In an analysis of a processing activities model of memory applied to connected discourse, 206 college students assigned to eight conditions in two studies evidenced significantly greater recall when provided with semantic level tasks than either surface feature analysis or reading control (intentional and incidental) conditions. Additionally, tentative support was provided for a hierarchy of processing activities for prose learning, especially when logical or evaluative tasks were compared with advanced organizers, review statements, or interspersed inferential-level questions. (Author)