Unit IV. PRACTICE WITH UNDERSTANDING DETAILS

Unit III. PRACTICE WITH MAIN IDEAS

All well-written paragraphs have a main idea. The main idea is what the paragraph is about. The questions concerning the main idea of the text may be phrased in different ways. Here are some examples:

1.	What is	the main topic of	the passage?
		the main idea of
		the subject of
		the main idea expressed in
		the main purpose of
		the primary topic of
		the primary purpose of
		the main theme in
2.	The passage	deals mainly with …
		is mainly about …
3.	With what topic	is the passage primarily concerned?

The topic of the passage is usually stated in the first sentence, although other positions are also possible. Read the following paragraph in which the topic – the tornado – is stated in the first sentence:

The family heard the siren warning them that the tornado was coming. They hurried to the cellar. The roar of the tornado was deafening, and the children started crying. Suddenly it was silent. They waited awhile before they went outside to survey the damage.

In the following paragraph, the main topic is stated in the last sentence:

The family hurried to the cellar and waited. First, they heard the pounding of the hailstones. The wind became deafening, and the children started crying. Suddenly it was silent. They waited awhile before they ventured outside to see the damage the tornado had done.

Sometimes the topic is not stated in the passage at all but is implied:

The sky became dark and threatening. A funnel of dust began forming in the air and soon reached down to touch the ground. Debris was seen swirling around as everything was swallowed up, twisted, and then dropped.

Although “tornado” is not mentioned in the passage, it has been implied by the description (“a funnel of dust... in the air,” “debris... swirling,” “twisted”).

Do the following exercises to develop your skills in identifying the main ideas in reading passages.

Exercise 1. Locating topics. Read the passages. Underline the word or words that give the “topic” of each passage. If the topic is implied, then write it in the space.

Example. The Japanese macaque is an endangered monkey. It inhabits an area farther north than any other primate except for humans. The Japanese call this animal the snow monkey because it can be found in the snowy regions of Japan. Ironically, some troops of macaques have been relocated in Texas to ensure their survival. …………………………

You should underline “The Japanese macaque” because the passage is mainly about them. You would leave the space empty because the topic is stated rather than implied.

1. Originally, robots were found only in science fiction movies and books. Today, they have become science fact as technology has turned them into a feasible means of increasing productivity. The robot industries may still be in their infancy, but their products are no longer being ridiculed as impossibility. ………………………………………

2. By nine o’clock in the morning, the streets are lined with people. Somewhere in the distance, a band is heard playing a marching song. Shopkeepers are locking their doors and joining the crowds. Everyone is craning their necks to see how long it will be before the first float reaches them. ……………………………………………

3. Parsley, a good source of iron and vitamins A, C, and E, is a common herb of the Mediterranean area. The ancient Greeks considered it sacred and therefore did not eat it. The Romans served it as a garnish and to improve the taste of food. …………………………………………

4. The Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center on the eastern outskirts of New York is recruiting elderly men and women to work as foster grandparents for the children in the hospital. Even though these grandparents have no experience or training in dealing with emotionally disturbed children, they have lots of experience in being parents. It has been found that both foster grandparents and foster grandchildren benefit immensely from this relationship. ………………………………………..

5. Human beings are capable of thinking in two basic ways. Convergent thinking neatly and systematically tends toward an answer. Divergent thinking tends away from a center, perhaps in several directions at once, seeking avenues of inquiry rather than a particular destination. Scientists, on the whole, engage in convergent thinking, but it is divergent thinking that breaks with the past and leads to unpredictable conclusions. ……………………………………………

Exercise 2. Selecting a topic sentence . In the following passages, only the supporting ideas are given. The passages are followed by three possible topic sentences. Choose the sentence that would best introduce the passage.

Example. Trees can defend themselves against devouring insects by undergoing changes in the nutritional quality of their leaves. The leaves of nearby trees undergo the same changes in nutritional quality as do those attacked. It is hypothesized that trees emit chemical substances that transmit information to other trees concerning the attack.

(A) Scientists believe that the nutritional quality of leaves causes chemical substances to transmit information.

(B) Scientists believe that studies in tree communication could affect pest control programs.

(C) Scientists believe that trees attacked by insects may communicate information to neighboring trees, which act accordingly.

The passage discusses how the trees communicate, so the right answer is (C), as it states what scientists believe about trees communicating.

(A) is a restatement of information in the passage (a restatement – подтверждение , переформулирование ) .

