12 Critical Reading

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Film critic Roger Ebert used to write in a notebook as he watched movies, tearing out the pages as he filled them, until he appeared to be “sitting on top of a cloud of paper,” as an Esquire profile observed. Reading critically means questioning and commenting thoughtfully on a text—whether an assignment for a psychology class, a graphic novel, a business email, or a YouTube video. Any method you use to keep track of your questions and make yourself concentrate on a text can help you become a better critical reader.