READING 2:

Finding The Topic and Main Idea of The Passage

In Reading 1, we have discussed three purposes for academic reading generally.

There are some tips to practice each purposes in reading.
1. Reading to find information
Try these activities to practice for “Reading to Find Information”:
a. Scan passages to find and highlight key facts (dates, numbers, terms) and
information. Look for capital letters, numbers and symbols, and special formatting
(such as italics) as you scan.
b. Look for words in passage that have the same meaning. Highlight each one with the
same color marker. Then look at the way the sriter used these words with similar
meanings.
2. Basic comprehension
There are five activities to practice for “Reading for Basic Comprehension”:
a. Practice skimming a passae quickly to get a general impression of the main idea
instead of carefully reading each word and each sentence. Practice reading the
introductory paragraph, the first sentences of paragraphs and the concluding
paragraph to get the gist of a passage
b. Develop the ability to skim quickly and identify major points. After skimming a
passage, read it agai more carefully and write down the main idea, major points and
important facts.
c. Choose some unfamiliar words in a passage and guess the meaning from the context
(surrounding sentences). Then look the words up to confirm their meaning.
d. Underline all pronouns (for example: he, him, they, them, etc.) and identify the nouns
to which they refer in the passage.
e. Paraphrase individual sentences in a passage. Then paraphrase entire paragraphs.
3. Reading to learn
a. Whenever you read, identify the passage type (cause/effect, compare/contrast,
classification, problem/solution, description, narration).
b. Organize the information in the passage. Make a list of the major points of the
passage and the minor points that support them. If the passage categorizes
information, create aa chart and place the information in appropriate categories.
Create an oral or written summary of the passage using the charts, lists and outlines.
A. Finding The Main Idea
Understanding the topic, the gist, or the larger conceptual framework of a textbook
chapter, an article, a paragraph, a sentence or a passage is a sophisticated reading task. Being
able to draw conclusions, evaluate, and critically interpret articles or chapters is important for
overall comprehension in college reading. Textbook chapters, articles, paragraphs, sentences,
or passages all have topics and main ideas. The topic is the broad, general theme or message.
It is what some call the subject. The main idea is the "key concept" being expressed.
Details, major and minor, support the main idea by telling how, what, when, where, why,
how much, or how many. Locating the topic, main idea, and supporting details helps you
understand the point(s) the writer is attempting to express. Identifying the relationship
between these will increase your comprehension.
When authors write they have an idea in mind that they are trying to get across. This
is especially true as authors compose paragraphs. An author organizes each paragraph's main
idea and supporting details in support of the topic or central theme, and each paragraph
supports the paragraph preceding it. The sentence in which the main idea is stated is the topic
sentence of that paragraph.
The main idea of a paragraph is the author's message about the topic. Once you can
find the topic, you are ready to find the main idea. The main idea is the point of the
paragraph. It is the most important thought about the topic. It is often expressed directly or it
can be implied. To figure out the main idea, ask yourself this question: What is being said
about the person, thing, or idea (the topic)?
The author can locate it in different places within a paragraph. It is usually a sentence,
and it is usually the first sentence. The writer then uses the rest of the paragraph to support
the main idea. There are important concepts to understand:
1. Topic – whom or what the passage is about.
2. Topic Sentence – the sentence in the paragraph that states the main idea.
3. Author’s Purpose – what the author wants the reader to understand.
4. Theme – a subject or topic that is repeated throughout a text or multiple texts.
Where are the main ideas found? 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. The main idea
can be expressed as a summation of the information in the paragraph as well as a link to
the information in the next paragraph.

The main idea is not always clearly stated. It is more difficult to identify a main idea
when it is inferred or implied. It can be implied through other words in the paragraph. An
implied main idea can be found in several ways.
 Several sentences in a paragraph can imply the main idea by introducing facts about the
topic before actually stating the topic.
 Implied ideas can be drawn from facts, reasons, or examples that give hints or
suggestions concerning the main idea. These hints will be clues leading you to discover
the main idea in the selected text.
 Try the passage below to see if you can pick out the main idea.

"To many parents, the infant's crying may be mainly an irritation, especially if it
continues for long periods. But crying serves important functions for the child as well
as for the parents. For the child, crying helps improve lung capacity and the
respiratory system. Perhaps more important, the cry serves as a signal of distress.
When babies cry, they indicate that they are hungry or in pain, and this is important
information for parents."

Use the hints below to determine the correct main idea of this paragraph. After
reading a paragraph ask, "What point is the author making in this passage?" Ask the
following questions:
- Who - Does this passage discuss a person or group of people?
- When - Does the information contain a reference to time?
- Where - Does the text name a place?
- Why - Do you find a reason or explanation for something that happened?
- How - Does this information indicate a method or a theory?

How can I determine if I have selected the correct main idea of a paragraph?
If you are able to summarize the information in the passage in your own words, you
have absorbed the correct main idea. To accomplish this goal, try the steps listed below after
reading a short section of your textbook.
 Write a short summary in your own words about what you have read.
 Does your summary agree with this general topic?
 Does your summary contain the same ideas being expressed by the author?
 Could you write a headline (or textbook subheading) that would express your summary
in less than five words?
If you are able to rephrase your choice of a topic sentence into a question and then
determine if the passage answers your question, you have been successful at selecting a main
idea.
The author can locate the main idea in different places within a paragraph. The main
idea is usually a sentence, and it is usually the first sentence. The writer then uses the rest of
the paragraph to support the main idea.
So while this identifying main ideas may come simply and naturally to good readers,
It is a three to four steps process.
 Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic.
 Summarize the passage in your own words, try to summarize it in one sentence.
 Look at the first and the last sentence of the passage but remember that you can also find
the main idea in the second or third sentence.
 Look for repetition of ideas when there is so much information.
There are some useful expression to talk about the main idea:

What‟s the main idea of the following

The main idea is…
text?

