3.How to Do a Close Reading
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怎么去阅读英文作文Reading English essays can be a fun and engaging way to improve your language skills. Here's how to approach it without any fancy transitions or logical connections:1. Start with a bang: Don't think about paragraphs,just dive right into the text. Look for the first sentence or a few lines that catch your attention. This could be a surprising statement or an intriguing question.2. Scan for keywords: English essays often have a clear topic. Skim through the text and identify the main ideas, keywords, and phrases. These will give you a sense ofwhat's coming.3. Read actively: Don't just read word by word, but actively engage with the text. Highlight or underline important points, and try to guess the author's tone or perspective.4. Understand the context: If you come across a word or phrase you don't know, don't worry about it. Most of the time, context clues will help you understand its meaning.5. Summarize: After reading a section, summarize its main points in your own words. This will help you retain the information and connect it to your understanding.6. Question and explore: If you see something that's unclear or interesting, ask yourself questions. This will encourage deeper thinking and analysis.7. Switch between sections: Don't stay too long in one section. Move on to the next one, and let the flow of the essay guide your reading.8. Reflect: Once you've read the whole essay, take a moment to reflect on the overall argument, the author's stance, and any insights you gained.Remember, the goal is to read like a curious reader,not a teacher. Enjoy the journey and let the text speak to you!。
初中生提高英语阅读的方法Middle school students often find themselves at acritical juncture in their language learning journey, where improving their English reading skills can significantly impact their academic success and overall proficiency in the language. Here are some effective strategies to enhanceEnglish reading comprehension for middle schoolers:1. Read Regularly: Consistency is key in language acquisition. Encourage students to read every day, even ifit's just for a few minutes.2. Choose Engaging Material: Select books and articlesthat match the students' interests. When the content is appealing, students are more likely to engage with the text.3. Start with Level-Appropriate Texts: Begin with texts that are slightly above the student's current reading levelto challenge them without causing frustration.4. Use a Reading Log: Keeping a log of what and how much they read can help students set goals and track their progress.5. Teach Pre-Reading Strategies: Discuss the title, cover, and any headings or subheadings to set a purpose for reading before diving into the text.6. Encourage Predicting and Inferring: Teach students to make predictions based on the text's clues and to infer meaning from context.7. Highlight and Annotate: Let students use highlighters and write notes in the margins to interact with the text and better understand it.8. Vocabulary Building: Introduce new words in context and encourage students to maintain a personal vocabulary journal.9. Discuss the Reading: After reading, have discussions about the text. This helps students to think critically about what they've read and reinforces comprehension.10. Use Technology: E-readers, online articles, and educational apps can make reading more interactive and fun.11. Practice Silent Reading: This helps students to focus on comprehension without the distraction of vocalizing the words.12. Teach Note-Taking Skills: Effective note-taking can improve comprehension and retention of information.13. Explore Different Genres: Expose students to avariety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays, to broaden their literary horizons.14. Set a Good Example: Show students that you valuereading by doing it yourself and sharing your experiences.15. Provide Feedback: Offer constructive feedback on students' reading efforts to help them improve.16. Use Graphic Organizers: Tools like story maps, Venn diagrams, and character webs can help visualize the information in the text.17. Incorporate Multimedia: Watching a film or listening to an audiobook after reading can reinforce understanding and engagement.18. Connect Reading to Real Life: Relating the text to real-world situations can make the content more meaningful.19. Encourage Independent Reading: Give students the freedom to choose their own books, which can foster a lovefor reading.20. Celebrate Progress: Recognize and celebrate improvements in reading skills to motivate students to continue their efforts.By implementing these strategies, middle school students can significantly improve their English reading skills, leading to a more confident and capable approach to language learning.。
