Table Of ContentPRAISE FOR OPENING DOORS
“Opening Doors meets all my expectations for a remarkable developmental reading text. The expla-
nations are precise and easily understood. The design is aesthetically pleasing. It is inviting to stu-
dents and the layout is easy to follow. I especially like the chapter objectives that are invaluable in
helping students identify the most important aspects of each chapter. I found the comprehension and
vocabulary quizzes to be an excellent means of evaluating student performance. They are thorough
and provide a reliable means of checking student comprehension of the material as well as provide a
systematic means for building vocabulary skills . . . a well-written, user-friendly textbook.”
—Barbara Doyle, Arkansas State University
“Opening Doors provides an effective balance of theory, rigorous application, and formative
assessment to meet the challenges of preparing students for college-level reading. The inclusion of
three reading selections in each chapter provides much fl exibility for instruction, application, and
testing.”
—TC Stuwe, Salt Lake Community College
“Opening Doors is an ideal textbook for students starting their college education.”
—Maureen Connolly, Elmhurst College
“The readings are timely, relevant, and high-interest and allow students to apply literal, critical,
and affective comprehension skills. The chapters and skills are presented in a logical, easy-to-
follow sequence and give students practice with relevant material.”
—Mary Greenan, Ivy Tech Community College
“Comprehensive, contemporary, and easy to use.”
d. —Carolyn Rubin-Trimble, University of Houston—Downtown
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All ri —Marlys Cordoba, College of the Siskiyous
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Hill rently use Opening Doors for my online class. I think it is one of the easiest texts to choose for an
w- online class. It covers the typical reading skills, but more importantly, it employs the concept of
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About the Authors
Joe Cortina and Janet Elder began their writing
collaboration as colleagues in the Human and Aca-
demic Development Division at Richland College, a
mem ber of the Dallas County Community College
District. Professor Elder now writes full time; professor
Cortina currently teaches both developmental reading
and honors English courses at Richland, and serves
as the developmental reading program coordinator.
Both are trained reading specialists and are highly ex-
perienced in teaching basic and advanced reading im-
provement and study skills courses. Their combined
Joe Cortina Janet Elder teaching experience spans elementary, secondary, and
undergraduate levels, as well as clinical remediation.
Dr. Cortina and Dr. Elder began collaborating in 1985. Their fi rst textbook was Comprehending
College Textbooks: Steps to Understanding and Remembering What You Read. Their beginning-level
textbook, New Worlds: An Introduction to College Reading, is now in its fourth edition. Dr. Elder is also
the author of an introductory-level text, Entryways into College Reading and Learning, and an intermedi-
ate- to upper-level college reading improvement textbook, Exercise Your College Reading Skills: Devel-
oping More Powerful Comprehension. Both authors are long-standing members of the College Reading
and Learning Association (CRLA) and the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE).
Dr. Cortina is also a member of the Texas counterparts of these national organizations, Texas-CRLA and
TADE, and Dr. Elder has given numerous presentations at their conferences over the years.
Joe Cortina earned his B.A. degree in English from San Diego State University and his master’s
degree and doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction in reading from the University of North Texas.
He has taught undergraduate teacher education courses in reading at the University of North Texas and
Texas Woman’s University. In 1981 he was selected to represent the Dallas County Community Col-
lege District as a nominee for the Piper Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, Dr. Cortina was
selected as his division’s nominee for Richland’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1987, 1988, 1993,
and 2008. In 1992 he was selected as an honored alumnus by the Department of Elementary, Early
Childhood and Reading Education of the University of North Texas, and in 1994 and 2009 he was a
recipient of an Excellence Award given by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Develop-
ment. In addition to teachi ng, Dr. Cortina conducts in-service training and serves as a mentor to both
new full-time and adjunct faculty at Richland College.
Janet Elder was graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin with a B.A.
in English and Latin, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was the recipient of a government fel-
lowship for Southern Methodist University’s Reading Research Program, which resulted in a master’s
degree. Her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in reading is from Texas Woman’s University where
the College of Education presented her the Outstanding Dissertation Award. After teaching reading
and study skills courses at Richland for several years, she implemented the college’s Honors Program
and directed it for six years before returning to teaching full time. She was a three-time nominee for
excellence in teaching awards. Disability Services students also selected her three times as the recipient
of a special award for “exceptional innovation, imagination, and consideration in working with students
with disabilities.” She is a recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s
Excellence Award. In fall, 2004, she left teaching in order to write full time, but she continues her af-
fi liation with Richland as a professor emerita. A frequent presenter at professional conferences and in-
service workshops, she has a deep interest and expertise in “brain-friendly” instruction.
