In the close-reading sequence, what is the third step?

• A. Find main ideas and details
• B. Identify author's craft
• C. Reread selectively
• D. Evaluate, conclude, connect

Answer: (D)

Evaluating, concluding, and connecting comes third in this close-reading sequence. After an initial reading and a focused reread to spot key ideas, and after identifying the main ideas and details and noticing the author's craft, you shift to making meaning and linkage. Evaluating asks you to judge how well the text supports its claims, whether the evidence fits the purpose, and what strengths or biases you notice. Concluding involves drawing a takeaway or central message from the text, not just restating details but synthesizing what you’ve learned. Connecting means tying the text to your own experiences, other texts, or real-world ideas, which helps you apply and extend understanding beyond the page. This step comes here because it uses what you’ve gathered about ideas and craft to form judgement and broader meaning.

Finding main ideas and details is usually done earlier to build the map of what the text says. Identifying author’s craft typically follows, as you consider how those ideas are shaped. Rereading selectively is an upfront action to deepen comprehension before you move into synthesis.