(B) could be inferred as a logical use of this information (to infer – предполагать; подразумевать).

1. Satellites routinely relay pictures of desert areas on Earth, from which it can be determined where locusts are likely to breed. A single swarm of locusts can devour 80,000 tons of com a day - sustenance for half a million people for one year. With information on the locusts’ breeding areas, agriculture officials can use pesticides to kill the locusts before they become a menace.

(A) Aerial pictures transmitted from satellites will be used to dramatically curtail infestations by locusts.

(B) Scientists have found that images from satellites reveal regions about to be infested by locusts.

1. Scientists used to believe that animal screams startled predators into loosening their grip. However, now some researchers have concluded that the piercing, far-reaching screams of animals caught by predators are not warnings to kin or cries for help. Recent studies indicate that these screams may be to attract other predators, which will give the prey a chance to escape during the ensuing struggle between predators.

(A) Animal screams attract buzzards, hawks, foxes, feral cats, and other predators.

(B) Researchers broadcasted the fear screams of the European starling from a concealed loudspeaker.

2. Immunization can significantly reduce the microorganisms thought to cause cavities. The Federal Drug Administration needs to approve the vaccine before it can be sold to the public. Consequently, the vaccine will have to undergo a three-year trial period.

(A) A new cavity-preventing vaccine may soon be on the market.

(B) Vaccines given to animals can reduce tooth decay by 50 to 60 percent.

4. Cirrus clouds are thin and delicate, whereas cumulus clouds look like cotton balls. Nimbus clouds are dark and ragged, and stratus clouds appear dull in color and cover the entire sky.

(A) A stratus cloud on the ground is called fog.

(B) There are four basic cloud types: cirrus, cumulus, nimbus, and stratus.

Exercise 3. Checking the topic. Each of the following passages is followed by a sentence that states a topic. If the stated topic is correct, go to the next passage. If it is not correct, write the topic.

Example. The Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood was a school of artists formed in about 1848. The Pre-Raphaelites’ ideal was absolute fidelity to nature. For a time, this school of thought greatly influenced art developments throughout Europe. However, within a decade the movement had disbanded.

The main topic of the passage is “the disbanding of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.”

the Pre-Raphaelite movement

The main topic of the passage is not the disbanding of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Therefore, you would write the topic “the Pre-Raphaelite movement” in the space.

1. The Aztecs of Mexico were probably the first people to domesticate the turkey. After Hernan Cortes conquered Mexico in 1521, he returned to Spain with specimens of the large bird. Its popularity spread throughout Europe. Later, domestic turkeys returned to the Western Hemisphere when the Pilgrims brought them from England.

The main topic of this passage is “the Aztecs of Mexico.”…………………………………………

2. When a meteor collides with the Earth’s atmosphere, the resulting friction causes the meteor to heat up and partially vaporize. Its entrance is seen as a brief flash of light and a luminous vapor trail that lasts for a few seconds. A meteor that reaches the Earth’s surface is called a meteorite. Meteorites are extremely valuable to scientists because they are samples of actual cosmic material.

The main topic of the passage is “the vaporization of a meteor.”…………………………………………….

3. Addiction to cigarette smoking is basically an addiction to nicotine. Those who are attempting to overcome their addiction to nicotine have found the most common cures ineffective. Switching to low-nicotine cigarettes simply causes problem smokers to smoke more. Zero-nicotine cigarettes are usually rejected because they don’t satisfy the smoker’s need for nicotine. Perhaps the most effective aid for those who want to stop smoking is chewing a recently developed gum which contains nicotine.

The main topic of this passage is “how smokers become addicted to nicotine.”…………………………………………

3. While living in Germany with her family, Caroline Herschel was not allowed to learn anything other than useful household skills such as knitting. However, all this changed in 1772, when her astronomer brother, William, took her to live with him in England. He taught her mathematics, and she began to help him keep a record of his discoveries. The two of them would often stay up until dawn, gazing upward. Eventually, they built their own telescopes, which were even bigger and better than those at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The passage is about the life of Caroline Herschel …………………………………….

4. Christmas Island, discovered by Captain James Cook on Christmas Eve in 1777, was once populated by a wide variety of bird species. In recent years, at least 18 species of birds – a total of 17 million birds – have either left or perished on the island. It is suspected that the cause of the disappearance may be related to a cyclical weather phenomenon in the Pacific that alters wind patterns, salinity, and ocean currents. These conditions have resulted in higher water temperatures which may have killed the fish and squid that the birds live on.

