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F O U RT H E D I T IO N

T HE ART OF
Critical Reading

Peter Mather • Rita McCarthy


Brief Contents
The Learning Support System of The Art of Critical Reading, Fourth Edition xiv
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxii

Part 1 LIFE IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND1


Introduction: Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 2
CHAP T E R 1 Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 28

Part 2 DISCOVERING MEANING THROUGH STRUCTURE55


CHAP T E R 2 Topics, Main Ideas, and Details 56
CHAP T E R 3 Organizing Textbook Information and Interpreting Visual Aids 103
CHAP T E R 4 The Author’s Purpose and the Rhetorical Modes 135
CHAP T E R 5 Transition Words and Patterns of Organization 176

Part 3 INTERPRETING WHAT WE READ219


CHAP T E R 6 Inference 220
CHAP T E R 7 Figurative Language 251
CHAP T E R 8 Tone 275

Part 4 READING CRITICALLY311


CHAP T E R 9 Fact and Opinion 312
CHAP T E R 1 0 Point of View 343
CHAP T E R 1 1 Bias 389
CHAP T E R 1 2 Analyzing and Evaluating Arguments 437

Part 5 VOCABULARY UNITS493

APPENDIXA-1
TEST-TAKING TIPS A-2
SAMPLE SUMMARY A-8
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Credits C-1
Index I-1
Index of Artists and Art Works I-9
Contents
The Learning Support System of The Art of Critical Reading, Fourth Edition xiv
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxii

Part 1 LIFE IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND1


Introduction: Applying Creative and Critical
Thinking 2
Introductory Puzzle 3
Becoming a Successful Student 4
■ Study Technique 1: Scanning 4
SELECTION : “Creativity,” excerpt from Psychology by John Santrock 5
■ Brain Teasers 10
■ Study Technique 2: Skimming 10
SELECTION : “Don’t Fool Yourself: Avoiding Everyday Problems in Critical Thinking,”
excerpt from Power Learning by Robert S. Feldman 11
■ Study Technique 3: SQ3R Study Method 17
Computer and Internet Skills 17
SELECTION : “Analyzing Internet Sites,” excerpt from Public Speaking for College and Career
by Hamilton Gregory 18
■ Brain Teasers 26

CHAPTER 1 Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 28


Practice with Vocabulary Words in Context 31
Practice with Word Structure: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes 37
Practice Using a Thesaurus 38
SELECTION : Excerpt from Commencement Address by Marian Wright Edelman 42
SELECTION : “Restoration,” excerpt from Living with Art by Mark Getlein 49
■ Brain Teasers 54
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Part 2 DISCOVERING MEANING THROUGH STRUCTURE55

CHAPTER 2 Topics, Main Ideas, and Details 56


Identifying Topics, Main Ideas, and Details 57
SELECTION : “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples 66
REVIEW TEST: Main Ideas and Details in Textbook Material 72

viii
Contents ix

Paraphrasing 73
Formulating Implied Main Ideas 75
SELECTION : “Colonial Almanacs,” excerpt from American History by Alan Brinkley 84
SELECTION : “Advertising and the Media,” excerpt from Think by Judith A. Boss 89
SELECTION : “Public Art,” excerpt from Living with Art by Mark Getlein 95
Summarizing 100
■ Study Technique 4: Summarizing Short Articles 100
■ Brain Teasers 102

CHAPTER 3 Organizing Textbook Information and Interpreting


Visual Aids 103
Doing What Successful Students Do 104
■ Study Technique 5: Underlining, Highlighting, Annotating 104
SELECTION : “Stress: The Constant Challenge,” excerpt from Core Concepts in Health by
Paul M. Insel and Walton T. Roth 105
SELECTION : “Categorizing Stressors,” excerpt from Essentials of Understanding Psychology
by Robert S. Feldman 111
■ Study Technique 6: Outlining 116
■ Study Technique 7: Mapping 117
■ Study Technique 8: Comparison-Contrast Chart 118
SELECTION : “At Wit’s End,” excerpt from Essentials of Understanding Psychology
by Robert S. Feldman 119
Visual Aids: How to Use and Interpret Tables, Diagrams, Charts,
and Graphs 123
■ Brain Teasers 134

CHAPTER 4 The Author’s Purpose and the Rhetorical Modes 135


Determining the Author’s Purpose 136
An Introduction to the Rhetorical Modes 140
Expository Writing with Purpose to Inform 141
SELECTION : “Sibling Relationships and Birth Order,” by John Santrock 142
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Narrative Writing with Purpose to Entertain 148


SELECTION : “The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse” by Aesop 149
Persuasive Writing with Purpose to Persuade 152
SELECTION : “What Can Individuals Do?” by William P. Cunningham 153
Descriptive Writing with Purpose to Inform 159
x Contents

SELECTION : “A Son’s Memoir” by John Daniel 160


REVIEW TEST: Context Clue Practice Using Textbook Material 165
Identifying Mode and Author’s Purpose 167
SELECTION : “Vincenzo Perugia,” excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art by Mark
Getlein 167
MASTERY TEST: Vincenzo Perugia 173
■ Brain Teasers 175

CHAPTER 5 Transition Words and Patterns of Organization 176


Transition Words 177
Some Common Patterns of Organization 180
■ Study Technique 9: Time Lines 189
REVIEW TEST: Identifying Patterns of Organization and Main Ideas in
Textbook Material 191

Additional Transition Words 194


SELECTION : “School Cheating Scandal Tests a Town’s Values” by Jodi Wilgoren 199
■ Study Technique 10: Summarizing Longer Articles 206
SELECTION : “The Milgram Experiment,” excerpt from Sociology by Richard T.
Schaefer 207
SELECTION : “Facing One’s Own Death,” excerpt from Essentials of Life-Span Development
by John W. Santrock 213
■ Brain Teasers 217

Part 3 INTERPRETING WHAT WE READ219


CHAPTER 6 Inference 220
Introduction to Inference Skills 221
Drawing Inferences from Different Kinds of Material 222
SELECTION : “Barney” by Will Stanton 223
SELECTION : “The Laughter of Rats,” excerpt from Animal Wise by Virginia Morell 227
SELECTION : “The Life and Death of a Western Gladiator” by Charles Finney 236
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

SELECTION : “Deciding Whom to Marry,” excerpt from Sociology by Craig Calhoun 246
■ Brain Teasers 250

CHAPTER 7 Figurative Language 251


Figures of Speech 252
Imagery 257
Contents xi

SELECTION : Excerpt from L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton 259


SELECTION : “When Leaves Turn Color in the Fall,” excerpt from A Natural History of the
Senses by Diane Ackerman 262
The Use of Symbols 265
SELECTION : “Book of Dreams,” excerpt from Farmworker’s Daughter—Growing Up
Mexican in America by Rose Castillo Guilbault 269
■ Brain Teasers 274

CHAPTER 8 Tone 275


Tone 276
SELECTION : “A Wake Up Call,” excerpt from Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox 285
Irony and Satire 291
SELECTION : “Waiting in Life’s Long Lines,” by Tom Mather 292
SELECTION : “The Lottery,” by Art Buchwald 295
SELECTION : Excerpt from Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down by Dave Barry 298
SELECTION : “Accident and Aftermath,” excerpt from Frida by Hayden Herrera 302
MASTERY TEST: Frida—Accident and Aftermath 307
■ Brain Teasers 309

Part 4 READING CRITICALLY311


CHAPTER 9 Fact and Opinion 312
Introduction to Fact and Opinion 313
SELECTION : “Astrology,” excerpt from Consumer Health by Stephen Barrett et al. 316
SELECTION : “Bug Heads, Rat Hairs—Bon Appétit!” by Mary Roach 320
SELECTION : “The Facts: Nutrition Quackery,” by Charles Corbin et al. 327
REVIEW TEST: Fact and Opinion 332
SELECTION : “Introduction,” excerpt from Food Rules by Michael Pollan 334
SELECTION : “The Nature of Public Opinion,” excerpt from American Democracy by
Thomas Patterson 338
■ Brain Teasers 342
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

C H A P T E R 10 Point of View 343


Introduction to Point of View 344
SELECTION : “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver 349
SELECTION : “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton 353
Multiple Points of View: The Vietnam War Memorial 360
xii Contents

SELECTION : “The Vietnam Wall” by Alberto Rios 366


SELECTION : “Vincent Van Gogh,” excerpt from Living with Art by Mark Getlein 371
SELECTION : “The Cave of Lascaux,” excerpt from Images of the Past
by T. Douglas Price and Gary M. Feinman 377
MASTERY TEST: Prehistoric Art 381
An Introduction to Propaganda Techniques 383
■ Brain Teasers 388

CHAPTER 11 Bias 389


Introduction to Bias 390
SELECTION : Excerpt from Somebody’s Baby by Barbara Kingsolver 398
SELECTION : “Adults Only,” excerpt from Chevrolet Summers, Dairy Queen Nights
by Bob Greene 402
REVIEW TEST: Vocabulary in Context, Tone, Fact and Opinion, Bias 406
SELECTION : “Seven Forms of Bias,” excerpt from Teachers, Schools, and Society by Myra
and David Sadker 409
SELECTION : “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,” excerpt from Understanding Your Health by
Wayne A. Payne et al. 414
SELECTION : “Media Literacy: Portrayals of Sex, Love, and Romance in the Mass Media”
by Dr. Mary-Lou Galician 420
An Introduction to Logical Fallacies 426
SELECTION : “Clothing and Fashions in the Revolutionary Times,” excerpt from Nation of
Nations by James West Davidson 433
■ Brain Teasers 436

