional response to such
stories in check. Instead, approach what you see and hear rationally
and critically.

Ask yourself, "Why has this story been written? Is it to persuade me of

a certain viewpoint? Is it selling me a particular product? Or is it trying
to get me to click through to another website?"

2. Check the Source

If you come across a story from a source that you've never heard of
before, do some digging! Find out a bit more about the publisher – is it
a professional and well-known news agency or is it someone's personal
blog?

Check the URL of the page, too. (A URL, or Uniform Resource

Locator, is a web address that helps browsers to find a site on the
internet.) Strange-sounding URLs that end in extensions like ".infonet"
and ".offer," rather than ".com" or ".co.uk," or that contain spelling
errors, may mean that the source is suspect.
34 Critical Reading
If the information is something that you've been told by another person,
consider his reputation and professional experience. Is he known for
his expertise on the matter? Or does he tend to exaggerate the truth?

3. See Who Else Is Reporting the Story

Check whether the story has been picked up by other well-known news
publishers. Stories from organizations like Reuters, CNN and the BBC,
will have been checked and verified beforehand. If the information you
have isn't from a well-known source like these, there's a chance that it
could be fake.

4. Examine the Evidence

A credible news story will include plenty of facts – quotes from

experts, survey data and official statistics, for example. If these are
missing or the source is an unknown expert or a "friend," question it!

Does the evidence prove that something definitely happened? Or, have
the facts been "twisted" to back up a particular viewpoint?

5. Look for Fake Images

Modern editing software has made it easy for people to create fake
images that look professional and real. In fact, research shows that
only half of us can tell when images are fake.
Critical Reading 35
However, there are some warning signs you can look out for. Strange
shadows on the image, for example, or jagged edges around a figure. If
you still have doubts, you can use tools such as Google Reverse Image
Search(9) to check whether the image has been altered or used in the
wrong context.

6. Check That It "Sounds Right"

Finally, use your common sense! If a story sounds unbelievable, it

probably is. Bear in mind that fake news is designed to "feed" your
biases or fears. And, remember, just because a story sounds "right" and
true, doesn't mean that it is.

For example, it's unlikely that your favorite designer brand is giving
away a million free dresses to people who turn up to its stores. Equally,
just because your colleague believes that two married co-workers are
having an affair, doesn't mean it's true.

Study Tip:

Some stories that you'll encounter will sound "wrong," but won't
necessarily be fake news. They could be intentional satire, for example,
or something that comes from a humorous website, like The Onion or
The Daily Mash, for example.

Warning:

If these tips suggest that the information that you have is fake, or if you
have any doubts about it, avoid sharing it with others. Doing so could
lead to rumours spreading and may harm your professional credibility.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is meant by “a critical mindset”?
2. What critical questions you need to ask?

(9) https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en
36 Critical Reading
3. Evidence is important to give any information reliability. Go
back to the previous passage and list the evidence the author
gives.
4. Is the picture used doctored or real? Why?

Test Your Knowledge

Now it's time to put what you've learned into practice! Read the
following headlines, guess if they are true or fake then check your
answers by clicking on the link.

1. "John McCain Photographed Alongside Osama Bin

Laden." Real or Fake? (https://www.snopes.com/fact-
check/mccain-bin-laden-photo/)
2. "California Governor to Relocate Veterans Cemetery to
Make Way for Affordable Housing." Real or Fake?
(https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-
veterans-cemetery-modesto/)
3. "New Species of Deadly Spider Kills Five in U.S." Real
or Fake? (https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/new-
deadly-spider/)
4. "Firefighters Forced to Buy More Expensive Data
Package During Wildfire." Real or Fake?
(https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/verizon-
firefighter-data-service/)
5. "President Trump's Personal Lawyer Tweets that Hillary
Clinton Will Get 'Free Room and Board' in
Prison." Real or Fake? (https://www.snopes.com/fact-
check/michael-cohen-tweet-hillary-clinton/)

Read the following examples of fake news and decide:

• Which of these examples are easiest to believe? Why?
• Which of these examples is the most unrealistic? Why?
• Which is the most harmful? Why
1. Starbucks’ false “Dreamer Day” advertising
One example of a funny story that circulated on Twitter involved
Starbucks.
Critical Reading 37
Fake tweets advertised “Dreamer Day” and claimed Starbucks would
offer free frappuccinos to all migrants living in America.
Starbucks quickly reacted, apologized and said the advertiser was
“completely false.”

2. The Pope Francis to support Donald Trump’s presidential

candidacy
This hoax was posted on a website that claimed its primary source was
an appearance on the American TV station “WTOE 5 News.”
Only, there is no TV station by this name. The news that Pope Francis
had endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy spread incredibly
fast and created a huge splash on Facebook.

3. Trump’s inauguration had the largest audience ever

This fake rumor was spread by White House press secretary, Sean
Spicer. It was one of his first tasks: to convince everyone that Donald
Trump was more popular, especially in comparison to his predecessor,
Barack Obama.
In reality, Trump’s crowd was only one-third the size of Obama’s.

4. Missing children after the Manchester attack

A terrorist attack occurred in Manchester UK, right after Ariana Grande
finished her concert.
Due to an enormous media coverage and since a significant part of the
spectators were children and teenagers, the social media was soon
invaded with false alarms.
Viral photos claimed to show missing children and teenagers during the
concert. The pictures were in fact stolen and misused: they portrayed
youngsters who were on different continents at the time of the attack.

5. Social media says a comedian is guilty in a Florida shooting case

Earlier in 2018, the U.S. faced a new mass shooting episode at a school
in Parkland, Florida.
The event saw misinformation rear it’s ugly head once more. This time
in the form of the wrong person being accused as the alleged shooter.
Several tweets from a fake account circulated claiming that there were
two shooters: Nikolas Cruz and Sam Hyde.
Cruz was the actual shooter, but Hyde is a comedian who had no
connection with the tragedy. Hyde’s picture has also been distributed in
connection with similar events, such as the San Bernardino shooting.
38 Critical Reading

Fake News Matrix

Making use of the following matrix decide why the above is fake. Tick
the box or boxes

satire misleading imposter fabricated Manipulated

Situation or content content content False content
parody context

1.

5
Critical Reading 39
Time to do research.

Choose one of the below stories and check it out.

SURGE IN ROSEMARY SALES AS AROMATIC HERB

FOUND TO BOOST MEMORY
It’s a stressful time of year for students across the globe. Whether a
fresher or in your final year, summer exams are never fun.

All-nighters, long days in the library, last-minute cramming - it’s

enough to make any graduate shudder at the memory.

But there’s one surprising ingredient that has seen a surge in sales after
a recent study found it helps improve memory: rosemary.

According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of
the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last
year.

The demand has been so high that they’ve even had to order in extra
supplies.

A spokesperson for Holland & Barrett said that after the research was
published: “We saw a sharp rise in customer demand. As the exam
season continues, we have increased provision in store to meet
demand”

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fake-news.htm
40 Critical Reading

DOG ISLAND
Over 2,500 dogs are already enjoying a better life at Dog Island.
Separated from the anxieties of urban life, dogs on Dog Island are
healthy dogs who live a natural, healthy and happy life, free from the
stress and hardship associated with daily life among humans.

They live with almost limitless space, and tens of thousands of rabbits,
rodents, fish and other natural prey. Surrounded by thousands of other
dogs, this is the only place for them to be truly social and create healthy
families.

Dogs at Dog Island have another chance.

Discovery of the Day

The concept of Dog Island is very new. There is a lot of concern over
the behavioral patterns that emerge on the island. We have a talented
set of Dogologists working on the island. What is happening is very
exciting! The dogs are behaving in ways that are surprising many
people. We have trained lead dogs that train the other dogs, but really,
naturally, they are creating a very beautiful society. The discoveries
that are being made are being made daily. This is exciting new
territory.

http://www.thedogisland.com/
Critical Reading 41
REMEMBER

✓ Develop a critical mindset.

✓ Check the source.
✓ See who else is reporting the story.
✓ Examine the evidence.
✓ Look for fake images.
✓ Check that it "sounds right."

Journal entry:
1. One thing I have learnt from this unit is
_______________________________
2. Does this unit connect with something else that you’ve read?
_______________________________
3. What do you need to read more about now? Why?
_______________________________
42 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 43

Unit Three
Media Framing

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• Identify a writer’s slant and tone.
• Recognize the use of language to manipulate opinion.
• Spot the framing of news reports.

Before you read:

• How objective is the news?
• What is a “slant”?
• What is “media framing”?
44 Critical Reading
Media Framing is

Media framing can simply be described as the angle or

perspective from which a news story is told. While news is
often thought to be objective and value free this is rarely if ever
the case. News is not an exact representation of reality but
rather a reconstruction from various angles of a small section of
reality. This is not to say journalists necessarily lie or
consciously distort the truth, but that journalists by covering
particular stories, using particular sources from a particular
news angle are constructing reality through a selective process.

Analyse this:

Looting: stealing
Residents: live there, inhabitants
Critical Reading 45
1. What is the difference between the two pictures?
2. What is the difference in the writer’s description?
3. What is the difference between “looting” and “finding”?
4. Why does the writer refer to the people in the second picture as
“residence”?
5. How is this different from “a young man” ?

Reflect:
What does it tell us about the writer?

The "frame" can change the reader's perception

without having to alter the actual facts as the same
information is used as a base. This is done through the
media's choice of certain words and images to cover a story. A frame
defines the packaging of an element in such a way as to encourage
certain interpretations and to discourage others.

Now lets look at another story:

Shopping centres in Britain decided to ban people who wore hooded
tops . Here are two headlines:
1. Reclaim our streets: hoodies and babbies
2. Under the hoodie is a child like
yours
Which of the following adjectives best describes
these head lines. Put the number next to the
adjective.

Liberal 2 ‫متحرر‬
Emotional ‫عاطفى‬
Conservetive ‫متحفظ‬
Reactionary ‫رجعى‬
Neutral ‫حيادى‬
46 Critical Reading
Study Tip
Choice of vocabulary can affect the slant of a text. Emotional
vocabulary is used to direct a reader’s inclination

Excersise
Read the following two articles and compare:

But before you read lets look at these words find the following
words in the article and deceide if its negative or positive . The first
one is done for you

Thugs a violent person, especially a negative

criminal

Muggers:

Law-abiding

Cowrdly

Yobs

victims

Gangaster-
style
Critical Reading 47
48 Critical Reading

1. What is the difference between the attitude towards hoodies in the

two articles?
2. How did you make your descision?
3. What do you think? How do you feel about banning hoods?
Critical Reading 49
Working with words
• Meaning (Denotations): the literal meaning of a word as you
would find in a dictionary

• Connotations: the emotional and imaginative association

surrounding a word. Connotation represents the various social
overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings
associated with a sign.

Tip
Though words may have the exact meaning, they might have different
connotations which conveys the slant/attitude or tone.

Here is a list of words that have the same donation but have different
connotation

Negative Positive

1 House Home

2 Stingy Economical

3 Pushy Assertive

4 skinny Slim

5 Cheap Affordable

6 Stench Scent

7 Nosy Curious
50 Critical Reading

Exercise
I. Select the right word according to the context:
1. She has been travelling for so long and was looking forward to
going (home/to the house)
2. He wanted his wife to be (stingy/economical)
3. She would never give up, she is very (pushy/assertive)
4. She has lost so much weight and looks terribly (skinny/slim)
5. The present they got us is insulting it looks really
(cheap/affordable)
6. The house has been closed for a long time and has this
(stench/scent) in the air.
7. My neighbour is so (nosy/curious) she interferes in all of my
affairs.

II. The following 3 sentences describe the same situation, yet they
are different Mark as positive. Negative or neutral
Sit in the sunshine and smile. Bask in the
brilliant rays. Discover your giggle.
Sit in the hot sun and smirk. Recline in
the glaring rays. Hunt for that snicker.
Sit in the warm sun and grin. Relax in the
warm rays. Look for a chuckle.

Now say why? Compare between the three descriptions looking at

the difference in connotation of the underlined words:

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Identifying Tone:
The tone of the article, essay, story, poem, novel, screenplay, or any
other written work can be described in many ways. The author's tone
can be witty, dreary, warm, playful, outraged, neutral, polished, wistful,
Critical Reading 51
reserved, and on and on. Basically, if there's an attitude out there, an
author can write with it.

Example:

• To make a delicious New England pit, proceed as follows: take

some water and flour; then construct a bullet-proof dough.
Make this into a disk-shaped object. Dry it for a couple of days
in a mild temperature. Pour on stewed dried apples and slabs of
citron; leave it in a safe place until it petrifies. Serve cold at
breakfast and invite your mother-in-law.

A- satirical

B- angry

C- sad

D- depressing

Study Tip
Three keys to determining tone
• Context and writer
• Word Choice
• Go With Your Gut

When reading critically you engage in noticing what the authors are
saying and how they are saying it. There are infinite ways to express
tone try to match the definitions with the adjectives that can be used to
describe tone. Look up the definitions of the words in a dictionary
before you match
52 Critical Reading
Exercise
Match each definition with the correct term.

1. Earnest A. overbearing or having a feeling of

superiority
2. Indignant B. difficult to understand.
3. Arrogant C. having sympathy for others
4. Abstruse D. having a simultaneous attraction to
and repulsion from an idea.
5. Apathetic E. sentimental wish to return to a past
time or condition.
6. Ambivalent F. ridiculous and unreasonable
7. Satiric G. having a gloomy view or life.
8. Condescending H. expressing one thing and meaning
the opposite.

9. Compassionate I. having a tendency to avoid or

escape from an issue or situation.
10. Nostalgic J. having a serious state of mind
11. Absurd K. showing or characterized by a
patronizing or superior attitude
toward others
12. Ironic L. angry because of something unfair
13. Pessimistic M. having or showing little emotion or
interest
14. Evasive N. showing lack of respect or
seriousness
Critical Reading 53
Now that you know many of the words we use to express tone identify
the tone in the following pages:

• How did the term “spam” come to mean unsolicited commercial

e-mail? Flash back to 1937, when Hormel Foods creates a new
canned spiced ham, SPAM. Then, in World War II, SPAM
luncheon meat becomes a staple of soldiers’ diets (often GIs ate
SPAM two or three times a day). Next, SPAM’s wartime
omnipresence perhaps inspired the 1987 Monty Python skit in
which a breakfast seeking couple unsuccessfully tries to order a
SPAM-free meal while a chorus of Vikings drowns them out,
singing “Spam, spam, spam, spam . . . .” To computer users
drowning in junk e-mail, the analogy was obvious. “Spam,”
they said, “it’s spam.”

The tone of the passage can best be characterized as

a. nostalgic b. satirical c. didactic

2. Often you feel you’ve done nothing when you’ve actually done a
lot. That’s because what you did do seemed beneath notice—it was
so small that it didn’t “count.” But it did—just as each stitch counts
toward a finished dress, each brick or nail toward a house you can
live in, each mistake toward knowing how to do things right.

The tone of the passage can best be characterized as

a. hesitant b. encouraging c. amused

3. A vaccine is a preparation of killed or weakened germs that is

injected under the skin and causes the blood to produce antibodies
against the disease. Effective vaccines, for instance, have been
developed for smallpox, rabies, and polio.

The tone of the passage can best be characterized as

a. objective b. arrogant c. regretful

4. We have come together this afternoon to mourn the deaths of sixteen

miners—our friends and neighbours—who were trapped by fire
yesterday, deep below the earth. They lived bravely and they died
54 Critical Reading
too soon, leaving behind grieving wives and bewildered children.
We bid them a final farewell.

