ACTIVE READING 1
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SQ3R
 SQ3R is a reading comprehension method named for its five
steps: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.
ACTIVE QUESTIONING
1. What is the CONTEXT in which this text was written?
2. Who is the intended AUDIENCE? (There’s often more than one intended audience.)
3. What is the author’s PURPOSE? To entertain? To explain? To persuade? (There’s
usually more than one purpose, and essays almost always have an element of
persuasion.)
4. How is this writing ORGANIZED? Compare and contrast? Classification?
Chronological? Cause and effect? (There’s often more than one organizational form.)
5. What is the author’s TONE? (What are the emotions behind the words? Are there places
where the tone changes or shifts?)
6. What TOOLS does the author use to accomplish her/his purpose? Facts and figures?
7. What is the author’s THESIS—the main argument or idea.