CHAPTER 12 Analyzing and Evaluating Arguments 437


An Introduction to Argument 438
Analyzing Arguments 438
Evaluating Arguments 444
SELECTION : “I Buy, Therefore I’m Happy,” by Christine Gross-Loh 452
SELECTION : “Dreaming of Disconnecting a Respirator” by Elissa Ely 458
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

REVIEW TEST: Transition Words 462


SELECTION : “Whose Grave Is This Anyway?” excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art by
Mark Getlein 465
MASTERY TEST: Whose Grave Is This Anyway? 469
■ Brain Teasers 472
Contents xiii

SELECTION : “Don’t Believe Everything You See Or Hear on the News,” excerpt from
Environmental Science by William P. Cunningham 473
Introduction to Deductive and Inductive Reasoning 478
SELECTION : “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson 481
SELECTION : “The Bill of Rights” 487
■ Brain Teasers 491

Part 5 VOCABULARY UNITS493


■ Vocabulary Unit 1: Homonyms and Other Confusing Words 494
■ Vocabulary Unit 2: More Homonyms and Other Confusing Words 499
■ Vocabulary Unit 3: Number Prefixes 505
■ Brain Teasers 508
■ Vocabulary Unit 4: Word Parts Featuring Polar Opposites 511
■ Vocabulary Unit 5: Word Parts Featuring Direction and Motion 515
■ Vocabulary Unit 6: Word Parts Featuring “Blood” Relations 519
■ Vocabulary Unit 7: Word Parts Featuring Politics and Religion 523
■ Vocabulary Unit 8: Word Parts Featuring Study, Feeling, and Faith 527
■ Vocabulary Unit 9: Word Parts Featuring War, and Good and Bad 531
■ Vocabulary Unit 10: Word Parts Featuring Water, Air, and Life 535
■ Vocabulary Word Parts 539
■ Brain Teasers 541

APPENDIXA-1
TEST-TAKING TIPS A-2
SAMPLE SUMMARY A-8
Credits C-1
Index I-1
Index of Artists and Art Works I-9
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education
The Learning Support System of
The Art of Critical Reading, Fourth Edition

The Art of Critical Reading: The Text


• Text chapters: 12 foundational chapters and a dedicated unit on vocabulary available in national
edition
• Custom option: McGraw-Hill CREATE™ allows you to tailor a custom text with selected chapters
of your choice as well as r eadings of your choice fr om among hundr eds of selections in the
CREATE database

Connect Reading
• Learn Smart Achieve: Adaptive assessment, learning, and practice assignments in r eading skills
that align with chapter topics
• Power of Process: Guided r eading assignments support holistic application of multiple r eading
strategies and metacognition about the r eading process
• The E-Book Reader: Selection of 90-plus r eadings across a range of themes
• Writing Assignments with Outcomes-Based Assessment: T ools to facilitate rubric assessment,
data collection and r eports, and feedback ar ound performance outcomes
• Tegrity: Lecture capture service that allows students to r eplay instructor recordings
• Connect Insight™: Analytics tool that pr ovides a series of visual data displays—each framed by
an intuitive question—to pr ovide instr uctors at-a-glance information r egarding how their classes
are doing.

Teaching Resour ces and Digital Support


• Annotated Instructor ’s Edition: Includes on-page teaching tips
• Teaching Resources: Includes an Instr uctor’s Manual with T est Bank and PowerPoint pr esenta-
tions for classr oom use

Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education


Preface

“Everyone who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify


themselves, to multiply the ways in which they exist, to make their
lives full, significant, and interesting.”
—Aldous Huxley

Why The Art of Critical Reading?


We chose art as the theme of this book because, like written texts, art is a form ofcom-
munication. Like works of literatur e, works of art range fr om the easily understood
to the enigmatic and thought pr ovoking. In art, the viewer may dislike the unfamil-
iar, at least at first, but when he or she understands the “language” of art and its
structure, the visual experience becomes richer . So, too, with written works. In the
case both of written texts and art, the better a person understands the purpose and
structure of the material, the mor e likely it is that person can interpr et it accurately
and enjoy it.
Art, like literature, sharpens our perceptions of life and requires us to re-examine
our thoughts. Both artists and writers compose their works with a purpose in mind.
And both artists and writers draw from their personal experiences and backgrounds
to convey their emotional or intellectual messages. Both viewers of art and readers of
literature must bring their own perspectives to bear when engaged in evaluation and
interpretation.
We emphasize these themes by introducing each chapter with a major work of
art so that students may r each a deeper understanding of it. T o enhance students’
experience of the works of art, we include journal pr ompts to encourage students
to form their own opinions and share them with their instructors and classmates.
Throughout the text, we have included pr ovocative selections on a range of art-
related topics, such as art r estoration, public art, art theft, the Mona Lisa, modern
art, Frida Kahlo, the V ietnam War Memorial, V incent Van Gogh, pr ehistoric cave
art, and Egyptian artifacts. Our hope is that students will find much material in this
book, both visual and written, to stimulate and enrich them.

The Art of Critical Reading Instructional Framework


Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

The Art of Critical Reading allows students to take control of their study plan while
providing engaging and diverse reading selections, multiple assessment opportuni-
ties, in-context essential vocabulary content, and an integrated print an d digita l
program designed to prepare students for reading in college and beyond.
Hallmarks of this esteemed title include the following:

Engaging and diverse reading selections. Reading selections were chosen for their
excellence, their contemporary relevance and interest, and their overall diversity. All
have been class-tested.
xv
xvi Preface

● The text has 55 readings—24 of them new. In addition, there are 90-plus
readings in Connect Reading, and hundreds of others in McGraw-Hill’s custom
database, CREATE.
● Readings come from the variety of sources students are likely to encounter in
their college classes—works of literature as well as selections from magazines
and newspapers, contemporary material as well as classics. While most of the
selections are nonfiction, the text also includes poetry, fables, and cartoons.

Multiple assessments. Multiple assessments in the book and online help students
test their knowledge so they can understand what their next steps will be in advanc-
ing their reading skills.

● Assessments are placed after each reading and at the end of chapters.
● Each chapter contains a series of exercises arranged sequentially, progressing
from easy to difficult.
● Mastery and review tests are interspersed throughout the text to reinforce skills
and remind students that while individual skills may be practiced in isolation,
the reading process is cumulative. These tests feature the type of questions that
appear on standardized tests.
● Connect Reading places reading in the hands of students, giving them the oppor-
tunity to judge for themselves what they know and what they need to learn.
● LearnSmart Achieve offers students a continually adaptive learning experience,
with ten reading topics and multiple learning objectives.
● The Power of Process guides students through performance-based assessment
activities that require them to apply active reading strategies and demonstrate
critical thinking and analysis of a reading selection.

In-context and essential vocabulary. Chapter 1 focuses on vocabulary development


techniques and provides context practice. Part 5, dedicated to vocabulary
development, consists of ten units, each intr oducing a set of Latin or Gr eek wor d
parts or homonyms. Students learn college-level wor ds associated with these wor d
parts and then practice using the key words.

● Each reading includes vocabulary-in-context exercises, and each chapter


summary includes vocabulary review. Chapters and dedicated vocabulary units
(in Part 5) include crossword puzzles for additional practice.

Essential study techniques. The Art of Critical Reading shows students how to take
control of their study plan thr ough integral study techniques, helping them study
more effectively and manage their schedules throughout the term.

● Through multiple activities within the book, students are given an opportunity
to learn the key skills necessary for success in school and in life.
Ten highlighted study techniques are presented in the book. Examples include
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

skimming, scanning, underlining and annotating, taking lecture notes, and


outlining.

Methodical, step-by-step instruction to facilitate student learning. Students get the


most out of the pedagogy and activities thr ough a variety of strategically designed
paths.

● Each chapter contains a series of exercises arranged to progress from the


relatively easy to the quite difficult.
Preface xvii

● Pre-reading material that accompanies reading selections is organized in a con-


sistent format. A section titled “Getting the Picture” seeks to engage students
with the subject of the upcoming selection. It is followed by a “Bio-sketch” of the
author, which in turn is followed by a section entitled “Brushing Up on Vocabu-
lary,” which offers a discussion of unusual words that appear in the selection.
● Readings are formatted as they would appear in their original source. Selections
from magazines or newspapers are formatted to look like magazine or news-
paper articles; textbook selections are formatted to look like textbooks. This
gives the text a more varied appearance and eases students’ transition to
readings they will encounter in other classes as well as outside school.
● “Comprehension Checkup” questions and “Vocabulary in Context” exercises
follow the readings. Included also is a section entitled “In Your Own Words,”
which provides open-ended questions designed to encourage critical thinking
and analysis. “The Art of Writing” follows next. This section often includes
directions for longer written assignments, some of which will call for research.
Finally, the section called “Internet Activity” asks students to pursue online
research on interesting or unusual topics covered in the selection.
● LearnSmart Achieve provides targeted instruction. Students view “just in time”
learning resources as needed.
● Power of process supports holistic application of multiple reading strategies
and metacognition about the reading process with guided reading assignments.

What’s New in the Sixth Edition of The Art of Critical Reading,


Fourth Edition
This book is organized along two dimensions. First, each successive part of the book
focuses on skills an ef fective critical r eader must master . Second, the book begins
with a narr ow perspective, focusing on students’ personal experience, and then in-
creasingly broadens, focusing in turn on interpersonal, social, national, and interna-
tional issues. The book becomes increasingly challenging as it progresses, both in the
selections presented and the critical r eading skills taught. Exer cises in each chapter
are sequential, progressing from relatively easy to quite difficult and using many
formats in or der to maintain student inter est. The instr uctor can choose among the
exercises in accord with the needs of particular students or classes. The exercises are
designed so that the instructor can have the students work individually or in groups.

