Unit 1: The Nature of Academic Texts

Lesson 3: Reading a Text Critically

Contents

Engage 1
Introduction 1
Objectives 2

Explore 2

Explain and Elaborate 5

Critical Reading 5
Reading for Analysis 6
Reading for Interpretation 9
Reading for Evaluation 12

Extend 15
Activity 1 15
Activity 2 16

Evaluate 18

Wrap Up 21

Bibliography 21
Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Engage

Introduction

Fig. 1. How can one understand and practice the advice given by essays, as shown in the
photo? Even after reading and thinking critically, who determines if a text is fit for the
audience?

Kacey Riel said, “Reading makes the mind grow,” and there is truth to that statement. The
woman in the picture has the initiative to change how she thinks because she is willing to
read and learn from the book she’s reading. However, before we can change the way we
think, we must learn how to read critically. By reading critically, we can determine if the texts
we read are of quality and worth our time.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Identify the main ideas in a variety of texts.
● Comprehend the text by analyzing and identifying the structure.
● Critique the texts based on your comprehension.

DepEd Competencies
● Explain the specific ideas contained in various academic texts.
(CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-c-3)
● Use knowledge of text structure to glean the information he/she needs.
(CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-c-4)

Explore

10 minutes

Read Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky.” Reflect on what the poem is saying without
researching. Can you truly understand the poem? Why or why not? What is your
interpretation of the poem?

Jabberwocky
Lewis Caroll

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;

Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Guide Questions

1. What do you think is the reason why this poem is famous?

2. What do you think some of the words actually mean? List these words down and write
down their meaning.

3. How were you able to identify the meaning of some of the words made up by Carroll?

4. Why is it hard to understand the poem when you read or listen to it for the first time?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Explain and Elaborate

Critical Reading
Critical reading is a way to read more actively. It requires readers to use their critical
thinking skills to question both the text and their manner of understanding it. During the
critical reading process, your goal is to find a deeper understanding of the content, whether
it is fiction or nonfiction text.

How is critical reading different from regular

reading?

Critical reading requires the reader to do the following:

● Form judgments about the text.
● Analyze, interpret, and evaluate the text while reading.
● Question what the text does and means.
● Challenge assumptions of the text by questioning its argument and interpreting the
meaning in context.
● Describe, interpret, and evaluate in response to the text.

Tip
Annotate what you read by doing the following:
● highlighting important details
● indicating your questions on the text itself
● utilizing the margins for your own notes
● underlining the concepts that you find important

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

To read critically, take note of the following:

● Put yourself in the mindset of the intended audience of the text to identify the
author’s purpose.
● Be open-minded about whatever you are reading and evaluate the text without any
biases.
● Consider the title as it may provide a clue to the author’s goals or viewpoint.
● Read slowly, as it may help you connect with the text more.
● Use additional references, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, to give you more
information on parts you don't understand.
● Take notes, highlight, and interact with the text as comfortably as you can, for these
can be helpful in understanding the author's concepts.

Keep in mind that critical reading requires the reader to go through three steps: analyzing
the text, interpreting the text, and evaluating the text.

Reading for Analysis

Reading for analysis requires a reader to break down the whole text into parts. Breaking the
text down into parts ensures that your critical thinking skills are engaged in analyzing the
argument of the author.

What are the patterns of the text?

You can ask the following questions when you are reading for analysis:
● What is the overall thesis or argument of the text?
● What are the supporting details that create the argument? How do they relate to
each other? How do they relate to the thesis?
● What are the examples used as evidence for the supporting points?
● What techniques of persuasion are utilized in the text?
● What rhetorical strategies are utilized?
● What modes of analysis are utilized?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Example 1
Cigarette smoking is on the decline in the United States for a number of reasons, including
laws banning smoking in many workplaces and in public spaces and at least partial
restrictions in other areas. However, the moist tobacco market is on the rise and has
increased by nearly 7 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to a EuroMonitor International
report. As a result, many companies are developing products and accessories to serve this
expanding market, and they are realizing that some of the prevailing myths about tobacco
users don’t hold up.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Main argument: However, the moist tobacco market is on the rise and has increased by
nearly 7 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to a EuroMonitor International report.
Supporting details: As a result, many companies are developing products and accessories
to serve this expanding market. The companies now discern that some of the prevailing
myths about tobacco users do not hold up.

