HOT TOPICS is guaranteed to engage readers, stimulate thinking, and provoke conversation while developing vocabulary and reading skills. The controversial topics explored in the text all have more than one side to them, thus encouraging debate and classroom discussion.

• Three readings per chapter explore the same hot topic from different points of view. The readings in each chapter vary by genre and increase in difficulty to support reading development.

• A focus on reading skills and reading comprehension through pre-reading questions, skimming and scanning activities, the use of context clues, vocabulary analysis, and the development of critical thinking skills helps students increase their reading fluency.