Reading Tip of the Week: Reading Between the Lines

When we are reading, we must be detectives.

While it's important to pay attention to what's written on the page, it's just as important to read what's not written on the page!

Consider the following reading:

Jim bundled up in his down jacket and pulled his hat over his ears. As he reach for his dented metal lunchbox, he scratched old Fido behind the ear. He grabbed the keys off the table by the door and headed out to his truck.

As he yanked the truck door open, he hoped the old Chevy would start. He slid the lunchbox across the duct taped seat and climbed in, blowing on his hands to warm them. He shifted to neutral, pushed in the clutch and turned the key. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing.

He sighed heavily. He was not looking forward to walking two miles to the mill in this weather. He'd be late and his pay would be docked. Still, he didn't have much choice. He needed this job. It's expensive to get sick, he thought. He glanced up at the bedroom window, noticing the peeling paint on the shutters. He slammed the truck door and trudged toward the street.

Now think about Jim. How old do you think he is? Where is he going? Why is he going there? What time of year is it? What is the weather like on this day? Where does he work? How old is Jim's truck? What is its condition? Who is sick? Is Jim responsible or irresponsible?

We can gather that it is very cold because Jim is bundled up and not looking forward to walking to work because of the weather. It's probably winter.

His dog is old (old Fido), his lunchbox appears to be old (dented, metal), the truck is old (the seat is duct taped, it's got a manual transmission, and it won't start), and his house is old (peeling paint), so it's a safe bet the Jim is older, too.

He's got his lunchbox, and he's concerned about being late and being docked, so he must be going to work. The passage mentions a mill, and that is usually some kind of factory -- perhaps a steel mill.

We know that Jim has to keep working to pay someone's medical bills. That person is probably his wife. Since he glances up at the bedroom window while he is thinking about this, we can infer that she is probably in bed.

We can conclude that Jim is a responsible person because he is willing to walk two miles in the cold winter weather, even though he will be late and have his pay docked, so that he will be able to pay for his sick wife's medical bills.

Remember to be a detective when you are reading!