Remember
Break the text into parts in order to understand its bits, then bring all
the parts into a whole for the entire main idea.

Explanation
In order to read the text analytically, the main argument or concept must be identified. In
this paragraph, the main argument contrasts the idea of the topic sentence. The supporting
details of the main argument connect to it. These supporting details can also act as a
transition for the next idea. The supporting details do not provide an example for this
particular text, but they helpfully introduce the next main idea.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Example 2
Myth No. 1: Tobacco users are messy.
Fact No. 1: Tobacco users are no more or less likely to be neat or messy than anyone else.
Moist tobacco use does require the ability to dispose of the product. However, many moist
tobacco users have discovered accessories that make it easy to be neat and discreet. For
example, the FLASR portable spittoon is engineered to be small enough to fit into a shirt
pocket and features an innovative lid design that can be opened and closed with one hand.

Myth No. 2: Tobacco users are inconsiderate.

Fact No. 2: Most tobacco users know current regulations that ban or restrict smoking in
many public areas. For that reason, many of these smokers have switched to or increased
their use of moist tobacco use as an alternative. Portable spittoons allow for discretion, said
Everett Dickson, CEO of the portable spittoon maker FLASR, in a statement. A portable
spittoon accessory “allows users to enjoy smokeless tobacco in public unobtrusively,
without unwanted attention,” he said.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Main idea: Debunking myths 1 and 2

Supporting details: The presented facts can be considered as supporting details to the
following sentences: “Tobacco users are no more or less likely to be neat or messy than
anyone else” and “Most tobacco users know current regulations that ban or restrict smoking
in many public areas.”

Review
There are several patterns of development to remember, such as descriptive,
process, etc. Those patterns can help you determine the main idea of the
text.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Explanation
The first sentence of each paragraph contains the main idea. Both paragraphs contain the
argument, with the following sentences considered as the supporting details. Additionally,
there are specific examples to support the details and main ideas. These examples illustrate
the concept in a concrete way.

Example 3
Myth No. 3: Tobacco users are uncultured.
Fact No. 3: Tobacco users appreciate products and services that make life easy, fun, and
enjoyable. To that end, smokeless tobacco users who have not yet discovered the portable
spittoon are in for a pleasant surprise. Portable spittoons, such as those available from
FLASR, feature an advanced closing mechanism to help prevent leaks and spills. The
products are available in a convenient 4-ounce size that can easily be carried into a theatre
or other venue where a cup or bottle isn’t appropriate.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Main idea: Debunking the third myth

Supporting detail: The supporting details strengthen the argument of the topic sentence
that contains the main idea: “Tobacco users appreciate products and services that make life
easy, fun, and enjoyable.”

Explanation
The topic sentence of the paragraph contains the main idea, while the supporting details
attempt to convince readers that the myth is debunked. This particular paragraph may
seem weaker than the previous paragraphs because there is no hard evidence presented to
support the thesis. However, it can still make an impact.

Reading for Interpretation

Once you have broken down the text for analysis, you can now attempt to understand the
ideas and sentences. As a reader, it is imperative that you be aware of the following
contexts for maximum comprehension: the text’s cultural background, the historical
facts surrounding it, the author’s life experiences, the debates within the discipline
during a significant time period, and the intellectual debates of contemporary times.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

What do the patterns of arguments mean?

You can ask the following questions when reading for interpretation:
● What debates were the author and the text engaging in at that particular time?
● What kinds of reasoning were employed?
● What kind of methodology and theory were employed?
● How might my reading of the text be biased?

