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Drawing Conclusions| I-1
COMPREHENSION SKILLS PRACTICE
Drawing
conclusions is very different from jumping to conclusions. Jumping to conclusions
means making snap decisions without careful consideration of evidence. Drawing conclusions
means making valid decisions after carefully analyzing all the facts. The basic difference is
that when you jump to a conclusion, you decide hastily and without much thought. However,
when you draw a conclusion, your decision is based on a thorough examination of facts.
When you read, drawing a valid conclusion is hard when the conclusion is not obvious. In this case,
you must mentally go beyond what is stated outright. You must think about what you read, weigh the
facts, and ask yourself, “Where does this information logically lead me? What conclusion may I draw
from it?”
Now read the following. Look for the conclusion drawn by one scientist on the basis of facts that came
to his attention purely by chance.
While investigating minerals that glow, Henri Becquerel learned that certain minerals
could effect a photographic plate. Thus he would usually study a mineral sample by
first placing it in sunlight, and then test the sample with a photographic plate. One time,
Becquerel wanted to test some uranium ore. Because the sky was cloudy, he could
not place the ore in sunlight. Instead, he placed the materials in a drawer with the ore
sample on top of an envelope containing the photographic plate. Several days later
he removed the materials from the drawer and developed the photographic plate. To
his surprise he found that the plate had been darkened! Evidently uranium ore did not
have to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce the type of rays that darkened the
photographic plate.
Becquerel’s discovery of the darkened photographic plate led him to the obvious conclusion that
uranium ore could produce the change he found without exposure to sunlight. His conclusion was a
valid one. It was strongly based on fact.
The ability to draw valid conclusions is as important in science reading as it is in science
experiments.
The following paragraph about Gregor Mendel, who discovered the principal of heredity, can lead you
to a number of valid conclusions based on the facts it contains.
Mendel experimented with dominance in pea plants for eight years in the garden of a
monastery. His research was done about the time of the American Civil War. A report
of his work was published in a scientific journal in 1865. However, it did not receive
much attention by other scientists until 1900. This is often the case in science. A new
discovery may go unnoticed for years before other scientists realize and appreciate
its value.
From this paragraph you can draw strong conclusions that will enrich your understanding of how
scientific progress is made. They are:
1. Mendel’s experimentation with pea plants was time-consuming and demanded a
great deal of perseverance on his part.
2. Mendel’s work was not ignored because of a lack of respect for his ability as a
scientist.
3. Acceptance of a new scientific concept largely depends on recognition of its
worth.
You can see how drawing these conclusions means going beyond the ideas presented in the paragraph.
The process is done logically and carefully, keeping the facts clearly in mind.
Copyright © 2007 Taylor Associates/Communications, Inc.
ReadingPlus
Taylor Associates
®
Drawing Conclusions| I-1
COMPREHENSION SKILLS PRACTICE
Student Name_______________________________________________________________
Read the paragraphs below and the following conclusions. Circle Valid or Not Valid to show whether each conclusion can validly or not validly be drawn on the basis of what you have read.
1. The modern approach to oceanography got its start
more than a century ago. The British steam and sailing ship, the Challenger, was the first ship specifically
designed and equipped to carry out studies of the
ocean. For three and a half years, scientists aboard
ship collected samples, observed living organisms,
and measured depths and temperatures of the
ocean.
Many large modern ships today are designed and
used exclusively for studying the oceans and the
sediment and rock of the ocean floor. These ships
are seagoing laboratories with specialized equipment. The oceanographers aboard these ships collect general basic information on the configuration
of the ocean floor and the water’s temperature and
salinity. They also attempt to solve specific problems.
For instance, one scientist on a ship may study
the variety of noises produced by different kinds of
whales, while another may be concerned with the
daily vertical motions of certain plankton. Still others may study ocean currents in canyons, or collect
samples of sediments from the ocean floor.
Conclusions:
a. Modern oceanographic research vessels in general are probably equipped for long-term
expeditions.
Valid
Not Valid
b. Oceanographers aboard research ships probably do not have specific areas of specialization in
their field.
Valid
Not Valid
c. British pioneering efforts at modern oceanography were successful.
Valid
Not Valid
2. In the exploration of space, men have sent instrumented spacecrafts far from Earth. Mariner IV, which
traveled past Mars in 1965, was one such spacecraft.
Most of the data that Mariner IV was designed to col-
lect were collected as the spacecraft passed Mars
— 134 million miles from Earth. However, some
instruments on board were designed to measure the
characteristics of interplanetary space. At one point,
Mariner IV was on the far side of the sun, as viewed
from the Earth, still sending back data to the large
radio telescopes designed to receive the signals.
In spite of the fact that Mariner IV was 216 million
miles from Earth, astronomers still consider it “close
in.” After all, it was just barely outside the orbit of
Mars, one of the closer planets that circle the sun.
Conclusions:
a. Mariner IV was an unmanned spacecraft.
Valid
Not Valid
b. The characteristics of outer space are a basic concern of astronomers.
Valid
Not Valid
c. In astronomy, distances that measure millions of miles from Earth are as staggering to the scientist
as they are to the average person.
Valid
Not Valid
d. Mariner IV not only gathered data but also processed data before transmitting it to Earth.
Valid
Not Valid
e. Investigation of Mars and the area closely surrounding it was the primary goal of Mariner IV.
Valid
Not Valid
Copyright © 2007 Taylor Associates/Communications, Inc.