By far, one of the hardest skills to teach is determining the main idea of a nonfiction text. Not only is determining main idea pretty difficult for some (or most depending on your class that year) students, it is also so critical for understanding nonfiction text. To make matters more complicated, so many other nonfiction skills are also dependent on understanding the main idea. To help my students master determining main idea, I teach three different strategies or approaches.
What is Main Idea?
The main idea is the most important idea in a text or what the text is mostly about. The main idea is sometimes stated in the opening sentence or paragraph of a text, but not always. Sometimes, the author will even state the main idea more than once. Other times, students have to figure out what the main idea is based on the important details in the text. This is when it gets tricky.
Why is Main Idea Tricky for Students?
Teaching the main idea of nonfiction text can be tricky because students often struggle with the embedded or related skills needed. In order to identify the main idea of a nonfiction text, students need to comprehend the text they are reading (including reading and understanding the vocabulary), identify the key details, distinguish between important details and interesting details, and determine how those details connect or relate to one another.
It is pretty easy to see why this is such a tricky skill for students.
Let’s take a look at the three strategies I use to teach main idea.
Main Idea Strategy #1: Using Key Words
When teaching the main idea, one strategy you can use is to have students identify key words in the text. Key words are usually repeated throughout the text and can help readers identify the main idea. After identifying key words, have students can use them to create a main idea sentence.
To begin the teaching of this specific main idea strategy, I like to read a high interest article (for this lesson I used an article from Zoobooks about Owls) projected onto the smartboard.
Here is the main idea anchor chart that I used to introduce this main idea strategy:
During the lesson, I taught the students that key words are either bolded, repeated (keeping in mind words that are repeated through synonyms) or they match the heading or the title.
With the students’ help, we came up with four key words from a paragraph in our article (specifically zoning in one paragraph at a time is key to scaffolding understanding). We supported the choice of key words by discussing which requirement they met to be called a key word. Then we turned our key words into a main idea sentence.
Finally, we completed a “Sentence Check.” This is where we check each sentence (or randomly select a few) to make sure they match or support the main idea. If each sentence is not connected to the main idea in some way, our main idea sentence may not be accurate or complete. This really helps students not choose main idea sentences that are just interesting details.
Main Idea Strategy #2: What To Do When You Have Choices
The next strategy we talked about after two days of practice with the key word strategy shared above was how to determine the main idea when you have choices. I had this main idea anchor chart prepped before the lesson with four possible main ideas for a specific paragraph in the same owl article. We read another section of the same owl article and thought carefully about what the author was trying to tell us.
After reading the section and discussing with our partners what we thought the author was trying to tell us with the important details, we looked at our choices. We read each choice and went back to the section to determine if it was the main idea.
We used our “Sentence Check” from the previous lesson to justify our answers. It was really great hearing the students say things like, “That is just a detail and the other sentences don’t really talk about that.” Or “That sentence is an opinion and doesn’t match the details in the paragraph.” We chose our answer if we could prove that all of our sentences in the specific paragraph supported that main idea.
Main Idea Strategy #3: What are the details or examples showing you?
The final main idea strategy focuses on looking at the important details shared in a text and seeing how they relate, connect, or what big idea they reveal about the topic.
For this mini lesson, we moved away from our article and used a nonfiction mentor text on sharks
. I chose this book because it contained great examples through the text and the illustrations. For this lesson I wanted to explore text that didn’t really have key words, but instead used details and examples to illustrate the main idea. Click here to see my other recommended mentor texts and read alouds for teaching main idea.
Before reading the shark mentor text, we looked at a quick example that I had written on chart paper. We read it aloud and discussed with a partner what the author was trying to show us through the details provided. Since this was a familiar topic, most of them were really quick to notice that the details were showing that the inner planets are different from the outer planets.
After reading the short paragraph, we discussed how the main idea was not stated or even shown through key words. Instead, the reader used the examples and the details to show the reader the main idea.
After discussing this and doing another turn and talk discussion with our partners, we read a few pages from the mentor text mentioned above. We did several main idea sentences together using the book and then I chose a page for them to complete on their own. They were given a post it note where they had to determine the main idea. It was really interesting because some of them let the examples guide them and some of them even chose to use key words to help them from our previous lessons. They posted their responses on our chart.