closereading格式
"Close Reading" 是一种文本分析方法,通常用于深入理解文学作品的含义、主题、风格和技巧。
这种方法强调对文本的细致阅读和解析,以揭示其深层含义和作者的意图。
在"Close Reading" 中,通常会采取以下步骤:
1.预读:快速浏览文本,了解其大致内容和结构。
2.细读:逐句或逐段仔细阅读文本,注意关键词、隐喻、象征、语气等细节。
3.分析:对文本进行深入分析,探讨其主题、意象、风格等,理解作者的意图和
文本的意义。
4.总结:概括文本的主题、意义和作者的主要观点。
5.评价:基于分析结果,对文本进行批判性评价,包括其优点和不足。
在格式上,Close Reading 并没有固定的格式,但通常会包括以下几个部分:
1.介绍:简要介绍文本和作者的背景信息。
2.分析:对文本进行细致的分析,包括主题、风格、语言特点等。
3.结论:总结分析结果,提出对文本的整体评价和看法。
需要注意的是,Close Reading 并不是一种固定的格式,而是一种分析文本的方法。
因此,可以根据具体的文本和分析目的进行适当的调整。
How to Do a Close ReadingThe process of writing an essay usually begins with the close reading of a text. Of course, the writer's personal experience may occasionally come into the essay, and all essays depend on the writer's own observations and knowledge. But most essays, especially academic essays, begin with a close reading of some kind of text—a painting, a movie, an event—and usually with that of a written text. When you close read, you observe facts and details about the text. You may focus on a particular passage, or on the text as a whole. Your aim may be to notice all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references; or, your aim may be to notice only selected features of the text—for instance, oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references. Either way, making these observations constitutes the first step in the process of close reading.The second step is interpreting your observations. What we're basically talking about here is inductive reasoning: moving from the observation of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on those observations. And, as with inductive reasoning, close reading requires careful gathering of data (your observations) and careful thinking about what these data add up to.How to Begin:1. Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text."Annotating" means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases—anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond to a text in this way, we not only force ourselves to pay close attention, but we also begin to think with the author about the evidence—the first step in moving from reader to writer.Here's a sample passage by anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley. It's from his essay called "The Hidden Teacher.". . . I once received an unexpected lesson from a spider. It happened far awayon a rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils,and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whoseweb was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the arroyo.It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the lines andspokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws could feel everyvibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew the tug of wind, thefall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth's wing. Down one spoke ofthe web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on which she could hurry out toinvestigate her prey.Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web.Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacingoccupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed clawor wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As thevibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs ofstruggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this universe for which noprecedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe wasspider universe. All outside was irrational, extraneous, at best raw materialfor spider. As I proceeded on my way along the gully, like a vast impossibleshadow, I realized that in the world of spider I did not exist.2. Look for patterns in the things you've noticed about the text—repetitions, contradictions, similarities.What do we notice in the previous passage? First, Eiseley tells us that the orb spider taught him a lesson, thus inviting us to consider what that lesson might be. But we'll let that larger question go for now and focus on particulars—we're working inductively. In Eiseley's next sentence, we find that this encounter "happened far away on a rainy morning in the West." This opening locates us in another time, another place, and has echoes of the traditional fairy tale opening: "Once upon a time . . .". What does this mean? Why would Eiseley want to remind us of tales and myth? We don't know yet, but it's curious. We make a note of it.Details of language convince