What "shape" of paragraph is this?
Being a good reader is somewhat like driving a car; both reader and driver must learn to shift gears skillfully. Just as road conditions that require slow, careful driving call for first gear, a difficult text requires slow, thoughtful reading to be understood and remembered. Similarly, the driver can shift to second gear if he wants to go slightly faster. Second gear is useful to a reader of textual material which is not difficult but which must be remembered. On the open road a driver shifts to third. Third gear in reading is used for pleasure reading of magazines or novels. Both reader and driver sometimes use passing gear. This gear is particularly useful to a reader who wants to skim a chapter as a review for a test or to preview an article to determine whether he wishes to read it. Just as driving in first gear at all times is inappropriate and inefficient, reading speeds must be shifted to suit conditions.