Do you need resources and activities for teaching main idea?
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Asked by: Mae Valcaneras
asked in category: books and literature Last Updated: 25th November, 2020
It is easy to identify a main idea that is directly expressed in the text. Main ideas are often found at the beginning of paragraphs. The first sentence often explains the subject being discussed in the passage. Main ideas are also found in the concluding sentences of a paragraph.
Rest of the detail can be read here. Consequently, how do you find the main idea in a summary?
While the main idea is usually in the first sentence, the next most common placement is in the last sentence of a paragraph. The author gives supporting information first and then makes the point in the last sentence.
One may also ask, what is main idea and supporting details? SUPPORTING DETAILS • A paragraph contains facts, statements, examples-specifics which guide us to a full understanding of the main idea. They clarify, illuminate, explain, describe, expand and illustrate the main idea and are supporting details.
Similarly, you may ask, what is the main idea of a story?
The main idea of a story is the central point or big picture concept that the reader should walk away with. One of the best ways to determine the main idea is to identify things that are not the main idea. The main idea is not detailed; it’s a concept that encompasses the entire book.
What is main idea and details?
The main idea, also called the central idea or main point, is the primary concept of a passage. The main idea is usually reinforced by a series of other points or details which support the premise of the main idea. These are called supporting ideas and may also be stated or implied.
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Summarizing non-fiction involves analyzing an informational text and applying higher level thinking skills to identify main ideas, determine importance, and synthesize ideas. Students have to think beyond the text and demonstrate understanding by identifying key words and phrases and putting them together in a text summary using their own words. The focus is on the most important facts or ideas of a text.
Unlike a retell, a non-fiction summary should only include the main idea, as well as key words and important supporting details that are essential to understanding the text. For many students, text summaries quickly become text retells, so it’s important to teach students how to effectively summarize a text. One way to do this is by introducing “key word summaries.”
Introducing Key Word Summaries
Key word summaries are an effective way for students to practice summarizing non-fiction texts. With explicit teaching and guided practice, students can learn how to identify important key words and summarize an expository text using just the essential facts and details. Keep in mind, it’s important for students to be able to determine the main idea of a text, as well as distinguish between important and non-important supporting details, before they practice summarizing.
Step 1 – Identify Key Words
The first step is for students to identify key words. The goal is to pick 3-5 key words per chapter or section so that they can focus on what’s essential and identify the most important key words connected to the main idea.
We often start by using a whiteboard or our reading notebooks to brainstorm a list of all the words that could be potential key words. Students should jot down any important words that pop into their head from the chapter. Then, students can revisit the text to hunt for specific key words using the “Big 3” guiding questions.
The Big 3 Guiding Questions
- What is the title or heading?
- What is this chapter/section mostly about?
- What words do I see repeated throughout the chapter/section?
I always model this step and use a think aloud to show them how I use the guiding questions to identify words. Content vocabulary words that are repeated throughout a section, as well as titles and headings, are often a good place to start since those are usually connected to the big ideas of a section/chapter.
The second part within this step is for students to narrow down their words. This part is the most challenging, as students need to determine importance, prioritize information, and connect key words to the main idea.
When first introducing this strategy with my reading groups, we share our word lists aloud and compile them into a larger list. We then look at the words one at a time. If more than one student chooses a specific word, we discuss why it’s important and if it should stay on the list. For all other words, students have to explain the reason they chose the words (which helps me see their thinking process), and we work together to slowly narrow down our list by crossing words out. The goal is to narrow the list down so only FIVE remain.
If students are having a difficult time paring down their brainstormed word list or deciding what’s “most” important, I use the following guiding questions to help them. Students can ask themselves the following questions for each word:
- Is this word important for understanding this chapter/section?
- Does this word connect to an important detail (vs. a supporting detail)?
- Could I leave this word out and still understand the chapter/section?
- Does this word connect to background information, examples, or extra details that could be left out?
