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<p>AULA 2</p><p>ESTUDOS AVANÇADOS DE</p><p>LÍNGUA INGLESA – LEITURA</p><p>E COMPREENSÃO DE TEXTO</p><p>Profª Carmen Terezinha Koppe</p><p>02</p><p>CONVERSA INICIAL</p><p>During our lives we do a lot of reading of all kinds of texts. Thus, in our</p><p>second class we will talk, read, interpret and discuss some types of reading texts.</p><p>There is an infinite amount discoursing about an infinite number of written subjects.</p><p>Of course, it is not going to be possible to talk about all of them, but we will try to</p><p>discuss some of the most important ones, that will make a difference in your</p><p>academic life.</p><p>According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online, one of the meanings</p><p>for reading is: “the activity of reading a book, magazine, etc.”. We also find, in the</p><p>same site, the following meaning for the verb to read: “to receive or take in the</p><p>sense of (letters, symbols, etc.) especially by sight or touch”.</p><p>CONTEXTUALIZANDO</p><p>“A text genre is a type of written or spoken discourse. We classify texts into</p><p>genres based on the intent of the communicator”1. As said above, there is an</p><p>infinite number of genres, but here we will be discussing five of them:</p><p>argumentative/persuasive, narrative, descriptive, expository and fiction. The main</p><p>idea is to read and interpret them. So, let’s start our dive into text genres.</p><p>TEMA 1 – ARGUMENTATIVE/PERSUASIVE</p><p>In American Literature, an essay is a short piece of writing on a particular</p><p>subject, specifically done by students as part of the work for a course. What should</p><p>you look for when you read an argumentative/persuasive essay? It should have a</p><p>good introduction, presenting the argument with a background, in a logical,</p><p>intellectual and persuasive way. Good argumentative writing should persuade the</p><p>reader to the writer’s viewpoint. How to identify an argumentative/persuasive</p><p>essay:</p><p>1. The argumentative topic should be a debatable one, with points of view for</p><p>and against it, which will be discussed within the writing.</p><p>2. The introduction should identify the argument. The writer should take a</p><p>stand on the issue, and it should catch the reader’s attention. It should have</p><p>general information on the topic so the body paragraphs can develop this</p><p>1 Disponível em: <http://education.seattlepi.com/write-good-argumentative-essay-introduction-</p><p>1484.html>. Acesso: 2 fev 2018.</p><p>http://education.seattlepi.com/write-good-argumentative-essay-introduction-1484.html</p><p>http://education.seattlepi.com/write-good-argumentative-essay-introduction-1484.html</p><p>03</p><p>into a more substantial argument. When you read a persuasive essay, you</p><p>should settle on a strong thesis statement. As the reader reads it, the writer</p><p>will defend this thesis.</p><p>3. The body paragraphs of the essay should provide specific information to</p><p>support the argument from various sources, such as statistics, examples,</p><p>facts, or expert opinions. They can be from television shows, magazines,</p><p>newspapers, textbooks, studies, or interviews. When you read this type of</p><p>essay, the main points presented should support the thesis statement. If</p><p>there is more than one point, each one should be in a separate organized</p><p>paragraph.</p><p>4. Consider differing opinions, by acknowledging conflicting viewpoints and</p><p>rebutting them, as should also have a paragraph with an opposing point of</p><p>view in order to be effective. The reader should be convinced that the</p><p>writer’s main point of view is the correct one, refuting the opposing</p><p>paragraph.</p><p>5. The conclusion should be strong. The reader should find certain points</p><p>already seen during the reading such as: the main part in the introduction</p><p>should be restated in different words; have a succinct summary; show the</p><p>reader how the point of view could benefit everyone. It has to prove the</p><p>thesis statement, which is in the last sentence of the introduction.</p><p>Thus, the five points described above are part of an</p><p>argumentative/persuasive essay and you should find them when you read one.</p><p>Now, you will practice reading an argumentative text and answer the</p><p>comprehension questions from a GRE (Graduate Record Examination by ETS).</p><p>Available at: <http://www.majortests.com/gre/reading_comprehension_test01>.</p><p>Access: 2 feb 2018.</p><p>A sanctuary may be defined as a place where Man is passive and the</p><p>rest of Nature active. Until quite recently Nature had her own sanctuaries,</p><p>where man either did not go at all or only as a tool-using animal in</p><p>comparatively small numbers. But now, in this machinery age, there is no</p><p>place left where man cannot go with overwhelming forces at his</p><p>command. He can strangle to death all the nobler wildlife in the world</p><p>today. Tomorrow he certainly will have done so, unless he exercises due</p><p>foresight and self-control in the meantime. There is not the slightest doubt</p><p>that birds and mammals are now being killed off much faster than they</p><p>can breed. And it is always the largest and noblest forms of life that suffer</p><p>most. The whales and elephants, lions and eagles, go. The rats and flies,</p><p>and all mean parasites, remain. This is inevitable in certain cases. But it</p><p>is wanton killing off that I am speaking of tonight. Civilized man begins by</p><p>destroying the very forms of wild life he learns to appreciate most when</p><p>he becomes still more civilized. The obvious remedy is to begin</p><p>conservation at an earlier stage, when it is easier and better in every way,</p><p>04</p><p>by enforcing laws for close seasons, game preserves, the selective</p><p>protection of certain species, and sanctuaries. I have just defined a</p><p>sanctuary as a place where man is passive and the rest of Nature active.