UNIT 1,
EXERCISE 1
To demonstrate the mutable
nature of readability, this exercise presents pairs of texts
(some shorter, some longer) that you should read while
monitoring your own reactions to their difficulty.
Each pair of texts will not
necessarily be on the same topic. They are juxtaposed
to illustrate one particular issue about what makes a text
readable.
After you read the two texts
in each pair, you will be asked to decide which, in each
pair is "more readable," in your opinion.
Note that you are not being
asked to judge each pair of texts in terms of which one may
be easier to translate. Instead, ask yourself which
text is easier to read for overall
comprehension: that is, which one makes the most immediate
sense to you, which one has a message that is more easily
summarizable, or which communicates information most
clearly.
PAIR 1: LONG VERSUS SHORT
TEXTS
PAIR 2: TEXTS ORGANIZED
AROUND CONCRETES VERSUS TEXTS ORGANIZED AROUND
ABSTRACTS
PAIR 3: TEXTS ON
FAMILIAR / INTERESTING TOPICS VERSUS TEXTS ON
UNFAMILIAR TOPICS
PAIRS 4-6: TEXTS THAT SUIT
THE AUDIENCE