Delta''''s key to the toefl test part 36

3.1 Identifying the Topic and Main Ideas Q Focus Read the following paragraph quickly.. It is the passage’s most general idea and can usually be stated in TOEFL questions about the topi

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3.6

3.7

OVERVIEW OF THIS SECTION

SKILL PAGE

Identifying the Topic and Main Ídeas 344

9-0 =n (Áa Ả AT 353

Comprehending Detaiis and Supporting ldeas 356

r2 <0 N›::v.:ccttttraa 371 Locating R€f6f€'fS LH HH HH nh ky vờ 374

Quiz 3 — 3.1 through 3.3 Qua 386

Understanding Vocabulary ín Contexf: 389

9:2“ ốm 407

Quiz 5 — 3.1 through 3.4 409

Making Inferences 413

1dentifying Organization and Purpose 429

Quiz 7 — 3.5 through 3.6.0.0 0 cece ee tee 443

Quiz 8 — 3.1 through 3.6 Lact eee eee eee ee eee 445

Recognizing Coherence 0.0 0 ae 449

9) “ưn (aẢ enes 458

Quiz 10 — 3.1 through 3.7 Qua 463

Reading Comprehension Review Test 467

Detta’s Key To THE TOEFL® Tesr 343

3.1 Identifying the Topic and Main Ideas

Q Focus

Read the following paragraph quickly What key words and phrases are clues to the paragraph’s

meaning?

The colonial delegates assembled at Albany, New York, in the summer

of 1754 to attempt a common peace with all of the Native American tribes

The most important result of the conference was the acceptance by the delegates of a plan to unite the colonies This plan for intercolonial union was drawn up by Benjamin Franklin Thus, the roots of the United States are in the Indian—white relations of the mid-eighteenth century Men like Franklin saw the confederacy of Native tribes as a model to build upon

Some key words and phrases are below What others did you find?

Now, answer a question:

What does the paragraph mainly discuss?

C> Colonial policies of the eighteenth century

€ 3 The end of war with the Native American tribes C) Aplan to unite the American colonies

C.) The roots of Indian—white relations

The correct answer is the third choice, A plan to unite the American colonies

A key sentence is: The most important result of the conference was the acceptance by the delegates

of a plan to unite the colonies

544 DzLTA'e KEy 1o THE TOEFLÊ Trer

DO YOU KNOW ?

1 Approximately four items on the TOEFL will test your ability to identify the topic and main ideas

in the passages you read Questions of this type are often first after each reading passage

Success in college and university depends on being able to read effectively Students in North

America are required to do a lot of reading in their courses Identifying main ideas is an essential

academic skill You will be expected to read material and discuss the ideas in class You will also

be required to summarize ideas when you write term papers

2 The /opie ofa passage is the answer to the question, “What is this passage about?” The topic is

the main subject of the passage It is the passage’s most general idea and can usually be stated in

TOEFL questions about the topic of a passage look like this:

3 The main idea of a passage answers the question, “What is important about the topic?” The main

idea is the general message It may be stated directly in a topic sentence, often appearing near the

beginning or end of the passage Sometimes it is not stated directly but implied through key

words and phrases

The main idea is sometimes called the controlling idea because it guides both the writer and the

reader through discussion of the topic It is the one idea that is present throughout the entire passage

Identifying the main idea of a passage is one of the most useful reading skills you can develop It

is a skill you can apply to any kind of reading

TOEFL questions about the main idea of a passage look like this:

4 Supporting ideas answer the question, “What makes the main idea believable?” Most of the sen-

tences in a well-written passage contain supporting ideas that explain, illustrate, describe, or

develop the main idea These ideas strengthen and support the main idea

Some TOEFL questions ask you to recognize how supporting ideas relate to the main idea Look

at some examples:

DeLta’s KEY 10 THE TOEFL® Test 345

The above questions are really asking you to identify the main idea You are likely to get this type

of question when the main idea is not stated directly in the passage

Note: In a question like The passage supports all of the following statements EXCEPT , three of

the answer choices will be true according to the passage However, the correct answer is the one choice that is not true or not dealt with in the passage

