About the required textbook, "Academic Encounters"

• Develop the reading, writing, and study skills needed to meet the demands of college courses.

• The readings, taken from university-level social science textbooks, treat high-interest topics such as stress and physical health, nonverbal communication, friendship, and love, engaging students in the subject matter while exposing them to academic discourse.

• Accompanying exercises develop the reading skills of previewing text, skimming, scanning, and reading between the lines.

• Understanding vocabulary in context, as well as writing and study skills such as summarizing, note-taking, highlighting key points, and preparing for tests.

• Students respond to the readings and incorporate what they have learned in writing assignments of different lengths.

• Prereading and post-reading activities involving discussion, role-playing, and problem-solving maximize student interaction.