</p><p>But this general definition is too absolute for any special case. The mere</p><p>fact that man has to protect a sanctuary does away with his purely</p><p>passive attitude. Then, he can be beneficially active by destroying pests</p><p>and parasites, like bot-flies or mosquitoes, and by finding antidotes for</p><p>diseases like the epidemic which periodically kills off the rabbits and thus</p><p>starves many of the carnivora to death. But, except in cases where</p><p>experiment has proved his intervention to be beneficial, the less he</p><p>upsets the balance of Nature the better, even when he tries to be an</p><p>earthly Providence.</p><p>1. The author implies that his first definition of a sanctuary is:</p><p>A. totally wrong</p><p>B. somewhat idealistic (X)</p><p>C. unhelpful</p><p>D. indefensible</p><p>E. immutable</p><p>2. The author’s argument that destroying bot-flies and mosquitoes would be</p><p>a beneficial action is most weakened by all of the following except:</p><p>A. parasites have an important role to play in the regulation of populations</p><p>B. the elimination of any species can have unpredictable effects on the</p><p>balance of nature</p><p>C. the pests themselves are part of the food chain</p><p>D. these insects have been introduced to the area by human activities (X)</p><p>E. elimination of these insects would require the use of insecticides that kill</p><p>a wide range of insects</p><p>3. It can be inferred that the passage is:</p><p>A. part of an article in a scientific journal</p><p>B. extracted from the minutes of a nature club</p><p>C. part of a speech delivered to an educated audience (X)</p><p>D. a speech delivered in a court of law</p><p>E. from a polemical article published in a magazine</p><p>4. The purpose of the final paragraph is:</p><p>A. to sum up the main points of the author’s argument</p><p>B. to urge a solution to an increasingly pressing problem</p><p>C. to qualify the author’s definition of an important term (X)</p><p>D. to propose a program</p><p>05</p><p>E. to suggest that man should not intervene in natural environments</p><p>TEMA 2 – NARRATIVE</p><p>Our next reading is going to be dedicated to the narrative text. This one</p><p>most of us know and usually enjoy reading. Think of all the stories you read as</p><p>children. They were narrating something such as a beautiful story.</p><p>So, what does narrate mean? According</p><p>to McCuen and Winkler (1995), it</p><p>is the following:</p><p>To narrate means to tell a story. A paragraph or essay developed by</p><p>narration therefore tells a story, sometimes from the personal point of</p><p>view and sometimes from the third-person point of view. Narrative writing</p><p>convinces readers by using specific details, by following a clear and</p><p>understandable sequence, and by recounting the story in terms readers</p><p>may have experienced in their own lives.</p><p>It also tells us what happened. Narration can include history, biography,</p><p>personal experience, travel, fiction or any writing that will recount in a dramatic and</p><p>a moving order the events of a story. Many times the storyteller will start with “Once</p><p>upon a time…”.</p><p>A narrative text has some important points, which you should find when</p><p>reading the story.</p><p> Must have a consistent point of view: the most common is the first person</p><p>narrator, meaning the writer tells a story as he saw it or lived it.</p><p> Must have a theme: the narrative genre usually uses a theme instead of a</p><p>thesis. Thus, the story will have a central theme in order to make the</p><p>narration meaningful to justify the reading.</p><p> Pace the narration to focus on important scenes: some stories begin</p><p>with two or three sentences describing something and, then, it jumps to a</p><p>point in the future. This happens because after the important information is</p><p>given, the next episodes were not important and the story will continue again</p><p>in an event or scene in the future which will be of interest to the reader.</p><p> The narrative has vivid details to describe people and places: the</p><p>lifeblood of any narration are people and places. When we are reading, they</p><p>seem real because of the descriptive details. Many times, dialogue, almost</p><p>becomes real through a character that seems alive in the story. When the</p><p>characters and their environment are vivid as the details are efficient and</p><p>06</p><p>the story is clear, vigorous and interesting, only then can we relax and enjoy</p><p>what we are reading.