Step 2 – Writing a Key Word Summary
The next step is to “connect the dots” to create a key word summary. The goal is to piece together all five words to make a SINGLE key word sentence. It doesn’t matter the order of the words, but this key word summary sentence should include the key ideas and represent what the chapter/section is mostly about. If it doesn’t, I always have them go back to rework the sentence or identify words to add or take out.
When starting out with this second step, I always have students start in their notebooks so they can cross-out and shrink their summaries. The ultimate goal is for it to fit on a sticky note. The sticky note size forces students to “boil down” their summaries to include only the most important information.
I always model this with a think-aloud and show the students how I connect the words to create a key word summary sentence. After writing the key word sentence, I have the students go back and underline the key words in the summary sentences to check to make sure they included all of the ones they identified.
Practicing Key Word Summaries
Once students learn the process for identifying key words and creating key word summaries, you can use this strategy with any non-fiction text. Spiral in this strategy as a regular part of your guided reading lessons, or use it with Read, Stop, Think strategy to support active reading and check for understanding.
The goal is for students to apply this strategy independently as part of their natural strategic reading process, to support their comprehension and self-monitor for understanding. During reading, students can jot down quick key word summaries on sticky notes, complete key word graphic organizers, discuss key words with a partner, or use it as a note-taking strategy for research or content-specific texts.
Suggestions & Tips
- Model, model, model and then guide students through each step. Through scaffolding, you can build up students independence with this strategy!
- When hunting for keywords in a text, have the students highlight, circle, underline, or mark with sticky notes or sticky flags.
- Use titles and repeated content words as a guide for identifying key words! It really helps make this strategy more defined and explicit for student understanding and application. Repeated words can be color-coded and important words in titles can be starred, underlined, etc.
- Remind students that sometimes there will be less than five key words… and that’s OK!
Key Word Summary Extensions
- QR Code Summaries – Students create interactive QR code posters using the key word summaries for each section of a text.
- Key Word Visualizing – Students identify key words and then visualize the main points, integrating the key words in their illustrations.
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Parlindungan Pardede
English is a topic-centered language. In every paragraph, or any longer text, the writer focuses on discussing a single main topic. All the details provided are used to support his ideas about that topic. In all good paragraphs you will therefore find three essential elements, i.e. a topic, a main idea, and some details. In relation to this, your understanding of a paragraph depends on your to determine the topic and main idea.
Topic
A topic is the one thing the whole paragraph is about. It is the unifying factor, which every sentence and idea contained in the paragraph relate to. To find the topic of a paragraph, ask yourself this question: “Which person, event, practice, theory, or idea is most frequently mentioned or referred to in the paragraph?” Usually, the topic of a paragraph can be expressed in one word or a phrase consisting of two or more words. That’s why a topic could also be defined as the word or phrase that best describes what all of the sentences in the paragraph are about. To illustrate, let’s use the following paragraph.
Computer chips have changed our way of life. With computer chips, we can make very small computers. Space scientists use these small computers in satellites and space ships. Large companies use these small computers for business. We can make very small calculators with computer chips. Some calculators are as small as a credit card, and these calculators are not very expensive. Computer chips are also used for making digital watches. A normal watch has a spring and moving hands, but a digital watch has no moving parts. A digital watch show the time and date with numbers, and some digital watches even have an alarm and a stopwatch. The computer chip makes all of this possible.
Explanation:
The phrase “computer chips”, as indicated by the underlining, is the most frequently mentioned thing in this paragraph. It is the one that best describes what all of the sentences in the paragraph are about. Thus, this is the topic of the paragraph.
Most paragraphs state the topic, but some writers frequently imply the topic. Thus, to identify the topic, readers have to synthesize, or combine; different words in the paragraph To be useful, the topic you select or create should be general enough to include everything discussed in the paragraph. At the same time, it should be specific enough to exclude what isn’t. To illustrate, read the following paragraph.
Traffic is directed by color. Pilot instrument panels, landing strips, road and water crossings are regulated by many colored light and signs. Factories use color to distinguish between thoroughfares and work areas. Danger zones are painted in special colors. Lubrication points and removable parts are accentuated by color. Pipers for transporting water, steam, oil, chemicals, and compressed air, are designated by different colors. Electrical wires and resistances are color-coded.
