Breaking Through provides instruction and practice on the reading and study skills necessary to make students successful, independent college learners.   The use of actual college textbook passages offers realistic and immediate modeling and application of college study and reading skills. Students apply the skill being taught to reading short textbook passages and then go on to use multiple skills on the longer selections that conclude most chapters.   This affordable Books à la Carte Plus Edition features the exact same content from our traditional textbook in a convenient, notebook-ready loose-leaf format – allowing students to take only what they need to class. As a bonus, the Books à la Carte Plus Edition is accompanied by a full-color, laminated Study Card that’s a perfect tool to help students prepare for exams, plus an access code to the MyLab for this course.

Table of Contents:
Most chapters conclude with “Summary Points,” “Explore the Net,” and “Everyday Reading Skills.” 1. Student Success. Think Success. Set Goals. Create a Positive Attitude. Seek Excellence. Selection 1. Making Choices for Success, from Live Your Dream by Les Brown. Plan for Success. Selection 2. Making the Most of Priorities, by Alan Lakein. Plan Your Week. Study the Syllabus. Use a Calendar to Decode a Syllabus. Act Successful. Attend Class. Be on Time for Class. Be Aware of Essential Class Sessions. Be Equipped for Success. Mark Your Text. Communicate with Your Instructor. Review Your Lecture Notes. Network with Other Students. Collaborate to Divide Work. Look at an “A” Paper. Use Technology to Communicate. Consider a Tape Recorder. Pass the First Test. Watch Videos or DVDs. Predict Exam Questions. Get Moving Now. Selection 3. Life Law # 5: Life Rewards Action, from Life Strategies by Phillip C. McGraw. 2. Stages of Reading. What Is the Reading Process? Stages of Reading. Stage One: Previewing. Stage Two: Integrating Knowledge. Stage Three: Recalling. Assess Your Progress as a Learner. Levels of Reading Comprehension. Selection 1: Psychology. Hypnosis, from Psychology by David Watson. Selection 2: Science. The Killers are Coming! The Killers are Coming!, from Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life by Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart. Selection 3: Business. Please Turn to Chapter 11, from Business by Ricky Griffin and Ronald Ebert. Vocabulary Lesson: Not, Not, and Not. 3. Vocabulary. Learning New Words. Remembering New Words. Use Association. Use Concept Cards. Practice Your New Words. Unlocking the Meaning of New Words. Use Context Clues. Use Knowledge of Word Parts. Use the Glossary and the Dictionary. Types of Context Clues. Definition. Elaborating Details. Elaborating Examples. Comparison. Contrast. Multiple Meanings of a Word. Words Part. Roots. Prefixes. Suffixes. The Dictionary. Guide Words. Pronunciation. Spelling. Word Meaning. Parts of Speech. Word History. Word Origins. Etymology. Textbook Glossary. Thesaurus. Analogies. Easily Confused Words. Enriching Your Vocabulary. 4. Main Idea. What Is a Main Idea? Recognize General and Specific Words. Recognize General and Specific Phrases. Recognize the General Topic for Sentences. Recognize General and Supporting Sentences. Differentiate Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details. Differentiating Distractors in Main Idea Test Items. Questioning for the Main Idea. Stated Main Ideas. Unstated Main Ideas. Getting the Main Idea of Longer Selections. Selection 1: Psychology. Sleeping and Dreaming, from Psychology: What It Is/How to Use It by David Watson. Selection 2: Short Story. The Open Window, by Saki, from The Complete Saki. Selection 3: History. The Dream of Nonviolent Reform, from From These Beginnings by Roderick Nash and Gregory Graves. Vocabulary Lesson: Before and After. 5. Supporting Details and Organizational Patterns. What Is a Detail? Recognize Levels of Importance. Distinguish Major and Minor Details. Patterns of Organization. Listing. Simple Definitions with Examples. Time Order Description, Sequence, or Narration. Comparison and Contrast. Cause and Effect. Selection 1: Psychology. Becoming Healthy, from Psychology: Introduction to Human Behavior by Morris Holland. Selection 2: Criminal Justice. Confidence Games May Be a Shell Game Scene, from Criminal Investigation by Charles Swanson et al. Selection 3: History. Let Them Eat Cake, from Civilization in the West by Mark Kishlansky et al. Vocabulary Lesson: One Too Many. Reading Casebook: What Is Happiness? Happiness Inventory 1. Selection 1: Psychology. The Quest for Happiness, from The World of Psychology by Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood. Selection 2: Philosophy. Philosophers on Happiness, from The Art of Being Human by Richard Janaro and Thelma Altshuler. Selection 3: Business. Chuckle While You Work, from Business Today, by Michael Mescon et al. Happiness Inventory 2. 