</p><p>There are other points we can find in a narrative text, which surround</p><p>choices that the writer must face, such as what voice the writer should use. It could</p><p>be a dramatic narrative voice; it could be rich in descriptions if there are no exotic</p><p>places or a strong plot. As you read and interpret a narrative text, you will find a</p><p>structure:</p><p> an orientation that sets the scene and introduces the characters;</p><p> a complication that describes events that lead to a problem;</p><p> a resolution that describes how and why the complication is resolved;</p><p> a coda/reorientation that ties up loose ends (optional).</p><p>Here is an example of a famous children’s story.</p><p>Cinderela</p><p>Once upon a time, there was a girl called Cinderella. She lived with her</p><p>stepsisters and stepmother. They treated her badly. She had to do all the</p><p>housework. One day an invitation to the ball came to the family. But, her</p><p>step sisters would not let her go. Cinderella was very sad. The step</p><p>sisters went to the ball without her. Fortunately, the fairy godmother came</p><p>and helped her to get to the ball. At the ball, Cinderella danced with the</p><p>prince. The prince fell in love with her and then married her. They lived</p><p>happily ever after. (Available at:</p><p><https://hanifarahmawati.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/definition-</p><p>characteristics-example-of-narrative-descriptive-and-expository-text/>.</p><p>Access on: 2 feb 2018)</p><p>As you can see, there are two very important sentences at the beginning</p><p>and the end of the story: Once upon a time... Many children’s stories that are</p><p>narratives start like this and end like this: They lived happily ever after. However,</p><p>this is not common in stories for adults or teenagers.</p><p>TEMA 3 – DESCRIPTIVE</p><p>A descriptive text will describe using a dominant impression as a central</p><p>theme to unify its descriptive details. According to McCuen & Winkler (1995):</p><p>A description is a word picture. It is the attempt to use words to depict</p><p>some person, place, feeling, animal, event, or thing. It may be exotic as</p><p>a description of a faraway palace or as ordinary as a poster describing a</p><p>lost dog. And for all the almost infinite variety that writers occasionally try</p><p>to describe, there are still some basic techniques that work in nearly all</p><p>descriptions.</p><p>A descriptive text should have the following points:</p><p>07</p><p> A dominant impression: a dominant impression in a description is the</p><p>equivalent of the controlling idea of other types of essays. As you read, the</p><p>details should be rich in order to make your reading interesting. The function</p><p>of the dominant impression, when you read, is to provide a standard of</p><p>judging the relevance of details. This acts as a pattern, unifying the</p><p>description without irrelevant details.</p><p> Focus on the dominant impression: it must have a focus, just like the</p><p>controlling idea.</p><p> Specific and sensory details: as you read, you should find selected details</p><p>that are specific and appeal to the senses. If the supporting evidence is</p><p>vague, the description in the text will never come to life. Descriptive texts</p><p>can make use of the senses such as sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing.</p><p>If we find a very descriptive text that uses the senses we can actually feel</p><p>what is being described.</p><p> Figures of speech: a descriptive text may have colorful words and</p><p>expressions, along with figures of speech as similes and metaphors that will</p><p>make the description in a text more vivid. You may find similes and</p><p>metaphors mixed in a single passage, depending on what or for whom the</p><p>writer is writing.</p><p>A descriptive text generally uses adjectives and compound adjectives and</p><p>it is written in the simple present. We find descriptive texts in scientific</p><p>encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries and guides. Here is an example of a</p><p>descriptive text:</p><p>INSIDE DISTRICT SCHOOL #7, NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK</p><p>by Joyce Carol Oates</p><p>Inside, the school smelled smartly of varnish and wood smoke from the</p><p>pot bellied stove. On gloomy days, not unknown in upstate New York in</p><p>this region south of Lake Ontario and east of Lake Erie, the windows</p><p>emitted a vague, gauzy light, not much reinforced by ceiling lights. We</p><p>squinted at the blackboard, that seemed far away since it was on a small</p><p>platform, where Mrs. Dietz's desk was also positioned, at the front, left of</p><p>the room. We sat in rows of seats, smallest at the front, largest at the</p><p>rear, attached at their bases by metal runners, like a toboggan; the wood</p><p>of these desks seemed beautiful to me, smooth and of the red-burnished</p><p>hue of horse chestnuts. The floor was bare wooden planks. An American</p><p>flag hung limply at the far left of the blackboard and above the</p><p>blackboard, running across the front of the room, designed to draw our</p><p>eyes to it avidly, worshipfully, were paper squares showing that</p><p>beautifully shaped script known as Parker Penmanship. Available at:</p><p><https://www.thoughtco.com/model-descriptive-paragraphs-1690573>.