The tone of the passage can best be characterized as

a. forgiving b. sorrowful c. angry

5. Why do these things always happen to me?, Brad wondered. First I

forget an important meeting, and nobody reminds me until it’s over.
Then my boss dumps a big project on my desk and wants it done by
yesterday. And to top everything off, I leave my wallet on the bus.

The tone of the passage can best be characterized as

a. comic b. self-pitying c. optimistic

Journal entry:
▪ What was something that puzzled you ?
________________________________

▪ Was there something you disagreed with? What? Why?

______________________________________________________
▪ Did the text give you an idea?
___________________________
Critical Reading 55

Unit Four
Framing Theory

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
✓ Identify different framing techniques
✓ Deconstruct frames
✓ Evaluate argument

Before you read

• What is Media Framing?
• Can you think of an example from local media?
56 Critical Reading
What Is Media Framing?
Posted on October 19, 2015

While agenda setting or gatekeeping decides what a newspaper or

broadcaster covers or does not cover, the frame is the overarching
angle of how the various stories are treated once they are covered.
Framing, like agenda setting, is an inherently ideological act (whether
consciously or not). The frame of a story (or group of stories) will have
influence on how that story is investigated and reported, who the
journalist chooses to speak to, what questions he or she asks and how
information is interpreted and reported.

Various issues can influence how frames are created; not least
overarching ideologies in societies or what is often considered
‘common sense’. Likewise issues such as the race, class and gender of
journalists, editors, owners and audiences can influence framing.
Finally the production of news or how news is constructed is of
importance. News makers often depend on institutional sources such as
police, courts and politicians to supply stories which can both influence
agenda and how a story is defined

Vocabulary
Find the meaning of these expressions. You can use
1. Agenda setting
2. Gatekeeping
3. Inherently ideological act
4. overarching ideology

Study tip
One way of understanding words and expressions we do not
understand is by breaking the word or expression up. Or just type
the expressions on google and you will find their meaning.
Critical Reading 57
Kinds of Frames:
One example of Framing is the drugs issue; there are numerous ways
this issue can be framed.
1: The law and order frame – here the key issue is that drug addicts
or junkies are criminals putting our communities and children at risk.
Drug pushers must be stopped and petty crime or even crime waves are
caused by junkies feeding their habit. Moreover addicts shooting up on
streets is unsightly, immoral and bad for tourism. Local Politicians or
the Minister of Justice may be questioned on why something isn’t done;
victims of crime may be interviewed or businesses who are in areas
frequented by addicts. Likewise police may be questioned on what they
are doing to curb the criminal activities.
2: Drug misuse as a health issue: Here the key framing is the health of
the drug user and issues of health in wider society. Here a Health
Minister might be interviewed to discuss funding for treatment centres,
various health professionals or experts may be interviewed on issues
such as treatment or controversies about types of treatment.
3: Drug misuse as a social problem: Here drug misuse may be framed
as a social issue connected with class, race and dysfunctional society.
Here the question of which areas are worst affected by drug use and
associated crimes might be discussed alongside issues such as
unemployment and social deprivation.
4: Recreational Drugs should be legal: In this less common frame
recreational drugs are seen as a normal part of society and issues such
as addiction and social problems are downplayed or compared with
already legal drugs such as alcohol or cigarettes. The cost of ‘the war
and drugs’ and the issue of the criminalisation of dealers are often an
issue here and policies of ‘harm reduction’ may be emphasised.

Which frame in your opinion is most effective? Why

Framing Theory
The basis of framing theory is that the media focuses attention on
certain events and then places them within a field of meaning. Framing
is an important topic since it can have a big influence and therefore the
concept of framing expanded to organizations as well.
58 Critical Reading
Framing theory suggests that how something is presented to the
audience (called “the frame”) influences the choices people make about
how to process that information. Frames are abstractions that work to
organize or structure message meaning. The most common use of
frames is in terms of the frame the news or media place on the
information they convey. They are thought to influence the perception
of the news by the audience, in this way it could be construed as a form
of second level agenda-setting – they not only tell the audience what to
think about (agenda-setting theory), but also how to think about that
issue (second level agenda setting, framing theory).

The theory was first put forth by Goffman, under the title of Frame
Analysis (link to PDF of article). He put forth that people interpret what
is going on around their world through their primary framework. This
framework is regarded as primary as it is taken for granted by the user.
Its usefulness as a framework does not depend on other frameworks.

Goffman states that there are two distinctions within primary

frameworks: natural + social. Both play the role of helping individuals
interpret data. So that their experiences can be understood in a wider
social context. The difference between the two is functional.

Natural frameworks identify events as physical occurrences taking

natural and not attributing any social forces to the causation of
events. Social frameworks view events as socially driven occurrences,
due to the notions, goals, and manipulations on the part of other social
players (people). Social frameworks are built on the natural
frameworks. These frameworks and the frames that they create in our
communication greatly influence how data is interpreted, processed,
and communicated. Goffman’s underlying assumption is that
individuals are capable users of these frameworks on a day to day basis.
Whether they are aware of them or not.
Critical Reading 59
Exercise:
Think of these proverbs and indicate are they based on
natural or social frame:

.‫في االمتحان يكرم المرء أو يهان‬

At the time of a test, a person rises or falls. (People's real worth is
known only through trial.)

.‫يا واخد القرد على ماله يروح المال ويقعد القرد على حاله‬
If you marry a monkey (i.e. someone ugly) for his money, the
money will go away and the monkey will stay the same (as ugly as
ever). (Don't marry for money.)

.‫الوحدة خير من جليس السوء‬

Being alone is better than being with someone bad. (Warning about
keeping bad company.)

.‫امشي في جنازة وال تمشي في جوازة‬

Being involved in a funeral is better than trying to arrange
marriages. (Warning about matchmaking.)

.‫القرد في عين أمه غزال‬

In his mother’s eye, the monkey is (as beautiful as) a gazelle.
(Comment about mothers' bias or partiality to their children.)

.‫ال يلدغ المؤمن من جحر مرتين‬

The believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. (Fool me once,
shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.)

.‫الطيور على اشكالها تقع‬

Birds of a feather flock together.
60 Critical Reading
Framing techniques(10)

1. Metaphor: To frame a conceptual idea through comparison to

something else.
2. Stories (myths, legends): To frame a topic via narrative in
a vivid and memorable way.
3. Tradition (rituals, ceremonies): Cultural mores that imbue
significance in the mundane, closely tied to artifacts.
4. Slogan, jargon, catchphrase: To frame an object with a catchy
phrase to make it more memorable and relate-able.
5. Artifact: Objects with intrinsic symbolic value – a
visual/cultural phenomenon that holds more meaning than the
object it self.
6. Contrast: To describe an object in terms of what it is not.
7. Spin: to present a concept in such a ways as to convey a value
judgement (positive or negative) that might not be immediately
apparent; to create an inherent bias by definition.

Framing is in many ways tied very closely to Agenda Setting

theory. Both focus on how media draws the public’s eye to specific
topics – in this way they set the agenda. But Framing takes this a step
further in the way in which the news is presented creates a frame for
that information. This is usually a conscious choice by journalists – in
this case a frame refers to the way media as gatekeepers organize and
present the ideas, events, and topics they cover.
Framing is the way a communication source defines and constructs any
piece of communicated information. Framing is an unavoidable part
of human communication – we all bring our own frames to our
communications

(10) https://masscommtheory.com/theory-overviews/framing-theory/
Critical Reading 61

How do you deconstruct frames?(11)

Deconstructing Frames is a qualitative process that can be difficult to
perform, but with structure and with other elements such as tracking
and content analysis it can be done in a systematic and useful fashion.
Some questions to consider are:

1. What assumptions are in the articles? Frames often have an

overarching assumption or assumptions
2. Who are the sources? Who are the main source or ‘primary
definers’ that sets the tone and agenda of the report?
3. What kind of language is used or adjectives or nouns? For
example in a recent RTE report on Israel/Palestine it was stated
that Israelis were ‘brutally murdered’ while Palestinians were
‘killed’. Likewise Palestinian attacks on military targets are
usually termed ‘terrorist attacks’ while Israeli attacks on civilian
targets are not.
4. Can any patterns or themes be found? for example in the
coverage of Israel/Palestine? There is a pattern of language used
to describe the sides.
5. How are people or groups represented? A common device is
the alientation of social groups, often minorities such as
travellers, other ethnic minorities, refugees or migrants.
6. Gender representation is important, for example the clothing
of female politicians is more likely to be commented on in
reports as compared to male.
7. Frames can also be symbolic in nature that is based upon symbols
in words or pictures.

(11) https://criticalmediareview.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/what-is-media-framing/
62 Critical Reading
Your Turn:
Read the article from El Ahram Newspaper and Deconstruct the
Frame
Ahram Online - Recovery in tourism
Samia Fakhry, Thursday 10 Oct 2019
Samia Fakhry looks at the reasons behind this year’s recovery in Egypt’s
tourism sector
Recently released figures from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) show a
revival in tourism revenues during the 2018-19 fiscal year to reach $12.6
billion, 29 per cent higher than the receipts realised during the previous fiscal
year.
Tourist arrivals have increased by 30 per cent so far into the year as compared
to the same period in 2018, according to statements by Hossam Al-Shaer,
head of the Egyptian Travel Agencies Association.
Boasting of the recovery of the sector, Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat
said it had been the fruit of hard labour and continuous effort by workers and
partners in the tourism sector at home and overseas to meet the goals set out
in the reform programme to develop the sector.
The programme was launched in November 2018 in the framework of policies
to achieve sustainable tourism development and raise the competitiveness of
the sector and stay abreast of international trends. The larger goal is “to
employ at least one member of every Egyptian family in the tourism sector
and related activities”.
The programme is published on the ministry’s website in Arabic and English,
and the first follow-up report was issued in September. This meant that
everyone could monitor the measures being taken, Al-Mashat said.
Several international reports on tourism, counting for 15 per cent of Egypt’s
GDP, have also noted efforts to revive the sector.
Egypt had the fourth-largest growth rate in terms of tourism performance,
according to the 2019 World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report published in September. It also jumped from 60th to
fifth place in tourism marketing and promotion strategies, and came top in
Africa in a report published by the US-based Bloom Consulting.
The efforts include improving the skills of the sector’s workforce through
training 9,600 people by the end of December this year. So far, 7,093 people
have been trained in health and food safety, processing and preparing food,
food and beverages, first aid, back office and front office duties and cooking.
Some 1,500 owners of animals and horse-drawn buggies have been trained in
taking care of their animals properly.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/352490.aspx
Critical Reading 63
Now answer the following Questions:
1. What assumptions are in the articles?
2. Who are the sources? List all the sources

Now read this other article about tourism in Egypt and

compare the views.

Expectations of tourist bookings for winter season declined

because of current conditions
The vice president of the Tourism Investors Association in Marsa Alam
Tarek Shalaby did not expect a high rate of bookings for the coming
winter season because of the conditions experienced by the Egyptian
tourist sector for more than four years. However, there haven’t been
any consequences yet for the recent terrorist incident in Hurgada.

During an interview with Daily News Egypt, Shalaby said that the
current occupancy ranges between 25% and 30%, all of which are last
minute bookings from the Ukrainian,German, and Italian markets.

Are there any closed hotels here in the area?

Of course, there are about 25 hotels that have been closed for some
time now. The hotels,which are actually working for more than 40
establishments, are closing some of their hotel rooms, some of them to
reduce costs and losses. As for those who can’t reduce losses, closing
the hotel was their only solution. However, the advantage of this is that
hotels that are available are actually stable and ready to welcome
tourists any time.

Experts described the price of accommodation in the region as very

low, despite the increased cost of operation. How do you see it?
The one night stay for a person ranges between $12 and $18, which is a
very low price and hotel management companies cannot increase prices
in light of the drop in demand for holiday destinations in the region.
Recently, there has been an increase in the prices of energy, fuel,
salaries, vegetables, and food in general by at least 15-20%.

The hotel management companies are forced to either accept and pay
these prices or to close the doors of the hotel, which will result in
greater losses.
64 Critical Reading
What are the nationalities of tourists coming to the region
currently?
About 60% of them are Ukrainians, which is the largest proportion of
tourists. Germans represent 20%, Italians 10%, and the remaining
percentage are tourists from other nationalities.

Is there Arab tourism in the region, especially since you have made
efforts to attract Arabs to the region during the recent period?
I am sorry to say that these efforts failed, and there is no Arabic tourism
to the region. I
was hoping to increase the flow of the region not only from Europe, but
also from the Arab region, especially as there are new segments of
youth in the Gulf countries that are looking for relaxation on beaches.
Why did those attempts fail as mentioned?
There is no real support from the Ministry of Tourism for the region or
cooperation between the ministry and the private sector. Unfortunately,
we hoped there would be flights between Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, Tunisia, and Morocco. The obstacles include the price of the
trip which could reach $64,000, and some countries have restrictions in
granting visas to its citizens coming to Egypt.
What about investments in the region during the recent period?
There are no recent investments in the region from where investors
come in. Many are hoping to repay old loans that they have received
from banks.
In order to have new investments in a region there has to be touristic
demand, and currently there is no demand in this region. It is not
limited to new investments, but extends to the cessation of any new
hotel extensions.

Daily News Egypt

https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2017/07/20/expectations-tourist-bookings-winter-season-
declined-current-conditions-shalaby/ ¾

1. What assumptions are in the articles?

2. Who are the sources? List all the sources
3. What is the difference in tone between the two articles?
4. After reading the two articles what conclusion can you make?
Critical Reading 65
Reflect

1. How does framing influence people?

2. What are the frameworks that we use to
understand the news?
3. Out of the seven techniques for framing, which do you think is
the most effective? Why?
4. Choose one of the techniques mentioned and give an example
from the newspaper in Egypt.

Framing effects have to do with the way that a given

story is packaged and presented to consumers of
news. It is strongly impacted by the language that is
used to describe given events or ascribed to actors
who are identified as critical features of a given story.
Language is critical in these presentations
because it serves as the framework in which we understand
the world around us and in the case of exposure to news
make sense of a given event or story.

Argument:
Writers do not only use frames to convince you but also the text usually
has an argument that the writer wants to convince you of.

What do we mean by “Argument”?

• An argument is a piece of logical reasoning whereby an author
provides reasons and supporting a specific position on any
debatable topic.

• The writer’s argument should be based on

• Reasoning - the author presents a logical explanation of

the argument
66 Critical Reading
• Evidence - the author presents statistics, facts, and
studies to prove his point

• Appeal - the author appeals to the reader's emotions to

elicit empathy

What is an argument in writing

1. An argument is a series of statements that claim something is true.

2. An argument is a series of assertions in which one is true because of

the others.

3. An argument is a series of sentences one of which proves the others.

4. An argument is a set of claims that claims that one of the claims is

true as a result of the others.

5. An argument is a series of sentences, one of which is supposed to be

true as a consequence of the others.

Use of logic….

1. Mona is a girl
Girls are nice

___________

Mona is nice

2. If X = Y , then 2Y = 2X

Three steps to argument identification

1. Understand the Context: Is someone trying to convince you of
something?

2. Identify the Conclusion: What are they trying to convince you?

Critical Reading 67
3. Identify the Reasons: Why do they think you should believe
them?

Identify the Conclusion: What are they trying to convince you?

That is, arguments are vehicles intended to convince or compel people

to believe something. This "something" is what we have called
the conclusion. Whether the argument works or not depends on
whether it supplies compelling reason to believe this conclusion, but
first things first---you can't assess the effectiveness of an argument
without first identifying its conclusion.