Part 1, Life in College and Beyond, explores the skills likely to lead to a successful
college experience.
New in Introduction: Excerpt from Power Learning by Robert S. Feldman,
“Don’t Fool Yourself: Avoiding Everyday Problems in Critical Thinking”
New: Chapter 1, Developing a College-Level Vocabulary. This new chapter
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

features words in context, word structure, and using a thesaurus.


New in Chapter 1: Excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art by Mark Getlein,
“ Restoration”

Part 2, Discovering Meaning Through Structure, reviews the basic skills needed
for effective critical reading.
New in Chapter 2: This chapter has an entirely new section on formulating
implied main ideas.
xviii Preface

New in Chapter 2: Excerpt from American History by Alan Brinkley, “Colonial


Almanacs”
New in Chapter 2: Excerpt from THiNK by Judith Boss, “Advertising and the
Media”
New: Chapter 3, Organizing Textbook Information and Interpreting Visual
Aids. In this entirely new chapter, students are introduced to several methods
of organizing textbook information: outlining, mapping, and creating a
compare-contrast chart. All these methods will help students study more
effectively and receive better test scores. Students apply these organizational
techniques to material on the topic of stress from a psychology textbook by
Robert S. Feldman. In addition, students learn to interpret visual aids on the
topic of stress.
New in Chapter 3: Excerpt from Essentials of Understanding Psychology by Robert
S. Feldman, “Categorizing Stressors”
New in Chapter 3: Excerpt from Essentials of Understanding Psychology by Robert
S. Feldman, “At Wit’s End”
New in Chapter 4: Excerpt from Child Development by John Santrock, “Sibling
Relationships and Birth Order”
New in Chapter 4: Excerpt from Environmental Science by Walter P.
Cunningham and Mary Ann Cunningham, “What Can Individuals Do?”
New in Chapter 4: “A Son’s Memoir” by John Daniel
New in Chapter 5: Excerpt from Sociology by Richard T. Schaefer, “The Milgram
Experiment”
New in Chapter 5: Excerpt from Essentials of Life-Span Development by John
Santrock, “Facing One’s Own Death”

Part 3, Interpreting What W e Read, emphasizes reading as an interpretive and


analytical process.
New in Chapter 6: Excerpt from Animal Wise by Virginia Morrell, “The
Laughter of Rats”
New in Chapter 6: Excerpt from Sociology by Craig Calhoun, “Deciding Whom
to Marry”
New in Chapter 7: This chapter has several new exercises including identifying
and interpreting figurative comparisons in song lyrics and working with
symbols in paintings.
New in Chapter 7: Excerpt from L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton
New in Chapter 7: Excerpt from A Natural History of the Senses by Diane
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Ackerman, “When Leaves Turn Color in the Fall”


New in Chapter 8: Excerpt from Lighten Up, George, by Art Buchwald

Part 4, Reading Critically, concentrates on developing critical reading and thinking


skills.
New in Chapter 9: Excerpt from Concepts of Fitness and Wellness by Charles
Corbin et al., The Facts: “Nutrition Quackery”
New in Chapter 9: Excerpt from Food Rules by Michael Pollan
Preface xix

New in Chapter 9: Excerpt from American History by Thomas Patterson, “The


Nature of Public Opinion”
New in Chapter 10: Excerpt from Living with Art by Mark Getlein, “Vincent Van
Gogh “
New in Chapter 10: Excerpt from Images of the Past by T. Douglas Price, “The
Cave of Lascaux”
New in Chapter 11: Excerpt from Understanding Your Health by Wayne Payne
et al., “Mirror, Mirror”
New in Chapter 11: Excerpt from Nation of Nations by John West Davidson,
“Revolutionary Clothing”
New in Chapter 12: Excerpt from Parenting without Borders by Christine
Gross-Loh, “I Buy, Therefore I’m Happy”

Part 5 , Vocabulary U nits, c ompiles a s eries o f u nits f ocused o n d eveloping a


college-level vocabulary. The vocabulary units ar e now gr ouped in a dedicated
section with additional exercises and quizzes.

Features of the Learning Support System


of The Art of Critical Reading
Together, The Art of Critical Reading, Connect Reading, the Annotated Instr uctor’s
Edition, McGraw-Hill’s CREA TE, and the Online Learning Center addr ess specific
needs of developmental reading courses.

Connect Reading
Connect Reading is a compr ehensive and engaging digital pr ogram built fr om the
ground up to addr ess the specific needs of r eading courses and various r edesign
models of instruction. Its innovative content and r evolutionary learning technology
complement The Art of Critical Reading with the following:

LearnSmart Achieve offers


students an adaptive,
individualized learning
experience designed to
ensure the efficient
mastery of reading skills.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

By targeting students’
particular strengths and
weaknesses, LearnSmart
Achieve customizes its
lessons and facilitates
high-impact learning at
an accelerated pace.
xx Preface

Power of Process guides students


through performance-based
assessment activities using the
pedagogy of strategies
instruction, in which students use
strategies to read and respond to
the text, and then instructors can
assess students’ depth of
engagement with the text.

Writing Assignments with Outcomes


Based Assessment allow instructors
and departments to assess written
assignments with custom rubrics built
around learning outcomes and to
generate detailed reports that support
formative assessment and improve
efficacy at the student, section, and
program levels.

● A thematic, leveled e-book reader and question bank provide approximately


140 compelling readings and assessment options that instructors can incorpo-
rate into their syllabuses. Four pre-built assessments, aligned with the same
topics and learning objectives in LearnSmart Achieve, may be used as static
pre- and posttests for lower- and upper-level courses.
● McGraw-Hill Campus is a Learning Management System (LMS) integration
service that offers instructors and students universal single sign-on, auto-
matic registration, and gradebook synchronization of McGraw-Hill Connect
products.
● Connect Insight™ is an analytics tool within Connect that provides a series of
visual data displays—each framed by an intuitive question—to provide instruc-
tors at-a-glance information regarding how their classes are doing.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Annotated Instructor’s Edition


The Annotated Instructor’s Edition includes on-page teaching tips as well as answers to
questions in the text.

McGraw-Hill’s CREATE
Through the McGraw-Hill CREATE platform, instructors can easily arrange chapters
to align with their syllabus, eliminate chapters they do not wish to assign, and
arrange
Preface xxi

any of the Art of Critical Reading content into a print or e-book text. Instr uctors can
also add their own material, such as a course syllabus, a course rubric, course stan-
dards, and any specific instruction for students.

Teaching Resources
The author draws on her 27 years of experience in the classr oom—as well as the
experiences of many other seasoned developmental r eading faculty—to of fer
pedagogical ideas that ar e ef fective and easy to use. The Instr uctor’s side of the
Online Learning Center, written by the author, contains the following:
Instructor’s Manual and Hando uts. The Instructor’s Manual has been written
with the diverse needs of reading instructors in mind. Faculty who are new to teach-
ing reading will appreciate the teaching suggestions for each chapter.
The Instructor’s Manual also includes a number of exer cises that can be used for
in-class, hands-on practice. These copy-and-go pages make preparing for class easier.
Chapter Quizzes and Test Bank. The chapter quizzes and test bank are designed
to test students’ literal comprehension of chapter content. They can be used to moti-
vate students to r ead the chapters, and they ar e designed to be easily administer ed
and graded.
Topical PowerPoint Presentations. PowerPoint slides summarize the instr uc-
tional content of each chapter for classroom presentation.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education
Acknowledgments

N o textbook is cr eated without the assistance of many people. I r elied on the


thoughtful r eactions a nd s uggestions o f c olleagues a cross t he c ountry w ho
reviewed the project at various stages.

Barbra Cox, Redlands Community College


Ann Iseda, Jackson Community College
Brook Mayo, Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College
Laura Meyers, Hawkeye Community College
Robbi Muckenfuss, Durham Technical Community College
Debra Slaton, Cisco College-Abilene
Gene Voss, Houston Community College-Central College
Elizabeth Wilber, Palm Beach State College-Eissey Campus
Danny Wyatt, Leeward Community College

I owe a special thanks to the honest and valuable criticism from my colleagues in the
Maricopa Community College District. In particular , I would like to thank Cindy
Ortega, Mary Jane Onnen, Gwen W orthington, V iva Henley, Gina Desai, Gaylia
Nelson, Pam Hall, and Karen Irwin. Others who helped in this edition and in pr evi-
ous editions are Cindy Gilbert, Marilyn Brophy, Nancy Edwards, Arlene Lurie, Carol
Jones, Lynda Svendsen, and Jim Reynolds.
My sincere gratitude goes to those at McGraw-Hill involved in the production of
the fourth edition of The Art of Critical Reading. These include Lisa Pinto, Executive
Director of Development; Kelly V illella, Executive Brand Manager , Developmental
English; Dana W an, Coor dinator, Developmental English; Jane Mohr , Full Service
Content Pr oject Manager; LouAnn W ilson, photo r esearcher; Wesley Hall, literary
permissions; and Ruma Khurana, Senior Project Manager. I am especially grateful to
my developmental editor, Susan Messer, for all her har d work and sound advice to
make Art 4e as good as it can possibly be.
I also wish to thank my students, who in addition to r eading the selections and
completing the exercises, made many helpful suggestions.

Rita McCarthy
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education
PART

Life in College
and Beyond 1
Ch a pt e r s i n P ar t 1
Introduction Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 2
Chapter 1 Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 28
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

The School of Athens (1510)


by Raphael

1
INTRODUCTION

Applying Creative
and Critical Thinking

Three Musicians (1921) BY PABLO PICASSO


Picasso, Pablo (1881–1973) © ARS, NY Three Musicians, Fontainebleau, summer 1921, Oil on canvas,
697 3 70 3/40(200.7 3 222.9 cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, NY/ARS.
© 2014 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

View and Refl ect


1. This painting by Picasso is quite large. In fact, the three musicians, which include a
Harlequin and a monk, are approximately life-size. What instruments are recognizable
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

in the painting?
2. What animal is depicted on the left? Although the animal’s body parts are
disconnected, what parts can you clearly recognize?
3. What is the overall mood of the painting? Is it a solemn or happy occasion?
4. The painting is done in the cubist style, which tries to portray three-dimensional
objects in a two-dimensional space. The result is a flat jigsaw puzzle effect. Which
parts of the painting give the feeling of something being cut out or pasted on paper?