</p><p>Accessed on: 2 feb 2018.</p><p>https://www.thoughtco.com/model-descriptive-paragraphs-1690573</p><p>08</p><p>TEMA 4 – EXPOSITORY</p><p>According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab: “The expository essay is a</p><p>genre that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, explain</p><p>the idea, and introduce an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise</p><p>manner”2.</p><p>Essay writing can accomplish this by comparing and contrasting, defining</p><p>terms, giving examples and the analysis of cause and effect, etc. Schools use this</p><p>type of essay for evaluations and many exam formats require it too. The expository</p><p>essay should be complete, leaving no doubts as to the intent or argument of the</p><p>writing.</p><p>The Purdue Online Writing Lab presents six points in the structure of the</p><p>expository essay (Available at:</p><p><https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/>. Access on: feb 2018):</p><p> A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first</p><p>paragraph of the essay</p><p>– it is essential that this thesis statement be</p><p>appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment.</p><p>If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult</p><p>to compose an effective or persuasive essay.</p><p> Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and</p><p>conclusion – transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the</p><p>essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable</p><p>to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse.</p><p> Body paragraphs that include evidential support – each paragraph</p><p>should be limited to the exposition of one general idea. This will allow for</p><p>clarity and direction throughout the essay. What is more, such conciseness</p><p>creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that</p><p>each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection</p><p>to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph.</p><p> Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal) –</p><p>Often times, students are required to write expository essays with little or no</p><p>preparation; therefore, such essays do not typically allow for a great deal of</p><p>statistical or factual evidence.</p><p>2 Available at: <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/>. Access on: feb. 2018.</p><p>https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/</p><p>https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/</p><p>09</p><p> A bit of creativity! Though creativity and artfulness are not always</p><p>associated with essay writing, it is an art form nonetheless. Try not to get</p><p>stuck on the formulaic nature of expository writing at the expense of writing</p><p>something interesting. Remember, though you may not be crafting the next</p><p>great novel, you are attempting to leave a lasting impression on the people</p><p>evaluating your essay.</p><p> A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses</p><p>it in light of the evidence provided – it is at this point of the essay that</p><p>students will inevitably begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that</p><p>will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader.</p><p>Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new</p><p>information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize and come to a conclusion</p><p>concerning the information presented in the body of the essay.</p><p>TEMA 5 – FICTION</p><p>Our last genre is a very popular one and everyone has read a story in the</p><p>genre of fiction. Let’s see what fiction is. According to the site of Novel Writing</p><p>Help, the genre of fiction is also known as popular, commercial or category fiction.</p><p>But, what does fiction exactly mean?</p><p>In The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online we find that is “something</p><p>invented by the imagination or feigned; specifically: an invented story”. It tends to</p><p>be written and read primarily for entertainment.</p><p>However, when we think about fiction, many types of fiction come to our</p><p>minds and it is true. Fiction is subdivided into many others. Different genres have</p><p>different kinds of settings, conflicts, and characters. Here is a summary of the</p><p>most well-known categories of fiction, as described by the site of Writer's Digest</p><p>University:</p><p> Adventure story – at this genre the key element is action. Characters, theme</p><p>and setting are not so important. It is usually a story of man against nature,</p><p>and a secondary plot may be present.</p><p> Fictional biography – it is the biography of a real person, but it includes</p><p>imaginary dialogue and scenes that actually never happened.</p><p> Gothic – its main characteristics are gloom, mystery and, sometimes, the</p><p>grotesque. It usually has young beautiful women who get involved in</p><p>frightening and perilous situations and, even though, they win over dreadful</p><p>010</p><p>events, and the heroine has to go through life-threatening and emotional</p><p>danger.</p><p> Horror – it is based on physical fear and very unpleasant and shocking</p><p>situations, involving death, most of the time. It is a genre that involves strong</p><p>emotions of dread of what may happen, which usually is a mystery.