Reading involves looking at graphic symbols and formulating
mentally the sounds and ideas they re- present. Concepts of reading have
changed (47) over the centuries. During the 1950’s and 1960’s
especially, increased attention bas been devoted to defining and describing the
reading process. Although specialists agree that reading involves a complex
organization of higher mental (48) , they disagree a- bout
the exact nature of the process. Some experts, who regard language primarily us
a code using symbols to represent sounds, (49) reading as
simply the decoding of symbols into the sounds they stand for. These
authorities (50) that meaning, being concerned with thinking,
must be taught independently of the decoding process. Others maintain that
reading is (51) related to thinking, and that a child who
pronounces sounds without (52) their meaning is not truly
reading. The reader, according to some, is not just a person with a theoretical
ability to read but one who actually reads. Many adults,
although they have the ability to read, have never read a book in its entirety.
By some expert they would not be (53) as readers. Clearly,
the philosophy, objectives, methods and materials of reading will depend on the
definition one use. By the most (54) and satisfactory
definition, reading is the ability to (55) the sound-symbols
code of the language, to interpret meaning for various (56)
at various rates, and at various levels of difficulty, and to do so widely
and enthusiastically. In short reading is the interpretation of ideas through
the use of symbols representing sounds and ideas. A — contempt
B — substantially C — reassure
D — explaining E — interpreting F — functions
G — inexplicably H — inclusive I — view
J — purposes
K — conclusive L — unlock M — contend
N — classified O —
opinions