This passage is about Cook’s discovery of Christmas Island. …………………………………….

6. Two-thirds of China’s vast territory is mountainous or desert. Every spring, windstorms come raging out of the mountains and cross the great deserts gathering dust. A dense cloud of dust that is hundreds of miles wide forms. It is blown thousands of miles, traveling from the North Pacific to the Gulf of Alaska and from there moving south and then east. As the prevailing winds lose their velocity, dust particles fall from the cloud. It is believed that as much as 10 percent of the soil in Hawaii is composed of the dust particles collected from China’s deserts and dispersed in the journey across the Pacific.

This passage is about the soil composition of Hawaii………………………………………………..

7. The potato, which is nutritious and tasty, is an important food for millions of people. Destruction of the potato crop by pests has resulted in famines. Plant researchers, studying the hundreds of varieties of potatoes, have uncovered a hairy wild variety of potato from Bolivia that emits strong glue from the end of its hairs. This glue traps and kills insects. A new hairy potato was developed when researchers successfully crossed the common potato with the hairy potato. This new hybrid potato not only reduces aphid populations by 40 to 60 percent, but also emits a substance that checks the population of the Colorado potato beetle, one of the most destructive potato pests. Unfortunately, the hairs also trap beneficial insects. Plant researchers are currently trying to alleviate this problem through limiting the density of hairs.

The passage is about the developments in the cross breeding of potatoes. …………………………………………………………

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check your progress in identifying the topic sentences by completing the following mini-test.

Mini-test 1 (Time - 10 minutes)

Directions: You will read several passages. Each reading passage is followed by a question. Choose the best answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D), to each question.

Example.Between the late 1920s and 1950s, the Osborne Calendar Company produced a series of calendars featuring trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Up to 300,000 of these, featuring large colorful scenes of trains at work, were published each year to hang in depots and shippers’ offices along the lines of the famous railroad company. The scenes, mostly painted by one artist, Grif Teller, are now valuable collectibles.

What is the subject of this passage?

(A) Trains at work

(B) Calendars of the Pennsylvania Railroad trains

(D) Grif Teller’s paintings of trains

The passage mainly discusses the calendars of the trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad produced by the Osborne Calendar Company. Therefore, you should choose (B).

1. The bioluminescent flashlight fish does not actually light up but has a saclike organ under each eye that contains luminous bacteria. Although the bacteria glow constantly, the fish can control the light by eye movements. The flashlight fish uses its lights to search for food in the dark depths. Upon finding the food, the fish blinks rapidly to signal its mates. If an intruder threatens, the fish can startle it by shining its light. Predators can be confused by the flashlight fish’s flashing its light and abruptly changing directions.

What is the main idea of this passage?

(A) The flashlight fish uses its bioluminescence for different purposes.

(B) Bioluminescence can save the life of the flashlight fish.

(D) Different fish use bioluminescence in different ways……………………………………………………………

2. Cole Porter was never regarded in his lifetime as socially conscious. Society conscious, yes; he was born rich, and married richer, to Linda Lee Thomas, a wealthy divorcee. Songwriting made him a third fortune. He was not just rich and famous; he was famous for being rich. Though not a native New Yorker - he was a backcountry boy from Peru, Indiana - he and his work came to typify smart Manhattan society. His music was a highly personal mixture and had huge appeal. Porter, as an admiring contemporary remarked, made sophistication popular.

What is the subject of this passage?

(A) A socially conscious musician

(B) Becoming rich and famous

(D) Popularizing sophistication……………………………

3. Tree rings have long been used to determine the ages of trees and to gauge past climatic conditions. New evidence adds considerable weight to the theory that tree rings also record earthquakes. The rings reflect the effects of earthquakes, such as tilting, the disruption of root systems, and breakage, as well as shifts in environments. Older trees and petrified trees may give information about earthquakes that took place hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

What is the main theme of this passage?

(A) How earthquakes affect tree rings

(B) How tree rings can be used to warn people of impending earthquakes

(D) Why tree rings are used to determine tree ages, climatic conditions, and earthquakes ………………………………………

Unit IV. PRACTICE WITH UNDERSTANDING DETAILS

In order to understand a reading passage, you need to be able to:

1. Identify what the referents are referring to.

2. Follow the flow of ideas by paying attention to transitions and connectors.

3. Break complex sentences into simple sentences in order to understand the details.

Use the following exercises to build your skills in understanding details in reading passages.

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