Identify the Reasons: Why do they think you should believe them?
These are claims that support the conclusion---as their name suggests,
they give you reason to believe it. Without them, there is no argument-
--just a claim. It is the evidence or logical conclusion.

Example:
1. Contrary to popular opinion, from a scientific point of
view it is very unlikely that extra-terrestrial intelligent
life exists in our galaxy. This is so, for the following
reasons: The Sun is a star that is about 4.6 billion years
old. The Earth was formed with the Sun, and intelligent
life took at least this long to evolve on Earth. In
assessing another star's chances for having planets with
intelligent life, the star must be at least as old as the
Sun. However, roughly half the stars in our galaxy are
younger than the Sun. If intelligence takes 4 to 5 billion
years to develop, these young stars cannot have
intelligent life around them yet. We should also keep in
mind that at least half the stars in our galaxy are part of
binary star systems, and life bearing planets could not
survive the monstrous gravitational forces of binary
systems. Only a very small percentage of stars in our
galaxy are suitable for planets with intelligent life.
68 Critical Reading
Conclusion: Contrary to popular opinion, from a
scientific point of view it is very unlikely that extra-
terrestrial intelligent life exists in our galaxy.

Key phrase in bold above. "This is so" tells us the first statement is the
conclusion, and "the follow reasons" tells us the rest is supporting
premises.

Now read the two contrasting arguments about relativism:

A necessary condition for Justice is justice and fairness

universal moral judgment is is fairness. It does not matter
the existence of universal that judgments of right and
moral principles. But the wrong are culturally
establishment of universal relative. Slavery is wrong,
moral principles is possible if period. It does not matter that
and only if there is an it was once popular. We have
objective method for ethical learned over the millennia that
judgment. If there is one there is no inherent difference
clear anthropological fact it between the so-called races of
is that of cultural relativism - people on this planet. We have
- there are vast differences also learned that there is no
amongst the world's cultures inherent intellectual difference
as to what is considered right and moral worth between the
and wrong. So, do we really sexes. It should be obvious
have the right to judge those that we do have a right to
societies that still practice judge any culture that still
female circumcision? practices female circumcision.
Conclusion: We do not Conclusion: We do have a
have a right to judge those right to judge any culture
societies that still practice that still practices female
female circumcision. circumcision.
Critical Reading 69
What do you think? Which argument is stronger? Why?

Exercise:
Identify the Conclusion and the Reasons these arguments
What are they trying to convince you?
Why do they think you should believe them?
1. One should wear heavy clothes because it is winter and the
weather forecast indicates there will be rain.
2. The Interpretation of Dreams was Freud’s very first book, so
the ideas in it don’t represent his mature thought.
3. Since Lyme’s Disease is transmitted by ticks, it’s kind of
risky to wear shorts when you walk in high grass.
Analyse This:
Rise in gas prices people are looking for other options. Gas has
become too expensive, so a lot of people can’t even afford to drive to
work anymore. Hybrid cars maybe the solution for the problem since
they minimize the use of gas. Also the use of hybrid cars will
improve the environment. It has been proven that the gas emission of
hybrid cars is much less than that of regular cars. If every litre
of gasoline contains 9 kilograms of carbon dioxide, then a hybrid car
will emit 23.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide every 161 kilometres,
while a conventional car will emit 34 kilograms. If you multiply
those numbers With over the lifetime of a vehicle, hybrids more than
make up for efficient use of energy, but it also reduces air pollution.
Purpose
Argument
Logic ( reason)
Support

Journal entry:
One thing I have learnt from this unit is
Does this unit connect with something else that you’ve read?
What do you need to read more about now? Why?
70 Critical Reading
Critical Reading 71

Unit Five
Extended Reasoning

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• Distinguish between simple comprehension questions and
extended reasoning
• Make inferences from a given text
• Critically compare two texts

Critical Reading Comprehension vs Extended Reasoning

Comprehension questions test your ability to understand significant
information presented in the reading passage. This type of question
72 Critical Reading
tests a skill that you practice actively when reading: the ability to
acquire information.
I want to remind you of Bloom’s Taxonomy

In critical reading we go beyond simple comprehension to higher order

thinking (HOT). Higher order thinking is thinking on a level that is
higher than memorizing facts or telling something back to someone
exactly the way it was told to you. HOT takes thinking to higher levels
than restating the facts and requires students to do something with the
facts — understand them, infer from them, connect them to other facts
and concepts, categorize them, manipulate them, put them together in
new or novel ways, and apply them as we seek new solutions to new
problems.

EXTENDED REASONING
• Extended Reasoning test your ability to synthesize and analyze
information by relating various parts of the reading passage to
each other or by recognizing how one part relates to the
overall passage.

Making Inferences

Making an inference involves using what you know to make a guess

about what you don't know or reading between the lines. Readers who
make inferences use the clues in the text along with their own
experiences to help them figure out what is not directly said, making
the text personal and memorable.

Example:
You got to the university this morning and you couldn't find a book.
You were reading it over while having breakfast, so you probably
a) left it on your kitchen table.
b) Didn’t buy the book
c) Gave it to your friend
The right answer is (a) you are making an inference based upon the fact
that you know you were reading the book at home.
Critical Reading 73
Your Turn
Now try this one on your own:
The young woman walked a bit hesitantly towards the famous cozy
Italian restaurant. She did not believe the excuse her parents gave her
for having to meet her at the restaurant instead of at their house. To
make matters worse, she was a bit grumpy because she was still
catching up on the sleep that she lost during exam time. She noticed
some cars that looked familiar in the parking lot. As soon as she walked
through the door, she heard, "Surprise!"
▪ What do you think is the surprise?
▪ How did you guess?
The text says: She did not believe the excuse her parents gave her.
I know: Sometimes if people play practical jokes, others don't believe
everything they say. Maybe her parents played practical jokes.
The text says: She was a bit grumpy because she was still catching up on the
sleep that she lost during exam time.
I know: I know exams are usually given in school, so she is probably in high
school or college.
The text says: She noticed some cars that looked familiar in the parking lot.
As soon as she walked through the door, she heard, "Surprise!"
I know: If the cars are familiar, that means people she knows are in the
restaurant. This makes me change my inference. If her parents wanted to meet
her at the restaurant, and other people she knows are there, maybe it's a
surprise party.

Answering Extended Reasoning Question

These questions require you to find information that is not
directly stated in passage. As a result, you will have to make
inferences—“read between the lines”—and analyze what you
read. To make an inference, combine story clues with what you
already know to find unstated information. These questions may
also ask you to compare and contrast information in two passages.
74 Critical Reading
Study Tip:

Follow these three steps:

1. Read the passage(s) all the way through. As you read, restate
the information in your own words. Think about the author’s
attitude toward the material, the tone of the passage, and the
author’s purpose or reason for writing. Ask yourself, “What is
the author trying to express?”
2. Read the questions and answer choices. Choose your answer.
3. Use the process of elimination. Guess if you can eliminate
even one choice

Following are three passage for you to practice answering extended

reasoning questions:

Passage 1
licensed under CC BY-
is
by

Author
Photo
This

Unknown

NC

Sugar pinecones are cylindrical, slightly tapered at the end and rounded
at the base. Found one today nearly twenty-four inches long and six in
diameter, the scales being open. The average length of full grown cones
on trees favourably situated is nearly eighteen inches.

The is an inexhaustible study and source of

pleasure. I never weary of gazing at its grand
tassel cones, the fine purplish colour of its bark,
and its magnificent out-sweeping, down-curving
feathery arms forming a crown always bold and
striking and exhilarating. In habit and general
interface it looks somewhat like a palm, but no
palm that I have yet seen displays such majesty of
form and behaviour either when poised silent and
Critical Reading 75
thoughtful in sunshine, or wideawake waving in storm winds with
every needle quivering.
When young it is very straight and regular in form like most other
coniferous trees; but at the age of fifty to one hundred
years it begins to acquire individuality, so that no two are alike in their
prime or old age. Every tree calls for special admiration.
The diameter of the largest near the ground is about ten feet, though
I’ve heard of some twelve feet thick or even fifteen. The diameter is
held to a great height, the taper being almost imperceptibly gradual. Its
companion, the yellow
pine, is almost as large. The long silvery foliage of the younger
specimens forms magnificent cylindrical brushes on the top shoots and
the ends of the upturned branches, and when the wind sways the
needles all one way at a certain angle, every tree becomes a tower of
white quivering
sun fire.
Well may this shining species be called the silver pine. The needles are
sometimes more than a foot long, almost as long as those of the long-
leaf pine of Florida.
Answer the Following Questions:
1. In this passage, the word scales (line 4) is used to mean
(A) measures
(B) weights
(C) scrapings
(D) husks
(E) balance
2. By “favourably situated” (line 6), the author probably means
(A) in an approved site
(B) positioned pleasantly
(C) newly planted
(D) far from the sea
(E) having sufficient sun and water
76 Critical Reading
3. In comparing the pine to a palm tree, the author
(A) finds neither tree especially impressive
(B) finds the pine less majestic
(C) thinks that he is more like a pine tree than a palm tree
(D) finds both trees equally majestic
(E) finds the palm less majestic and assigns the pine human
characteristics
4. In his description of the sugar pine, the author includes
(A) height and thickness
(B) various uses
(C) planting time
(D) height, thickness, and coloration
(E) taste
5. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) “Sugar from the Pine”
(B) “A Noble Tree”
(C) “The Tree of the Sierras”
(D) “Comparing Pines and Firs”
(E) “The Yellow Pine”
6. You can infer that the author’s attitude toward the pine tree is
(A) deferential
(B) awed
(C) arrogant
(D) repentant
(E) charitable
7. The tone of this text is:
(A) ironic
(B) emotional
(C) satiric
(D) apologetic
(E) altruistic
Critical Reading 77
8. The source of this passage is probably
(A) a reference book
(B) a newspaper article
(C) an encyclopaedia entry
(D) Travel journal/blog
(E) sports magazine

Passage 2
Before you read
Greenhouse effect: The greenhouse effect is the process by which
radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a
temperature above what it would be without this atmosphere.

Jim Hansen, a climatologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Institute, is

convinced that the earth’s temperature is rising and places the blame on
the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Unconvinced, John
Sununu, former White House chief of staff, doubts that the warming
will be great enough to produce a serious threat and fears that measures
to reduce the emissions would throw a wrench into the gears that drive
the United States’ troubled economy. The stakes in this debate are
extremely high, for it pits society’s short-term well-being against the
future of all the planet’s inhabitants. Our past transgressions have
altered major portions of the earth’s surface, but the effects have been
limited. Now we can foresee the possibility that to satisfy the energy
needs of an expanding human population, we will rapidly change the
climate of the entire planet, with consequences for even the most
remote and unspoiled regions of the globe.

The notion that certain gases could warm the planet is not new. In 1896
Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish chemist, resolved the long-standing
question of how the earth’s atmosphere could maintain the planet’s
relatively warm temperature when the oxygen and nitrogen that make up
99 percent of the atmosphere do not absorb any of the heat escaping as
infrared radiation from the earth’s surface into space. He discovered that
even the small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could
absorb large amounts of heat. Furthermore, he reasoned that the burning
of coal, oil, and natural gas could eventually release enough carbon
78 Critical Reading
dioxide to warm the earth. Hansen and most other climatologists agree
that enough greenhouse gases have accumulated in the atmosphere to
make Arrhenius’s prediction come true. Burning fossil fuels is not the
only problem; a fifth of our emissions of carbon dioxide now come from
clearing and burning forests. Scientists are also tracking a host of other
greenhouse gases that emanate from a variety of human activities; the
warming effect of methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide
combined equals that of carbon dioxide.

Although the current warming from these gases may be difficult to

detect against the background noise of natural climate variation, most
climatologists are certain that as the gases continue to accumulate,
increases in the earth’s temperature will become evident even to
skeptics. The battle lines for this particular skirmish are surprisingly
well balanced. Those with concerns about global warming point to the
recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Plan on
Climate Change, which suggests that with “business as usual,”
emissions of carbon dioxide by the year 2025 will be 25 percent greater
than previously estimated. On the other side, the George C. Marshall
Institute, a conservative think tank, published a report warning that
without greenhouse gases to warm things up, the world would become
cool in the next century. Stephen Schneider, a leading computer
modeler of future climate change, accused Sununu of “brandishing the
[Marshall] report as if he were holding a crucifix to repel a vampire.”

If the reality of global warming were put on trial, each side would have
trouble making its case. Jim Hansen’s side could not prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases
have warmed the planet. But neither could John Sununu’s side prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the warming expected from greenhouse
gases has not occurred.

Answer the following questions

1. The purpose of the first paragraph of the passage is to

A. argue for the reduction of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
B. defend on economic grounds the reduction of greenhouse
gases.
Critical Reading 79
C. present two opposing positions on the subject of the earth’s
rising temperature.
D. lessen the concern of the public about the alleged buildup of
greenhouse gases.
E. introduce the two most important spokesmen for and against
ecological reforms.

2. In the first paragraph, the word “pits” means

A. removes the core of.
B. sets in competition.
C. depresses.
D. marks with small scars.
E. hardens.

3. From the information in the second paragraph of the passage, you

can infer that a planet
A. whose atmosphere was made up entirely of oxygen
would be warmer than a planet equally distant from the
sun with an atmosphere made up entirely of nitrogen.
B. whose atmosphere was made up entirely of nitrogen
would be warmer than a planet equally distant from the
sun with an atmosphere made up entirely of oxygen.
C. with a larger amount of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere,
other factors being equal, will be warmer than a planet
with less carbon dioxide.
D. with a small amount of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere
cannot increase this amount.
E. with little infrared radiation escaping from its surface is
likely to be extremely cold.

4. The passage implies that a greenhouse gas is one that

I. forms a large part of the earth’s atmosphere.
II. absorbs heat escaping from the earth’s surface.
III. can be formed by the clearing and burning of forests.
A. III only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III
80 Critical Reading
5. From the passage, it can be inferred that all the following are
greenhouse gases EXCEPT
A. nitrogen.
B. carbon dioxide.
C. methane.
D. chlorofluorocarbons.
E. nitrous oxide.
6. Which of the following, if true, would call into question the
argument of the Marshall report?
I. Since the earth’s climate did not grow colder in the five hundred
years since 1400 when the amount of greenhouse gases released by
humans was small, there is no reason to expect a decrease in
temperature when the amounts of gas released are now much larger.
II. The radical reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases will result
in massive unemployment throughout the industrial world.
III. Some scientific studies have shown that the temperature of the earth
is unaffected by the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere.
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. I and III only
E. I, II, and III
7. The word “skeptics” in line 59 most nearly means
A. scientists.
B. ecologists.
C. opponents.
D. doubters.
E. politicians.
8. Stephen Schneider probably referred to Sununu’s “brandishing the
[Marshall] report as if he were holding a crucifix to repel a vampire”
in order to
I. amuse his audience.
II. suggest that Sununu’s claims are melodramatic.
III. imply that the idea that greenhouse gases are dangerous is as
imaginary as a vampire.
A. III only
Critical Reading 81
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

6. The effect of the final paragraph of the passage is to

A. stress the superiority of Jim Hansen’s case.
B. undermine Sununu’s argument.
C. support the conclusions of the Marshall report.
D. call Arrhenius’s theories into question.
E. leave the debate about global warming unresolved.