Look at main and supporting ideas in the following passage:

i

Snow consists of large and often complex crystals that originate in clouds

When snowflakes form in significant number and become heavy enough to fall

from the clouds, a snowstorm is born Although snowstorms can cause damage,

they also help sustain human, animal, and plant life

Snow is of tremendous importance in air—climate patterns, and it has a major effect on our daily lives Perhaps the best way to appreciate the

significance of snow is to consider what happens when it fails to fall in places that rely on it Snow provides water for forests, agriculture, industry, and drinking

In California, for instance, most of the water for irrigation comes from snow melt

Also, insulating and reflective snow cover on the ground can affect the global climate and the local weather

The main idea is snowstorms help sustain human, animal, and plant life \deas that support this

statement are shown in italics

There are other ideas in the passage—snow originates in clouds, snow can cause damage—but

these ideas do not control the passage Rather, they provide background about the topic

5 Skimming is the skill of reading quickly to get a general idea of a passage Skimming involves

looking for information and clues that give you an idea of a passage’s topic, main ideas, and over-

all organization

When you take the TOEFL, begin each new passage by skimming it Read only the key sentences

to get the main idea Read the first and the last sentence of each paragraph Skim the rest of the

passage for key words You do not have to read every word—at least not at first

On the computer test, you must skim the passage before the computer will present the first question

Skim for key words Read the following paragraphs quickly Underline key words and phrases

that are clues to the meaning of each paragraph

a Noxious weeds are aggressive, non-native plants that invade an area, displace native plants,

and cause long-lasting problems Noxious weeds increase fire hazards, replace valuable wildlife food, poison livestock, and reduce the quality of recreational experiences Many are toxic to humans as well as animals They reduce plant diversity and threaten the health of the forest and the community

b There are three categories of insurance: life, health, and property—liability Each protects its

policyholder against possible financial loss Life insurance pays the customer’s family a cer-

tain sum upon the holder’s death Health insurance protects its policyholders against large medical expenses By paying premiums to an insurance company, the policyholder can ensure

payment of medical bills Property—liability insurance, sometimes called casualty insurance,

covers accidents such as auto crashes, fire, and theft

346 Deta’s KEY T0 THE TOEFL® Test

With your classmates and teacher, discuss the key words you identified Use them to answer these

questions:

What does each paragraph mainly discuss?

What is the main idea of each paragraph?

In topic and main idea questions, some of the answer choices may try to trick you by being:

°~s too general: broader than what is covered in the passage

Se too specific: supporting ideas and details instead of main ideas

%~s inaccurate or untrue according to the passage

Sa irrelevant or not dealt with in the passage

Look at an example:

philosophy to “make it new” with

particular intensity, sometimes to ill effect ©) Ezra Pound’s philosophy

As one might expect in such an explosive © The struggle over

environment, there have been plenty of innovation in jazz

and the awareness of possible dead ends © Controversial jazz

creates an atmosphere of controversy over recordings

what jazz is or should be

The first answer choice, Ezra Pound's philosophy, is too general to be the topic of the paragraph

The third choice, Fads and false theories of jazz, is too specific; it is a supporting detail The

fourth choice, Controversial jazz recordings, is not dealt with here

The answer is the second choice, The struggle over innovation in jazz Innovation is creativity

Some key phrases are “make it new,” explosive environment, tension, urge to make it new, and

atmosphere of controversy

Detta’s Key TO THE TOEFL® Test 347

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9

Exercise 3.1A

Read the following passages and choose the one best answer to each question

346

During World War I, a new means of electronic communication appeared, barely ten years after its invention—radio Radio permitted much more rapid installation of

communications, at far longer ranges, than was possible with field telephones Also, its

invisible signals could not be stopped by artillery fire or wire cutters, as telephone lines

could Few improvements have been made in field telephones since World War I, but

improvements in radio transmission have been continuous

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

CAD Radio was the newest technology during World War I

The radios and field telephones used during World War I were primitive

Radio was more advantageous than field telephones during World War I

b3 Radio has improved greatly since World War I

Rangelands cover more than one billion acres of the United States, mostly in the Western states and Alaska They contain many natural resources—grass and shrubs for

animal grazing, habitats for livestock and wildlife, water from vast watersheds, facilities

for water sports and other kinds of recreation, and valuable mineral and energy resources