</p><p> Mystery – this type of narration has elements that are unknown or</p><p>unexplained during the story and it contains many obstacles both physical</p><p>and psychological.</p><p> Romance Novel - this type of story is about a heroine and a hero who get</p><p>involved in conflicts that will try to keep them apart. The problem keeps them</p><p>apart during most of the story until it is solved. Sensual element and</p><p>romance are very strong and at the end, usually, they stay together.</p><p> Science Fiction – it usually involves elements of science and technology</p><p>and most of the time it takes place in the future.</p><p> Fantasy – it relies on magic, mythological and neo-mythological beings and</p><p>devices, and it is characterized by elements that are fancy and supernatural.</p><p> Thriller – it is usually a detective story, where the forces of good are against</p><p>the forces of evil, arousing feelings of excitement or suspense, and it may</p><p>involve illegal activities, international espionage, sex and violence (Adapted</p><p>from: <http://resources.writersonlineworkshops.com/resources/definitions-</p><p>of-fiction-categories-and-genres/>. Access on: feb./2018).</p><p>There are other types of fiction such as techno-thriller, popular fiction,</p><p>folktales and others. When reading fiction we should find these six elements:</p><p>1. Character – they are the foundation of a story. They must feel real and they</p><p>should be different at the end of the story. They change during the tale.</p><p>2. Plot – it describes the events that will happen in a piece of writing. A plot is</p><p>split into five parts: 1) exposition or introduction: it introduces the</p><p>characters and setting of the story; 2) rising action: it describes the conflict</p><p>that happens in the story; 3) climax: or turning point. It is the greatest</p><p>moment of tension; it is the story peak. It is when the most important part of</p><p>the story happens; 4) falling action: things start to be solved; 5) resolution:</p><p>it may have a happy end or not. Everything is settled and there is an end,</p><p>happy or not, but you are satisfied.</p><p>3. Setting – it is the moment where the story takes place, and it may be real</p><p>or not. It is the social environment, including chronology, culture, etc.</p><p>http://resources.writersonlineworkshops.com/resources/definitions-of-fiction-categories-and-genres/</p><p>http://resources.writersonlineworkshops.com/resources/definitions-of-fiction-categories-and-genres/</p><p>011</p><p>4. Point-of-view: it determines things like verb tenses and how much the</p><p>reader finds out. The story can be on first person, third person and that will</p><p>set what the reader gets to know.</p><p>5. Theme: it is a hidden element and very important. It is what the story is</p><p>about.</p><p>6. Style: it makes your work stand out. It is your voice. You should pay</p><p>attention to the syntax, word choices, and tone.</p><p>FINALIZANDO</p><p>We come to the end of text genres, which are very important for the reading</p><p>process. As seen above the different types of genres can help us to improving our</p><p>reading and text interpretation. Knowing the various types of texts gives us</p><p>important insights to understand our reading and writing.</p><p>As seen, there are many types of genres, and here we have learned a bit</p><p>more on the most important genres such as:</p><p> Argumentative/Persuasive</p><p> Narrative</p><p> Descriptive</p><p> Expository</p><p> Fiction</p><p>Each one has specific details that the reader has to pay close attention to,</p><p>in order to improve his/her reading. One of David Crystal’s quotes on reading can</p><p>be used to summarize this topic: “At any one time language is a kaleidoscope of</p><p>styles, genres and dialects”.</p><p>012</p><p>REFERÊNCIAS</p><p>BAUDOIN, E. M. et al. Reader’s choice. Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan</p><p>Press, 1988.</p><p>DESCRIPTIVE paragraphs. Thought Co. Disponível em:</p><p><https://www.thoughtco.com/model-descriptive-paragraphs-1690573>. Acesso:</p><p>fev. 2018.</p><p>ESSAY. Cambridge Dictionary. Disponível em:</p><p><https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pt/dicionario/ingles/essay>. Acesso: 2 fev. 2018.</p><p>FICTION. Merriam. Disponível em: <https://www.merriam-</p><p>webster.com/dictionary/fiction>. Acesso: 2 fev. 2018.</p><p>FIORIN, J. L.; SAVIOLI, F. Pl. Para entender o texto: leitura e redação. São</p><p>Paulo: Ática, 2009.</p><p>LAPKOSKI, G. A. de O. Do texto ao sentido: teoria e prática de leitura em língua</p><p>inglesa. Curitiba: IBPEX, 2011.</p><p>MCCUEN, J. R.; WINKLER, A. C. From idea to essay – a rhetoric, reader, and</p><p>handbook. Needham Heights, MA, Allyn & Bacon: A Pearson Education Company,</p><p>2001.</p><p>NARRATIVE writing. 3 Plearning. Disponível em:</p><p><http://www.3plearning.com/blog/narrativewriting/>. Acesso: 2 fev. 2018.</p><p>WRITING. Novel. Disponível em: <https://www.novel-writing-help.com/>. Acesso:</p><p>2 fev. 2018.</p><p>https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pt/dicionario/ingles/essay</p><p>http://www.3plearning.com/blog/narrativewriting/</p><p>https://www.novel-writing-help.com/</p>

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