Opening Doors
Understanding College Reading
SIXTH EDITION
Joe Cortina Janet Elder
Professor Professor Emerita
Richland College
Dallas County Community College District
TM
TM
Published by McGraw-Hill, an imprint of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1998, 1995. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in
any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC/DOC 0
ISBN: 978-0-07-340718-0 (Student edition)
MHID: 0-07-340718-6 (Student edition)
ISBN: 978-0-07-735078-9 (Instructor’s edition)
MHID: 0-07-735078-2 (Instructor’s edition)
Vice President, Editorial: Michael Ryan Cover Designer: Allister Fein
Publisher: David S. Patterson Photo Researcher: Sonia Brown
Sponsoring Editor: John Kindler Art Editor: Sonia Brown
Marketing Manager: Allison Jones Production Supervisor: Louis Swaim
Developmental Editor: Barbara Conover Composition: 10.5/12 Times Roman by MPS Limited,
Production Editor: Regina Ernst A Macmillan Company
Manuscript Editor: Barbara Hacha Printing: 45# Publishers Matte Plus, RR Donnelley &
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Credits: The credits section for this book begins on page C-1 and is considered an extension of the copyright page.
Cover: © Philip Coblentz/Brand X/Corbis
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cortina, Joe.
Opening doors / Joe Cortina, Janet Elder. — 6th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-340718-0 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-07-340718-6 (alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-735078-9 (alk. paper) 1. College readers.
2. Reading (Higher education) I. Elder, Janet. II. Title.
PE1122.C637 2011
428.6—dc22
2009045075
www.mhhe.com
Brief Contents
To the Instructor: Getting Started in Opening Doors xiv
To the Student xxi
Orientation:
PART ONE
Preparing and Organizing Yourself for Success in College 1
1
CHAPTER Making Yourself Successful in College 3
2
CHAPTER Approaching College Reading and Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 73
3
CHAPTER Approaching College Assignments: Reading Textbooks and Following
Directions 143
PART TWO Comprehension:
Understanding College Textbooks by Reading for Ideas 207
4
CHAPTER Determining the Topic and the Stated Main Idea 209
5
CHAPTER Formulating Implied Main Ideas 273
6
CHAPTER Identifying Supporting Details 339
7
CHAPTER Recognizing Authors’ Writing Patterns 407
8
CHAPTER Reading Critically 511
9
d. CHAPTER Thinking Critically 583
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w- APPENDIX A List of Word Parts: Prefi xes, Roots, and Suffi xes 797
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Contents
To the Instructor: Getting Started in Opening Doors xiv
To the Student xxi
Orientation:
PART ONE
Preparing and Organizing Yourself for Success in College 1
1
CHAPTER Making Yourself Successful in College 3
Skills 5
Doing What Successful Students Do 5
Motivating Yourself 7
Setting Your Goals 10
Identifying Your Learning Style 12
Managing Your Time 14
Setting Up a Weekly Study Schedule 15
Making the Most of Your Study Time 19
Planning Further Ahead: Creating a Monthly Assignment Calendar and Using a Daily To Do List 20
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 25
Readings 29
SELECTION 1-1 “Why Go to College?” Study Skills
from P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life by Robert S. Feldman 29
SELECTION 1-2 “Getting Ready for Prime Time: Learning the Skills Needed to Succeed Today
and Tomorrow” Business
from Understanding Business by William Nickels, James McHugh, and Susan McHugh 43
SELECTION 1-3 “Saved” Literature
from The Autobiography of Malcolm X as Told to Alex Haley 59
2
CHAPTER Approaching College Reading and Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 73
Skills 75
Understanding the Reading Process 75
Improving Your Reading 77
Predicting as You Read 77
Monitoring Your Comprehension 77
Adjusting Your Reading Rate 77
Developing a College-Level Vocabulary 81
Using Context Clues 82
Using Word-Structure Clues 82
vi
Contents vii
Using a Dictionary Pronunciation Key 85
Understanding Denotations and Connotations of Words 87
Understanding Figurative Language 88
A Word about Standardized Reading Tests: Context Clues and Figurative Language 93
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 95
Readings 101
SELECTION 2-1 “Making It Happen: Creating Positive Change to
Become a Peak Performer” Student Success
from Peak Performance: Success in College and Beyond, by Sharon K. Ferrett 101
SELECTION 2-2 “Fighting Terrorism in a Global Age” History
from “Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the American Republic” by James Davidson et al. 115
SELECTION 2-3 “A Whale of a Survival Problem” Biology
from The Nature of Life by John Postlethwait and Janet Hopson 131
3
CHAPTER Approaching College Assignments: Reading Textbooks
and Following Directions 143
Skills 145
College Textbooks: Methods for Reading and Studying Effectively 145
The SQ3R Study System 146
The Three-Step Process for Reading and Studying Textbooks 146
Step 1: Prepare to Read 147
Step 2: Ask and Answer Questions to Enhance Your Reading 149
Step 3: Review by Rehearsing the Answers to Your Questions 151
