Source: English Time
READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS
Skill 1: Main Idea Questions
Skill 2: Stated Detail Questions
Skill 3: Find “Unstated” Details
Skill 4: Implied Detail Questions
Skill 5: Vocabulary In Context Questions
Skill 6: “Where” Question
| 1 – Skill 1: MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS |
Almost every reading passage will have a multiple-choice question about the main idea of a passage. Such a question may be worded in a variety of ways; you may, for example, be asked to identify the topic, subject, title, primary idea, or main idea. It is relatively easy to find the main ideas by studying the topic sentences, which are most probably found at the beginning of each paragraph.
If a passage consists of only one paragraph, you should study the beginning of that paragraph to determine the main idea.
Example
The passage:
Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts, by the name of James Naismith. Because of terrible weather in winter, his physical education students were indoors rather than outdoors. They really did not like the idea of boring, repetitive exercises and preferred the excitement and challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team members involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of American style football.
The question:
What is the topic of this passage?
A. The life of James Naismith
B. The history of sports
C. Physical education and exercise
D. The origin of basketball
The first sentence of this passage states that basketball was invented, so the invention of basketball is probably the topic. A quick check of the rest of the sentences in the passage confirms that the topic is, in fact, the beginnings of the sport of basketball. Now you should check each of the answers to determine which one comes closest to the topic that you have determined. Answer A. mentions James Naismith but not basketball, so it is not the topic. Answer B. is too general; it mentions sports but does not mention basketball. Answer C. is also too general; it mentions physical education but does not mention basketball. The best answer is therefore answer D.: the origin of basketball means that the way that basketball was invented is going to be discussed.
If a passage consists of more than one paragraph, you should study the beginning of each paragraph to determine the main idea. In a passage with more than one paragraph, you should be sure to read the first sentence of each paragraph to determine the subject, topic, title, or main idea.
The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about main idea questions.
MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS |
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HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION |
What is the topic of the passage? What is the subject of the passage? What is the main idea of the passage? What is the author’s main point in the passage? With what is the author primarily concerned? Which of the following would be the best title? |
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WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER |
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HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION |
1. Read the first line of each paragraph. 2. Look for a common theme or idea in the first 3. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of the 4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and |