Explanation:
In this paragraph, the topic is not directly stated. However, by considering the whole sentence, it is clear that the paragraph discusses about the uses of color in modern technological instrument. This is the topic of the paragraph.
Here is another example.
Frances Wright was a brilliant and determined woman who believed that she could have changed an unjust world. Inspired by her belief, Wright founded, in 1826, an experimental community called Nashoba. It was to be a place where black men and women could work together until they were able to purchase their freedom from slavery. But for all its good intentions, the community was a failure. Plagued by bad weather and illness, Nashoba produced nothing but debts. By 1830, it was only a memory, forgotten by everyone but the people who helped start it.
Explanation:
Initially, as you begin reading this paragraph, you might think that “Nashoba” is the topic. But as you continue reading, you discover that the paragraph does not focus on the working of the community called Nashoba. Instead it focuses on the community’s failure. However, the word failure does not appear until the fourth sentence of the paragraph. In order to express the precise topic of the paragraph, i.e. “failure of Nashoba“, you have to construct it by combining words from different sentence.
Main Idea
A main idea is what the author says, thinks, or wants to communicate about the topic. It is the central or most important thought in the paragraph. Every other sentence and idea in the paragraph is related to the main idea. The main idea is usually directly stated by the writer in a sentence called the topic sentence which is usually but not always placed in the beginning of the paragraph. The topic sentence tells what the rest of the paragraph is about.
Since the main idea is what the author says, thinks, or wants to communicate about the topic, to determine it, you should first decide what the topic of the paragraph is. Then ask yourself these questions: What is the main idea—what is the author trying to say about the topic? Which sentence states the main idea? To illustrate, let’s take the paragraph about “computer chips” above. The whole sentences in the paragraph explained what the writer thinks about computer chips. He shows that computer chips are used to make very small computers, calculators, and digital watches which have changed our way of life. This idea is stated in the first sentence which runs “Computer chips have changed our way of life.” This is the main idea of the paragraph.
Occasionally, a writer does not directly state the main idea of a given paragraph in a topic sentence. Instead, he or she leaves it up to the reader to infer, or reason out, what the main idea of the paragraph is. This type of paragraph contains only details or specifics which relate to a given topic and which substantiate an unstated main idea. To read this type of paragraph, start as you would for paragraphs with stated main idea. Ask yourself the question for finding the topic: What is the one thing the author is discussing throughout the paragraph? Then try to think of a sentence about the topic that all the details included in the paragraph would support.
Read the paragraph in the example below. First, identify the topic. Then study the details and think of a general statement that all the details in the paragraph would support or prove.
Thomas Alva Edison invented or improved on the telegraph, phonograph, stock ticker, microphone, telephone, light bulb, battery, motion picture projector, and many other things. He held more than 1,300 US and foreign patents and was the first American director of a research laboratory for inventors. His various companies later combined to become General Electric.
Explanation:
In this paragraph the writer returns again and again to Thomas Alva Edison. Therefore the topic this paragraph is. Having been identifying this topic, it is not hard to figure out what the author wants to say about it. The sentences in the paragraph combine to suggest a main idea that would, if put into a sentence, read something like this: “Thomas Alva Edison was a great inventor.” This is the main idea.
Pattern of Organization
For many kinds of reading, such as reading textbooks or articles in your own field, in addition to the author’s topic and main idea, you also need to recognize how he developed them. That way of idea development is called the pattern of organization. In some paragraph information are presented in sequence of events, some others in sequence of steps, in comparison and contrast, in cause and effects, in list of characteristics, or in the mixture of two different paragraph types. Once you recognize the pattern, you will understand and follow their ideas more efficiently. According to Mikulecky and Jeffries (2007: 134), there are six major pattern of organization, i.e. listing, sequence, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, and extended definition. The following explanations are based on Mikulecky and Jeffries’ work.
1. Listing
In the listing pattern, the writer states the main idea in the form of a generalization and gives a list of details or examples to support that general statement. Common key words/phrases found in the main idea are: many, several, a number of, a variety of, a few, kinds of. Transitional words/phrases used in this organizational pattern are: for example, for instance, first, second, another, also, besides, in addition, final, last, most important. Look at the following paragraph.
