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For people who struggle to read text,technology can be a lifeline. Actually,assistive technology (AT)toolsforreadingcanalsobeuseful tostudentswho just needsomeextraassistancetoaidreading fluencyor comprehension. These toolsare inexpensive and easytofind.Theyopenupthewonderful world of reading,making text accessible to students of all abilities.Butwithsomanytools outthere, it’snotalways easy to know which ones to use.
Tohelp,here’s a guide to some best ones.
?Graphicorganizers
Theyare visual representations,like diagrams and mind maps,of ideas and concepts. You can use graphicorganizerstohelpwithcomprehensionwhilereading.Graphicorganizerscanbe digital or pen andpaper.
?Annotationaids
They let you takenotesandwritecommentswhile reading.This canmakeiteasiertokeepinformation. Annotation aids can be part of software or apps, ortheycanbetraditionalpens, markers, andstickynotes.
?Displaycontrol
Itallowsyoutocontrolhowtext is displayed. When reading on a screen, you can change the font (字体),fontsize,andspacingoftext. Youcanalsocover partsof thescreen to lessendistractions while reading.
?Text-to-speech(TTS)
It letsyousee text andhear itread aloud atthe same time.To use this tool,you click on words,andyou’ll hear thewordsreadbycomputer-generatedvoices.You can even read after it and record yourownvoice.TTScanalso be used to change any digital text files into audio files.
?Opticalcharacterrecognition(OCR)
Itcanreadaloudtextfromimages and pictures. You can use OCR by taking photos ofworksheets,paperdocuments,andevenobjectslikestreetsigns. Like TTS,OCR uses computer-generated voices.
Keep inmind that usingATreading toolswon’t prevent peoplefrom learningto read.For example,expertssay audiobooks can actually help kids become better readers.
21 ．If a reader prefers taking his feelings down while reading,he’d better use _________.
A.graphicorganizers B. annotation aids
C.displaycontrol D. text-to-speech
22．What feature makes OCR unique?
A.Changingfiletypes. B. Editing photos of documents.
C.Readingwordsinpictures. D. Using computer-generated voices.
23 ．According to the author,AT reading tools are _________.
A. accessibleandbeneficial
B.expensivebutworthwhile
C.helpfulandenergy-efficient
D. innovative but complicated