Example 1
Cigarette smoking is on the decline in the United States for a number of reasons, including
laws banning smoking in many workplaces and in public spaces and at least partial
restrictions in other areas. However, the moist tobacco market is on the rise and has
increased by nearly 7% from 2011 to 2014, according to a EuroMonitor International report.
As a result, many companies are developing products and accessories to serve this
expanding market, and they are realizing that some of the prevailing myths about tobacco
users don’t hold up.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Understanding: Smoking cigarettes is declining, but there are more people who are finding
alternatives for tobacco intake.
Debate: Is moist tobacco safer in comparison to dry cigarettes?

Explanation
Earlier, we identified the main argument of the essay using critical reading for analysis. In
comparison, using critical reading for interpretation pinpoints a debatable topic. As the topic
at hand is about smoking, using moist tobacco may not be a safe alternative for smokers.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Example 2
Myth No. 1: Tobacco users are messy.
Fact No. 1: Tobacco users are no more or less likely to be neat or messy than anyone else.
Moist tobacco use does require the ability to dispose of the product. However, many moist
tobacco users have discovered accessories that make it easy to be neat and discreet. For
example, the FLASR portable spittoon is engineered to be small enough to fit into a shirt
pocket and features an innovative lid design that can be opened and closed with one hand.

Myth No. 2: Tobacco users are inconsiderate.

Fact No. 2: Most tobacco users know current regulations that ban or restrict smoking in
many public areas. For that reason, many of these smokers have switched to or increased
their use of moist tobacco as an alternative. Portable spittoons allow for discretion, said
Everett Dickson, CEO of the portable spittoon maker FLASR, in a statement. A portable
spittoon accessory “allows users to enjoy smokeless tobacco in public unobtrusively,
without unwanted attention,” he said.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Understanding: Tobacco users are like everyone else when it comes to neatness and
orderliness, and they are known to be considerate of other people in public places.
Debate: Should there be a market for moist tobacco users, even if it is dangerous to their
health?

Why should a text avoid biases?

Explanation
These two paragraphs have already debunked certain myths about tobacco users, and the
argument presents a debatable topic: why is there a market for tobacco users considering
that it still poses a danger to the smokers’ health? The paragraphs fail to discuss the side
that argues against the use of tobacco. Even if this spittoon is made for those who use
tobacco, should it be promoted?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Example 3
Myth No. 3: Tobacco users are uncultured.
Fact No. 3: Tobacco users appreciate products and services that make life easy, fun, and
enjoyable. To that end, smokeless tobacco users who have not yet discovered the portable
spittoon are in for a pleasant surprise. Portable spittoons, such as those available from
FLASR, feature an advanced closing mechanism to help prevent leaks and spills. The
products are available in a convenient 4-ounce size that can easily be carried into a theatre
or other venue where a cup or bottle isn’t appropriate.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Understanding: Tobacco users might want to consider the portable spittoon.

Debate: Can there be alternatives for users and their tobacco intake that is less dangerous?

Explanation
This last paragraph presents the last main idea, the debunked concept that tobacco users
are uncultured. The debatable topic gives a premise that there may be an alternative for
tobacco users, because of the idea that tobacco is still dangerous for their health. As there
are users who have yet to try the portable spittoon, there is still a chance that alternatives
can be presented for the argument.

Reading for Evaluation

Reading for evaluation allows you to make judgements about the text for the following
values: intellectual or cognitive value, aesthetic value, moral value, and/or practical
value.

How well does the text do what it is supposed to

do? What is its value?

You can ask the following questions when reading for evaluation:
● How does it contribute to the discipline? Are the main conclusions original?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

● Do the evidence and reasoning adequately support the theory or theories

presented?
● Are the sources reliable?
● Is the argument logically consistent and convincing?
● Are any experiments, questionnaires, statistical sections, etc. designed and executed
in accordance with the accepted standards of the relevant disciplines?
● What are the strengths and weaknesses of the theory?
● How would competing theories criticize this text? How would the author reply?

