As to the definitions of CR, many scholars present their own understanding.
Hafner (1974:40) defines CR as “such kind of reading in the process of which readers try to learn and use language more constructively, and to discuss and analyze language structures to clarify concepts with the skillful questioning”. Spache & Berg (1984) view CR as a reading ability that readers need to analyze and judge the information derived from the text in order to from their own understanding. According to Harris and Hodges (1981), CR is to make judgments in the process of reading. “The main purpose of CR is to make appropriate and scientific evaluations about what you have read.” In 2003, Pirozzi defined CR as the “high level understanding of the written material which includes the skills of paraphrasing and evaluating that enables readers to distinguish the important and unimportant information, distinguish facts and opinions, and determine the author’s purpose and mood. At the same time, it entails making inference to explore the implied information, filling the information gaps, and coming to logical conclusions.”