2
INTRODUCTION Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 3

Introductory Puzzle 1 2 3 4 5

At right you will find a crossword 6 7

puzzle that will introduce you to


the material covered in this book. 8 9
The answers to some of the clues
can be found in the Table of
10 11 12
Contents and the Index. The
13
Table of Contents shows you the
major divisions of the book. The
Index, found at the back of the 14 15 16
book, is an alphabetical listing of
many important topics and the 17
18
page numbers on which the
19 20 21
information is located. For a few
answers, you may have to search
through the book itself. Happy 22 23

Hunting!
24 25 26

27 28 29

31

30

ACROSS CLUES 27. One type of pattern of organization 10. Dave Barry wrote for the
6. Chapter 5 discusses patterns of is called and illustration. Herald.
. 28. The last name of the coauthor of 11. Study Technique 4 will teach
8. The title of the textbook is The this book who has taught ESL you how to write summaries of
of Critical Reading. classes. articles.
9. Charles Finney’s selection dis- 30. Figurative language compares 13. An author’s purpose may be to
cusses the western diamondback two or more things. a reader or to try to
. 31. Study Technique 7 is titled change the reader’s opinion.
12. A discussion of inference is . 15. Something perceptible to the
found in Chapter . touch is (Vocabulary
14. The last name of the coauthor
DOWN CLUES Unit 8).
of this book who attended the 1. Chapter 10 has a selection 17. Chapter 9 discusses the difference
University of Redlands. by Raymond Carver titled between and opinion.
“ Mechanics.” 18. stacking is one type of
16. An author whose purpose is to
2. Most reading selections begin propaganda technique.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

will provide readers


with knowledge or information. with a section titled “Getting the 20. “The Bill of ” is a
.” selection in Chapter 12.
19. Marian Wright Edelman was
born in the state of . 3. One type of logical fallacy is 21. Michael J. Fox wrote the book
called analogy. .
22. Chapter 2 discusses topics, main
ideas, and . 4. The Introduction features a 25. Bar graphs provide informa-
painting by well-known artist tion by means of horizontal or
23. One type of pattern of
Pablo . bars or columns.
organization is called cause
and . 5. Frida Kahlo (Chapter 8) was 26. Ying Lin designed the
married to Diego . Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
24. According to Vocabulary
Unit 3, the prefix for nine is 7. Study Technique 6 is titled 29. T est-taking are found in
. . the Appendices.
4 PART 1 Life in College and Beyond

Becoming a Successful Student


Throughout this textbook we pr esent various study-reading techniques. When you
study, you need to choose the technique that works best for you and is most appr o-
priate for the type of material you ar e trying to learn. The first technique we intr o-
duce is scanning.

STUDY TECHNIQUE 1

Scanning
Scanning is the process of quickly searching through • Look over the material in its entirety to get a sense
reading material in order to locate specific bits of infor- of how it is organized. Is it organized alphabetically,
mation, such as a specific name, date, fact, or statistic. chronologically, or categorically?
When you scan, you don’t start at the beginning and read • Note the headings and subheadings to determine
until you get to the end. Instead, you run your eyes rap- which sections are likely to have the answers you are
idly over the material to find the information that’s im- looking for.
portant to you. When you go to the dictionary, you scan
• Look for the answer to only one question at a time.
down through the list of words until you locate the one
you are looking for. Most of us use scanning techniques • When you locate a key word, read the surrounding
when we search for a particular topic in the index of a material carefully to determine its relevancy.
textbook, or search a Web page for the time and location • When you find your item, read to confirm that the
of a movie. If you are scanning to answer a specific ques- information answers your specific question.
tion, remember these tips:

Scan through the selection “Cr eativity” on pages 5–7 to find the answers to the
following questions.

1. thinking produces many answers to the same question.


2. Conventional intelligence tests require thinking.
3. The creative process is a -step sequence.
4. In the step, you churn ideas around in your head.
5. Creative people are motivated more than externally.
6. Pablo Picasso created more than paintings.
7. Creativity is the ability to come up with solutions to
problems.
8. Thomas Edison said that creativity is percent inspiration
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

and percent perspiration.

One of the desired outcomes of a college education is the ability to think critically
.
But it’s important to be able to think creatively as well. A creative thinker can gener-
ate many solutions to a problem, and a critical thinker can determine which solution
is the best.
The selections that follow will explain the pr ocesses of cr eative and critical
thinking.
INTRODUCTION Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 5

SELECTION

“Intelligence and creativity are not the same thing.”

GETTING THE PICTURE


The influential artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The
problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Picasso, noted for
his creativity, meant that children are unafraid to try new things even at the
risk of feeling foolish or experiencing failure. As we age, many of us place
more emphasis on saving face, being practical, and thinking inside the box.
Picasso, as the story goes, took a walk around his yard one day and saw
an old, rusted bicycle. He took the seat and the handlebars back to his
Bull’s Head studio and welded them together to create his famous sculpture of the
(1942) BY PABLO PICASSO head of a bull. The selection below explains the creative process and the characteris-
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
tics of creative thinkers like Picasso who don’t just think of a bicycle seat as something
© ARS, NY. Bull’s Head, to sit on. Perhaps, after reading the selection, you’ll be able to unleash some of your
(Seat and handles of a
bicycle). 1942. Assemblage, own creative energy.
leather, metal, 33.5 3 43.5 3
19.0 cm. MP330. Photo
Beatrice Hatala. Musées
Picasso, Paris, France. BIO-SKETCH
© 2014 Estate of Pablo
Picasso/Artists Rights John Santrock is a professor of psychology and human development at the University
Society (ARS), New York of Texas. He is the author of many popular, well-regarded textbooks.

BRUSHING UP ON VOCABULARY
divergent differing; deviating; having no finite limits

convergent coming together; merging

Excerpt from
PSYCHOLOGY
by John Santrock

CREATIVITY
“All acts performed What does it mean to be creative? Creativity is the ability to think about 1
in the world begin with something in novel and unusual ways and to come up with unconventional
imagination.” solutions t o p roblems. I ntelligence a nd c reativity a re n ot t he sa me t hings.
Many highly intelligent people produce large numbers of products, but the
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

—Barbara Grizzuti
Harrison products are not necessarily novel. Highly creative people defy the crowd,
whereas people who are highly intelligent but not creative often tr y simply to
please the crowd.
Creative people tend to be divergent thinkers. Divergent thinking pro- 2
duces many answers to the same question. In contrast, the kind of thinking re-
quired on conventional intelligence tests isconvergent thinking. For example,
a typical item on an intelligence test is “How many quarters will you get in return
for 60 dimes?” There is only one correct answer to this question. However , the
6 PART 1 Life in College and Beyond

following question has many possible answers: what image comes to mind when
you hear the phrase “sitting alone in a dark room”?
Thinking further about intelligence and creativity , most creative people are 3
quite intelligent, but the reverse is not necessarily true. Many highly intelligent
people are not very creative.

Steps in the Creative Process


The creative process has often been described as a five-step sequence: 4

1. Preparation. You become immersed in a problem or an issue that interests


you and arouses your curiosity.
2. Incubation. You churn ideas around in your head. This is the point at which
you are likely to make some unusual connections in your thinking.
3. Insight. At this point, you experience the “Aha!” moment when all the
pieces of the puzzle seem to fit together.
4. Evaluation. Now you must decide whether the idea is valuable and worth
pursuing. Is the idea really novel, or is it obvious?
The Hay Fever Hat 5. Elaboration. This final step often covers the longest span of time and the
(which places a roll of hardest work. This is what the famous twentieth-century American inventor
toilet paper on the
Thomas Edison was talking about when he said that creativity is 1 percent
wearer’s head) allows
inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Elaboration may require a great
you to blow your nose
whenever you need to.
deal of perspiration.

