Book excerpt: Critical Reading provides a systematic introduction to the process of analyzing and evaluating a written text. Students develop critical reading skills through analysis of texts from authentic sources (journals, newspapers, magazines, and websites) and a variety of academic dsiciplines. They are encouraged to develop their comprehension and vocabulary skills, while forming a reasoned assessment of the effectiveness and validity of a text. Highlights The text goes beyond the standard "reading comprehension plus vocabulary" approach. Includes opportunities for further research, as well as writing tasks designed to allow students to synthesize the materials they have read and reach an individual conclusion. Each chapter introduces a fundamental skill for developing critical awareness, including: considering place and date of publication; identifying author bias and purpose; distinguishing between fact and opinion; gauging scope of research; evaluating evidence; comparing the author's argument to other points of view; and ultimately, evaluating the strength and validity of an argument with the goal of writing a critical review of the article. Teachers can access My eLab documents for support materials including answer keys and tests.