7. The source of this passage is most probably:

A. a reference book
B. a newspaper article
C. an encyclopaedia entry
D. political report
E. a tabloid

Passage 3
Why should one suppose that a culture like Europe’s, steeped as it was
in the ardour of wealth, the habit of violence, and the pride of
intolerance, dispirited and adrift after a century and more of disease and
famine and death beyond experience, would be able to come upon new
societies in a fertile world, innocent and defenceless, and not displace
and subdue, if necessary destroy, them? Why should one suppose such
a culture would pause there to observe, to learn, to borrow the wisdom
and the ways of a foreign, heathen people, half naked
and befeathered, ignorant of cities and kings and metal and laws, and
unschooled in all that the Ancients held virtuous? Was not Europe in its
groping era of discovery in the fifteenth century in fact in search of
salvation, as its morbid sonnets said, or of that regeneration which new
lands and new peoples and of course new riches would be presumed to
provide? And there was salvation there, in the New World, though it
was not of a kind the Europeans then understood. They thought first
that exploitation was salvation, and they went at that with a vengeance,
and found new foods and medicines and treasures, but that proved not
to be; that colonization and settlement was salvation, and they peopled
both continents with conquerors, and it was not that either. The
salvation there, had the Europeans known where and how to look for it,
82 Critical Reading
was obviously in the integrative tribal ways, the nurturant
communitarian values, the rich interplay with nature that made up the
Indian cultures — as it made up, for thatmatter, the cultures of ancient
peoples everywhere, not excluding Europe. It was there especially in
the Indian consciousness, in what Calvin Martin has termed “the
biological outlook on life,” in which patterns and concepts and the
large teleological constructs of culture are not human-cantered but
come from the sense of being at one with nature, biocentric, ecocentric.

However one may cast it, an opportunity there certainly was once, a
chance for the people of Europe to find a new anchorage in a new
country, in what they dimly realized was the land of Paradise, and thus
find finally the way to redeem the world. But all they ever found was
half a world of nature’s treasures and nature’s peoples that could be
taken, and they took them, never knowing, never learning the true
regenerative power there, and that opportunity was lost. Theirs was
indeed a conquest of Paradise, but as is inevitable with any war against
the world of nature, those who win will have lost — once again lost,
and this time perhaps forever.

Answer the following Questions:

1.The questions of the first paragraph of the Passage serve chiefly to

A. raise doubts about issues that cannot be explained.

B. defend and justify the actions of Europeans in the age of
discovery.
C. suggest areas that future historians might profitably
explore.
D. show how much easier it is to understand issues of the
distant past with the objectivity given by time.
E. reveal the author’s ideas about the nature of Europeans at
the time of Columbus’s voyages.

2. In the Passage, the phrase “unschooled in all that the Ancients held
virtuous” is used to
I. reflect the European view of the American natives.
II. reveal a significant foundation of European culture in the period.
Critical Reading 83
III. give a reason for the European contempt for the native
Americans.
A. III only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

3. Which of the following does the Passage present as discovered and

understood by the Europeans in America?
A. Human-centered cultures
B. New foods and medicines
C. Communitarian values
D. An Indian consciousness
E. An ecocentric culture

4. According to the passage, a “biological outlook on life” would be

best defined as one in which
A. the interdependence of all life forms is understood.
B. humans are the measure of all things.
C. the needs of rich and poor are equally considered.
D. the economic well-being of all races is emphasized.
E. the primary motivation is survival of the species.

5. The major purpose of the Passage is to

A. describe the benefits and damage of Columbus’s
discovery.
B. present Columbus’s discovery as a tragically missed
opportunity to regenerate Europe.
C. attack the greed and cruelty that inspired the European
colonization of America.
D. defend the European colonization of America as
historically determined and unavoidable.
E. evaluate as objectively as possible the meaning of the
European incursion into the Americas.
84 Critical Reading

Critical Reading for Comparison

How to read critically?
In order to read critically you will need to ask certain questions about
the text. One area to consider is the author and source. Questions for
this area can be asked before you read the text and are mostly quite
straightforward. Answers to these questions may help you decide
whether the text is worth reading at all. Another area to consider is
the evidence the writer uses to support his points. These questions are
more difficult and require careful reading of the text and consideration
of the meaning. Being able to answer questions such as these will also
improve your ability as a writer. A final area to look at is
the assumptions and bias which the writer may have. These are the
most difficult questions and may need you to analyse the language the
writer uses in order to answer them.

Your Turn
Now let’s practice before we move on

Here's the headline on a Wall Street Journal story about changes

in American patterns of electricity demand.(12) See if you can
guess how the lead paragraph of the story ends. It begins this way:

"Americans are using more gadgets, televisions and air

conditioners than ever before. But, oddly, their electricity use is
barely growing, ..."

(12) https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/01/framing-a-story-
journalism-101/266826/
Critical Reading 85
(a) "... reflecting efficiencies in electric-power use by industries and
utilities."
(b) "... raising hopes that economic growth can coexist with reduced
resource "
(c) "... which together with increased natural gas production may hasten
the era of 'energy independence' for the United States."
(d)"... posing a scary challenge for the nation's utilities."

This story is an example as of the power of the "frame" the writer and
editor choose to place around the daily increase of information. The
right answer is B since it states that this gives “hopes that economic
growth”.
Because it is presented in the corporate-news section of the Wall Street
Journal, this is presented as good news.
In other publications, or even in another section, exactly the same
information could have been a bad news. It all depends on the framing
which can present contradictory phenomena as all true at the same
time.

Source
1. What is the source of the text?
2. Where is it published?
3. Who is the intended audience?
4. What is the author's purpose?
5. What is the general frame?

Look at the different suggestions above and indicate if the framing is

“good news” or “bad news” and underline the word /words that helped
you decide and state where you would probably find such framing.

Critical Reading for Comparison

When you are critically reading for comparison, you widen the
view beyond the single source and consider the text in relation to
86 Critical Reading
other texts on the same topic. There are several ways to compare
and contrast texts.

• For comparisons you may look for the type or form of text for
example, it could be an article, blog or letter.
• The purpose it is written for or the audience it is addressing is
another way to compare. Some texts are written just to
inform or advice while others persuade and entertain.
• The focus and attention to detail required in reading a
compare and contrast text helps individual to organize and
retain information and develop better writing expressions
Critical Reading 87

T he debate on hemp(13)

Amira Asad
October 7, 2013
This April, hemp advocates rejoiced as Kentucky’s hemp bill became a
law after more than 70 years of prohibition. Once the leading hemp
growing state, Indiana’s neighbour has one boot in the field as a
number of states move forward toward legalizing the crop. Despite
their recent victory, the legality of growing the crop is still stirring up
heated debates six months later.
So how legal, or illegal, is the crop?
On a federal level, hemp has been illegal in all states since the mid-
1930s. There has been no distinction between hemp and its sister crop
marijuana since the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Both of these
factors create a blurry line about where hemp stands today in pro-hemp
states and how a legal pathway can be paved for farmers who wish to
cultivate the crop.

(13) https://iushorizon.com/12694/news/the-debate-on-hemp/
88 Critical Reading

Hemp advocates are trying to revive a cash crop that was once used for
products ranging from paper to clothing. Hemp champions expect the
crop to boost the economy and open a number of new agricultural job
positions.
However, a 25-page study about the economic probability of industrial
hemp, recently conducted at University of Kentucky, stated that
production of the crop isn’t likely to create thousands of jobs
immediately. Nor will it be a profitable option for all farmers living
across the state of Kentucky.
A major concern for legalizing hemp among cops is the near identical
look of hemp and marijuana, which could lead to marijuana growers
hiding their crops within hemp fields.
Another leading fear about hemp reappearing on the market is an
increase of drug use and drug related crime.
“You have to suspect that the push for its cultivation is driven more by
those looking for the legalization of the use of marijuana and other
illegal drugs than by those looking for fiber or healthy fats,” Douglas
Darnowski, professor of biology, said. “There are plenty of other fibers
which are more useful for many purposes than hemp is, and there are
more nutritious seeds, like chia.”
Darnowski said despite all the benefits to hemp cultivation, there is still
one major prohibitor stopping the cultivation.
“There is a connection to the suppression of the cultivation of hemp
and given the amount of drug use plaguing the country and this area in
particular, it may, unfortunately still be a good idea.” He said.
Critical Reading 89
Answer the following questions

1. State True or False about the writer’s style:

a. There is a clear distinction between fact and the author’s opinion

b. The writer presents a balanced viewpoint and other viewpoints are
considered
c. The writer avoids using emotional language and dramatic images
d. The writer’s position is clearly stated

2. In which of the following publications would this passage be most

likely to appear? (source)
A. a magazine about agriculture
B. a newspaper
C. a book on Hemp
D. an encyclopaedia article about law

3. Who is the intended audience?

A. Parliament
B. Farmers
C. General public

4- What is the author's purpose?

A. Entertain
B. Inform
C. persuade

5- What is the tone

A. Objective
B. Emphatic
C. Ironic
90 Critical Reading
Critical Reading Exercise (14)
In this text you are going to read about Marijuana, Cannabis, Hemp
farming and different opinions on these things. There are some words
in this text that you won’t see very often when you are reading but are
important for this text. These words are in bold in the text. Look at the
questions below about these vocabulary items and try to answer them.
You should use a dictionary if you are unsure of the answers.

Hemp Farming Ethical or Economical Question

Traditional hemp, grown for mass market products such as textiles and
bioplastics, has a planting rate of 400,000 per acre (roughly 100
plants/square meter), and is drilled in like wheat. It grows tall and you
harvest the tops for seed production and then use the stalk for a number
of industrial purposes. However there is a lot of debate around
legalising hemp farming.
In this exercise, you will see a number of quotations from different
"interest groups" or "lobbies". A lobby or interest group is a group of
people who have a common interest and who work together to
publicize and promote their point of view. Here is a description of the
interest groups:

(14) Adapted from http://home.earthlink.net/~eslstudent/read/read.html

Critical Reading 91
The Forestry Industry: The forestry industry makes money from
cutting down trees. Therefore, they want to be able to continue to cut
trees, and they want to discourage any alternative ways of producing
pulp and paper.

The Environmentalists: The environmental lobby want to protect the

forests against logging companies, so they would like to show how
destructive logging is, and how valuable the forests are.

The Hemp Farming Lobby: The hemp farmers would like the fibre
hemp plant to be legal so that they can grow it. They want to show how
useful it is for making paper and other products, and they would like
people to understand the difference between the marijuana plant and
the fibre hemp plant.

The Marijuana Legalization Lobby: These people would like

marijuana to be legal. They are interested in linking the fibre hemp
plant with marijuana, because they think it may be possible to legalize
BOTH kinds of plant. They want to show how useful industrial hemp
is, and at the same time, they want to convince people that marijuana is
harmless.

The British Government: The British government has just legalized

industrial hemp, but they want to keep marijuana illegal, so they want
to show that it is dangerous. They also get lots of taxes from the
forestry industry, so they do not want to restrict wood cutting too much.

Your task in this exercise is to:

1) identify which group each quotation comes from and,
2) explain why you think this.

Study Tip
Critical reading is the ability to evaluate the credibility of a piece of
writing. All writers have a purpose when they write, and usually, a
writer will choose or emphasize facts and details which support his or
her purpose, and ignore facts which don't. As a good reader, you need
to be aware of this.
92 Critical Reading
Prereading Vocabulary

An ecosystem (n)

‘The rainforests are the oldest, most productive and most complex
ecosystems on Earth.’

Is an ecosystem (a) a method of counting all the trees in a forest or (b) a

system of sustaining life on this planet?

Pulp (n)

‘Forest fires destroy more forests than are used for making pulp and
paper.’

Is pulp (a) a type of forest fire or (b) a type of material made from
wood?

Hemp (n)

‘Farmers can grow hemp quickly and it is not likely to fall to disease.’

Is hemp (a) a crop that farmers grow or is it (b) a type of field?

Quotations:

1. "The rainforests are quite simply the richest, oldest, most productive
and most complex ecosystems on Earth."

a) the forestry industry

b) the environmentalists

c) the hemp farming lobby

d) the marijuana legalization lobby

WHY: __________________________________________
Critical Reading 93
2. "Some have calculated that if Britain converted the entire pulp and
paper production in Britain to hemp, it would be necessary to
plant hemp over 22% of the country."

a) the forestry industry

b) the marijuana lobby

c) the environmentalists

d) the hemp farming lobby

WHY:____________________________________________

3. "Farmers can grow hemp without using pesticide or herbicide

because it grows quickly and is not likely to fall to disease."

a) the British government

b) the hemp farming lobby

c) the forestry industry

d) the marijuana legalization lobby

WHY:____________________________________________

4. "Each year, forest fires destroy more forests than are used for
making pulp and paper."

a) the environmentalists

b) the British government

c) the hemp farming lobby

d) the forestry industry

WHY:____________________________________________
94 Critical Reading
5. "Decriminalizing cannabis could result in a greater use of the drug
by British people, therefore increasing the health and safety risks
associated with it."

a) the marijuana legalization lobby

b) the hemp farming lobby

c) the British government

d) the environmentalists

WHY:____________________________________________

6. "The government added marijuana in 1923 to The Opium Act of

1908 without any health concerns inherent in the law whatsoever.
The Opium Act was introduced as a purely racist measure to deport
and jail Asian-Britons."

a) the hemp farming lobby

b) the British government

c) the forestry industry

d) the marijuana legalization lobby

WHY:____________________________________________

7. "67% of the fiber used to make British pulp and paper comes from
recovered paper that used to be disposed of in landfills."

a) the environmentalists

b) the hemp farming lobby

c) the forestry industry

d) the marijuana legalization lobby

WHY:____________________________________________
Critical Reading 95
8. "Hemp is about business and the environment. Marijuana is a moral
question about the government's control of the drugs that people
consume. These two questions have nothing in common but the
shape of the leaf, therefore we have to separate the issues."

a) the hemp farming lobby

b) the marijuana legalization lobby

c) the forestry industry

d) the British government

WHY:____________________________________________

9. "In the Brixton Riots of 1981, police attacked and injured hundreds
of innocent peaceful marijuana smokers."

a) the marijuana legalization lobby

b) the forestry industry

c) the British government

d) the hemp farming lobby

WHY:____________________________________________

10. "Wood cutting and production is still the biggest employer and the
biggest contributor to tax revenue in some parts of the country."

a) the hemp farming lobby

b) the forestry industry

c) the British government

d) the hemp farming lobby

WHY:____________________________________________
96 Critical Reading
Study Tip
Comparing and contrasting related readings: Exploring likenesses and
differences between texts to understand them better. Many of the
authors we read are concerned with the same issues or questions, but
approach how to discuss them in different ways. In order to compare
and contrast you need to start by identifying the main argument made
by each text and the main evidence used to support the arguments.

Questions to help the comparison:

What is the author’s purpose?

What is the argument?

What are the main points that support the argument?

What evidence is used?

What is the tone the author uses? (e.g., formal, informal, critical, objective)

How does the author’s use of language and tone support the audience,
purpose, and argument? (e.g., specialized terminology, simple word
choice, words with emotional connotations)

What influences do these differences have on the way the text reads, or
the way in which you as the reader makes sense of the text?

To be able to compare you can use the Critical Comparison Matrix

Element Text 1 Text 2

Title
Argument
(conclusion)
Reason
Tone
Your Conclusion
Critical Reading 97
Your Turn:
Read the following two passages and compare Both passages relate to
English author Jane Austen and her readers.

Passage 1 is taken from E. M. Forster’s 1924 review of Chapman’s

edition, The Works of Jane Austen.