us of our location "in the West"—gulch, arroyo, and buffalo grass. Beyond that, though, Eiseley calls the spider's web "her universe" and "the great wheel she inhabited," as in the great wheel of the heavens, the galaxies. By metaphor, then, the web becomes the universe, "spider universe." And the spider, "she," whose "senses did not extend beyond" her universe, knows "the flutter of a trapped moth's wing" and hurries "to investigate her prey." Eiseley says he could see her "fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle." These details of language, and others, characterize the "owner" of the web as thinking, feeling, striving—a creature much like ourselves. But so what?3. Ask questions about the patterns you've noticed—especially how and why.To answer some of our own questions, we have to look back at the text and see what else is going on. For instance, when Eiseley touches the web with his pencil point—an event "for which no precedent existed"—the spider, naturally, can make no sense of the pencil phenomenon: "Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas." Of course, spiders don't have ideas, but we do. And if we start seeing this passage in human terms, seeing the spider's situation in "her universe" as analogous to our situation in our universe (which we think of as the universe), then we may decide that Eiseley is suggesting that our universe (the universe) is also finite, that our ideas are circumscribed, and that beyond the limits of our universe there might be phenomena as fully beyond our ken as Eiseley himself—that "vast impossible shadow"—was beyond the understanding of the spider.But why vast and impossible, why a shadow? Does Eiseley mean God, extra-terrestrials? Or something else, something we cannot name or even imagine? Is this the lesson? Now we see that the sense of tale telling or myth at the start of the passage, plus this reference to something vast and unseen, weighs against a simple E.T. sort of interpretation. And though the spider can't explain, or even apprehend, Eiseley's pencil point, that pencil point is explainable—rational after all. So maybe not God. We need more evidence, so we go back to the text—the whole essay now, not just this one passage—and look for additional clues. And as we proceed in this way, paying close attention to the evidence, asking questions, formulating interpretations, we engage in a process that is central to essay writing and to the whole academic enterprise: in other words, we reason toward our own ideas.Copyright 1998, Patricia Kain, for the Writing Center at Harvard University。
有⼀个让英语阅读飞跃的法宝,在家也能做,叫closereading!⽆独有偶。
最近⾝边有好⼏个进了国际和双语学校的家长朋友,从2年级开始都有点坐不住纷纷开始补课了。
补的都是英⽂,送去的机构⼤多是孜孜不倦做⼀件事:带孩⼦精读、或者做深度阅读。
⽽我⾃⼰关注的⼏个国外home learning的⽹站也都正好教⽗母如何在家带着孩⼦做closereading。
到底什么是close reading呢?⽤国外教育专家写的书⾥复杂的解释: “深度阅读是让学⽣有机会将新的⽂本信息与他们现有的背景知识和先前的经验相结合,以扩展他们的知识⾯和阅读能⼒。
” 原话引⾃Douglas Fisher &Nancy Frey所写的书Close Reading in Elementary Schools。
我们普通⽗母,不是教育专家。
简单来理解close reading,就是让孩⼦通过重复、深⼊的阅读,强化他们的理解。
从效果来说:close reading是将⼀段⽂章/⼀本书读很多遍之后能够解释给别⼈听,并且回答关于它的各种问题。
事先准备我给⾃⼰⼆年级的⼩孩在家⾥做了尝试。
⼩孩从未上过补习班,英语阅读⽔平还不错,是个英语原版书迷,但看书速度很快,沉浸其中到底看进去多少?不得⽽知。
偶尔我会拿⼀本我也看过的书问她,这讲了什么?⾥⾯情节转承启合是怎样的?她有些说得上来,有些说不上。
因为我⼯作也很忙,所以这样问的机会也不多。
基本她看什么书、看得怎么样,讲真我也搞不清楚。
当我从上看到⼀篇关于close reading的攻略之后,我决定⼿把⼿和她精读⼀篇⽂章。
第⼀个遇到的难题,就是close reading其实挺枯燥的。
⼀来因为close reading肯定需要读不⽌⼀遍,孩⼦觉得烦;⼆来因为close reading速度很慢,半⼩时的共同阅读能读完⼀两页A4⼤⼩的⽂章就不错了,如果从⼀本书开始深度阅读,孩⼦(其实⼤⼈也是)能坚持的难度就更⼤了。
应如何进行阅读的英语作文Reading English compositions effectively requires a combination of strategies to comprehend the content thoroughly. Here are some steps you can follow:1. Previewing:Before diving into the text, take a moment to preview it. Skim through the headings, subheadings, and any highlighted or bolded text. This will give you an idea of what the composition is about and help you prepare mentally for what you're about to read.2. Identify the Main Idea:As you begin reading, focus on understanding the main idea or thesis of the composition. Look for topic sentences in each paragraph, as they often express the main idea or the central point being made.3. Highlighting and Note-Taking:Use a highlighter or take notes as you read.Highlight key points, important definitions, or any information you find particularly relevant. Summarize each paragraph in your own words to ensure you're grasping the content.4. Vocabulary:Pay attention to any unfamiliar words or phrases and make a note of them. Try to infer their meanings from the context, and if necessary, use a dictionary to look them up. Building your vocabulary is essential for improving your comprehension of English compositions.5. Understanding