There are several different theories about the origin of the Moon. One theory, called the fission’ theory, states that early in the life of Earth, a piece broke off, and that piece became the Moon. A second, closely related theory is that the Moon is composed of several pieces of Earth that broke away from our planet. Yet another theory is that the Moon formed elsewhere in the solar system and was captured by Earth’s gravity.’ The final theory states that a huge piece of planetary rock struck Earth and broke up into pieces. One of the pieces became the Moon. (From: Mikulecky, B. S. and Jeffries, L. 2007: 135)
Explanation:
This paragraph discusses about “Theories about the origin of the Moon”. This is the topic. In relation to the topic, writer states, “There are several different theories about the origin of the Moon.” This is the main idea. To make this idea convincing, he lists four theories. That’s why the organizational pattern of this paragraph is listing.
2. Sequence
In the sequence pattern, the writer explains the main idea with a series of events or steps in a process that follow one after the other in time order. The common key word/phrases in the main idea are: began, account, story, process, history, sequence. The common signal words/phrases are: first, second, then, next, after, while, since, then, soon, finally, at last, in 1965, last June, later, over time, the next step, the following week. Look at the following paragraph.
The years between 1918 and 1945 brought violence and upheaval to the newly formed Polish nation. In 1918, Poland was declared independent, and army officer Jozef Pilsudski took control of the government. After 1926, the government became a dictatorship, first under Pilsudski and later, after his death in 1935, under officers loyal to him. The officers, however, did not rule for long. In 1939, Germany and Russia invaded Poland, and both powers divided up the country. During the war years that followed, the Germans murdered anywhere from three to five and a half million Polish Jews; they killed more than half of the population of Warsaw, and the capital itself was completely destroyed. Warsaw, once one of the most beautiful capitals n Europe, was reduced to rubble.
Explanation:
This paragraph focuses on “political events in Poland between the years 1918 and 1945,” and this is the topic of the paragraph. In addition to the sequence of political dates and events, this paragraph also expresses the writer’s idea that “Poland underwent violence and upheaval during 1918-1945.” This is the main idea of the paragraph, which is contained in the first sentence. So, this sentence functions as the topic sentence.
The following paragraph also employs the sequence organizational pattern. However, different from the paragraph above which uses a series of events, the next paragraph uses a series of steps (process).
Not all stars are the same age, so it is possible to see stars at every stage of their life cycle. From their observations, astrophysicists can explain the process of the formation of a star. A star begins life inside a nebula, a huge cloud of gas and dust in outer space. Over time, the force of gravity pulls some of the gas and dust together to form into clumps. Then the temperature inside the nebula begins to rise. Next, several clumps come together and become denser and hotter, and they form a protostar (an early form of a star). After that, the protostar continues to grow until it has become about as large as our Sun. At that point, nuclear reactions begin to occur in its core (center), and these reactions send energy to the surface of the protostar. Finally, the energy escapes as heat and light and a new star begins to shine.
Explanation:
This paragraph discusses about “The process of the formation of a star”. This is the topic. According to the writer, “a star is formed in a process during which clumps of gas and dust form a protostar that becomes large and hot.” This is the main idea.
3. Comparison/Contrast
In the comparison/contrast pattern, the writer’s main idea is a general statement about two things and how they are similar and/or different. A comparison can include both similarities and differences, or only the similarities. A contrast states only differences. The common key words/phrases in the main idea: similarities, differences, both, in common, same, different, compare, comparison. The usual signal words/phrases for similarities are similarly, also, in the same way, as, like, both, in common. The common signal words/phrases for differences are: however, but, on the other hand, although, while, in contrast, than, conversely, yet, unlike. Look at the following paragraph.
When Gerald Ford, the thirty-eighth president of the U.S., came to office, he was fond of emphasizing his resemblance to one of his famous predecessors, Harry S. Truman. Like Ford, Truman had been a vice president who became president only by chance. Truman took over when Franklin Roosevelt died in office, a circumstance that resembled Ford’s own ascent to the presidency when Richard Nixon resigned from office. Truman, like Ford, was not an intellectual, and he tended to exaggerate his lack of learning, insisting that he was just a simple man with simple tastes. Ford also like to emphasize that both he and Truman came to office at a difficult time. Truman led the nation during the final months of World War II, and Ford entered office after the nation had been faced with the Watergate scandals.