Passage 2 is taken from an article written in 2005.

Passage 1
I am a Jane Austenite, and, therefore, slightly imbecile about Jane
Austen. My fatuous expression and airs of personal immunity—how ill
they set on the face, say, of a Stevensonian. But Jane Austen is so
different. One’s favorite author! One reads and re-reads, the mouth
open and the mind closed. Shut up in measureless content, one greets
her by the name of most kind hostess, while criticism slumbers. The
Jane Austenite possesses none of the brightness he ascribes to his idol.
Like all regular churchgoers, he scarcely notices what is being said.

Passage 2
Jane Austen never suffered fools gladly, nor should we. Her letters and
novels are filled with sharp, cutting comments—zingers, remarks that
startle, even shock, the unwary reader. At the ball there “was a scarcity of
Men in general, & a still greater scarcity of any that were good for much.”
Zing! Who, reading that caustic comment, can ever again think of Austen
as Gentle Jane? As Natalie Tyler says, “She is the one person whose
insights about yourself you would most fear because you realize that her
perceptions are penetrating, perspicacious, and piercingly accurate.”

1. Passage 1 supports which of the following generalizations about the

Jane Austenite’?

A. They also enjoy the novels of Robert Louis Stevenson.

B. They are irregular in their reading habits.
C. Their approach to Austen’s works is analytical but constructive.
D. They grow increasingly immune to Austen’s appeal.
E. Their reverence for Austen is uncritical.
98 Critical Reading
2. The author of Passage 2 views Austen primarily as
A. an ironic observer
B. an ardent feminist
C. a petty quibbler
D. an objective witness
E. a reluctant critic
3. The author of Passage 2 does all of the following EXCEPT
A. pose a question
B. cite an authority
C. define a term
D. provide an example
E. propose a hypothesis
4. Both passages support the generalization that Austen
A. was restricted by the limitations of her society
B. was unusually sensitive to her environment
C. is less popular today than in years past
D. possessed an acute intellect
E. is more reverent than other authors
5. Making use of the critical reading matrix compare the two passages.

Element Text 1 Text 2

Title
Argument
(conclusion)
Reason
Tone

Your conclusion
Critical Reading 99
Now let’s compare two news articles about nuclear power:

Article 1

Nuclear energy can cut our carbon emissions to zero. Despite

competition from natural gas and wind and solar energy, nuclear power
has no equal. It is the best way to produce carbon-free electric power,
and is likely to remain so well into the future.

Carbon emissions are the main cause of the greenhouse effect that is
producing global warming. Carbon-containing gases released by the
burning of fuels are remaining in the atmosphere and trapping heat.
Over time, they have caused average global temperatures to rise,
putting the planet at risk.

Clearly, a carbon-free source of energy is a valuable resource in the

fight against planet-threatening climate change.

Nuclear power now accounts for more than 60 percent of the United
States' zero-carbon electricity and a new generation of technologically
advanced reactors is on the horizon.

Nuclear power is playing an essential role in the battle to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. Even environmentalists should welcome its
benefits.

“Nuclear is the only 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week source of power

that does not result in the emission of greenhouse gases,” says energy
expert Eileen Claussen. “It’s hard to believe we can limit temperature
increases, and their associated impacts, without a vastly expanded use
of nuclear energy.”

Reliable, Effective and Affordable

Many claim that nuclear power is dangerous because of the risk of
radiation leaks. In fact, the industry has an excellent safety record. In
the more than a half-century since the first commercial nuclear reactor
began producing electricity, there has not been a single death or injury
100 Critical Reading
from a radiation-related nuclear power plant accident in the United
States. No other major industry has an equally good safety record.

Nuclear power has endured because it has proved reliable, effective and
affordable. The basic facts are not in dispute among energy policymakers.

In America, the performance of nuclear plants has improved

significantly since 1990. The average capacity factor — how often a
power plant actually delivers power to the electric grid — has steadily
gone up. In 2014, it was at 90 percent for the approximately 100
operating U.S. reactors.

The average capacity factor in 1998 was 80 percent, compared to only

66 percent in 1990.

Despite a reduction in the number of plants, the U.S. nuclear industry

actually generated more electricity last year than it did in 2005.

The 439 reactors now operating around the world are meeting the
annual electrical needs of more than a billion people. Almost 70
reactors are under construction, including five in the United States.
Another 159 are on order or planned.

In France, nuclear power supplies 75 percent of the electricity, with

enough to spare to provide almost a quarter of the electricity in Europe.
However, in China, the world’s biggest carbon polluter, nuclear energy
provides only 2 percent of the power. Coal remains China’s main
energy source, and its use is increasing not only in China but
throughout Asia.

Meeting Two Global Goals

In December of last year, representatives of most of the world's nations
met in Paris, France, to discuss ways to combat climate change. The
agreement they signed set an ambitious global goal: bringing net
carbon emissions down to zero by the second half of this century.
Critical Reading 101
This would seem, at first glance, an impossible task. Until, that is, you
consider that both France and Sweden have been able to greatly
increase their use of carbon-fee nuclear power in a relatively short time.

European energy experts say the results would be dramatic if the world
were to build nuclear reactors at the same rate as the French and
Swedish have. Electricity from coal and natural gas could be replaced
in 25 to 34 years.

During this period, electric vehicles powered by nuclear-generated

electricity could dramatically reduce the need for oil. These changes
would have a huge impact on global

carbon emissions and would help prevent dangerous climate change.

The challenge to meet the new climate control goals is daunting. If

present trends continue, the world’s population will increase to more
than 9 billion by 2040, with global electricity demand nearly doubling.
Unless the use of zero-carbon nuclear power is greatly increased, it
likely will be impossible to both meet future energy demand and
prevent dangerous climate change.

Nuclear power is the only way to achieve both those goals at the same
time.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Mark J. Perry is a professor of economics and

finance in the School of Management at the University of Michigan-Flint.

What is the argument of this article?

How does the writer support his argument?

Is the author an energy expert?

Whose point of view does he present?

102 Critical Reading
Article 2:

The 2015 Paris climate agreement set a remarkable goal. It calls for all
countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases substantially. Most
of these emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels — coal, oil
and natural gas— and the message could not be clearer: We need to
change the way we generate and use energy, and do so quickly.

The United States set itself a modest goal: cutting emissions by 26

percent to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

Despite opposition from Congress, President Barack Obama has moved

toward that goal. The most notable step so far is the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. The plan will regulate coal-
fired power plants and set new vehicle fuel-economy standards.

Embracing Renewable Energy

The question now is what additional policy actions will most help in
meeting — or preferably exceeding — the target for emission
reductions. Perhaps the most realistic approach is to increase the use of
low-energy or no-carbon energy sources, among them nuclear power
and renewable energy. Renewable energy sources, also called
renewables, include such things as wind power and solar power.

China has embraced this approach. It plans to double its nuclear power
capacity, and has 24 new plants now under construction. However,
China also is investing heavily in wind and solar power, as it has been
for years.

Should the U.S. do the same? Yes, but only in part. Currently, our 99
nuclear reactors generate about 19 percent of electrical output, yet only
account for about 8 percent of total energy consumption. The lion’s
share of the energy we use, about 81 percent, comes from fossil fuels.
Critical Reading 103
Nuclear power will have an important role to play, but it is unlikely to
replace much fossil fuel use. It is still too expensive and too risky.

A better bet is to invest in renewables, while also working to make our

energy use more efficient, as most of the world is now doing.

Nuclear Power Is Very Expensive

Despite construction of new reactors by China and other Asian nations,

globally nuclear electricity production has been levelling off while
wind and solar power are soaring. There

are good reasons for these trends. One is cost. The nuclear plants under
construction in the United States, the first after more than three
decades, are expected to cost $8 billion to $9 billion each, possibly
more. It is also very expensive to safely shut down plants, which
eventually becomes necessary.

These very high costs make it difficult for the private utilities that
provide our electricity to increase nuclear power generation. They see
more promise and lower costs in natural gas-powered plants or in
turning to renewables.

The difficulty of disposing of the radioactive waste that nuclear plants

create is another big reason to avoid an increase in nuclear power.
There is currently no acceptable nuclear

waste disposal method. There is also always the chance of the kind of
disaster that occurred when Japan's Fukushima plant leaked radiation-
contaminated water, poisoning the surrounding area.

The U.S. public remains understandably concerned that such a disaster

could occur here. A better way is to invest heavily in renewables, as
well as in energy conservation and efficiency. Both conservation and
increased energy efficiency can cut energy demand sharply.
104 Critical Reading
We Must Act Quickly
Increased energy efficiency and conservation can be achieved in a
variety of ways. Among them are improved building design, greater
reliance on public transit, modernization of the electrical grid, and
better lighting, heating and cooling systems.
The United States should put more funds into research on promising
energy technologies.
The federal government has long favoured and heavily subsidized
nuclear power and fossil
fuels. For the past decade, renewables and efficiency finally have
begun to receive significant support. We should accelerate that trend.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Michael Kraft is professor emeritus of political
science
and public and environmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-
Green Bay
What is the argument of this article?
How does the writer support his argument?
Is the author an energy expert?
Whose point of view does he present?
Element Text 1 Text 2
Suggested title
Argument
(conclusion)
Reason
Evidence

Both writers use the example of China, however they use it differently.
How?
What do you think? Should we use more nuclear power?
Critical Reading 105

Unit Six
Reading Scientific texts

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-

“NothingND
in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood”

Objectives:
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• Recognize the style of scientific writing
• Understand how facts and ideas are connected
• Read scientific texts critically
106 Critical Reading
Pre Reading:
How do you think is reading news articles different from reading
scientific texts?

Study Tip
Reading scientific texts requires more than understanding the meanings
of words. It needs you to be able to identify the format, argument or
hypothesis and investigate the evidence.

I. Identifying format/structure:
Five common types of structure used in scientific texts are:
• Generalization: the extension or clarification of main ideas
through explanations or examples
• Enumeration: listing of facts
• Sequence: a connecting series of events or steps
• Classification: grouping items into classes
• Comparison / contrast: examining the relationships between
two or more things

Exercise:
Identify the type of structure used in these examples:
1. There are two different hypotheses for the origin of the earth: the
nebular hypothesis and the comet-produced hypothesis. The
nebular hypothesis maintains ... In contrast, the comet-produced
hypothesis states ... The first hypothesis assumes ... The latter
hypothesis asserts ...

2. Irritability is defined as an organism's capacity to respond to

conditions outside itself. ... The organism's response is the way it
reacts to stimulus. For example, a plant may have a growth
response. This happens when ...

3. Hearing can be described in five separate stages. First, ...Second,…

Third,….
Critical Reading 107
4. There are four general properties of solids. Tenacity is a measure
of ... Hardness is ... Malleability refers to ... Ductility is ...

5. Experimental variables can be grouped into one of two categories,

either a manipulated variable or a controlled variable.

II. Evidence
To read critically you need to look at evidence. The following
questions relate to the evidence the writer uses.

• How strong is the evidence?

• Are all the points made by the author supported by
evidence?
• Does the writer avoid making unsupported generalisations?
• Is there a clear distinction between fact and the author’s
opinion?
• Are citations used? If so, are the cited sources
trustworthy and recent?
• If there are any images or diagrams, are they clear? Do
they relate directly to points in the text and support the
author’s argument?
• If it is a research article, is the methodology valid (e.g.
sample size, method of sampling)? Are the limitations
clear? Are the results consistent with the objectives?
108 Critical Reading
Try it out:
The greenhouse effect is likely to change rainfall patterns, raise sea
levels 4 to 7 feet by the year 2100, and increase the world's mean
temperature 2.7 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2050 (Brown and
Flavin 6, 16). Everyone will suffer as irrigation and drainage systems
become useless and agriculture faces its first changes in a "global
climatic regime" that has
changed little since farming
began (Brown annd Flavin 16).
Some places will cease to be
productive, such as the North
American heartland and the
Soviet Union's grain belt
(Brown and Flavin 17).
Although some areas,
previously unproductive, will suddenly become good farmland, scientists
say these climate shifts could occur so abruptly that agricultural losses
would be hard to readily adjust for (Brown and Flavin 16).

On what evidence is this information based?

Critical Reading 109
Critical Reading in the Natural Sciences(15)
Jann Vendetti
Journal articles and scientific papers are the medium through which
biologists relay their research to their colleagues. Scientific articles are
most often presented in a standard format, beginning with an abstract,
followed by an introduction, then methods, results, discussion and
finally conclusions. A good paper presents the author’s topic, data, and
interpretations clearly and logically.
The reader’s challenge is to comprehend the paper’s main ideas
despite new vocabulary, unfamiliar tone, and often complex subject
matter. This requires active and critical reading. The following
strategies suggest how to facilitate active and critical reading while
minimizing frustration.

Strategies of Critical Readers

• Look up unfamiliar words as you encounter them. Re-write
them in your own words if necessary, and use that definition
when you encounter them later in the paper.
• Learn from headings within the introduction, methods, results,
and conclusion. These may be summations of major themes of
the paper or signify topic shifts.
• Tolerate confusion or ambiguity during your first read. Try not
to expect the complexities of the paper to be clarified
immediately. Your confusion can generate excellent questions
that may be answered during your second read; if not, it may
provide material for discussion or further investigation.
• Don’t be put off by complicated methods. In most cases you
don’t have to understand all details of the paper’s experiments
or analyses to make a sufficient synopsis of its main
conclusions.

(15) https://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/critical-reading-intro/natural-sciences/
110 Critical Reading
• Summarize. As you reach the end of a section of interest, ask
yourself if you could explain it to someone else. If yes, great! If
no, give it another read.
• Ask yourself questions throughout the paper. This is the
“critical” component of critical reading. Is evidence well-
supported? Presented clearly? What are the study’s broader
implications?
• Read the paper a second or third time, highlighting key points.
Check these points with your summaries and the author’s
abstract. Does your interpretation of the paper match theirs?
• Use a marking system. This is a note-taking/making scheme
that you use consistently to mark-up or take notes on the paper
that you are reading. It may include written notes in the paper’s
margin, short summaries at the end of sections,
stars/arrows/circles/numbers at key passages, color-coded
highlights, or Post-Its that designate main ideas, confusing
sentences, evidence, unfamiliar words, etc.
Habits of Critical Readers
Effective habits, both of mind and of practice, are crucial to developing
critical reading skills. A simple routine that works for you can make all
the difference.
Critical Reading 111
Scientific Articles
The following texts are simplified scientific articles read and answer
the questions:

What is going on in the tropical stratosphere?