Characteristics of Creative Thinkers


Creative thinkers tend to have the following characteristics: 5

Flexibility and playful thinking. Creative thinkers are flexible and play with 6
problems, which gives rise to a paradox. Although creativity takes hard
work, the work goes more smoothly if it is taken lightly. In a way humor
greases the wheels of creativity. When you are joking around, you are more
likely to consider any possibility. Having fun helps to disarm the inner censor
that can condemn your ideas as off base.
Inner motivation. Creative people often are motivated by the joy of creat- 7
ing. They tend to be less inspired by grades, money, or favorable feedback
from others. Thus creative people are motivated more internally than
externally.
“Creativity requires the Willingness to risk. Creative people make more mistakes than their less 8
courage to let go of imaginative counterparts. It’s not that they are less proficient but that
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

certainties.” they come up with more ideas, more possibilities. They win some, they
—Erich Fromm lose some. For example, the twentieth-century Spanish artist Pablo
Picasso created more than 20,000 paintings. Not all of them were
masterpieces. Creative thinkers learn to cope with unsuccessful projects
and see failure as an opportunity to learn.
Objective evaluation of work. Despite the stereotype that creative people are 9
eccentric and highly subjective, most creative thinkers strive to evaluate
their work objectively. They may use an established set of criteria to make
judgments or rely on the judgments of respected, trusted others.
INTRODUCTION Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 7

Living a More Creative Life


“The world is but
a canvas to the Here are recommendations for achieving a more creative life: 10
imagination.” Try to be surprised by something every day. Maybe it is something you see, 11
—Henry David Thoreau hear, or read about. Become absorbed in a lecture or a book. Be open to
what the world is telling you. Life is a stream of experiences. Swim widely
and deeply in it, and your life will be richer.
Try to surprise at least one person every day. In a lot of things you do, you 12
have to be predictable and patterned. Do something different. Ask a ques-
tion you normally would not ask. Invite someone to go to a show or a mu-
seum you have never visited.
Write down every day what surprised you and how you surprised others. Most 13
creative people keep a diary, notes, or lab records to ensure that experi-
ences are not fleeting or forgotten.
When something sparks your interest, follow it. The world is our business. We 14
can’t know which parts are more interesting until we make a serious effort
to learn as much about as many aspects of it as possible.
Take charge of your schedule. Figure out which time of the day is your most 15
creative time. Carve out time for yourself when your creative energy is at its
best.
“The best way to Spend time in settings that stimulate your creativity. Many report their highest 16
have a good idea is levels of creativity occur when they are walking, jogging, driving, or swim-
to have lots of ideas.” ming. These activities are semiautomatic in that they take only a certain
—Linus Pauling
amount of attention while leaving some free to make connections among
ideas. Highly creative people also report coming up with novel ideas in the
deeply relaxed state we are in when we are half-asleep, half-awake.
To evaluate the extent to which you engage in creative thinking complete the 17
following chart.

How Creative Is Your Thinking?


Rate each of the following items as they apply to you on a scale from 1 5 not like me at all,
2 5 somewhat unlike me, 3 5 somewhat like me, 4 5 very much like me.
1. I am good at coming up with lots of new and unique ideas.
2. I like to brainstorm with others to creatively find solutions
to problems.
3. I’m a flexible person and like to play with my thinking.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

4. I like to be around creative people, and I learn from how they think.
5. I like to be surprised by something every day.
6. I wake up in the morning with a mission.
7. I search for alternative solutions to problems rather than giving a
pat answer.

continued
8 PART 1 Life in College and Beyond

How Creative Is Your Thinking? (continued)


8. I know which settings stimulate me to be creative, and I try to
spend time in those settings.
9. I tend to be internally motivated.
Total your scores for all 9 items. Your creativity score is . If you scored 32–36 points, you
likely are a creative thinker. If you scored 27–31 points, you are inclined to be creative, but could
benefit from thinking about some ways to get more creativity in your life. If you scored 26 or below,
seriously think about ways to become more creative.

(John Santrock, Psychology, 7/e, 2003)

COMPREHENSION CHECKUP

True or False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false by writing T or F in the blank provided.
1. Intelligence and creativity are precisely the same thing.
2. Many highly intelligent people are not very creative.
3. In the creative process, evaluation takes the most time and requires the
hardest work.
4. Humor is an asset in the creative process.
5. External motivation plays a large part in the creative process.
6. Creative people have a positive attitude toward failure.
7. Most creative thinkers are highly eccentric.
8. To live a creative life, the author recommends being open to new
experiences.
9. Predictability is an essential characteristic of the creative life.
10. People sometimes come up with creative ideas when they are doing a
physical activity that requires little mental energy.

Vocabulary Practice
Answer the following in the blank provided.
1. You put your car in reverse. Are you going forward or backward?
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

2. Your cousin is proficient at typing. Is she skilled or unskilled?

3. If you come up with a novel way to travel, are you coming up with something
that is new or something that has been done before?
4. If you are striving for an A in class, are you making a strong effort or a weak
one?
5. If you got a fleeting glimpse of a friend at a basketball game, did you see a
great deal of her or very little?
INTRODUCTION Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 9

6. If you defied your commander, are you being obedient or disobedient?

7. If your thinking is flexible, can you change your mind about something, or must
you “stick to your guns”?
8. If you take a test with all multiple-choice questions, are you taking an objective
test or a subjective one?
9. If you disarm an alarm system, are you turning it on or off?

10. If the label on the medicine bottle says, “For external use only,” should you
swallow the medicine?
11. Give an example of something that is completely predictable.

12. What is wrong with using stereotypes?

In Your Own Words


1. Give your own definition of creativity.
2. What does the author mean when he says, “Humor greases the wheels of
creativity”?
3. Study the following problems to determine how creative you are.
a. What objects can you think of that begin with the letters “br”?
b. How could discarded aluminum cans be put to use?
c. How many uses can you think of for a newspaper?
d. What would happen if everyone suddenly lost the sense of balance and
could no longer stay upright?
4. How is Garfield illustrating creative problem solving in the cartoon below?

GARFIELD ®
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

GARFIELD © 1995, PAWS INC. Reprinted with permission of Universal Uclick. All rights reserved.

5. Which of the following is more likely an example of creative thinking? Explain


the reasons for your choice.
a. A 16-year-old trying to come up with as many reasons as she can to explain
her poor grades to avoid being grounded.
b. A 16-year-old taking a multiple-choice test.
6. When a group tries to come up with as many solutions to a problem as possible,
it’s called brainstorming. Why is this technique considered a creative thinking
strategy?
10 PART 1 Life in College and Beyond

The Art of Writing


It has been suggested by various cr eativity experts that the testing pr ocess could be
improved to allow for mor e creative responses. For instance, pr ofessors might give
more points for the most unusual correct answers to a question. Or professors might
ask questions that have more than one correct answer and then give credit based on
the number of correct answers a student gives. What do you think about these sug-
gestions? Should test-makers be encouraged to allow for mor e creative responses?
Write a few paragraphs giving your opinion.

Internet Activity
At the end of many reading selections, you will find one or more suggested Internet
activities. Although we have checked each site, Web sites do come and go, and URLs
change frequently. If the Internet site mentioned in the activity is no longer available,
then use a sear ch engine like Google <www .google.com> or Yahoo! <www.yahoo.
com> to find a similar site.
Check out the following Web site to try out some creative thinking activities. Can
activities like these help you become a more creative individual?

www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques

Brain Teasers
Study the following test of divergent thinking. How could you complete each figure?

STUDY TECHNIQUE 2
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Skimming
Skimming (also called previewing or surveying) is a that is underlined, which includes the pre-reading
means of familiarizing yourself with the content and or- sections (Getting the Picture, Bio-Sketch, and Brush-
ganization of reading material before you begin to read ing Up on Vocabulary), the title of the selection, the
it carefully. It involves reading specific material quickly headings and subheadings, the first sentence of each
in order to gain a quick overview and identify the main paragraph, and the print in bold and italics. Then
points. complete the short answer and true-or-false ques-
The following assignment provides an example of tions in the Comprehension Checkup at the end of the
how to skim. On pages 11–13, read only the material selection.
INTRODUCTION Applying Creative and Critical Thinking 11

SELECTION

“Unfortunately, it is sometimes the alternative you didn’t


think of that can end up being the most satisfactory
decision or solution.”

GETTING THE PICTURE


To succeed as a college student, you will need to be able to read, write, and think
critically. The following selection from a popular student success textbook discusses
some problems that can affect critical thinking and how students can avoid them.

BIO-SKETCH
Robert Feldman, a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, is a
well-known author of textbooks on psychology and study skills.

BRUSHING UP ON VOCABULARY
blind spot a subject about which one is ignorant or biased

jump to conclusions form an opinion or judgment too hastily

coined the phrase invented or created the expression

Excerpt from
POWER LEARNING
by Robert S. Feldman

DON’T FOOL YOURSELF: AVOIDING EVERYDAY PROBLEMS


IN CRITICAL THINKING
Being able to think clearly and without bias is the basis for critical thinking. As you1
have probably noticed already, the quality of the thinking you do regarding prob-
lems and decisions plays a crucial role in determining how successful you are.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes the alternative you didn’t think of that can end 2
up being the most satisfactory decision or solution. So how can we learn to think
critically and avoid blind spots that hinder us in our decision making and problem
solving? We can start by considering the common obstacles to critical thinking.
Here are some of the decision-making and problem-solving pitfalls to look 3
out for. Avoiding them will improve your critical thinking greatly.
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

Don’t assume that giving something a name explains it. The mere 4
fact that we can give an idea or problem a name doesn’t mean we can explain it.
Yet we often confuse the two. For instance, consider the following sequences of
questions and answers:
Q. Why do I have so much trouble falling asleep?
A. Because you have insomnia.
Q. Why is he so unsociable?
A. Because he’s an introvert.
12 PART 1 Life in College and Beyond

Q. Why did the defendant shoot those people?


A. Because he’s insane.
Q. How do you know he’s insane?
A. Because only someone who was insane would shoot people in that way.
It’s clear that none of these answers is satisfactory. All simply use a label to explain5
the alleged behavior.
Don’t accept vague generalities dressed up as definitive statements. 6
Read the following personality analysis and think about how well it applies to you:
You have a need for other people to like and admire you and a tendency to
be critical of yourself. You also have a great deal of unused potential that you
have not turned to your advantage, and although you have some personality
weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. Nonetheless,
relating to members of the opposite sex has presented problems to you, and
while you appear to be disciplined and self-controlled to others, you tend to
be anxious and insecure inside.
If you believe that these statements provide an amazingly accurate description7
of your unique qualities, you’re not alone: Most college students believe that the
descriptions are tailored specifically to them. But how is that possible? It isn’t. The
reality is that the statements are so vague that they are virtually meaningless.
The acceptance of vague but seemingly useful and signifi cant statements about
oneself and others has been called the Barnum Effect, after showman and cir cus
master P. T. Barnum, who coined the phrase “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Don’t confuse opinion with fact. Opinions are not fact. Although we 8
may be aware of this simple formula, almost all of us can be fooled into thinking
that someone’s opinion is the same as fact.
A fact is information that is proven to be true. In contrast, an opinion repre- 9
sents judgments, reasoning, beliefs, inferences, or conclusions. If we accept some
bit of information as a fact, we can use it to build our opinions. But if we are
presented with an opinion, we need to determine the facts on which it is built to
judge its reliability.
Read the following statements and determine which is the fact and which is 10
the opinion.
1. College students should get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
2. The average college student sleeps less than 7 hours a night.
The first statement is an opinion and the second statement is a fact.
The difference between fact and opinion can sometimes be subtle. For in- 11
stance, compare these two statements:
Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education