6. Textbook Learning. Expect Knowledge to Exist. Annotating. When to Annotate. How to Annotate. Notetaking. When to Take Notes. How to Take Notes. Summarizing. When to Summarize. How to Summarize. Outlining. When to Outline. How to Outline. Mapping. When to Map. How to Map. Take Organized Lecture Notes. Selection 1: Health. Behavior Change, from Health: The Basics by Rebecca Donnatelle. Selection 2: Business. The Beanie Baby Business, from Business Essentials by Ronald Ebert and Ricky Griffin. Selection 3: Communication. Eye Communication, from The Interpersonal Communication Book by Joseph DeVito. Vocabulary Lesson: See, Hear, and Voice Your Concerns. 7. Test-Taking Strategies. Achieve Your Highest Potential. Be Prepared. Stay Alert. Seek Feedback. Standardized Reading Tests. Read to Comprehend. Interact. Anticipate. Relax. Read to Learn. Recall. Understand Major Question Types. Main Idea Questions. Detail Questions. Implied Meaning Questions. Purpose Questions. Vocabulary Questions. Hints for Taking Multiple-Choice and True-False Tests. Read All Options. Predict the Correct Answer. Avoid Answers with “100 Percent” Words. Consider Answers with Qualifying Words. Do Not Overanalyze. True States Must Be True Without Exception. If Two Options Are Synonymous, Eliminate Both. Figure out the Difference Between Similar Options. Use Logical Reasoning if Two Answers Are Correct. Look Suspiciously at Directly Quoted Pompous Phrases. Simplify Double Negatives by Canceling out Both. Certain Responses Are Neither True Nor False. Validate Two Responses. Recognize Flaws in Test Making. Hints for Taking Essay Exams. Reword the Statement of Question. Answer the Question. Organize Your Answer. Use a Formal Writing Style. Be Aware of Appearance. Predict and Practice. Notice Key Words. Write to Earn Points. Read an “A” Paper for Feedback. Vocabulary Lesson: Call Out and Remember. 8. Efficient Reading. What Is Your Reading Rate? What Is an Average Reading Rate? How Can You Increase Your Reading Speed? Be Aggressive-Attack! Concentrate. Stop Regressions. Avoid Vocalization. Expand Fixations. Use a Pen as a Pacer. Preview Before Reading. Set a Time Goal for an Assignment. Be Flexible. Practice. Timed Reading 1. Business. www.Yahoo.com, from E-Brands by Phil Carpenter. Timed Reading 2. Psychology. Dr. Fossey and the Gorillas, from Psychology by Stephen Worchel and Wayne Shebilske. Timed Reading 3. History. Eleanor Roosevelt, from From These Beginnings by Roderick Nash and Gregory Graves. 9. Analytical Reasoning. Identify Analytical Thinking. An Unsuccessful Student. A Successful Student. Engage in Problem Solving. Analytical Reasoning in Textbooks. Selection 1: Science. Profile of a Hurricane, from The Atmosphere by Frederick Lutgens and Edward Tarbuck. Selection 2: Political Science. The Development of Media Politics, from Government in America by George Edwards et al. Selection 3: Business. Motivating Yourself, from Your Attitude Is Showing by Elwood Chapman. Vocabulary Lesson: Turn and Throw. Reading Casebook: What Is Intelligence? Intelligence Inventory 1. Selection 1: Essay. What Is Intelligence, Anyway? by Isaac Asimov. Selection 2: Psychology. The Nature of Intelligence, from The World of Psychology by Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood. Selection 3. Sociology. Education: Transferring Knowledge and Skills, from Essentials of Sociology by James Henslin. Intelligence Inventory 2. 10. Inference. What Is an Inference? Inference from Cartoons. Recognizing Suggested Meaning. Connecting with Prior Knowledge. Recognizing Slanted Language. Drawing Conclusions. Selection 1: Speech. Commencement Address: Living Up to Your Fullest Potential, by Carolyn Woo. Selection 2: Literature. The Alchemist's Secret, by Arthur Gordon. Selection 3: Literature. The Doctor's Heroism, by Villiers de L'isle-Adam. Vocabulary Lesson: Come Together, Hold Together, and Shut. 11. Critical Reading. What Do Critical Readers Do? Recognize the Author's Purpose or Intent. Recognize the Author's Point of View or Bias. Recognize the Author's Tone. Distinguish Fact from Opinion. Recognize Valid and Invalid Support for Arguments. Selection 1: Literature. The Dinner Party, by Mona Gardner. Selection 2: Letters of Opinion. Women Selecting Names, from Mirror on America ed. by Joan Mims and Elizabeth Nollen. Selection 3: Essay. We'll Go Forward from This Moment, by Leonard Pitts, The Miami Herald. Vocabulary Lesson: Bend, Born, and Body 12. Independent Textbook Assignment. Apply What You Have Learned. Independent Assignment: Communication. Conflict Management, from Essentials of Human Communication by Joseph DeVito. Appendix 1. Pronunciation Review. Appendix 2. Spelling Confusing Words. Appendix 3. Word Parts: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes. Appendix 4. ESL: Making Sense of Figurative Language and Idioms. Acknowledgements. Index. Progress Record for Reading Selections.