Authors:
Paul Newman, Lawrence Coy, Steven Pawson and Leslie Lait (NASA)
Associate editor:
Rebecca Paulsen Edwards
112 Critical Reading
Glossary of Terms
1. Stratosphere: the layer of the earth's atmosphere above the
troposphere, extending to about 50 km above the earth's surface
(the lower boundary of the mesosphere).
2. Quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) − slow change (28 months)
in wind direction from east to west and back that occurs high in
the atmosphere above the tropics
3. Easterlies − winds that blow from the east
4. Westerlies − winds that blow from the west
5. Radiosondes − weather instruments that take data as they rise
through the atmosphere on weather balloons.
6. Stratosphere – the layer of the atmosphere above the
troposphere (which is closest to where we live) that exists
between 10-30 miles above the earth’s surface.
7. Pressure Level – An altitude in the atmosphere defined by
units of atmospheric pressure rather than height in units of
distance. The atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, so a
higher pressure level is lower in the atmosphere and a lower
pressure level is higher in the atmosphere.
8. El Nino – An area of warmer than average water in the Eastern
Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
9. Subtropical Jet – A fast moving current of air located in the
stratosphere which blows from west to east in the midlatitudes

Abstract
Have you ever noticed that the clouds above you are moving very fast,
even though you don’t feel any wind where you are standing on the
ground? That’s because wind blows at different speeds and directions
at different altitudes in the atmosphere. The quasi-biennial oscillation is
a slow change in wind direction from eastward to westward that occurs
high in the atmosphere above the tropics (the latitudes close to the
equator). Over about a two-year period, the wind direction switches
from westward to eastward, then back again starting from the middle of
the stratosphere, then working its way down. Or at least that’s how it
usually works! This past winter, we noticed a curious change in this
normal downward progression of the quasi-biennial oscillation. Instead
of the eastward blowing winds slowly moving down through the
atmosphere, the westward blowing winds suddenly started moving
upward! This has never been observed before!
Critical Reading 113
Introduction
The quasi-biennial oscillation, or QBO for short, is an alternating
pattern of easterlies (winds that blow from the east) and the westerlies
(winds that blow from the west) high in the stratosphere (the
atmospheric layer between 10 and 30 miles altitude) over the equator. It
is an important and well-understood climate feature that has been
observed and studied by scientists for more than sixty years. The
change from easterlies to westerlies (and vice versa) starts at the top of
the stratosphere and then works its way down towards the surface. This
past winter, we noticed something strange in the data — instead of the
easterlies forming at the top of the atmosphere and progressing down
like they usually do, they were blocked by an area of westerlies that
began moving upward in the atmosphere, rather than slowing down and
switching direction.

Methods
We used two data types for this
study. First, we investigated this
unusual QBO using data from
radiosondes. Radiosondes are
instruments mounted on weather
balloons that measure winds,
temperature, pressure, and altitude
as they rise through the atmosphere
(Fig. 1). The radiosonde record for
equatorial stratospheric winds
began in 1953! There aren’t many
Earth processes for which we have
such long-term data!

We also used reanalysis data,

which are a combination of observations merged with an atmospheric
model. In that way we can visualize the wind direction and atmospheric
temperature in a 3D dataset. This method gives us better resolution than
we can get from observational data alone.

The analysis began with understanding how the QBO has behaved in
the past. We used averaged radiosonde data from 1953 to the present
114 Critical Reading
from three stations located close to the equator: Canton Island, Maldive
Islands, and Singapore.

To characterize normal QBO behavior, we determined the dates of the

easterly-to-westerly transitions for every QBO in that period. We had
two set points in the atmosphere:
about 32 and 22 km above the ground (where the atmospheric pressure
level is 10 and 40 hPa respectively).

Next, we compared the climatologically normal QBO with the winter

2015-2016 QBO to see how that one was different. Finally, we looked
at other data, like temperature and upper level winds in other parts of
the atmosphere to make some hypotheses about what might have
caused the change in QBO pattern.

Results
The QBO exhibits a very regular pattern of wind shifts over most of the
radiosonde data (Figure 2). Twenty-six complete oscillations occurred
during the 1953 to present period. The QBO wind shift can be observed
beginning at the top of the graph (at 10 hPa) and then moving to lower
altitudes with time.
The average length of the cycle was 27.6 months. The westerly phase
was slightly longer than the easterly phase in the lower stratosphere
(An average of about 12 months for the easterly phase and 15.3 months
for the westerly phase).
Near the end of the graph, we can see that something has interrupted
the normal transition from westerlies to easterlies during the QBO in
the winter of 2015-2016.
We identified three unusual features in the data.
1. An area of westerly winds seem to have formed at the 20 hPa
level and migrated upwards around New Year’s day 2016. This
altered the downward progression of the transition to easterlies.
2. An area of easterlies developed in the lower stratosphere, at the
30-70 hPa level, disconnected from the higher altitude easterlies.
3. It appears that the unusual westerly winds prevented the easterly
winds from propagating down through the stratosphere.
Critical Reading 115
To make sure that what we were seeing was not caused by an
instrument error, we examined multiple other sources of data from all
over the world. All of those datasets, as well as the reanalysis data,
show the same thing. Something unusual happened to the QBO in the
winter of 2015-2016.
Because the QBO is such an important feature of the stratospheric
wind, it is important that scientists understand what caused the change
we saw in the winter of 2015-2016. Our weather models depend on the
regular variation in equatorial winds the QBO has historically provided.
If that pattern has changed, we will have to update our meteorological
models and our understanding of the way our climate works. We will
continue to explore the relationships between the QBO and El Nino,
climate change, and the midlatitude pressure waves.

Discussion:
From the radiosonde and reanalysis data, we identified several things
that were out of the ordinary in the atmosphere around the time of the
change in the QBO.
First, the anomalous easterlies formed at an unusual location in relation
to the westerlies.
Second, the region near the boundary between the troposphere and
stratosphere (around 100 hPa), which is usually calm, had strong
westerlies that year. Lower in the atmosphere, the troposphere had
unusually strong easterlies because of the 2015-2016 El Nino

Nothing like the 2015-2016 QBO has ever happened before in our
record. The normal westerly phase lasts for about 15 months, but in
2015-16 switched to a easterly phase after only six months (at 40 hPa).
The previous shortest westerly phase was ten months. Also, no other
QBO westerly-to-easterly transition has ever occurred in January
before.

We are not certain what caused this change in the QBO, but we did
observe some clues in the structure of the temperature and winds. A band
of strong winds at 40 hPa, called the subtropical jet, stretched from the
northern midlatitudes to the equator for an extended period. This may
have allowed large-scale waves in the pressure pattern over the northern
hemisphere to add additional easterly momentum to the equatorial winds
116 Critical Reading
at 40 hPa (22 km). Finally, the tropical troposphere was much warmer
than the long-term average while the stratosphere was colder. These
temperature anomalies were the result of the strong El Nino and also
some climate change effects.

If that pattern has changed, we will have to update our meteorological

models and our understanding of the way our climate works. We will
continue to explore the relationships between the QBO and El Nino,
climate change, and the midlatitude pressure waves.

Conclusion
Because the QBO is such an important feature of the stratospheric
wind, it is important that scientists understand what caused the change
we saw in the winter of 2015-2016. Our weather models depend on the
regular variation in equatorial winds the QBO has historically provided.
If that pattern has changed, we will have to update our meteorological
models and our understanding of the way our climate works. We will
continue to explore the relationships between the QBO and El Nino,
climate change, and the midlatitude pressure waves.

References
Newman, P. A, L. Coy, S. Pawson, and L. R. Lait. The anomalous change in
the QBO in 2015-2016. Geophysical Research Letters, 43,
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL070373/abstract
Baldwin, M. P., et al (2001), The quasi-biennial oscillation, Rev. Geophysics,
39 179-229,
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/1999RG000073/full
“NASA: A Strange Thing Happened in the Stratosphere”
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/a-strange-thing-
happened-in-the-stratosphere

Questions:
1. What is the structure of this article?
2. Is the methodology valid?
3. Are the limitations clear?
4. Are the results consistent with the objectives?
5. Is evidence well-supported? Presented clearly?
6. What are the study’s broader implications?
Critical Reading 117
7. Where would you find this article published?
8. Who are the audience for this article?

As you have seen in the previous article scientific articles are

divided into 6 main sections:

1. Abstract: in the abstract you get a summary of the research which

states the reason or question of the research.
2. Introduction: explains the object of research and gives the
background
3. Methods: explains the methodology used, that is the experiment
that the scientist conducted.
4. Results: states the results of the experiment conducted the data
that was gathered.
5. Discussion: discusses the results. That is analysis and interprets
the data
6. Conclusion: the conclusion puts all together giving the short
answer to the question stated in the introduction.
118 Critical Reading
Exercise:
The following article has been mixed up try to arrange into the proper
format.

Heavy metal pollution: How can we make water safe to

drink?
Authors:
Ngoc T. Bui, Hyungmook Kang, Jeffrey J. Urban, and others
Associate editors:
Allison Gamzon and Fiona Firth

Glossary of term:

Adsorbent – the substance that the contaminant ions stick to. For
example, ZIOS is the adsorbent for copper ions.
Adsorption – the process that occurs when ions or molecules of one
substance stick to the surface of another substance.
Contaminant – a substance that pollutes or makes another substance
impure. For example, copper is a water contaminant.
Crystalline – a description of a substance that has the form of a crystal
or is made of crystals.
Desorption – the process when a substance is released from the
adsorbent’s surface.
Hydrogen bond – a weak bond that forms between molecules when
one has a positive charge (of a proton) and the other has a negative
charge. The attraction between the positive and negative charges holds
the molecules together.
Ions – atoms that have a positive or a negative charge because they
have lost or gained electrons.
pH – a scale used to measure if a solution is an acid, base, or neutral.
Remediate – to clean up pollution from soil, groundwater, or surface
water.
Supramolecular structure – a large structure that forms when many
molecules bond together.
Toxic heavy metals – metals with a high density that are dangerous to
human health. Examples include copper, mercury, and arsenic.
Critical Reading 119
Guess which part of the article:

1. We wanted to create a method that can effectively remediate copper at

a low cost. We created ZIOS, a new supramolecular structure that
adsorbs copper ions. In a supramolecular structure, molecules bond
together rather than atoms. To make ZIOS, we mixed together
three different molecules in water at 50°C, and they reacted to form
small crystals. We used x-rays to see how the different molecules
arranged themselves and saw that hydrogen bonds held the
molecules together in a crystalline structure (Fig. 2). Once we
created ZIOS, we tested how well it adsorbed copper ions. We also
tested a different copper adsorbent, known as ZIF-8. We already
know that ZIF-8 is an excellent copper adsorbent so we used it as a
comparison for how well ZIOS adsorbed copper ions. To test the
adsorption of copper, we put both ZIOS and ZIF-8 into a solution of
copper chloride and water. We waited about 30 minutes and then
checked the copper ion levels. We checked them again after 75
minutes. We wanted to see if these adsorbents could adsorb copper
when other ions are present. We tested ZIOS and ZIF-8 in water
samples that contained copper, manganese, nickel, sodium, calcium,
and iron. Then we measured the levels of each ion. Finally, we
tested ZIOS and ZIF-8 in water samples with a low pH to see if the
environment would change their ability to adsorb copper.

A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion

2. When you think of a glass of water, what words come to mind?

Clean? Safe? Refreshing? Unfortunately, those words don’t
describe most of the drinking water in the world. According to
the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 people on Earth don’t have
access to safe drinking water. Children in some parts of Africa,
for example, may need to walk for miles to get access to a bottle
120 Critical Reading
of drinking water. No matter where you live, people need clean
water. Think about it. We need water for drinking, cooking,
bathing, handwashing, and growing food. We need water to
survive. Copper is a contaminant that makes water unsafe to
drink. We created a new material – ZIOS – that can take copper
out of the water and use it in other industries. We tested ZIOS to
see how much it reduced copper levels in water. We also tested
how quickly it does that, and if it would work in acidic
environments. Our data support that ZIOS is a good

A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion

3. We placed both ZIOS and ZIF-8 in a solution with initial copper

ion levels of 425 parts per million (ppm). After 30 minutes,
ZIOS had reduced the copper levels to less than 1.5 ppm, while
ZIF-8 had dropped the levels to about 42 ppm. After 75
minutes, the copper concentration in the solution with ZIOS was
still less than 1.5 ppm, but the levels for ZIF-8 had increased to
115 ppm. When we tested these adsorbents in water with lots of
ions, ZIOS adsorbed 98% of the copper ions, but ZIF-8 only
adsorbed about 53%. ZIOS and ZIF-8 also lowered the iron and
nickel levels. ZIOS removed more iron and nickel than ZIF-8
(Fig. 3A). When the pH was low, ZIOS lowered the copper
levels, but it did not lower the iron and nickel levels. ZIF-8 had
the opposite effect: at low pH, ZIF-8 adsorbed high levels of
iron, but not copper solution to cleaning up copper pollution.

A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion
Critical Reading 121
4. Our results show three important findings about our new
material, ZIOS.
1. ZIOS can reduce the amount of copper in the water up to 50
times faster than other adsorbents, such as ZIF-8.
2. ZIOS can also remove iron and nickel from water. When it
removes these ions, it still removes copper as effectively as it
did when only copper was present.
3. ZIOS works to only remove copper in acidic environments
because the copper levels went down to similar levels at low
pH, whereas the levels of other metals remained the same.
Our next step is to investigate if ZIOS is reusable. We already know
that when ZIOS is in water, it expands. During this expansion, the
water molecules temporarily become part of the structure of ZIOS.
When dried, ZIOS contracts back to its original size. Now we want to
see if we can desorb, or remove, copper from ZIOS, and then reuse it
to adsorb more copper. The desorbed copper can then be used in other
industries. In this way, ZIOS can act as a vehicle to carry copper from
water to other environments

A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion

5. Everyone should have access to clean drinking water. Our

material, ZIOS, can provide a new option for copper
adsorption that is faster and more effective than many of our
current options. It can help people get access to the water that
they need to be healthy. You can also help make sure that
people have access to clean drinking water. You can support
a non-profit organization, such as Thirst Project or charity:
water. Thirst Project uses donations to dig wells and provide
water filters to communities all over the world. Charity:
water funds water projects internationally. Your support
brings clean water to those who need it.
122 Critical Reading
A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion

6. Metals are a part of our everyday life. Your body needs metals,
such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, to function and to keep
you healthy. Yet some metals can be dangerous. We call these
metals toxic heavy metals. Why? We call them heavy because
they have high densities. We call them toxic because they are
harmful to human health. Copper is one of the most widely used
heavy metals. Copper is a metal that our bodies need in small
amounts, but it becomes toxic at high levels. Many rivers and
streams contain copper because many industries use this metal.
Scientists consider a waterbody polluted with copper when the
levels are too high. To protect human health and the
environment, scientists need to remediate (clean up) the copper.
Copper remediation is difficult. Current processes are
expensive. They do not always do a good job of removing traces
of copper without also removing other metals from the water at
the same time.
A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Methods
D. Results
E. Discussion
F. Conclusion

After you check your answers in the answer key, answer the
following questions
1- Why is access to clean water so important?
2- Why is copper considered a toxic heavy metal?
3- How do we know that ZIOS remediates copper pollution in water?
4- How do we know that ZIOS works better than other current
adsorbents?
Critical Reading 123
5- The following are the references for the above article, check the
references and make sure that the sources are accurate:

Ngoc T. Bui et al (2020) A nature-inspired hydrogen-bonded

supramolecular complex for selective copper ion removal from water.
Nature Communications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17757-6

World Health Organization: Drinking Water

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water

Thirst Project
https://www.thirstproject.org

charity: water
https://www.charitywater.org

Encyclopedia Entries
The following is another article about water. However, this is not a
presentation of scientific research but is an encyclopedia entry. Read
this encyclopaedia entry and compare with above article

1. What is the structure of this article?

2. What is the difference between an encyclopaedia entry and a
scientific article?
124 Critical Reading
Water Cycle(16)

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the

hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on,
above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth
remains fairly constant over time but the partitioning of the water into
the major reservoirs of ice, fresh water, saline water and atmospheric
water is variable depending on a wide range of climatic variables. The
water moves from one reservoir to another, such as from river to ocean,
or from the ocean to the atmosphere, by the physical processes of
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff,
and subsurface flow. In doing so, the water goes through different
forms: liquid, solid (ice) and vapor.