Structure:Notice how the composition is structured. Identify the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Understanding the organization of the text will help you follow the author's logic and arguments more effectively.6. Making Connections:Relate the content of the composition to your own knowledge and experiences. This will not only help you understand the material better but also make it more memorable.7. Questioning:Engage with the text by asking yourself questions as you read. What is the author's purpose? Are there any biases or assumptions? What evidence is provided to support the arguments? Questioning the text encourages active reading and deeper understanding.8. Summarizing:After you've finished reading, take a moment to summarize the main points of the composition in your own words. This will help reinforce your understanding and retention of the material.9. Reflecting:Think critically about the composition after you've read it. Consider its implications, strengths, and weaknesses. Reflecting on what you've read will help you develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.10. Practice:Finally, the key to improving your English reading skills is consistent practice. Challenge yourself with a variety of compositions, ranging from different topics and difficulty levels. The more you read, the more familiar you'll become with the language and its nuances.By following these steps and practicing regularly,you'll gradually become a more proficient and confident reader of English compositions.。
英语作文如何专注阅读Improving concentration while reading English texts requires a combination of strategies and practice. Here are some effective methods to help you enhance your focus:1. Create a Suitable Environment: Find a quiet and comfortable place to read where you won't be easily distracted. Minimize background noise and ensure good lighting.2. Set Specific Goals: Determine what you aim to achieve from your reading session. Whether it's understanding the main ideas, learning new vocabulary, or grasping complex concepts, having clear goals helps maintain focus.3. Break Down Your Reading Sessions: Instead of trying to read a lengthy text in one sitting, break it down into smaller, manageable sections. Set aside dedicated time intervals for each section, with short breaks in between torest your mind.4. Use Active Reading Techniques: Engage with the text actively by asking questions, making predictions, and summarizing key points as you read. This not only enhances comprehension but also keeps your mind actively involved in the reading process.5. Practice Mindfulness: Stay present and focused onthe task at hand by practicing mindfulness techniques. If you notice your mind wandering, gently bring your attention back to the text without judgment.6. Employ Visual Aids: Use techniques like highlighting, underlining, or making annotations in the margins tointeract with the text visually. This not only helps reinforce learning but also keeps your attention focused on the material.7. Take Regular Breaks: Break up long reading sessions with short breaks to prevent mental fatigue. Use these breaks to stretch, hydrate, or engage in brief relaxationexercises to recharge your mind.8. Manage External Distractions: Identify and minimize external distractions such as notifications, background noise, or interruptions from others. Consider using tools like noise-canceling headphones or apps that block distracting websites during your reading sessions.9. Practice Active Listening: If possible, complement your reading with audio materials like podcasts or audiobooks. Active listening exercises can improve your overall comprehension skills and help maintain focus, especially when dealing with challenging texts.10. Review and Reflect: After completing a reading session, take some time to review and reflect on whatyou've learned. Summarize the main ideas, identify any areas of confusion, and consider how the informationrelates to your existing knowledge.By incorporating these strategies into your routine and consistently practicing them, you can develop strongerfocus and concentration while reading English texts. Remember that improvement takes time and patience, so be persistent in your efforts and celebrate your progress along the way.。
第四单元过关检测(A卷)(时间:120分钟满分:150分)第一部分听力(共两节,满分30分)第一节(共5小题;每小题1.5分,满分7.5分)听下面5段对话。
每段对话后有一个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。
听完每段对话后,你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。
每段对话仅读一遍。