Rangelands also serve as areas for scientific study of the environment

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

CA) The United States has vast areas of rangelands

There are many benefits derived from rangelands

Ce) The natural resources of rangelands are becoming threatened

Rangelands are the subject of much scientific study

When the National Football League decided to end expensive bidding among teams for the best college players, it held a draft The first football draft was held in 1936 The

Philadelphia Eagles, as the weakest team, had the first draft choice It chose the University

of Chicago’s Jay Berwanger, then sold the rights to him to the Chicago Bears The Bears

and Berwanger could not come to contract terms; thus, the first player drafted by the pros

never played professional football

The paragraph primarily discusses

the origins of the National Football League

the short football career of Jay Berwanger

© the contract dispute between the Chicago Bears and Jay Berwanger

CD the first National Football League draft

_ Devta’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test

Dust devils and sand devils, familiar sights in dry, desert country, are spiraling

columns of dust— or sand—filled air, often several hundred feet high, that perform their

antics for a few minutes Devils differ in their origin from true tornadoes They are

caused by intense local heating of the surface of the earth, whereas tornadoes are caused

by clashing warm and cold air currents aloft that lead to atmospheric instability and

severe turbulence

Which of the following statements does the paragraph support?

CA) Dust devils and tornadoes look similar but are different in origin

Dust devils and sand devils are small tornadoes

Ce) Dust devils are dangerous to human and animal life

(> There are many fascinating natural phenomena in the desert Marian Anderson, the first in a succession of black divas at the Metropolitan

Opera, was the first African-American woman to break the barriers which kept blacks

from the concert stage She encountered many racial slights, the most famous being the

refusal of the Daughters of the American Revolution to allow her to appear in

Constitution Hall in Washington, D C This insult was publicly confronted by first lady

Eleanor Roosevelt, who arranged for Anderson to sing from the steps of the Lincoln

Memorial on Easter Sunday of 1939

The paragraph mainly discusses Marian Anderson in terms of her

success at the Metropolitan Opera

appearance in Constitution Hall in Washington, D C

Ce) role in breaking barriers of racial prejudice

Cp) confrontation with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt

In 1965 the United States Congress created Medicaid and Medicare as

amendments to the Social Security Act Medicaid uses federal, state, and local money to

underwrite medical care for low-income persons Medicare is the first U S government—

operated health insurance system for persons aged 65 and over It provides basic hospital

insurance and assistance with doctors’ and other health-care bills Although these two

programs have assisted millions of people, the United States remains the only Western

industrial nation without some form of comprehensive national health insurance

The paragraph deals mainly with

two existing health insurance programs

the funding of Medicaid

amendments to the Social Security Act

@ the need for comprehensive national health insurance

DeLtA’s Key 10 THE TOEFL® Test 349

Exercise 3.1.B

Read the following passages and choose the one best answer to each question

QUESTIONS 1-2

10

A middle ear infection (otitis media) usually starts when a cold causes the

eustachian tube between the ear and throat to swell and close When the tube closes, fluid

seeps into the ear and bacteria start to grow As the body fights the infection, pressure

builds up, causing pain Young children get more ear infections because they get more

colds, and their eustachian tubes are more easily blocked

Symptoms of a bacterial ear infection include earache, dizziness, ringing or fullness

in the ears, hearing loss, fever, headache, and runny nose Children who cannot yet talk

may tug on the ear as a sign of pain

Antibiotic treatment stops bacterial growth, relieving pressure and pain Left untreated, the pressure can cause the eardrum to rupture A single eardrum rupture

usually does not have long-term consequences However, repeated ruptures may cause

hearing loss

What does the passage mainly discuss?

CA) The body’s response to bacterial infection

The symptoms of middle ear infections Cc) Why young children get more ear infections

(®) The causes and effects of middle ear infections

What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?