1. Every college student needs to take a writing course during the first term of
college.
2. Many college students need to take a writing course during the first term of
college.
The fi rst statement is most likely an opinion, because it is absolute and un- 12
qualified. Words such as “every,” “all,” and “always” are often evidence of opin-
ion. On the other hand, the second statement is more likely a fact, since it
contains the qualifi er “many.” In general, statements that are qualifi ed in some
way are more likely to be facts.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
“And,” whispered Cicely, “we can feel that it is only we two who
suffer. My father has been spared all this.”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Methvyn, “we may be thankful for that.”
“And after a while,” continued Cicely, “you and I will go away
together to some new place where there be nothing to recall all this,
and we shall be very happy and peaceful in our own way, mother
dear, after all, shall we not?”
Mrs. Methvyn tried to answer cheerfully, but she could not
manage it. She only shook her head sorrowfully, while the tears ran
down her thin cheeks. Cicely kissed them away.
“I don’t know, dear,” the mother whispered. “I would not feel it so if
I could look forward to being able to do anything to make you happy
again. But I am getting old, my darling, trouble ages one, and I feel
as if half my life had gone with your father.”
“But after a while you will not feel it so bitterly,” persisted Cicely,
and Mrs. Methvyn tried to believe it would be so.
As far as was possible Cicely spared her mother all the painful
details of the utter change in their prospects. It was arranged that
Geneviève should return home to Hivèritz at the same time that the
Methvyns left the Abbey; and though before then it became
necessary to tell Mr. Fawcett’s parents of his engagement to Miss
Casalis, the fact was not made public. And fortunately for herself,
Geneviève’s spirits continued in a subdued state during the short
remainder of her stay.
“She looks so frightened and miserable, mother,” said Cicely one
day when Geneviève had rushed out of the room suddenly, to avoid
meeting her aunt, who came in unexpectedly. “Can you not forgive
her?”
“I have forgiven her,” said Mrs. Methvyn coldly. “I promised you I
would. I confess I have not yet come to pitying her, as you seem to
do, Cicely. I know her now better than you do. More than half of that
misery is affectation. She will not have a thought of self-reproach
when it comes to buying her trousseau and being congratulated. Oh!
I do wish that you had let my first letter go, the one in which I told
Caroline the truth.”
“But you did tell her the truth in the one that went,” said Cicely.
“You told her that my engagement had been broken off entirely by
my own wish, and that Mr. Fawcett had fallen in love with Geneviève,
and that his parents approved of it.”
“That was not the whole truth,” said Mrs. Methvyn. “Do not take
up my words in that way, Cicely.”
“Well, mother, there would have been no good in telling more,”
replied Cicely gravely. “What Geneviève may choose to tell her
mother herself is a different matter, and does not concern us. In the
same way I very much prefer that Trevor’s parents should be told
nothing by us, though I fear poor Sir Thomas suspects something.
How kind he has been!”
She sighed as she recalled her old friend’s endeavours to shake
her determination. Lady Frederica had cried over it till the thought of
the admiration that would certainly attend the débút in fashionable
society of so lovely a daughter-in-law as Geneviève, had suggested
itself as consolation. But long before there was any talk of his son’s
“new love,” Sir Thomas had come over to see Cicely in hopes of
getting to the bottom of the mysterious misunderstanding between
her and Trevor. He had gone away sorrowful, convinced at last that
the girl’s decision was unalterable, but none the more reconciled to it
on that account.
“I trust, my dear, that, as you assure me, false pride has nothing
to say to it,” were the parting words of the honest-hearted old man.
“Trevor told me it was no use my coming, but I—well, I fancied old
heads were cooler than young ones sometimes, even in a case of
this kind. I can’t blame you, Cicely—I think too highly of you for that,
even if my boy had not assured me most solemnly that what you
have done has only doubled his respect and admiration for you. If I
thought he was to blame” a hard look came over Sir Thomas’s
comfortable face.
“Don’t think any one is to blame,” Cicely entreated, “in the end we
may all come to see that it has been for the best.”
“And you knew about my thinking of buying Greystone?” he said
regretfully.
“Yes,” she replied. “It was a most kind thought. But I have
understood since that it would not be considered a profitable
purchase for you—you don’t want more land about here?”
“No, I don’t care about it. And I don’t care about another house
either. I have Barnstay up in the north, you know—the lease is nearly
run out; in case Trevor ever marries, he may live there if he likes. No,
I don’t want Greystone; but if you would still like the idea of my
having it, if there were the ghost of a chance of things ever coming
straight again between you and Trevor—”
“There is not the ghost of a chance, dear Sir Thomas,” replied
Cicely. “Do not let any thought of us influence you in the matter.
Greystone will be dead to me from the day we leave it.”
“That means you will never come back eh?” said Sir Thomas.
Cicely did not contradict him. “Ah! well, then, I think I’ll give up the
idea. It was different when I thought of keeping it together for poor
Philip’s grandchildren.”
He kissed Cicely when he left her, and there were tears in his
eyes, but the subjects they had discussed were never alluded to
again. Some weeks later when his consent to Trevor’s marriage was
asked; he gave it without difficulty. But he thought his own thoughts,
nevertheless; and it came to be generally noticed that the old
gentleman never “favoured” his pretty daughter-in-law as much as
might have been expected. “Not like it would have been with our
Miss Cicely,” the people about used to say.
But time went on. Greystone Abbey was sold to strangers, and
the desolate widow and daughter of its last owner left it for ever.
CHAPTER VI.
A NEW TERROR.

“It is not for what he would be to me now,


If he still were here, that I mourn him so:
It is for the thought of a broken vow,
And for what he was to me long ago.”
Lord Houghton.