1.What time does the museum close on Sundays?2.What does the man mean?A.He’s willing to help out.B.He has his hands full.3.What is the man persuading the woman to do?A.Have less meat.B.Buy him a burger.5.In what aspect is the man weak in Chinese?B.Writing.C.Speaking.第二节(共15小题;每小题1.5分,满分22.5分)听下面5段对话或独白。
每段对话或独白后有几个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。
听每段对话或独白前,你将有时间阅读各个小题,每小题5秒钟;听完后,各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。
每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段材料,回答第6、7题。
6.What does the woman think of horror movies?B.Frightening.C.Boring.7.What new hobby will the woman start?A.Skiing.B.Reading.听第7段材料,回答第8、9题。
8.What is wrong with the man?A.His chest hurts.B.He has a stomachache.9.What does the woman tell the man to do?A.Have a good rest.B.Ask for leave from work.听第8段材料,回答第10至12题。
小学六年级上册英语第六单元期中试卷[含答案解释]英语试题一、综合题(本题有50小题,每小题2分,共100分.每小题不选、错误,均不给分)1.We _______ (study / studies / studying) English every morning.2.My little brother is very curious. He loves asking questions about everything. Yesterday, he asked me how birds can fly, and I explained that they have wings and feathers. He is always interested in learning new things.3.We _______ (clean) the house every Saturday.4.I __________ (1) to school by bus every day. It __________ (2) about 20 minutes to get there. My friend Lucy __________ (3) to school on foot because she __________ (4) live very close to the school. We usually __________ (5) together during the lunch break.I __________ (6) to play basketball with my friends after school.5.What do we use to write?A. PencilB. ForkC. SpoonD. Plate6.Which of these is used to eat?A. SpoonB. BookC. PaperD. Shoe7.She _______ (eat) an apple.8.My sister ______ (love) playing the guitar. She ______ (play) the guitar every evening after dinner. Last week, she ______ (learn) a new song. She ______ (practice) it every day, and now she ______ (be) able to play it very well. I ______ (listen) to her play, and I ______ (feel) so proud of her.9.What is the opposite of "big"?A. SmallB. TallC. LargeD. Wide10.Which one is a fruit?A. carrotB. potatoC. appleD. cabbage11.Tom and his dad are working in the garden. They are planting __________ (1) in the __________ (2). Tom is using a __________ (3) to dig holes, and his dad is putting the __________ (4) into the soil. They will water the plants with the __________ (5).12.Which of these animals can walk on land?A. FishB. BirdC. ElephantD. Whale13.What do you call the person who helps you when you are sick?A. TeacherB. DoctorC. ChefD. Driver14.Which of these is a tool for cutting?A. KnifeB. SpoonC. ForkD. Plate15.Peter is playing soccer with his friends. He kicks the __________ (1) and runs to the __________ (2). His friend, John, is the __________ (3) and tries to stop the ball. Peter scores a __________ (4) and everyone cheers.16.She ________ (go) to bed at 9 PM.17.I ______ (love) animals. I ______ (have) a cat and a dog. Last month, I ______ (adopt) a puppy from the animal shelter. It ______ (be) so cute!18.My sister __________ (love) reading books, and she __________ (spend) hours in the library every week. She __________ (prefer) reading mysteries, but sometimes she __________ (read) science fiction. I __________ (not/like) reading as much, but I__________ (enjoy) playing sports.19.Anna ______ (be) very good at drawing. She ______ (draw) pictures of animals and people every day. Last week, she ______ (draw) a picture of a lion for her art class. Her teacher ______ (like) it a lot and ______ (hang) it on the classroom wall. Anna______ (feel) proud of her work.20.What do we use to write on paper?A. PenB. ScissorsC. PlateD. Spoon21.How many fingers do you have?A. fourB. fiveC. sixD. ten22.I have a __________. It is __________ and __________. Every morning, I__________ it before school. I also like to __________ with it in the __________ after school. It helps me __________, and I feel very __________ when I play with it. Sometimes, I let my __________ play with it too.23.I love animals, especially __. They are very smart and can perform many tricks. I like to watch shows where dolphins jump through hoops and play with balls. My family and I went to the zoo last weekend, and we saw many dolphins in the __.24.My father __________ (work) in a hospital. He __________ (be) a doctor. He__________ (help) many patients every day. In the evening, he __________ (come) home and __________ (rest).25.What is the opposite of "happy"?A. SadB. TallC. BigD. Fast26.What is the opposite of fast?A. SlowB. QuickC. StrongD. Weak27.They _______ (is / are / was) eating dinner now.28.Which of these is an animal?A. AppleB. DogC. CarD. Tree29.What is the opposite of "cold"?A. WarmB. HotC. TallD. Soft30.Which