SAMPLE TEST PASSAGES FOR READUTIL
     
     File RUWORD.DOC is in Microsoft WORD format.
     File RUASC.TXT is in ASCII text file format.
     (The text content of each file is identical.)

There are five short text extracts in this file.
Use them to test READUTIL. Each extract is already "marked"
with three asterisks. Refer to the READUTIL Manual, file
RUMANUAL.TXT or RUMANUAL.DOC.

Each test passage is in Gunning's book, together with its
reading level - the "Fog Index". See the "References" given in
the Manual. Sometimes the book also identifies the hard words
and quotes the hard-word percentage. What better examples
could there be for testing READUTIL?

You can compare READUTIL's results with those in the book (and
given below).

     The first sample is an extract from Somerset Maugham.

     The second and third samples are newspaper extracts
     showing "before" and "after" - how the reading index, and
     hence readability, can improve with a little attention.
     
     The fourth and fifth extracts are "before" and "after"
     examples from business writing.

READUTIL does not separate out any special words such as real
names or abbreviations, so its total machine word count and
reading level may show slight variations from Gunning's manual
results.

         ENTERING THIS FILE INFORMATION INTO READUTIL

Below, we give you the paragraph count for each test extract
to help you to enter this file detail into READUTIL. We show
Gunning's test results alongside for comparison.

Run this file through READUTIL using the following marker
details. Then compare READUTIL's results with Gunning's
results.

     Entry information    (Gunning's results)
     
     Marker 1, 1 para;    ("Fog Index 10.9, hard words 12.7%")
     
     Marker 2, 4 paras;   ("Fog Index 17 plus")
     Marker 3, 4 paras;   ("Fog Index 11")
     
     Marker 4, 1 para;    ("Fog Index 17 plus")
     Marker 5, 2 paras;   ("Fog Index 10").
     
You can enter each extract's marker information directly into
READUTIL, or you can use the batch file READ.BAT which is
provided for automatic processing. Refer to the Manual for
details.

You can print this sample test passage file, and read each
text sample. Compare the rewritten texts (markers 3 and 5)
with the originals (2 and 4). Notice how short they are!


                   The first test passage:

***I have never had much patience with the writers who claim
from the reader an effort to understand their meaning. You
have only to go to the great philosophers to see that it is
possible to express with lucidity the most subtle reflections.
You may find it difficult to understand the thought of Hume,
and if you have no philosophical training its implications
will doubtless escape you: but no one with any education at
all can fail to understand exactly what the meaning of each
sentence is. Few people have written English with more grace
than Berkeley. There are two sorts of obscurity you will find
in writers. One is due to negligence and the other to
willfulness.


                   The second test passage:

***Passage of the bill which makes once again six years of age
the starting time for youngsters in school will more than pay
for the cost of the extraordinary special sessions of the
Legislature in amounts saved in public school expenses.

That is the opinion of A. R. Meadows, Alabama State
Superintendent of Education, stated in a letter to city and
county superintendents of schools urging them to express their
appreciation to the governor and members of the Legislature
for passing the bill.

The state superintendent pointed out that employed elementary
teachers who would have been required to handle the large
number of younger children who would have come into public
schools this Fall, can now be shifted from first grade to
other overcrowded grades and that the demand for emergency
teachers in elementary grades could consequently be reduced.

Also, he said, the delay will benefit the younger children by
requiring them to wait until they are more nearly ready to
enter school before enrolling.


                   The third test passage:

***By once again setting the age for starting school at six
years, the Legislature saved the public schools more money
than was spent on the special sessions, according to A. R.
Meadows, State Superintendent of Education.

By letter he has urged city and county superintendents to
thank the governor and members of the Legislature for passing
the bill.

Meadows pointed out that many teachers who would have been
needed to handle the many first-graders this year can now be
shifted to other overcrowded grades. As a result there will be
less need for emergency teachers.

Children will benefit, too, he said: By waiting until they are
six, they will be more nearly ready for school.


                   The fourth test passage:

***The number of persons to attend any one of the various
functions planned for 20 April cannot, of course, be reliably
estimated until shortly before that date. It is therefore
desired that detailed planning be based, and that tentative
but noncommitting preparatory measures be initiated, on the
assumption that there will be capacity attendance at all
functions and that there may be an overflow for the afternoon
and evening lecture. In other words, planning and prearranging
are to be done so that all last-minute adjustments will be
downward adjustments, and therefore feasible with minimum
difficulty on short notice. This principle will apply
particularly to such events as the following, regarding which
further word may issue from time-to-time if found desirable:


                   The fifth test passage:

***We have no way of telling until shortly before April 20 how
many will attend the functions that day. We had best plan,
therefore, for capacity crowds at each event with possible
overflow attendance at the afternoon and evening lectures.

By planning this way we can make last minute changes more
easily if crowds prove small. Keep this principle in mind in
planning the following events:

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