d. Following Directions in Textbooks and on Tests 152
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c. Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 155
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w- SELECTION 3-2 “Parenthood: Now, Later, . . . Never?” Human Development
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c from Human Development by Diane E. Papalia, Sally Wendkos Olds, and Ruth Feldman 177
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viii Contents
Comprehension:
PART TWO
Understanding College Textbooks by Reading for Ideas 207
4
CHAPTER Determining the Topic and the Stated Main Idea 209
Skills 211
The Topic of a Paragraph 211
What Is the Topic of a Paragraph, and Why Is It Important? 211
Determining and Expressing the Topic 211
The Stated Main Idea of a Paragraph 215
What Is a Stated Main Idea, and Why Is It Important? 215
Locating the Stated Main Idea Sentence 216
How to Tell If You Have Identifi ed the Stated Main Idea Sentence 219
How to Avoid Two Common Errors in Locating a Stated Main Idea 219
Stated Overall Main Ideas in Longer Passages 220
A Word about Standardized Reading Tests: Topics and Stated Main Ideas 221
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 223
Test Your Understanding: Determining the Topic and the Stated Main Idea 227
Readings 231
SELECTION 4-1 “A Warning to Students: Plagiarism, Term Papers Information Technology
and Web Research”
from Using Information Technology: A Practical Introduction to Computers and Communication
by Brian K. Williams and Stacy C. Sawyer 231
SELECTION 4-2 “Latinos: An Emerging Infl uence in the United States” Sociology
from Sociology: An Introduction by Richard J. Gelles and Ann Levine 245
SELECTION 4-3 “Muhammad” History
from The 100: A Ranking of the Most Infl uential Persons in History by Michael K. Hart 259
5
CHAPTER Formulating Implied Main Ideas 273
Skills 275
Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs 275
What Is an Implied Main Idea? 275
Why Is Formulating Implied Main Ideas Important? 275
Formulating an Implied Main Idea 276
Steps to Follow 276
Three Formulas for Using Information in a Paragraph to Formulate the Main Idea 276
Requirements for Correctly Formulated Main Idea Sentences 282
Implied Overall Main Ideas in Longer Passages 283
A Word about Standardized Reading Tests: Implied Main Ideas 284
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 285
Contents ix
Test Your Understanding: Formulating Implied Main Ideas 289
Readings 293
SELECTION 5-1 “Identity Theft: You Are at Risk” Personal Finance
Information synthesized from Internet sources 293
SELECTION 5-2 “Violence in Television and Video Games:
Does the Media’s Message Matter?” Psychology
from Essentials of Understanding Psychology, by Robert S. Feldman 309
SELECTION 5-3 “Demography, the Study of Population” Sociology
from Sociology: An Introduction by Richard J. Gelles and Ann Levine 323
6
CHAPTER Identifying Supporting Details 339
Skills 341
Supporting Details in Paragraphs 341
What Are Supporting Details? 341
Why Are Supporting Details Important? 341
Identifying and Listing Supporting Details 343
Major and Minor Details, and How to Tell the Difference 347
A Word about Standardized Reading Tests: Supporting Details 349
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 351
Test Your Understanding: Identifying Supporting Details 355
Readings 359
SELECTION 6-1 “Shaping Your Health: The Millennial Generation and Early Adulthood” Health
d. from Understanding Your Health by Wayne A. Payne, Dale B. Hahn, and Ellen B. Lucas 359
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hts r from Understanding Your Health by Wayne A. Payne, Dale B. Hahn, and Ellen B. Mauer 375
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c. from A Beginner’s Guide to the World Economy by Randy Charles Epping 391
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Comparison-Contrast Pattern 419
Cause-Effect Pattern 421
Spatial Order Pattern 424
Avoid Seeing Everything as a List 428
Other Writing Patterns 428
Addition Pattern 429
Generalization and Example Pattern 429
Statement and Clarifi cation Pattern 430
Summary Pattern 430
Mixed Pattern 432
Relationships within and between Sentences 434
1. Clarifi cation 435
2. Example 435
3. Addition 436
4. Sequence 436
5. Comparison 437
6. Contrast 437
7. Cause-Effect 437
8. Problem-Solution 437
9. Spatial Order 438
10. Summary/Conclusion 438
A Word about Standardized Reading Tests: Authors’ Writing Patterns 439
Creating Your Summary: Developing Chapter Review Cards 441
Test Your Understanding: Part One—Basic Writing Patterns 447
Test Your Understanding: Part Two—Other Writing Patterns 451
Test Your Understanding: Part Three—Relationship within and Between Sentences 455
Readings 459
SELECTION 7-1 “E-Commerce? It’s E-Normous!” Business
from Understanding Business by William Nickels, James McHugh, and Susan McHugh 459
SELECTION 7-2 “The Development of Rock Music and Rock in American Society” Music Appreciation
from Music: An Appreciation by Roger Kamien 475
SELECTION 7-3 “Reactions to Impending Death” Psychology
from Essentials of Psychology by Dennis Coon 495