The water cycle involves the exchange of energy, which leads to

temperature changes. When water evaporates, it takes up energy from
its surroundings and cools the environment. When it condenses, it
releases energy and warms the environment. These heat exchanges
influence climate.

(16) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cycle - mw-head
Critical Reading 125
The evaporative phase of the cycle purifies water which then
replenishes the land with freshwater. The flow of liquid water and ice
transports minerals across the globe. It is also involved in reshaping the
geological features of the Earth, through processes including erosion
and sedimentation. The water cycle is also essential for the
maintenance of most life and ecosystems on the planet.

Description

The sun, which drives the water cycle, heats water in oceans and seas.
Water evaporates as water vapor into the air. Some ice and snow
sublimates directly into water vapor. Evapotranspiration is water
transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil. The water
molecule H2O has smaller molecular mass than the major components
of the atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen, N2 and O2, hence is less
dense. Due to the significant difference in density, buoyancy drives
humid air higher. As altitude increases, air pressure decreases and the
temperature drops (see Gas laws). The lower temperature causes water
vapor to condense into tiny liquid water droplets which are heavier than
the air, and fall unless supported by an updraft. A huge concentration of
these droplets over a large space up in the atmosphere become visible
as cloud. Some condensation is near ground level, and called fog.

Atmospheric circulation moves water vapor around the globe; cloud

particles collide, grow, and fall out of the upper atmospheric layers as
precipitation. Some precipitation falls as snow or hail, sleet, and can
accumulate as ice caps and glaciers, which can store frozen water for
thousands of years. Most water falls back into the oceans or onto land
as rain, where the water flows over the ground as surface runoff. A
portion of runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape, with
streamflow moving water towards the oceans. Runoff and water
emerging from the ground (groundwater) may be stored as freshwater
in lakes. Not all runoff flows into rivers; much of it soaks into the
ground as infiltration. Some water infiltrates deep into the ground and
replenishes aquifers, which can store freshwater for long periods of
time. Some infiltration stays close to the land surface and can seep back
126 Critical Reading
into surface-water bodies (and the ocean) as groundwater discharge.
Some groundwater finds openings in the land surface and comes out as
freshwater springs. In river valleys and floodplains, there is often
continuous water exchange between surface water and ground water in
the hyporheic zone. Over time, the water returns to the ocean, to
continue the water cycle.

You can use the following table to help you:

Element Text 1 Text 2

Structure ( sections)
evidence
Intended audience
source
Critical Reading 127
The following passage is taken from a classic study of tarantulas
published in Scientific American in 1952.

A fertilized female lays from 200 to 400 eggs at a time; thus it is

possible for a single tarantula to produce several thousand young. She
takes no care of them beyond weaving a cocoon of silk to enclose the
eggs. After they hatch, the young walk away, find convenient places in
which to dig their burrows and spend the rest of their lives in solitude.
Tarantulas feed mostly on insects and millipedes. Once their appetite is
appeased, they digest the food for several days before eating again.
Their sight is poor, being limited to sensing a change in the intensity of
light and to the perception of moving objects. They apparently have
little or no sense of hearing, for a hungry tarantula will pay no attention
to a loudly chirping cricket placed in its cage unless the insect happens
to touch one of its legs. But all spiders, and especially hairy ones, have
an extremely delicate sense of touch.

Laboratory experiments prove

that tarantulas can distinguish
three types of touch: pressure
against the body wall, stroking of
the body hair and riffling of
certain very fine hairs on the legs
called trichobothria. Pressure
against the body, by a finger or the
end of a pencil, causes the
tarantula to move off slowly for a
short distance. The touch excites
no defensive response unless the
approach is from above, where the
spider can see the motion, in which case it rises on its hind legs, lifts its
front legs, opens its fangs and holds this threatening posture as long as
the object continues to move. When the motion stops, the spider drops
back to the ground, remains quiet for a few seconds, and then moves
slowly away. The entire body of a tarantula, especially its legs, is
thickly clothed with hair. Some of it is short and woolly, some long and
stiff. Touching this body hair produces one of two distinct reactions.
128 Critical Reading
When the spider is hungry, it responds with an immediate and swift
attack. At the touch of a cricket’s antennae the tarantula seizes the
insect so swiftly that a motion picture taken at the rate of 64 frames per
second shows only the result and not the process of capture. But when
the spider is not hungry, the stimulation of its hairs merely causes it to
shake the touched limb. An insect can walk under its hairy belly
unharmed. The trichobothria, very fine hairs growing from disklike
membranes on the legs, were once thought to be the spider’s hearing
organs, but we now know that they have nothing to do with sound.
They are sensitive only to air movement. Alight breeze makes them
vibrate slowly without disturbing the common hair. When one blows
gently on the trichobothria, the
tarantula reacts with a quick jerk
of its four front legs. If the front
and hind legs are stimulated at
the same time, the spider makes
a sudden jump. This reaction is
quite independent of the state of
its appetite. These three tactile
responses—to pressure on the
body wall, to moving of the
common hair, and to flexing of
the trichobothria—are so
different from one another that
there is no possibility of
confusing them. They serve the
tarantula adequately for most of
its needs and enable it to avoid
most annoyances and dangers.
But they fail the spider
This Photo by Unknown Author is
completely when it meets its
deadly enemy, the digger wasp Pepsisfolllo
licensed under CC BY-SA

Answer The Following Questions:

1. According to the author, which of the following attributes is (are)
characteristic of female tarantulas?
I. Maternal instincts
II. Visual acuity
III. Fertility
Critical Reading 129
(A) I only (B) II only (C) III only (D) I and III only (E) II and III only

2. Lines 6–9 primarily suggest that the female tarantula

(A) becomes apprehensive at sudden noises
(B) is better able to discern pressure than stroking
(C) must consume insects or millipedes daily
(D) constructs a cocoon for her young
(E) is reclusive by nature

3. The word “excites” in line 29 most nearly means

(A) irritates (B) delights (C) stimulates (D) exhilarates (E) infuriates

4. The author’s attitude toward tarantulas would best be described as

(A) fearful
(B) sentimental
(C) approving
(D) objective
(E) incredulous

5. The main purpose of the passage is to

(A) report on controversial new discoveries about spider behaviour
(B) summarize what is known about the physical and social
responses of tarantulas
(C) challenge the findings of recent laboratory experiments
involving tarantulas
(D) explain the lack of social organization in the spider family
(E) discuss the physical adaptations that make tarantulas unique

6. The description of what happens when one films a tarantula’s

reaction to the touch of a cricket (lines 44–48) chiefly is intended to
convey a sense of the tarantula’s
(A) omnivorous appetite
(B) photogenic appearance
(C) graceful movement
(D) quickness in attacking
(E) lack of stimulation
130 Critical Reading
7. The word “independent” in line 63 most nearly means
(A) individualistic
(B) self-governing
(C) affluent
(D) regardless
(E) detached

8. In the passage, the author does all of the following EXCEPT

(A) deny a possibility
(B) describe a reaction
(C) correct a misapprehension
(D) define a term
(E) pose a question

9. In the paragraphs immediately following this passage, the author

most likely will
(A) explain why scientists previously confused the tarantula’s three
tactile responses
(B) demonstrate how the tarantula’s three tactile responses enable
it to meet its needs
(C) point out the weaknesses of the digger wasp that enable the
tarantula to subdue it
(D) report on plans for experiments to explore the digger wasp’s
tactile sense
(E) describe how the digger wasp goes about attacking tarantulas

Journal entry:
▪ One thing I have learnt from this unit is
_________________________________________________
▪
▪ Does this unit connect with something else that you’ve read?
▪ ______________________________________________________
▪ What do you need to read more about now? Why?
___________________________________________
 Practice
Extra Critical Reading
132 Critical Reading (Practices)
Critical Reading (Practices) 133

Practice Extra Critical Reading

The Rise of Fake News

In December 2016 Edgar M. Welch drove six hours from his home to
Washington DC, where he opened fire in a pizzeria with an assault rifle.
He had previously read an online news story about the restaurant being
the headquarters of a group of child abusers run by Hillary Clinton. He
decided to investigate for himself; fortunately, no one was hurt.
The story about Hillary Clinton is one of the most famous examples of
the growing phenomenon dubbed ‘fake news’. The conspiracy theory
about the pizzeria began to appear on websites and social networks in
late October before the US election. This was quickly denounced by
publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.
However, many people thought that these papers were themselves lying
for political ends and instead of disappearing, the fake story
snowballed. Tweets from ‘Representative Steven Smith of the 15th
District of Georgia’ claimed that the mainstream media were telling
falsehoods. Even though both this name and district were invented, the
message was re-tweeted many times. A YouTube refutation of the New
York Times article got 250,000 hits.
Fake news stories can be hard to control for several reasons. Many
people mistrust established news sources and others just don’t read
them, so the debunking of a fake story by a serious newspaper or TV
channel has limited effect. In addition, the internet is very hard to
police. When users are caught misusing one media platform, they
simply go to another one or start up a website themselves.
There are also various reasons why people create fake news. Some
have political motives, to belittle or incriminate their opponents. Other
websites, like The Onion, deliberately publish fake news as satire –
humorous comment on society and current affairs. Another group is in
it for the profit: many people clicking on entertaining fake news stories
can bring in a lot of advertising revenue. One man running fake news
sites from Los Angeles said he was making up to US$ 30,000 a month
in this way. There are also those, like the small-town teenagers in
134 Critical Reading (Practices)
Macedonia who wrote fake news stories about Donald Trump, who
seem to be motivated partly by money and partly by boredom.
So, what can we do to stop fake news spreading? First, make sure that
the websites you read are legitimate, for example by looking carefully
at the domain name and the About Us section. Check the sources of any
quotes or figures given in the story. Remember that amazing stories
about famous people will be covered by the mainstream media if they
are true. Only share stories you know are true and let your friends
know, tactfully, when they unknowingly share fake news. Together we
can turn around the post-truth world!

1. Why did Edgar Welch go to the pizzeria?

A. He was trying to commit robbery.
B. He hated all supporters of Hillary Clinton.
C. He was working as a private investigator and investigating a
crime.
D. He had become concerned after reading an untrue news story.

2. Why did many people not believe 'The Washington Post' and 'The
New York Times' when they denounced the pizzeria story?
A. They checked the facts and found that the articles were
incorrect.
B. They didn’t trust anybody.
C. They thought the newspapers had a political agenda.
D. They thought the newspapers had not researched the story
carefully enough.

3. Which reason for the difficulty of controlling fake news stories is not
given in the article?
A. Many people don’t read the mainstream media.
Critical Reading (Practices) 135
B. Online media platforms don't check stories before publishing
them.
C. People are sceptical of the mainstream media.
D. Fake news posters can easily switch to other websites and
platforms if caught.

4. Which type of motivation for the creation of fake news is not given?
A. It’s a way of making money from people who pay to read the
stories.
B. It’s a way of commenting on current affairs.
C. It’s a way of attacking your political opponents.
D. It’s a form of entertainment.

5. How does the author feel about stopping fake news spreading?
A. cautiously optimistic
B. doubtful
C. positive
D. pessimistic
136 Critical Reading (Practices)
Extra activities: Writer Purpose
1. Tofu is a product that is becoming very popular as a low-calorie,
cholesterol-free meat substitute. Formerly it was found exclusively
in Oriental markets and health food stores, but today tofu can be
purchased in most supermarket produce departments. This white,
cheese like substance is made from the condensed milk of
soybeans. It is extremely high in protein and low in sodium. Tofu is
almost tasteless by itself, but it can be easily mixed into sauces and
soups; it can even be made to imitate scrambled eggs.
The author’s primary purpose is to
a. evaluate Oriental cooking.
b. persuade you to eat low-cholesterol foods.
c. describe tofu.
d. to compare tofu with meat.

2. Our criminal justice system today is a disgrace. Modern day

criminals have more rights than an honest citizen ever imagined
were written into our U.S. Constitution. Murderers and rapists are
typically set free on legal technicalities and seldom face any jail
time. While that scum is back to work finding new victims, the
pleas of those they have killed, maimed, or violated go unheard.
Until we begin giving some real consideration to people who obey
the law, instead of those who break it, things are going to continue
getting worse.
The author’s purpose is to
a. describe the actions of the criminals.
b. compare criminals with honest citizens.
c. inform the reader about the extent of crime in America.
d. criticize the criminal justice system.

3. I will try to give the reader of this article some idea of the real
nature of Gothic architecture, not just of Venice, but of universal
Gothic. One of the most interesting parts of our study will be to find
out how far Venetian architecture went in achieving the perfect type
of Gothic, and how far it fell short of it.
Critical Reading (Practices) 137
The author’s purpose is to

a. explain the importance of Gothic architecture.

b. describe Venetian architecture.
c. show how Venetian architecture is different from Gothic architecture.
d. show the nature of Gothic architecture.
4. How does an artist train his eye? “First,” said Leonardo da Vinci,
“learn perspective; then draw from nature.” The self-taught
eighteenth-century painter George Stubbs followed Leonardo’s
advice. Like Leonardo, he studied anatomy, but, unlike Leonardo,
instead of studying human anatomy, he studied the anatomy of the
horse. He dissected carcass after carcass, peeling away the five
separate layers of muscles, removing the organs, baring the veins
and arteries and nerves. For 18 long months he recorded his
observations, and when he was done, he could paint horses’
muscle by muscle, as they had never been painted before. Pretty
decent work, for someone self-taught
a. explain a phenomenon
b. describe a process
c. refute an argument
d. urge a course of action
138 Critical Reading (Practices)
The King of Heavy Metal
Although Dick Dale is best known for his contributions to surf music,
and has been called “King of the Surf Guitar,” he has also been referred
to as the “Father of Heavy Metal.” While this title is more often
associated with Ozzy Osbourne or Tony Iossa, Dale earned it from
Guitar Player Magazine for his unique playing style and pioneering use
of Fender guitars and amplifiers.

In the mid-1950s, Dale was playing guitar at a club in California, where

his one-of-a-kind music turned it from a jazz club into a rock nightspot.
After a 1956 concert there, guitar and amplifier maker Leo Fender
approached the guitarist and gave him the first Fender Stratocaster to
try before the guitar was mass marketed. Fender thought that Dale’s
way of playing, a virtual assault on the instrument, would be a good test
of its durability. However, the guitar was right-handed and Dale played
lefthanded.

Unfazed, Dale held and played it upside down and backwards (a feat
that later strongly influenced Jimi Hendrix). The test proved too much
for Fender’s equipment. Dale loved the guitar, but blew out the
amplifier that came with it. It had worked well for most other
musicians, who at that time were playing country and blues. Rock
didn’t exist, and no one played the guitar as fiercely as Dale. Fender
improved the amplifier, and Dale blew it out again. Before Fender
came up with a winner, legend has it that Dale blew up between 40 and
60 amplifiers. Finally, Fender created a special amp just for Dale,
known as the “Showman.” It had more than 100 watts of power. The
two men then made an agreement that Dale would “road test”
prototypes of Fender’s new amplification equipment before they
would be manufactured for the general public. But they still had
problems with the speakers—every speaker Dale used it with blew up
(some even caught fire) because of the intense power of his volume
coupled with a staccato playing style.

Fender and Dale approached the James B. Lansing speaker company,

asking for a fifteen-inch speaker built to their specifications. The
company responded with the fifteen-inch JBL-D130F speaker, and it
worked.
Critical Reading (Practices) 139
Dale was able to play through the Showman Amp with the volume
turned all the way up. With the help of Leo Fender and the designers at
Lansing, Dick Dale was able to break through the limits of existing
electronics and play the music his way—loud.

