Good readers make inferences as they read, That is, in addition to reading the words, they vse their imagination and their knowledge about the world to fill in facts and ideas that are not stated in the text. This fs sometimes called “reading between the lines.” Itis often necessary to read between the lines because a writer cannot include all the possible Information about a topic or situation. Writers leave out information that they think readers will know already or will be able to guess, Separating Fact from Inference 88 In many kinds of writing, the author presents facts about a situation ot topic and also makes inferences from those facts. Facts are statements of information that can be verified. For example: Chile is considered one of the most conservative Catholic countries in South America, On January 15, 2006, Chileans elected their first woman president, the Socialist Michelle Bachelet, with $3.5 percent of their votes, She is a former defense n inister, a doctor, a single mother and a non-Catholic. Her father, a general in the army, was killed in 1973 under the military dictatorship of Pinochet. Her election campaign was based on promises of social and economic reform aimed at more equality, Inferences are educated guesses that are based on facts. For example: People in Chile are not as conservative as generally thought. People in ile want changes in their society and economy. President Bachelet's background and experience should help her understand the problems in Chile, ‘The fact that she served as defense minister may have reassured conservatives afraid of radical change, ‘The fact that her father was killed under Pinochet probably raised her standing among leftists. Comprehension SkilisExercise Po ™ oe " si A. Proview the passage. Thon read it and underline the facts. Working with another student, p ‘answer the questions that follov. The first two have been done for you. ler i Olive Oil Works as a Natural Pain {ts not just price that makes extra virgin olive oll different ftom other olls. Now scentists have discovered ‘hat i contains a chemical compound! that acts simi- virgin olive oil. Pouring 50 gm of the best olive oll or lacy to the palnkiter ibuprofen. your food each day Is equivalent to about 10 percent | Paul Bresiin fom the Monell Chemigal Senses Center of the average ibuprofen dose? {in Philadelphia and colleagues describe in Nature how they isolated a compound called oleocanthal from extca ' chemical compound containing atoms trom two or more chemical elements * dose: a measured amount of a medicine 1, What facts are includeil in the first paragraph? Extra virgin olive oll contains a chemical compound that acts like a painkiller 2. What can you infer about the ptice of extra virgin olive oil? It costs more than other olive oils. 3. What can you infer about other kinds of oil? 4, What facts are included in the second paragraph? 5. What inferences can you make about Paul Breslin? 6. What can you infer about Nature? “ Making Inferences“EXERCISE 2 A. Proview the passage. Thon read it and underline the facts. Working with another stuciont, ‘nswer the questions that follow. A New Pesticide in India In two states in India, Andhra Pradesh and Chat- tisgarh, farmers have discovered a new kind of pes- ticide.” Instead of paying large sums of money to international chemical companies for chemical pes ticides, they are praying their cotton and chili pep- per fields with Coca-Cola ‘In the past month there have been reports of hhundceds of farmets spraying cola on thelr fields. Thousands of others are expected to make the switch? to cola from the usual pesticides as word spreads about the new spray. A farmer in Andhra Pradesh interviewed by a local newspaper sald he was very satisfied with his new cola spray, which he applied this year to several acres of cotton. Ile ob- setved that the insects on his cotton plants began, to die soon after he sprayed his fields with cola. Local agriculture officials would not comment on this new development, except to note that the cola spray cost considerably less than the pesticides pro- duced by Montsanto, Shell and Dow Chemical. The Coca-Cola Company already is in legal difficulties in Andhra Pradesh state, where it has been accused of taking water away from farmers for its botdling plants, So far, representatives of the Coca-Cola Come pany have refused to comment on the new use of their product, It is not known if or how sales of the soft drinks have been affected, though itis likely that the company may ty to profit from this new market. (Source: Adapted ror “Things grow batter with Coke.” The Guorlan Weekly, November 6-24, 2008) pesticide: a chemical sed o Kil insects that destroy plants 2 Switch: the replacement of an object with a similar object 1, What facts are included in the first paragraph? 2, What can you infer about the cost of pesticides in India? 3, What facts are included in the second paragraph? 4, What can you infer about the cola spray? 5, What facts are included in the third paragraph? 6. What can you infer about the economic situation of the farmers in Andhra Pradesh? 7, What can you infer about the Coca-Cola Company in India? _Saalormpraccn atin naman eWTTAROSP STE TELTON TEN OREETEN SPI VOI ST ETOP TIPO enanuaressgislacksa lth eepnesT OT PONCERTONTTHA,| | | | ‘EXERCISE 3 A. Preview the passage, Then read it and undorlin the facts. Working with another student, answer the questions that follow. Mysterious ‘The photograph shows a tall, blond young man holding what looks like a musical score.) His eyes scared, his shoulders rounded and slightly tured away, he appeared to avoid contact with the cam- ea. Found several weeks ago on a windy road beside the sea on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, he ‘was dripping wet and apparently very disturbed, He ‘would not answer questions or speak with anyone, He was wearing a black suit and a white shist, but since all the labels had been. mysteriously cut out from his clothes, authorities had no way of even identifying his nationality. Since then he has con- tinued to remain silent, refusing or unable to give information about who he is or where he comes from, He was taken to the accident and emergency department at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, but later was moved to the psychiatric clinic in Dartford, where he continues to baffle? doctors, ‘A spokesinan for the hospital says that the flest clue to his identity came when someone in the hos- pital had the idea of leaving him with a piece of pa- per and pencils and he drew a detailed sketch of a grand piano. Hospital staff then took him to the hospital’s chapel, which contains a piano. He sat » score a printed copy ofa piece of muste 2 baffle It something baffles someone, they cannot understand or explain It. 2 melancholy: sae 1, What has the writer inferred from the photograph of the “Piano Man"? Piano Man” Puzzles British Doctors down immediately at the plano and began to play, appearing calm and relaxed for the first time since he had been found. According to reports from the hospital, he is also a good musiclan and a pleasure to lisien to, even if he tends to play rather mekan- holy? music. One staff member identified a piece from Tehaikovsky’s Siam Lake, but acknowledged that she was not an expert in classical music. According toa social worker assigned tothe case, the young man Is shy in the extreme and avoids any kind of social interaction. Though interpreters in various northern and central European lan- guages have been called to the hospital to visit him, he has fled to respond to any of them. His photo. ‘graph has been cliculated in newspapers around the world, prompting hundreds of phone calls to the Missing Persons Bureau. Howeves, none. of these has provided useful information’ about his identity. ‘There Is, of course, the delicate question of Whether the man is really in need of psychiatce care or just pretending to be ill. Doctors at the hos- pital say that they have no reason not to take him seriously and they have a duty to care for him as Tong as he needs i 2. What can you infer from the fact that he was wearing a black suit and a white shirt? 3, What can you infer about the fact that the labels had been cut out of his clothes? 4, What can you infer from the fact that the police brought him to the hospital? 5. What did the hospital staff infer from his dra ing of a piano? 91 Making Inferences