Example 1
Cigarette smoking is on the decline in the United States for a number of reasons, including
laws banning smoking in many workplaces and in public spaces and at least partial
restrictions in other areas. However, the moist tobacco market is on the rise and has
increased by nearly 7% from 2011 to 2014, according to a EuroMonitor International report.
As a result, many companies are developing products and accessories to serve this
expanding market, and they are realizing that some of the prevailing myths about tobacco
users don’t hold up.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Evaluation: The text is informative; however, it shows bias because the safety of tobacco
use is debatable, considering tobacco is dangerous to the users’ health.

Example 2
Myth No. 1: Tobacco users are messy.
Fact No. 1: Tobacco users are no more or less likely to be neat or messy than anyone else.
Moist tobacco use does require the ability to dispose of the product. However, many moist
tobacco users have discovered accessories that make it easy to be neat and discreet. For
example, the FLASR portable spittoon is engineered to be small enough to fit into a shirt
pocket and features an innovative lid design that can be opened and closed with one hand.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Myth No. 2: Tobacco users are inconsiderate.

Fact No. 2: Most tobacco users know current regulations that ban or restrict smoking in
many public areas. For that reason, many of these smokers have switched to or increased
their use of moist tobacco use as an alternative. Portable spittoons allow for discretion, said
Everett Dickson, CEO of the portable spittoon maker FLASR, in a statement. A portable
spittoon accessory “allows users to enjoy smokeless tobacco in public unobtrusively,
without unwanted attention,” he said.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Evaluation: The main idea supports the overall topic; however, because these two details
support the notion that it is still okay to use tobacco, its promotion of the spittoon is still
biased.

Why is it imperative that a reader make a

judgment for any text?

Example 3
Myth No. 3: Tobacco users are uncultured.
Fact No. 3: Tobacco users appreciate products and services that make life easy, fun, and
enjoyable. To that end, smokeless tobacco users who have not yet discovered the portable
spittoon are in for a pleasant surprise. Portable spittoons, such as those available from
FLASR, feature an advanced closing mechanism to help prevent leaks and spills. The
products are available in a convenient 4-ounce size that can easily be carried into a theatre
or other venue where a cup or bottle isn’t appropriate.
Source: “Dispelling Myths About Tobacco Users”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/dispelling-myths-about-tobacco-users/)

Evaluation: This paragraph supports the overall idea of the text; however, it is the weakest
argument. It makes an assumption that those who have yet to use the spittoon may find it
useful, but it fails to give other alternatives.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Explanation
After critically reading the text for evaluative purposes, the reader can conclude that
although the text is informative, it is also biased. It supports smoking and promotes an
alternative way around the smoking ban. This kind of judgment is significant for the text, as
readers can determine its value to the field. The author intended to persuade people that
an alternative to tobacco intake is good, but there is no presentation of facts to support the
other end of the spectrum.

Extend

Activity 1
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions about the text.

Charges of Oscar Wilde’s plagiarism are certainly not new; they have their origins in his
contemporaries’ sharp criticism of his first published volume, Poems (1881). Even if they did
not claim that any of his poetry had been stolen verbatim from the Romantics and
Pre-Raphaelites whose work he adored, commentators grasped that much of his work was
highly derivative. The Saturday Review was fairly typical of the critical reception: “The book is
not without traces of cleverness, but it is marred everywhere by imitation, insincerity, and
bad taste.” At the same time, the Oxford Union famously rejected on similar grounds the
very copy of Poems that its secretary had solicited from Wilde; at the Oxford Union, the
undergraduate Oliver Elton — later to become a renowned literary historian — asserted that
Wilde’s poems were “not by their putative father at all, but by a number of better-known
and more deservedly reputed authors.” Modern scholars have on occasion rebutted Elton’s
claim, suggesting that disdain for Wilde’s developing poetic voice or even downright jealousy
motivated the outcry. Nevertheless, the stigma attached to the reception of Poems has stuck
firmly to that work and to many others in Wilde’s oeuvre.
Source: “On Oscar Wilde and Plagiarism” by Joseph Bristow and Rebecca N. Mitchell
(https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/on-oscar-wilde-and-plagiarism)

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Questions:
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. What are the supporting details that aid the identified main idea?

