Final answer:
The reading activity for breaking down a difficult text into manageable pieces is annotating, which helps to actively engage with the text and better understand and retain information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reading activity that involves breaking down a difficult text into manageable pieces is known as annotating. When students annotate, they actively engage with the text by highlighting and underlining important sections, writing questions and comments in the margins, and marking any sections that they find confusing or noteworthy. This process helps to make a challenging text more manageable by enabling the student to understand and retain the information in smaller, more digestible parts. Furthermore, by splitting the text into segments and working through it methodically, students can better absorb the material, which aids in their comprehension and in their ability to use the information effectively in essays and tests.