But it wasn’t enough. As Dale’s popularity increased, his shows got

larger. He wanted even more sound to fill the larger halls he now
played in. Fender had the Triad Company craft an amp tube that peaked
at 180 watts, creating another new amplifier for Dale. Dale designed a
cabinet to house it along with two Lansing speakers. He called it the
Dick Dale Transformer, and it was a scream machine. Dick Dale made
music history by playing a new kind of music, and helping to invent the
means by which that music could be played. Not only was this the start
of the electric movement, but it may also be considered the dawning of
heavy metal.

Questions:
1. In line 25, the word prototype most nearly means
a. an original model.
b. a Fender guitar.
c. an amplifier-speaker combination.
d. a computerized amplifier.
e. top of the line equipment.

2. Lines 16–20 indicate that

a. country and blues guitarists didn’t need amplifiers.
b. most musicians played louder than Dick Dale.
c. a new kind of music was being created.
d. Dick Dale needed a new guitar.
e. the Stratocaster didn’t work for Dick Dale.

3. In line 28, the word staccato most nearly means

a. smooth and connected.
b. loud.
c. gently picking the guitar strings.
d. abrupt and disconnected.
e. peaceful.
140 Critical Reading (Practices)
4. In line 14, unfazed most nearly means
a. not moving forward.
b. not in sequence.
c. not bothered by.
d. not ready for.
e. not happy about.

5. In line 41, scream machine indicates that

a. the new transformer could handle very loud music.
b. fans screamed when they heard Dale play.
c. Dale’s guitar sounded like it was screaming.
d. neighbours of the club screamed because the music was too
loud.
e. you couldn’t hear individual notes being played.

6. All of the following can explicitly be answered on the basis of the

passage EXCEPT
a. Who invented the Stratocaster?
b. Where did Dick Dale meet Leo Fender?
c. What company made speakers for Dick Dale?
d. Where did Ozzy Osbourne get his start as a musician?
e. What do Dick Dale, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tony Iossa have in
common?

7. The purpose of the author is to

a. Inform
b. Entertain
c. criticize
d. convince
Critical Reading (Practices) 141
Giant Squid

“What monsters these devilfish are, what vitality our Creator has given
them, what vigour in their movements!” So Jules Verne wrote,
conjuring up the attack of the giant squid. Despite Verne’s stirring
words, members of genus Architeuthis (Greek for “chief” squid) have
shown little vitality on surfacing; commonly they have been found dead
or dying, caught in trawlers’ nets or washed ashore. Marine biologists
have long dreamed of observing these reputedly lethargic creatures of
the deep in their native habitat. Now a team of Japanese scientists has
managed to film a giant squid aggressively attacking its prey at a depth
of 3,000 feet. The race to film the giant squid is over.

1. The tone of lines 4–7 (“Despite…ashore”) is best described as

(A) cheerful
(B) overcritical
(C) resentful
(D) ironic
(E) mournful

2. The conclusion of the passage suggests that the giant squid

(A) is a more active predator than previously supposed
(B) deserves its reputation for lethargy
(C) has abandoned its native habitat
(D) will be featured in a horror movie
(E) is preyed upon by other creatures of the Deep
142 Critical Reading (Practices)

Answer Key

Unit 1: Fake News

1. Scam: a dishonest or deceptive act or operation

2. Hoax a humorous or malicious deception.

3. Scoop : a piece of news published by a newspaper or broadcast by

a television or radio station in advance of its rivals.

4. Deepfake a technique for human image synthesis based on

artificial intelligence. It is used to combine and superimpose
existing images and videos onto source images or videos using a
machine.

5. Doctored change the content or appearance of (a document or

picture) in order to deceive; falsify.

Expressions:
1. “cement his status in history”
- cement verb [T] (MAKE STRONGER)
- status noun (RESPECT) the amount of respect, admiration,
or importance given to a person, organization, or object
Make his importance in history stronger
2. “accident in his pants”
Wet his pants like children/babies do
Comprehension questions
What is fake news?
• Stories that aren't true. These are deliberately invented stories
designed to make people believe something false, to buy a
certain product, or to visit a certain website. It can also be
Stories that have some truth, but aren't 100 percent accurate.
Critical Reading (Practices) 143
• What are the types of fake news?
Articles, pictures, videos, audio clips; basically anything can be
manipulated to achieve a desired effect
How does fake news spread?
Journalists, reporting stories without checking their sources.
People liking and sharing on social media

• What are the tools of fake news mentioned in this article?

1. Doctored pictures
2. Deep fake videos

Writer’s purpose:
What is the writer’s purpose for writing?
Inform readers about fake news
Who is the audience for this writing?
General public
Does the writer take a clear stand on this issue?
Yes he wants people to be more careful when sharing to avoid
sharing fake news.
Does the writer seem to assume readers will agree with his/her
position?
Yes. The use of the personalization of the final statements “Think
how many times have you shared fake news? Be honest we all
have!” assumes that author and reader are in the same position.
144 Critical Reading (Practices)
Unit 2: Recognizing Fake News
Expressions:
“stopped in her tracks”: to suddenly stop moving or doing something
“reputational damage” the harm of someone's or
something's reputation (= the opinion that other people have about them
or it)
Test Your Knowledge
"New Species of Deadly Spider Kills Five in U.S." Fake
"Firefighters Forced to Buy More Expensive Data Package During
Wildfire." Real
"President Trump's Personal Lawyer Tweets that Hillary Clinton
Will Get 'Free Room and Board' in Prison." Real
"John McCain Photographed Alongside Osama Bin Laden." Fake
Fake News Matrix
Decide why the above is fake. Tick the box or boxes
Situation satire or
misleading imposter fabricated False Manipulated
parody
content content content context content
1. √ √

2 √ √ √ √

3 √ √

4 √ √

5 √ √ √
Critical Reading (Practices) 145
Unit 3: Media Framing
Liberal 2 ‫متحرر‬

Emotional 2 ‫عاطفى‬

Conservetive 1 ‫متحفظ‬

Reactionary 1 ‫رجعى‬

Neutral - ‫حيادى‬

Thugs a violent person, especially a negative

criminal
Muggers: a person who attacks and robs negative
another in a public place.
Law-abiding obedient to the laws of society positive
Cowrdly lacking courage. negative
Yobs a rude, noisy, and aggressive negative
young person
Victims a person harmed, injured, or negative
killed as a result of a crime,
accident, or other event or action.
Gangaster- Style of a member of an inner- negative
style city street gang

I. Select the right word according to the context:

1. home
2. economical
3. assertive
4. skinny
5. cheap
6. stench
7. Nosy
146 Critical Reading (Practices)
II.
Sit in the sunshine and smile. Bask in the Positive
brilliant rays. Discover your giggle.
Sit in the hot sun and smirk. Recline in negative
the glaring rays. Hunt for that snicker.
Sit in the warm sun and grin. Relax in the neutral
warm rays. Look for a chuckle.
Match each definition with the correct term.
1. Earnest J. having a serious state of mind
2. Indignant L. angry because of something unfair
3. Arrogant A. overbearing or having a feeling of superiority.
4. abstruse B. difficult to understand.
5. Apathetic M. having or showing little emotion or interest.
6. Ambivalent D. having a simultaneous attraction to and repulsion
from an idea.
7. Satiric N. showing lack of respect or seriousness
8. Condescending K. showing or characterized by a patronizing or
superior attitude toward others
9. Compassionate C. having sympathy for others
10. Nostalgic E. sentimental wish to return to a past time or
condition.
11. absurd F. ridiculous and unreasonable
12. Ironic H. expressing one thing and meaning the opposite.
13. Pessimistic G. having a gloomy view or life.
14. evasive I. having a tendency to avoid or escape from an issue
or situation.

Exercise:
1. B
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. b
Critical Reading (Practices) 147
Unit 4: Framing Theory
Expressions: find the meaning of these expressions. You can use
1. Agenda setting: Priority setting /intention /importance
2. Gatekeeping: the activity of controlling, and usually limiting,
general access to something.
3. Inherently ideological act :‫فعل أيديولوجي بطبيعته‬
4. overarching ideology: all-embracing

Natural and Social Frames

1.
.‫في االمتحان يكرم المرء أو يحان‬
At the time of a test, a person rises or falls. (People's real worth is
known only through trial.)
Social
2.
.‫يا واخد القرد على ماله يروح المال ويقعد القرد على حاله‬
If you marry a monkey (i.e. someone ugly) for his money, the
money will go away and the monkey will stay the same (as ugly as
ever). (Don't marry for money.)
Social +Natural
3.
.‫الوحدة خير من جليس السوء‬
Being alone is better than being with someone bad. (Warning about
keeping bad company.)
Social
4.
.‫امشي في جنازة وال تمشي في جوازة‬
Being involved in a funeral is better than trying to arrange
marriages. (Warning about matchmaking.)
Social
5.
.‫القرد في عين أمه غزال‬
In his mother’s eye, the monkey is (as beautiful as) a gazelle.
(Comment about mothers' bias or partiality to their children.)
Natural
148 Critical Reading (Practices)
6.
.‫ال يلدغ المؤمن من جحر مرتين‬
The believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. (Fool me once,
shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.)
Natural
7.
.‫الطيور على اشكالها تقع‬
Birds of a feather flock together.Natural
Compare two articles:
Ahram Online - Recovery in tourism
1. What assumptions are in the articles?
Tourism in Egypt is recovering as a result of the a programme that
was launched in November 2018 in the framework of policies to
achieve sustainable tourism development and raise the
competitiveness of the sector and stay abreast of international trends.

2. Who are the sources? List all the sources

Experts and reports:
• Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)
• Hossam Al-Shaer, head of the Egyptian Travel Agencies
Association
• Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat
• the 2019 World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report
• the US-based Bloom Consulting Report

Expectations of tourist bookings for winter season declined because of

current conditions
1. What assumptions are in the article?
Decline of tourism
2. Who are the sources? List all the sources
Expert opinion
The vice president of the Tourism Investors Association in Marsa
Alam Tarek Shalaby
Critical Reading (Practices) 149
3. What is the difference in tone between the two articles?
Article 1 optimistic
Article 2 pessimistic

Exercise:

conclusion reason
1. Wear heavy clothes It is winter
2. The Interpretation of Freud’s first book
Dreams is not as good
3. Don’t wear shorts when You can get Lyme’s Disease is
you walk in high grass. transmitted by ticks

Analyse This:

Purpose Convince/perused
Argument Hybrid cars are better cars
Logic ( reason) 1. Minimize use of gas
2. Improve the environment
Support Facts and figures
“If every litre of gasoline contains 9
kilograms of carbon dioxide, then a hybrid
car will emit 23.1 kilograms of carbon
dioxide every 161 kilometres, while a
conventional car will emit 34 kilograms”
150 Critical Reading (Practices)
Unit 5: Extended Reasoning
Passage 1
1. D
2. E
3. E
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. B
8. D

Passage 2
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. D
8. B
9. E
10.B

Passage 3
1. E
2. E
3. B
4. A
5. B
Critical Reading (Practices) 151

Source:
1.What is the source of the text?
Wall Street Journal
2.Where is it published?
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/01/framing-a-story-
journalism-101/266826/
3.Who is the intended audience?
People interested in corporate news and business
4.What is the author's purpose?
Give people hope and encourage them to use more
5.What is the general frame?
Good news

"Americans are using more gadgets, televisions and air

conditioners than ever before. But, oddly, their electricity use is
barely growing, ..."
(a) "... reflecting efficiencies in electric-power use by industries
and utilities." (good News)
(b) "... raising hopes that economic growth can coexist with
reduced resource " (good News)
(c) "... which together with increased natural gas production may
hasten the era of 'energy independence' for the United States."
(good News)
(d)"... posing a scary challenge for the nation's utilities." (bad
News)
152 Critical Reading (Practices)

T he debate on hemp

State True or False about the writer’s style:

a. There is a clear distinction between fact and the author’s opinion
T
b. The writer presents a balanced viewpoint and other viewpoints
are considered T
c. The writer avoids using emotional language and dramatic images
T
d. The writer’s position is clearly stated F

B. a newspaper
C. General public
B. Inform
A. Objective

Pre reading vocabulary

An ecosystem (b) a system of sustaining life on this planet
Pulp (b) a type of material made from wood
Hemp (a) a crop that farmers grow

Quotations:
B the environmentalists as they are concerned with saving the
ecosystem
A is the most likely answer because the forestry industry would try
to point out that growing hemp is more expensive than growing
wood.
Critical Reading (Practices) 153

B is the most likely answer because the hemp farming lobby would
point out that hemp is very easy to grow.
A is the most likely answer because the environmentalists would
point out that there are more problems with the forestry industry
than advantages.
C is the most likely answer because the British government would
want to support their decision to keep marijuana illegal.
D is the most likely answer because the marijuana legalization
lobby would like to show that there is no good reason for
marijuana being illegal.
A is the most likely answer because the environmentalists would
point out that paper is mainly produced from sources other than
the forestry industry.
A is the most likely answer because the hemp farming lobby would
want to separate their industry from the illegal use of marijuana.
A is the most likely answer because the marijuana legalization
lobby would like to emphasize that marijuana smokers are
peaceful and innocent.
Comparison Both passages relate to English author Jane
Austen and her readers.
E
A
E
D
154 Critical Reading (Practices)

Nuclear Power

Article 1:
What is the argument of this article?
Nuclear Power is the best source of energy as it is it has has proved
reliable, effective and affordable
How does the writer support his argument?
Facts and figures:
The average capacity factor has steadily gone up. In 2014, it was at
90 percent for the approximately 100 operating U.S. reactors
The average capacity factor in 1998 was 80 percent, compared to
only 66 percent in 1990.
In France, nuclear power supplies 75 percent of the electricity,
The 439 reactors now operating around the world are meeting the
annual electrical needs of more than a billion people.
Almost 70 reactors are under construction, including five in the
United States. Another 159 are on order or planned
the French and Swedish example
Expert opinion:
energy expert Eileen Claussen
European energy experts say the results would be dramatic if the
world were to build nuclear reactors at the same rate as
Is the author an expert? He is a professor of economics
Probably he is representing the view of business
Critical Reading (Practices) 155

Article 2:
Use renewable energy as it is cheaper and more reliable
Facts and Figures
- Nuclear power now accounts for more than 60 percent of the
United States' zero-carbon electricity
- The average capacity factor in 1998 was 80 percent, compared to
only 66 percent in 1990.
- The United States set itself a modest goal: cutting emissions by
26 percent to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.
- Example of China and Japan
- 99 nuclear reactors generate about 19 percent of electrical output,
yet only account for about 8 percent of total energy consumption.
- about 81 percent, comes from fossil fuels.
- are expected to cost $8 billion to $9 billion each, possibly more.
Professor of political science and public and environmental affairs
Environmentalists
Both writers use the example of China, however they use it
differently. How?
Article 1 : a negative example
Article 2 : a positive example
156 Critical Reading (Practices)

Unit 6: Scientific reading

Form
1.Comparison/Contrast
2. Generalization
3. Sequencing
4. Enumeration
5. Classification

Evidence:
Reference citation Brown and Flavin
Heavy metal pollution: How can we make water safe to drink?
C
A
D
E
F
B

Extra activities:

The Rise of Fake News

1. D
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. A
Critical Reading (Practices) 157

Writer Purpose
1.C 2. D 3. C 4. B

The King of Heavy Metal

1. a.
2. c.
3. d
4. c
5. a
6. e.
7. a

Giant Squid
1. (E)
2. (A)