Explanation:
This paragraph focuses on some similarities between Ford and Truman. This is the topic of the paragraph. The main idea appears in the first sentence: “Gerald Ford liked to point out how similar he was to Harry Truman. The remaining supporting sentences develop that main idea by listing the similarities between them.
Different from the paragraph above, which focuses on similarities, the following paragraph focuses on differences.
Earth differs greatly from its two closest neighboring planets, Venus and Mars. The Venusian and Martian atmospheres are composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide, while Earth’s atmosphere contains very little. The dominant material in our atmosphere is nitrogen (77 percent). The other major component of Earth’s atmosphere is oxygen (21 percent), a gas that is almost nonexistent on Venus and Mars. Our planet has an abundance’ of water, which covers about 70 percent of Earth’s surface and supports life on our planet. In contrast, Venus and Mars are extremely dry planets and incapable of supporting life.
Explanation:
This paragraph focuses on some differencies between Earth and Venus and Mars. This is the topic of the paragraph. The main idea appears in the first sentence: “The Earth differs greatly from that of its two closest neighboring planets, Venus and Mars. The remaining supporting sentences develop that main idea by listing the differences among them.
4. Cause/Effect
In this pattern, the writer’s main idea is that one event or action caused another event or action. Common key words/phrases in the main idea and the signal words for details are the same and often include: causes, leads to, is the cause of results in, creates, brings about, makes, provokes, produces, gives rise to, contributes to, is due to, is the result of, comes from, results from, is produced by, is a consequence of, follows, is caused by. Look at the following paragraph.
There are more old people in the world today because of an increase in medical services. Today, more people can get medical services from doctors and nurses in hospitals and clinics. As a result, fewer people get fatal disease such as yellow fever, malaria, cholera, and typhoid. This decrease in fatal diseases causes a decrease in the number of people who die from these diseases. Because of this decrease in number of deaths, people can live longer today. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of old people living in the world today.
Explanation:
The topic of this paragraph is the cause of increase in the number of old people. According to the writer, there are more old people in the world today because of an increase in medical services. This is the main idea. To support his idea, the author shows how the increase in medical services has caused the increase in the number of old people living in the world today.
5. Problem/Solution
In this pattern, the main idea names a problem and indicates that one or more solutions. The paragraph always consists of two parts: 1) a statement and 2) a description and explanation of how it was solved. There are often no signal words for the details. The common key words/phrases in the main idea are situation, trouble, crisis, dilemma or issue. The common key words in the body of the paragraph include: solve, solution, resolved. Look at the following paragraph.
Beginning in the 1600s, astronomers had realized that their telescopes had serious limits. They had managed to build stronger and better telescopes, but no matter how strong the new telescopes were, they were less than satisfactory. The astronomers were able to view objects only when the objects were in view of Earth. At the same time, however, Earth’s light and atmosphere made it difficult to see many heavenly objects. Thanks to the Hubble Telescope, this has been solved, because the Hubble is not just a telescope. It is a digital camera on a satellite that travels about 370 miles (600 km) above Earth, making a complete orbit every ninety-seven minutes. Since 1990, Hubble has been able to take digital pictures of planets, galaxies, comets, and more, and these are sent back to Hubble headquarters for scientists to study.
Explanation:
The topic of this paragraph is “the problem caused by telescope limitation”. According to the writer, the new Hubble telescope has solved the problem.” This is the main idea.
6. Extended Definition
In this pattern, the writer names a concept or complicated process that the paragraph will define and explain. Usually, the main idea or first sentence of the paragraph states a dictionary definition of the concept or process, followed by a description and/or an explanation. There are usually no signal words for the details. The common key words/phrases in the main idea are: consists of, is, seems to be, are. Look at the following sample paragraph.