of these is a body part?A. NoseB. PlateC. SpoonD. Fork31.I like to play _____.A. basketballB. basketC. ballD. basketballs32.Lily is preparing for the school talent show. She will __________ a song in front of her classmates. She practices every day and tries to sing the __________. Lily wears a __________ and feels a little nervous, but she is also __________ to perform.33.I __________ (love) reading books. My favorite book __________ (be) about a magical world. I __________ (read) it many times. My brother __________ (like) adventure stories, but I __________ (prefer) fantasy books.34.I _______ (play) with my pet every day.35.We __________ (1) a fun time at the zoo last weekend. We __________ (2) many animals, such as lions, tigers, and monkeys. My favorite animal __________ (3) the elephant because it __________ (4) so big and strong. After the zoo, we __________ (5) some ice cream and __________ (6) home. I __________ (7) to visit the zoo again soon.36.Which one is a shape?A. DogB. CircleC. TableD. Book37.Which one is the correct spelling of the number 100?A. HunderdB. HundredC. HundretD. Hundered38.Which one is a body part?A. EarB. KnifeC. PlateD. Spoon39.Which animal is known for its ability to jump?A. ElephantB. FrogC. CatD. Dog40.What do we use to clean our teeth?A. ToothbrushB. KnifeC. ForkD. Spoon41.Which animal can swim?A. DogB. ElephantC. FishD. Cat42.Which of these is a day of the week?A. SaturdayB. JanuaryC. SummerD. Winter43.What is the opposite of "hot"?A. ColdB. FastC. TallD. Big44.Which one is the verb in the sentence: "She runs fast"?A. SheB. RunsC. FastD. The45.Which one is a type of food?A. PizzaB. ChairC. SpoonD. Plate46.Which sentence uses an adverb correctly?A. She sings beautifully.B. She sings beauty.C. She beautifully sings.D. Beautifully she sings.47.Which of these is a type of fruit?A. AppleB. LettuceC. CarrotD. Potato48.Which one is a number?A. TenB. SpoonC. KnifeD. Plate49.He _______ (is / are / am) going to the market now.50.What is the color of a banana?A. RedB. YellowC. GreenD. Purple(答案及解释)。
close reading 和distant reading -回复Close reading和distant reading是文学研究领域中两种不同的方法,用于分析和解释文本。
本文将逐步解释和比较这两种方法。
首先,我们来探讨close reading(近距离阅读)方法。
Close reading 是一种紧密关注文本细节的分析方法。
它要求读者仔细研究每个字词、句子、段落和章节,并根据这些细节来推断和理解文本的意义和主旨。
这种方法注重细节,强调文本内部的结构、语言和修辞手法的作用,以及作品的主题、情节和角色的刻画。
通过解读细节,Close reading可以揭示出作者的意图和表达。
对于close reading方法,我们可以使用一首诗歌作品作为例子来说明。
假设我们选择英国著名诗人威廉·莎士比亚的sonnet 18作为我们的文本。
在这个过程中,我们将会细致地分析每一个短语、句子和词汇,例如“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”。
然而,与close reading不同,distant reading(远距离阅读)是一种使用计算机和数据分析的方法。
它通过对大规模文本进行统计和规律性的分析,以寻找模式和趋势。
这种方法不再关注个别的文本细节,而是更加关注广泛的文本集合。
通过对多个文本的分析,distant reading可以提供更广阔的文学图景。
举一个例子来说明distant reading。
我们可以使用大量的文学作品数据库,例如计算机科学家JSTOR或Project Gutenberg中的文本收集,来实施distant reading。
通过这种方法,我们可以分析大量的文本数据,比如词汇频率、主题关联和作者网络。
对于文学研究领域来说,这种方法具有极大的潜力,可以揭示一些无法通过传统close reading方法获得的洞见。
尽管close reading和distant reading在方法和目的上有所不同,但它们并非互斥。
How to Do a Close ReadingThe process of writing an essay usually begins with the close reading of a text. Of course, the writer's personal experience may occasionally come into the essay, and all essays depend on the writer's own observations and knowledge. But most essays, especially academic essays, begin with a close reading of some kind of text—a painting, a movie, an event—and usually with that of a written text. When you close read, you observe facts and details about the text. You may focus on a particular passage, or on the text as a whole. Your aim may be to notice all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references; or, your aim may be to notice only selected features of the text—for instance, oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references. Either way, making these observations constitutes the first step in the process of close reading.The second step is interpreting your observations. What we're basically talking about here is inductive reasoning: moving from the observation of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on those observations. And, as with inductive reasoning, close reading requires careful gathering of data (your observations) and careful thinking about what these data add up to.How to Begin:1. Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text."Annotating" means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases—anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond to a text in this way, we not only force ourselves to pay close attention, but we also begin to think with the author about the evidence—the first step in moving from reader to writer.Here's a sample passage by anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley. It's from his essay called "The Hidden Teacher.". . . I once received an unexpected lesson from a spider. It happened far away on a rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose web was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the arroyo. It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the lines and spokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws could feel every vibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth's wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on which she could hurry out to investigate her prey.Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web. Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacing occupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed claw or wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As the vibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs ofstruggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this universe for which no precedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside was irrational, extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my way along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world of spider I did not exist.2. Look for patterns in the things you've noticed about the text—repetitions, contradictions, similarities.What do we notice in the previous passage? First, Eiseley tells us that the orb spider taught him a lesson, thus inviting us to consider what that lesson might be. But we'll let that larger question go for now and focus on particulars—we're working inductively. In Eiseley's next sentence, we find that this encounter "happened far away on a rainy morning in the West." This opening locates us in another time, another place, and has echoes of the traditional fairy tale opening: "Once upon a time . . .". What does this mean? Why would Eiseley want to remind us of tales and myth? We don't know yet, but it's curious. We make a note of it.Details of language convince us of our location "in the West"—gulch, arroyo, and buffalo grass. Beyond that, though, Eiseley calls the spider's web "her universe" and "the great wheel she inhabited," as in the great wheel of the heavens, the galaxies. By metaphor, then, the web becomes the universe, "spider universe." And the spider, "she," whose "senses did not extend beyond" her universe, knows "the flutter of a trapped moth's wing" and hurries "to investigate her prey." Eiseley says he could see her "fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle." These details of language, and others, characterize the "owner" of the web as thinking, feeling, striving—a creature much like ourselves. But so what?3. Ask questions about the patterns you've noticed—especially how and why.To answer some of our own questions, we have to look back at the text and see what else is going on. For instance, when Eiseley touches the web with his pencil point—an event "for which no precedent existed"—the spider, naturally, can make no sense of the pencil phenomenon: "Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas." Of course, spiders don't have ideas, but we do. And if we start seeing this passage in human terms, seeing the spider's situation in "her universe" as analogous to our situation in our universe (which we think of as the universe), then we may decide that Eiseley is suggesting that our universe (the universe) is also finite, that our ideas are circumscribed, and that beyond the limits of our universe there might be phenomena as fully beyond our ken as Eiseley himself—that "vast impossible shadow"—was beyond the understanding of the spider.But why vast and impossible, why a shadow? Does Eiseley mean God, extra-terrestrials? Or something else, something we cannot name or even imagine? Is this the lesson? Now we see that the sense of tale telling or myth at the start of the passage, plus this reference to something vast and unseen, weighs against a simple E.T. sort of interpretation. And though the spider can't explain, or even apprehend, Eiseley's pencil point, that pencil point is explainable—rational after all. So maybe not God. We need more evidence, so we go back to the text—the whole essay now, not justthis one passage—and look for additional clues. And as we proceed in this way, paying close attention to the evidence, asking questions, formulating interpretations, we engage in a process that is central to essay writing and to the whole academic enterprise: in other words, we reason toward our own ideas.Copyright 1998, Patricia Kain, for the Writing Center at Harvard University。