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To sum up, reading is not merely a process of reading words by words of a printed material but it is also a collaboration of a thinking process, a recollection
of the past experience and the capacity of acquired language faculty to interpret the writer’s intention. In addition, reading can also be said as a process of
matching information since in reading activity, the reader matches his information that he has already had with the printed material in order to get the writer
messages. Reading can simply be viewed as the process of the readers’ thinking in relation to written symbols to get comprehension; it is also an interactive process
between the reader’s prior knowledge and what the writer writes.
2.1.2. Importance of Reading
Nowadays reading becomes more and more important. In the development of science and technology, being able to read well is very beneficial. Moreover, to
some extent, reading is required such as at work and at school. Through reading a lot someone will improve hisher capability. As a result, people can communicate
well when they have prepared some information by means of reading. Indeed, reading is needed as a channel of communication with the global community.
People read because they want information, they need to find out how to solve problems or to buy something wisely. In addition, people read because they
are concerned about economical, cultural, or political issues or even they do so because they are interested in the latest news. Besides reading for getting
information, people also get pleasure, they read book to escape the pressures and confinements of their own lives by amusing themselves in fiction stories or
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novels. Another reason why people read is to enjoy discovering insights and ideas that illuminate their own experience and simultaneously help them understand
themselves and the world around them. This is in line with the opinion mentioned by Ramelan 1972 that people read because they want to keep informed about
their surrounding, to question and think more deeply about their own ideas and experiences, to consider the experiences and the ideas of others, and to confirm
their own beliefs.
2.1.3. Purposes of Reading
Most of reading authorities regard purposeful reading as a means of developing reader’s ability and skills that is necessary to secure information and
derive pleasure. In other words, reading helps the readers to focus on the specific word data selection on the printed symbols and in turn to send the message to their
mind. Besides, reading also helps readers to process and to select the data that has already existed in their mind. Comprehension, therefore, has been regarded the most
important part of reading, that is, when one has a purpose for reading, his effort may become more goal-oriented. This means that what we are and why we are reading
will determine how we feel about reading. If, for example, one is reading a light magazine for leisure time entertainment, he might scan it quickly. On the other hand,
if he is reading such a scientific article for getting information, he might read it more seriously and even read it more than once.
Obviously, it is quite different between reading merely for having pleasure and reading for getting information. The quick scanning on the telephone
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directory, for example, does not need any comprehension than that of articles of magazine does. As a result, the purposeful reading cannot be merely regarded as
gaining information from the printed symbols but also developing reader’s ability skill and technique in comprehending what the writer intends to say. As the
reader’s ability will improve through the long experiences of reading, he also develops his maturity and independence in reading. In turn, he will be able to set
his own reading purposes.
2.2 Reading Comprehension
