Define close reading in the EMC context and describe a brief activity that develops evidence-based interpretation.

• A. Skimming a long text for a general idea.
• B. Relying on personal guesswork without evidence.
• C. Close reading involves careful analysis of a short text to uncover meaning, structure, and evidence; activity: annotate passages, identify key claim and supporting evidence, cite quotes.
• D. Translating the text into another language.

Answer: (C)

Close reading in EMC centers on careful, evidence-based interpretation of a text, focusing on how meaning is built through word choice, structure, and details, and how those elements support a claim or argument. A brief activity that develops this skill has students annotate a short passage, marking where a claim is stated, identifying the supporting evidence, and noting how the author’s structure or word choices reinforce meaning. Students then cite specific quotes and explain how each quote functions to support the interpretation. This approach helps students move beyond guesswork, teaching them to locate, articulate, and justify evidence from the text.

Skimming looks for a general idea and misses the depth needed for interpretation. Personal guesswork ignores textual evidence. Translating into another language is a valuable skill, but it doesn’t inherently cultivate evidence-based interpretation of the original text.