LAST days are generally sad, sometimes terrible things. Sad enough
were these last days at Greystone: Cicely felt thankful when they
were over, though once gone, she would have given years of life to
recall them. It was a relief to both her mother and herself when
Geneviève left them, and they were free to take farewell of the
places they had loved so dearly, without the painful associations of
her presence, gentle and subdued as she remained to the end. It
was a relief to them, and they were conscious too that it could not
but be a relief to her.
“I shall tell my mother all,” she had said to Cicely, and Cicely was
glad to hear of her intention.
“You are right to tell her, Geneviève,” she said, “though no one
else would ever have done so.”
But Geneviève’s confession was deferred. She did not, after all,
return to Hivèritz as proposed, for there came news from Madame
Casalis of a fever having broken out in the household, which
threatened to be of a serious kind and without doubt infectious; one
of the boys and little Eudoxie were already prostrated by it; the latter,
it was feared, likely to have it badly. Under these circumstances,
therefore, it was proposed by Geneviève’s parents that she should
only go as far as Paris and stay there under the care of an old school
friend of Madame Casalis, who was by no means averse to receiving
as a visitor the ‘promise’ of a wealthy young ‘milord.’ Geneviève
shed tears over her mother’s letter, expressed herself désolée at the
thought of the anxiety in her family, but ended by deciding that her
persisting in returning home to the modest little house in the Rue de
la Croix blanche, would only add to her mother’s trouble and
distress.
“It is best I should go to Madame Du plessis,” she said resignedly.
“As mamma wishes it, it is best I should not ask still to go home.”
And her satisfaction with her own decision was not a little
increased when, the night before she was to leave, her aunt gave
her, to expend upon her trousseau, a sum of money which was now
to Mrs. Methvyn by no means the trifle it would have been a few
weeks before.
“She is my relation, however she has behaved,” said Cicely’s
mother. “It would never do for her to enter the Fawcetts’ family
without a proper outfit.”
“And I can get everything in Paris,” thought Geneviève delightedly.
And her expressions of gratitude were so evidently sincere that even
Mrs. Methvyn’s heart was a little softened to her, and she bade her
good-bye with more kindliness of manner than might have been
expected.
It ended in Geneviève’s remaining in Paris till her marriage—her
father and mother joining her there only a few days before it took
place. How much or how little, therefore, of the true history of her
daughter’s love affairs was confided to Madame Casalis, Cicely did
not till long afterwards know, though from the tone of her letters to
Mrs. Methvyn it was evident that “poor Caroline’s” satisfaction in
Geneviève’s brilliant prospects was not unalloyed.
“I would not conceal from you, my dear and kind Helen,” she
wrote, “that I am glad for my child to be well settled in life. But my
grief and sorrow for you prevent my being able to rejoice as I might
otherwise have done. And though you tell me, and it is no doubt the
case that the breaking off of your Cicely’s engagement was by her
own desire, I cannot rid myself of the feeling that it is unnatural and
strange that Geneviève should so quickly have succeeded her in Mr.
Fawcett’s regard. I trust neither he nor my daughter may regret what
seems to have been done hastily. She tells me she will explain all
when we meet; she says your goodness and that of the dear Cicely
is beyond words. I trust, when I understand more, I may not learn
that my child has not been deserving of it.”
“She is so simple and unworldly!” said Mrs. Methvyn. “Poor
Caroline—how can her daughter have become so different!”
But after reading this letter, she did not again repeat her wish that
Cicely had allowed her to tell Geneviève’s mother the whole truth.
When they first left the Abbey, it was the intention of Mrs. Methvyn
and her daughter at once to make a new home for themselves at
Leobury, a quaintly pretty, quiet little town, far away from Greystone
and its associations. It was at Leobury that Mrs. Methvyn’s former
widowhood had been spent, and it was there too that after a
separation of ten years she had again met her first love—Philip
Methvyn. Leobury was endeared to her for this reason, and Cicely
was only too glad to find her mother able to express interest on the
subject of their home, not to consent readily to what she proposed.
But their plans were not at once carried out. There was no suitable
house to be had at Leobury at the time they left Greystone. So for
nearly a year after Colonel Methvyn’s death, his widow and daughter
were without a settled home.
Summer was again on the wane—it had seemed a short summer
to Cicely compared with that of the previous year—when they at last
found themselves in possession of a pretty little house in the place
where, more than a quarter of a century before, young Mrs. Bruce
had come to live with her two years old Amiel. She had been poor
then; poorer far than now, but in those old days poverty had seemed
a smaller matter. She was young, and she had then never known
what it was to be rich; the husband she had lost had caused her far
sorer griefs than that of his death—she had suffered enough in her
short married life to realise even loneliness as a relief. Now, how
different everything was! For twenty-two years she had been happier
than it falls to the lot of many women to be; hardly a wish of hers had
remained ungratified; till Colonel Methvyn’s accident she had not
known a care—when suddenly the whole had collapsed—for the
second time she found herself a widow, and in comparatively
speaking straitened circumstances, her companion this time a
daughter even dearer to her than little Amiel—a daughter who,
young as she was, had known sorrow and disappointment neither
slight nor passing, troubles enough to have soured a less healthy
nature, which her mother was powerless to soften or heal. It is hardly
to be wondered at that, weakened in strength and nerve, Mrs.
Methvyn sometimes found it difficult to look on the bright side of
things.
But what she could not do, time and nature had not neglected.
Already Cicely was recovering from the crushing effects of the blow
that had fallen upon her so unexpectedly. She could look back now
without flinching upon all that had happened, could feel that she was
still young and strong and hopeful, and that the light had not all died
out of her life. To her their loss of riches had been by no means an
unmitigated evil; for though they were not so reduced as to come
into unlovely proximity with poverty, the change in their
circumstances had necessitated the exertion of energy and
forethought in their arrangements, which had been for Cicely a
healthy and invigorating discipline. She felt that she was of use; that,
without her, life would have been a terrible blank to her enfeebled
mother; and the consciousness gave her, as nothing else could have
done, strength and cheerfulness. One thought only she could not
face—what would life be to her now, how would it be possible to
endure it were her one interest removed, her mother taken from her?
“I am risking my all in a frail bark,” she would sometimes say to
herself with a shudder, “but surely if mamma were to die I should die
too. No one could live in such utter desolation.” Yet even as she said
so, a misgiving would suggest itself that such things had been and
might be again; that life, the awful yet priceless gift, though bestowed
unasked, is not therefore so easily to be laid down as at times we
would fain imagine. The “sharp malady” must run its course; the
“appointed bounds” cannot be passed; the “few days and full of
trouble” are to some lonely men and women lengthened into the
many, before there comes the longed-for order of release, the
permission to depart for the unseen land which, wherever and
whatever it may be, is to them more real than any other, since thither
have journeyed before them all whose presence made this earth a
home—the “faces loved and lost awhile;”—yes, there are some
strangely solitary beings in this crowded world of ours.
The first two or three Sundays at Leobury, Cicely was not able to
go to church. Her mother was not very well and shrank from being
left alone. But, at last, by the end of September, there came a
Sunday when there was nothing to prevent Cicely’s at tending the
morning service in the fine old church, but a stone’s throw from her
mother’s house.
It was a beautiful day, soft and balmy; yet already, through the
trees and in the breezes, there came the first far-off notes of the
dying year’s lament—the subdued hush of autumn was perceptible.
“The swallows have gone, I feel sure,” thought Cicely, as she
walked slowly up the quiet village street (for after all Leobury was
hardly deserving of the name of town). “I can always feel that they
are gone.”
She gazed up into the sky, the blue was mellowed and yet paled
by the golden haze of harvest-time. “The summer has gone again,”
she murmured as she passed into the church by an old porch-way
with stone seats at each side, which reminded her of the entrance to
Greystone Abbey—“the old porch at home”—and it was in a sort of
dream that she made her way to a seat in a quiet corner. She hardly
noticed when the service began; she stood up mechanically with
those about her, but her thoughts were far away. Suddenly, without
knowing what had suggested it, she found herself thinking of that
Sunday morning, more than a year ago now, in Lingthurst church—
the first Sunday after Geneviève’s arrival. She remembered how the
sunshine bad streamed into the ugly little building, brightening into
brilliant pink the old woman’s brick dust cloaks, making also more
conspicuous the mildew stains and patches on the plastered walls.
She recalled her feelings of commiseration for the new clergyman on
this his first introduction to his church. What had put all this into her
mind just now? There was nothing in the place to recall Lingthurst—
Leobury church was as picturesque and impressive as Lingthurst
was commonplace; the one was perfect of its kind, the other
glaringly bare and unattractive—the familiar words of the service had
been listened to by Cicely in many churches during the last few
months without recalling any special association. Suddenly the riddle
was solved Two clergymen were officiating; the one, an old white-
headed man with a feeble quavering voice, which contrasted
curiously with the firm clear tones of his assistant priest. From where
Cicely sat, the younger man was not visible, but by moving a little
she obtained a view of him, and understood the trick which the
“quaint witch” had been playing her—she saw before her the grave,
boyish face of Mr. Hayle!
How had he come there? How strange it seemed! A little shiver
passed through her as she recalled the last time she had seen him—
it had been on the night of the Lingthurst ball, the night so full of
misery for her. She had never seen him since then, for though he
had called at the Abbey after her father’s death, she had shrunk from
meeting him again, though far from ungrateful for his kindness and
consideration. And now here he was at Leobury!
“I shall not mind seeing him again now,” thought Cicely, “I think I
am rather glad he is here. Mother liked him. I don’t think she will
have any painful feeling to him, poor little man!”
But the rest of the service passed like a dream. Cicely’s thoughts
were away in the past—wandering in the land of long ago.” She
recalled her happy childhood, her girl hood so full of love and
promise—the sunny days when trouble and sorrow seemed such
remote, all but impossible, possibilities! How Trevor seemed
associated with it all—there was not a walk she had ever taken, not
a summer ramble or winter skating expedition in which his figure did
not seem prominent.
“I wish he had been my brother, really,” sighed Cicely, “then no
one and nothing could ever have separated us!”
It was a torn out page—a page which it would ever be painful to
miss. But she was beginning to realise that the book held others—
others which hereafter she would not shrink from looking back to and
lingering over with loving tenderness of remembrance.
When the service was over, Cicely walked slowly homewards.
She was near her mother’s house, when the sound of her own name
made her look round. Mr. Hayle was behind her.
“Miss Methvyn,” he exclaimed eagerly, his face flushed with
pleasure and the quick rate at which he had been walking, “I thought
it was you. I was sure I could not be mistaken.”
“Did you see me in church?” said Cicely, shaking hands with him
as she spoke. She was pleased to see him, but again, at this first
moment of meeting, there rushed over her the remembrance of the
last time she had spoken to him, and unconsciously a slight
constraint showed itself in her manner.
“Yes,” said Mr. Hayle. “But I was on the look-out for you. I heard
yesterday evening quite accidentally that a lady of your name had
taken a house here, and I began to hope it might be you. I trust Mrs.