Ca) To explain the causes of middle ear infection

CB) To point out the signs of middle ear infection

Ce) To warn parents about the dangers of colds in young children

B3 To compare colds and bacterial ear infections

QUESTIONS 3—5

350

10

15

Few families have made more contributions to mathematics than the Bernoullis

of Basel, Switzerland Eight Bernoullis, over three generations spanning the years from

1680 to 1800, were distinguished mathematicians Several helped build the new

mathematics of probability

James (1654-1705) and John (1667-1748) were sons of a prosperous Swiss merchant and studied mathematics against the will of their father Both were among the

finest mathematicians of their times James was the first to see clearly the idea of a long—

run proportion as a way of measuring chance His /aw of large numbers helped connect

probability to the study of sequences of chance outcomes observed in human affairs

Nicholas (1687-1759) and Daniel (1700-1782) also studied probability Nicholas saw that the pattern of births of male and female children could be described by

probability Daniel studied mainly the mathematics of flowing fluids that was later

applied to designing ships and aircraft In the field of probability, he gave evidence for

the effectiveness of inoculation against smallpox

The Bernoulli family in mathematics, like their contemporaries the Bachs in music, are an unusual example of talent in one field appearing in successive generations Their

work helped probability grow from its birthplace in the gambling hall to a respectable tool

with worldwide applications

DELTA’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test

3

QUESTIONS 6-8

10

15

Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?

CA) The origins of the new mathematics of probability

Mathematical developments in the period from 1680 to 1800 Ce) Contributions of one family to the study of probability

Past and present applications of probability theory

What is the main idea of the passage?

CA) The Bernoullis developed several practical applications of probability

C83 James Bernoulli’s Jaw of large numbers influenced the study of human affairs

The Bernoulli and Bach families were the finest mathematicians of their times

@) Probability grew from its questionable origins in the gambling hall

The passage supports all of the following statements EXCEPT

some families show evidence of talent in one field probability has several useful applications

Ce) the Bernoulli family was prominent in the field of mathematics

(> studying mathematics was popular in the time of the Bernoullis

Packaging plays an important role in marketing With the variety of goods for sale, packages must use every trick of color and design to attract the attention of

shoppers In many cases the appearance of the package is more important than the

product An example is facial tissues If a supermarket carries different brands of tissues

that are similar in price and quality, a shopper will probably pass up the plain box and

choose a decorator box that matches the decor of the shopper’s home

Packaging influences consumer choices in other ways, too With food products, medicines, and household cleaning products, many consumers look for safety features in

packaging They want to be sure that the product has not been tampered with or that it is

childproof Packaging that makes a product more convenient or functional is also

important No—drip spouts, handles, or non-breakable containers can be decisive in selling

a product

Customers who have a favorite brand of shampoo or soap must be able to recognize their brand on the supermarket shelf immediately; otherwise, they may be

tempted to look around and choose another brand Packages convey brand images, and

package designers seek to create a recognizable identity for a product

What does the passage mainly discuss?

CA) Why consumers prefer attractive packaging

What consumers look for when they buy a product How packaging tricks customers

(®) The role of packaging in selling products

What is the main point the author makes in the passage?

CA) Customers are influenced by the packaging of products

CB) Customers can not always recognize misleading packaging

Ce) Customers wiil buy their favorite brand despite its packaging

(®) Package designers must know about human psychology

DELTA’s Key To THE TOEFL® Test 351

8 The passage supports all of the following statements EXCEPT

packaging is an essential part of marketing products shoppers like packaging that is convenient and attractive most customers read the label before they buy a product packaging influences which product a customer will choose

Answers to Exercises 3.1.A through 3.1.B are on page 655

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1 Working in pairs, students discuss why the three incorrect answer choices in Exercises

3.1.A and 3.1.B are incorrect How do they try to trick you?

2, Inreading done outside class, preferably from a textbook for another class, students

select a short passage of | to 3 paragraphs Make 3 or 4 photocopies and bring them to

class In groups of 3 or 4, students pass out the copies of their passages Students work

as a team to identify key words and sentences that are clues to the main ideas in each

passage Write a main idea sentence for each passage This can also be done as a

whole-class exercise or quiz if students write the passage on a transparency for an

overhead projector

3 Students create “TOEFL questions” to test their classmates’ ability to identify the topic

and main ideas of a passage Students select a short passage from a textbook for another

class Working in pairs, students write one or two questions for each passage Use the list

of topic and main idea questions on page 345 for examples of how to word the questions

Then write four answer choices for each question One must be the correct answer! Three

choices must be incorrect because they are (a) too general, (b) too specific, or (c) not dealt

with in the passage

For activity #3, the teacher collects the passages with questions and answer choices, edits them,

and uses them in a student-made “TOEFL exam.”

352 Detta’s Key To THE TOEFL® Test