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Spears: Developing Critical Reading Skills
Developing Critical Reading Skills, 6/e
Deanne Spears, City College of San Francisco
Exercises

Online Exercises

  1. Can't afford a trip to Florida? Want to see what the Florida Everglades look like from the comfort of your home? Take a virtual tour of the Florida Everglades, mentioned in the excerpt from Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief (page 156): www.nwf.org/everglades/tour.html.
  2. The Harry Potter books have widely been credited with getting America's children interested in reading. When the British author, J. K. Rowling, publishes a new book in the series, children clamor to buy the book, and many dress up in characters' costumes when they descend on their favorite bookstore to buy the latest in the series. So it would seem that many educators and parents think that the Harry Potter phenomenon has had a beneficial effect on American children, not to mention the rest of the reading world. Surprisingly, however, Rowling has many critics. Fundamentalist Christians, for example, accuse the book of promoting evil. This site, prepared by the ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture, examines the series from this contrarian point of view.
    www.capalert.com/capreports/harrypottersorc.htm
    The second site, sponsored by a Roman Catholic institution, looks at the Potter phenomenon from a different religious perspective, finding the books harmless.
    www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Nov2001/Editorial.asp
  3. The Practice Essay ending this chapter is about the long-standing custom of deer hunting in Vermont. Plan a pretend trip to Vermont by using only Internet sites. Start by getting some background about the state at these two sites. This first site offers travel information for Vermont and other New England states.
    www.visitnewengland.com/search.html?keyword_search=vermont+
    The second site is Vermont's official tourism page: www.1-800-vermont.com/.
    Next, decide what parts of the state you would like to visit. Then if you want to drive on your pretend trip, get driving instructions from your home by visiting one of these two sites:
    www.mapquest.com
    maps.yahoo.com
    If you prefer to take a train or to fly, make arrangements both for transportation and lodging at your destinations using two or three of these popular vacation-planning sites. Try to find the best deals available.
    www.expedia.com
    www.onetravel.com
    www.travelhero.com
    www.hoteldiscounts.com
    www.travelocity.com








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