Guide
It is best to identify the main idea by finding the thesis statement. Once the thesis
statement has been identified, look at the rest of the paragraph for the supporting
details. There will be a need to identify the concrete examples, if any, for the said
supporting details.

Activity 2
Read the following abstract and answer the comprehension questions about the text.

This research is a qualitative study that focuses on the experiences of a student with mental
health disorders and the support the school provides. The study also considers the
environment of the student. In addition, it discusses how to address behavioral issues in
school and how to create positive behavior support plans if a student receives special
education services. Mental health disorders affect a student's social interaction, academic
performance, and overall functionality in school. Moreover, this study tries to identify the

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

possible procedures in handling students with mental health disorders. Mental health is
crucial to a student's well-being, and if not taken seriously, mental illness could leave
long-term effects on the student’s physical and mental health. Furthermore, students that
undergo drastic personal change have an increased tendency to be depressed and have
suicidal thoughts. Additionally, a mental health disorder has a large negative effect not only
on the student but also on his or her surroundings. In addition, the school administration
lacks the proper requirements on handling students with mental health disorders. This
study recommends that other researchers conduct further studies on early intervention and
other ways of supporting students with mental health disorders.

Questions:
1. What is the main idea of the abstract?
2. What other recommendations can be added to the abstract based on the concepts
presented?

Guide
The abstract gives a general idea of the research topic. Based on the given data, there
is a need to conduct further studies, as many of the details in the current research
remain unclear. Check the supporting details, then, as a reader, determine the best
recommendations for this study.

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Evaluate

A. Answer the following questions as accurately and

precisely as you can.

1. What is critical reading?

2. How does critical reading differ from regular reading?

3. What are the three different steps involved in the process of critical reading?

4. What is the purpose of critical reading for analysis?

5. What is the purpose of critical reading for evaluation?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

B. Read and understand each question thoroughly. Think

carefully before answering.

1. Use critical reading to analyze the following Steve Jobs quotation and to identify the
main idea: “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be
trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let
the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important,
have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

2. Use critical reading to interpret the same Steve Jobs quotation found in the previous
question. What is debatable about the subject?

3. Why could this quote be considered inspirational for others?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

4. What is your own judgment of Steve Jobs’ quote? How would you relate the quote to
your own life?

5. Use critical reading to evaluate the following Earl Sweatshirt quotation: “Everyone's like
sheep on social media; like, one person starts making noise, and everyone's like, 'Hey,
yeah!' and then you got a whole bunch of people making noise at you.” How could a
senior high school student relate to this quotation?

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Unit 1.3: Reading a Text Critically

Wrap Up
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Critical reading is a more active way of reading a text.

● It requires readers to use their critical thinking skills to question both the text they
are reading and their manner of understanding it.
● It is composed of three steps: reading to analyze, reading to interpret, and
reading to evaluate.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography

“Critical Reading.” Massey University. Accessed March 6, 2020.

https://owll.massey.ac.nz/study-skills/critical-reading.php.

“Critical Reading and Reading Strategy.” SkillsYouNeed. Accessed March 6, 2020.

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-reading.html.

Gillett, Andy. “Reading Critically.” Reading Frames. Accessed June 8, 2020.

http://www.uefap.com/reading/crit/critfram.htm.

“Reading Critically.” University of Toronto Scarborough. Accessed February 29, 2020.

https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.twc/files/resource-files/Critic
alReading.pdf.

“What Is Critical Reading.” University of Leicester, March 11, 2013.

https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/all-resources/writing/writing-resources/critical-readin
g.

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