Methvyn is well. I—I hope I may come to see her?”
His tone had sobered down to its usual slightly formal gravity, and
his last words sounded somewhat ill-assured and hesitating. Cicely
felt vexed with herself for chilling him.
“I am sure mamma will be pleased to see you,” she said, “when I
tell her of your being here. I was so surprised to see you,” she
continued, “we did not know you had left Lingthurst.” She uttered the
word firmly and distinctly. Mr. Hayle looked more guilty than she.
“I left some months ago,” he said. “I am only here temporarily
however—staying with my uncle who is the rector of Leobury. He is
old and infirm, and I do what I can to help him.”
“Then have you no plans for the future? Why did you leave
Lingthurst? Was it not very sudden?” questioned Cicely.
“I got discouraged there,” he replied. “No one—after you left—
took any interest in things. There was very little I, alone and
unassisted, could do, and that little a less strong man—perhaps I
may say a less energetic man—could do quite as well or better. So I
gave it up. I have plans, but—”
“Did my cousin—Mr. Fawcett, I mean—did he take no interest in
things?” interrupted Cicely. She looked up in Mr. Hayle’s face without
flinching. He could see that she wanted an answer.
“No,” he said hesitatingly. “He is not much there now, and—and
when they are there Lingthurst is generally full of company. Mrs.
Fawcett is fond of amusement.”
“Yes,” said Cicely, “she is young—it is natural she should be. But
Trevor used to speak so much, after you came, about doing
something really to improve Notcotts and all that neglected part; I am
disappointed.”
“He may do so in time. He has had plenty of other things to think
of this last year,” said Mr. Hayle. Then he grew scarlet with fear that
Miss Methvyn should think he was alluding to the past. But
fortunately by this time they had reached Cicely’s home, and it was
easy for her to affect not to notice his discomposure.
“Will you come in?” she said, with her hand on the gate. “I think
mamma will be downstairs—it is half-past twelve—she is generally
dressed by this time.
“Is Mrs. Methvyn not as well as she used to be, then?” inquired
Mr. Hayle, recalling the early hours and active habits of Greystone.
“Oh! dear, yes; she is very well—perfectly well,” said Cicely
quickly. “She says she has grown lazy, that is all. Won’t you come in
and see her for yourself?”
“Not just now, thank you,” he replied. “If I may call to-morrow, I
should like very much to see Mrs. Methvyn.”
“Come to-morrow then, by all means,” said Cicely brightly. She
smiled as she spoke—she was so anxious to convince him of her
cheerfulness and well-being.
“Thank you,” he said simply, with something in his expression
which she did not understand. Then he shook hands again and went
away.
“What energy and powers of endurance she has,” he said to
himself. “Such a woman has it in her to do great things.”
Mrs. Methvyn was not in the drawing room when Cicely went in.
The girl ran upstairs.
“Mamma,” she called out, tapping at her mother’s door.
“Come in,” replied Mrs. Methvyn’s voice, and Cicely entered. Her
mother was dressed, sitting in an arm-chair near the fire.
“You are very lazy this morning, mother,” she said laughingly. “I
was very nearly bringing an old friend in to see you. Whom do you
think I met at church?”
“An old friend,” repeated Mrs. Methvyn. “Was it could it have been
Mr. Guildford?”
She spoke so eagerly that Cicely looked at her in surprise; and
now for the first time she observed that her mother was exceedingly
pale.
“Mother dear, I am afraid I have startled you,” she said penitently.
“No, it wasn’t Mr. Guildford. It was Mr. Hayle. Shall you dislike his
coming to see you to-morrow.”
“Oh! no. I shall be very glad to see him,” replied Mrs. Methvyn.
But the interest had died out of her voice. She leaned back in her
chair as if exhausted. “Will you see if Parker has come in, Cicely?”
she said. “I sent her out on a message a few minutes ago. I shall
come downstairs in a little while, and then you can tell me about Mr.
Hayle. I did not know he had left—Lingthurst.”
By her the word was pronounced with an evident effort. Just then
Parker came in. “I think this is the same as the last you had, ma’am,”
she said, “but it is not often different chemists prepare things quite
alike.”
She had a small phial in her hand, she did not observe Cicely
standing by.
“What have you been getting mamma medicine for, Parker?” she
said. “She’s not ill.”
Parker started. “It is only the same tonic that Dr. Farmer gave me
long ago,” said Mrs. Methvyn. “Go and take off your things, dear. I
shall be down directly.”
Cicely was not satisfied, but she left the room. Later in the
afternoon when she and her mother were alone together, she
recurred to what had been said. “Mamma,” she began, “what made
you think of Mr. Guildford to-day when I told you I had met an old
friend?”
“I think I should have been glad if it had been he,” said Mrs.
Methvyn. “I had great confidence in him. I think him very clever.”
“But what about it? You are not ill; you don’t want a doctor,” said
Cicely.
“I don’t know, dear. I don’t think I am very well,” replied Mrs.
Methvyn tremulously. “Long ago—years ago I used to have now and
then a sudden sort of attack, a kind of spasm, which some doctors
thought had to do with my heart. Then for some time these attacks
almost ceased, and I thought it must have been a mistake—but
lately they have returned much more frequently and violently than
before. And—Cicely dear—when I went up to town with Parker that
day from Brighton—I would not let you come, you know—it was to
see Dr.——, the great authority on that class of disease.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said that there was nothing to be done. It was true what I had
been told. He said that—that I might not get worse for a long time,
but that—it is not certain that I shall not.”
“Mamma,” cried Cicely gazing up in her mother’s face with wildly
agonised eyes, “mamma, you are going to die and leave me. That is
what you mean. Why didn’t you tell me before? oh! why didn’t you?”
“My child, my darling, I could not,” said her mother, the tears
coursing down her thin pale cheeks. “How could I break your heart
again? And it is only quite lately that I have begun to be afraid about
myself—only quite lately. It may pass off again—I may be with you
for many years yet.”
“No,” said Cicely, “no. I feel it coming. Mother, oh! mother, what
shall I do? How can God be so cruel? May not I die too? Oh,
mamma, mamma!”
She burst into an anguish of wild weeping, and for some moments
Mrs. Methvyn did not check her. Then at last she whispered, “Cicely
dearest, will you not try to be calm? For my sake—I cannot bear to
see you go.”
The words recalled Cicely to herself. Yes, she must be calm. The
pain of witnessing such stormy grief would assuredly weaken her
mother’s already feeble hold on life. With a violent effort she checked
her sobs, and fought for self-control. Then she listened to all her
mother had to say; listened, and pretended to believe that her fears
had exaggerated the danger; but in her heart of hearts she knew the
truth—the last drop of bitter sorrow had been poured into the cup of
which, for one so young, she had already drunk deeply.
When Mr. Hayle called the next day, he was shown into the
drawing-room and there found Mrs. Methvyn alone. He stayed with
her a considerable time, but he did not see Cicely at all. When he
came away from the house, his face looked sad and careworn, and
he sighed deeply: “Poor things, poor things!” he murmured to
himself. Yet he was well used to sorrow and suffering! “I will call
again in a day or two if you will allow me,” he said to Mrs. Methvyn at
parting. And she thanked him warmly and begged him to come.
“Cicely will be better again before long,” she said, “and she will like
to see you. It is the first shock that has, as it were, overwhelmed
her,” she added, with a sort of gentle apology of manner that touched
Mr. Hayle greatly. “I will come again soon,” he repeated.
And the next time he came, he found Cicely in the drawing-room
with her mother. They were sitting quietly working and talking, these
two all but broken-hearted women, as if no terrible tragedy hung over
them, as if they found life the easy, even, pleasant thing it looks to
some, till their time of trouble comes too, as in due course it must.
At first they talked about commonplace things—the weather and
Leobury and some of the people they had come to know there. Then
Mr. Hayle told the two ladies something of his own plans; how he
was likely to get a living in the east end of London, where there
would certainly be no lack of work for mind and body. At another time
Cicely would have listened with the greatest interest—even to-day
her sorrowful absorption of thought could not altogether enchain her.
“And you will throw yourself altogether utterly—into your work, I
suppose,” she said to Mr. Hayle. “I wish I were you. I suppose with
so intense an interest, no personal sorrow would be unendurable. If
you were without a friend on earth, you could still find happiness in a
life so spent.”
“I hope so—I believe so,” replied he, his eyes sparkling with
enthusiasm. “Or if not happiness, something better—better at least
than what we commonly understand by happiness—blessedness.”
“It is the old martyr spirit in another form, I suppose,” murmured
Cicely in a low voice. “I wish I could catch it.”
There fell a little pause. Then with a little hesitation the girl turned
to the young clergyman again.
“Mr. Hayle,” she said, “you remember Mr. Guildford, the
Sothernbay doctor who was so good to my father. You liked him, did
you not? I wonder if by any chance you have kept up
correspondence with him. I should so like to know where he is.”
“I can tell you where he is,” said Mr. Hayle. “I did hear from him
once after he left Sothernshire. Yes I liked him very much indeed. He
is no longer a doctor. He gave up practising when he left Sothernbay,
and accepted some sort of professorship—I forget what exactly; he
had to lecture on scientific subjects, that is about all I know. And he
writes a good deal too; he is becoming very well known—too well
known I fear; for I have heard it said that he is overworking himself
dreadfully. But he is not in England now; he is, I think, in India,
travelling with a party sent out by one of those learned societies, so I
fear my information isn’t of much use.”
“In India,” Cicely repeated sadly, but she said no more.
Soon after, Mr. Hayle left. But he went away, again promising to
call in a day or two.
“Has it tired you, mother?” said Cicely anxiously when he had
gone.
“No, dear. I like him; he is gentle and kind, and I like to see some
one who knew us at home,” she sighed a little. “At one time I shrank
from reviving any of the associations with our old life, but I am losing
that feeling.”
Cicely looked at her with wistful, anguished eyes. “Mother
dearest,” she said, “I don’t think I knew how much you loved
Greystone. Should I have kept it for you? Would you not have got ill
then? I might have hidden it all from you; Trevor would have been
glad to do so, and you need have never known there was any
trouble between us. Was I selfish and hasty—did I sacrifice you to
my pride? Have I done wrong, and is this my punishment?”
“My darling, no—a thousand times no,” replied her mother. “You
could not have married Trevor after—after his disappointing you so
terribly. You could not love where you did not respect. And you must
try to be more hopeful about me, dear, or I shall regret having told
you. I have felt better to-day than for some time past.”
Cicely tried to smile. “I think you do look a little better,” she said.
“Oh! I do so wish Mr. Guildford could have seen you.”
“He could not have done anything more. He said just the same as
Dr.——” replied Mrs. Methvyn. “My wishing to see him was more a
matter of feeling. He was so good to your father, I had learnt to trust
him; for your sake too, I wish he had been able to see me. He would
have understood it all so well.”
“Yes,” said Cicely. “I think he would.”
“He must be becoming quite a great man,” she went on after a
pause; “did you hear what Mr. Hayle said about him?”—“I dare say,”
she added to herself, “I dare say he has forgotten all about that fancy
of his. Men are better off than women; they can always bury trouble
in work.”
CHAPTER VII.
ALONE.

“Is Death as sad as Life?


Soon we shall know.
It does not seem to me
They find it so
Who die, and going from us
Smile as they go.”
Trefoil.

FOR some weeks Mrs. Methvyn seemed to gain ground, and


gradually, very gradually, Cicely’s fears abated. She began to think it
possible, or more than possible, that her mother had unconsciously
exaggerated her own danger; and that after all, many years of life
and, comparatively speaking, health, might be before her. And to this
opinion her mother’s greatly improved spirits seemed to lend a
strong colour of probability. The truth was, that Mrs. Methvyn felt
infinitely happier now that Cicely knew the worst; for it had been the
terror of breaking to her child these fresh tidings of impending woe,

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