A solar eclipse is an astronomical event during which the Moon seems to cover the Sun. When the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, all or part of the Sun’s light is blotted out. The Moon, in fact, is much smaller than the Sun, but it is also a great deal closer to the Earth. As a result, both the Sun and the Moon seem to be about the same size to us. During a total eclipse, the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth are all in a straight line and the Moon completely hides the Sun from view. A partial eclipse occurs when the three bodies are not exactly in a straight line. In an annular solar eclipse, the Sun is visible as a bright ring around the Moon because the Moon is farthest from the Earth.
Explanation:
The topic of this paragraph is “Solar eclipse”, whereas the main idea is the one stated in the first sentence, i.e. “A solar eclipse is an astronomical event during which the Moon seems to cover the Sun.”
References
Brandon, Lee & Brandon. Kelly. 2011. Paragraphs and Essays with Integrated Readings (11th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Mikulecky, Beatrice S. and Jeffries, Linda. 2007. Advanced reading power: extensive reading, vocabulary building, comprehension skills, reading faster. New York: Pearson Education
EXERCISES
Read the following paragraphs and determine the topic, the main idea, and the organizational pattern employed in each of them.
- Between 1890 and 1900, millions of people from southern and eastern Europe left their home in search of the American dream. The new immigrants had hoped to find a comfortable place where they could settle and live out their lives. But the cities to which they came were not prepared for the new arrivals, and many immigrant families ended up in ugly tenements that were poorly supplied with light, heat and water. They had dreamt of finding work, work that could make them independent, even rich. Instead they found that jobs were scarce. Frequently they had to take jobs for which they were unsuited, and the work left them exhausted and depressed. Many immigrants found that instead of the warm welcome they expected, they were treated as outsiders, with funny customs and even funnier way of speaking.
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Human digestion begins when we use our teeth to cut and grind food. As we chew, saliva moistens and softens food so it can be easily swallowed. After being swallowed, the food passes into a tube that connects the mouth and stomach; this tube is called esophagus. After the food reaches the stomach, muscles in the stomach will mix it together and combine it with a gastric juice that consists mostly of water and hydrochloric acid. The gastric juice reduces the food to a liquid that can pass into the small intestine. The passage takes about eight hours. During this time, enzymes break down the food even more, preparing it for absorption into the blood stream.
- Liberty Statue is a colossal statue in Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay, U.S., made to commemorate the friendship of the peoples of the United States and France. Standing 305 feet (93 meters) high including its pedestal, it represents a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet bearing the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) in her left. The torch, which measures 29 feet (8.8 meters) from the flame tip to the bottom of the handle, is accessible via a 42-foot (12.8-metre) service ladder inside the arm (this ascent was open to the public from 1886 to 1916). An elevator carries visitors to the observation deck in the pedestal, which may also be reached by stairway, and a spiral staircase leads to an observation platform in the figure’s crown.
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The atmosphere of Earth acts like any window in serving two very important functions: to let light in and to permit us to look out and to guard Earth from dangerous or uncomfortable things. A normal glazed window lets us keep our house warm by keeping out cold air. In such a way, the Earth’s atmospheric window helps to keep our planet to a comfortable temperature by holding back radiated heat and protecting us from dangerous levels of ultraviolet light. Just like a window which prevents rain, dirt, and unwelcome insects and animals from coming in, scientists have discovered that space is full of a great many very dangerous things against which our atmosphere guards us. (Adapted from: Brandon & Brandon, 2011: 289).
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Astronauts face many problems in space caused by weightlessness. One of these problems is floating around the cabin. To solve this problem, astronauts wear shoes that are coated with a special adhesive. This adhesive sticks to the floor of the cabin. Serving food is another problem. It won’t stay put on the table! Experts solved this problem by putting food and drinks in pouches and tubes. It only needs to be mixed with water. Weightlessness also causes problems when an astronaut tries to work. The simple task of turning a wrench or a doorknob can be difficult. Since there is no gravity to keep him down, when he exerts a force in one direction, the opposite force may flip him over completely. To solve this problem, he must be very careful about how much force he uses to do these simple tasks. Here on earth, life is much simpler, thanks to gravity. (From: http://e-writing.wikispaces.com/ Problem+and+Solution+Paragraph)