The writer explains that: The general idea is…

What do you think about

My opinion is that the main idea …
____________?

What‟s your opinion

I consider that the main idea….
of______________?

Let‟s use the paragraph below as an example. First find the topic, then look for the
main idea.

“Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West Beach. It is a beach with light- colored, soft
sand. The coastline goes on for a long way and many people enjoy walking along it.
Children like to play in the surf and walk along the rocks that are visible at low tide. This is
a fun beach for people of all ages.”
 In this paragraph:
 The topic is West Beach.
 The main idea (what the writer is saying about the topic) is that summer is a wonderful
time at West Beach.

Here is another example:

“The movie Apollo 13 was a blockbuster for the summer of 1995. It is an exciting story
about space exploration. In the movie, the astronauts get in trouble while they are trying to
return to Earth. People in the audience are on the edge of their seats waiting to see what
happens. What makes it even more exciting is that it is a true story.”
In this paragraph:
 The topic is the movie Apollo 13.
 The main idea is in the first sentence: Apollo 13 was a blockbuster for the summer of
1995.
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.
Here‟s a paragraph we can use as an example. Try to locate the topic and the main
idea.

“Most teenagers and young adults do not know what they want to do for the rest of their
lives. It is a big decision. There are a number of things you can do to narrow the choices.
For example you can take an interest test, do some research on your own about a career,
try volunteer work in the field in which you are interested, or “job-shadow”, in which you
spend a day with a person who is working in a field that interests you. These are just a few
helpful ideas as you begin to choose a career.”

In this paragraph:
 The topic is jobs or career choices.
 The main idea is a few ideas to help the reader choose a career.
Finally, an author might put the main idea in the middle of a paragraph. The author
will spend a few sentences introducing the topic, present the main idea, then spend the rest of
the paragraph supporting it. This can make the main idea more difficult to find.
 See if you can find the topic and main idea in the paragraph below.

“The United States seems to be in love with the idea of going out to eat. Because of this, a
real variety of restaurants has come about specializing in all kinds of foods. McDonald’s is
the king of a subgroup of restaurants called fast-food restaurants. Chances are, no matter
where you live, there is a McDonald’s restaurant near you. There are even McDonald’s in
the Soviet Union. Now McDonald’s is trying something new. It is called McDonald’s
Express and there is a test site in Peabody, Massachusetts. It is part of a Mobil gas station.
This allows you to fill up with gas and fill up on food at the same time. What will they think
of next?”

In this paragraph:
 The topic is McDonald’s.
 The main idea is in the middle of the paragraph, in the third sentence: McDonald’s is the
king of fast food.

B. Identifying the Topic

The first thing you must be able to do to get at the main idea of a paragraph is to
identify the topic – the subject of the paragraph. Think of the paragraph as a wheel with the
topic being the hub – the central core around which the whole wheel (or paragraph) spins.
Your strategy for topic identification is simply to ask yourself the question, "What is this
about?" Keep asking yourself that question as you read a paragraph, until the answer to your
question becomes clear. Sometimes you can spot the topic by looking for a word or two that
repeat. Usually you can state the topic in a few words.
Let us try this topic-finding strategy. Reread the first paragraph under the heading
Grasping the Main Idea. Ask yourself the question, "What is this paragraph about?" To
answer, say to yourself in your mind, "The author keeps talking about paragraphs and the
way they are designed. This must be the topic – paragraph organization." Reread the second
paragraph of the same section. Ask yourself, "What is this paragraph about?" Did you say to
yourself, "This paragraph is about different ways to organize a paragraph"? That is the topic.
Next, reread the third paragraph and see if you can find the topic of the paragraph. How?
Write the topic in the margin next to this paragraph. Remember, getting the main idea of a
paragraph is crucial to reading.
 The bulk of an expository paragraph is made up of supporting sentences (major and
minor details), which help to explain or prove the main idea. These sentences present facts,
reasons, examples, definitions, comparison, contrasts, and other pertinent details. They are
most important because they sell the main idea.
The last sentence of a paragraph is likely to be a concluding sentence. It is used to
sum up a discussion, to emphasize a point, or to restate all or part of the topic sentence so as
to bring the paragraph to a close. The last sentence may also be a transitional sentence
leading to the next paragraph.
Of course, the paragraphs you'll be reading will be part of some longer piece of
writing – a textbook chapter, a section of a chapter, or a newspaper or magazine article.
Besides expository paragraphs, in which new information is presented and discussed, these
longer writings contain three types of paragraphs: introductory, transitional, and
summarizing.
Introductory paragraphs tell you, in advance, such things as (1) the main ideas of the
chapter or section; (2) the extent or limits of the coverage; (3) how the topic is developed;
and (4) the writer's attitude toward the topic. Transitional paragraphs are usually short; their
sole function is to tie together what you have read so far and what is to come – to set the
stage for succeeding ideas of the chapter or section. Summarizing paragraphs are used to
restate briefly the main ideas of the chapter or section. The writer may also draw some
conclusion from these ideas, or speculate on some conclusion based on the evidence he/she
has presented.
All three types should alert you: the introductory paragraph of things to come; the
transitional paragraph of a new topic; and the summarizing paragraph of main ideas that you
should have gotten.
Exercise:
Read the following paragraph and underline the stated main idea. Write down in your
own words what you are able to conclude from the information.

“The rules of conduct during an examination are clear. No books, calculators or papers
are allowed in the test room. Proctors will not allow anyone with such items to take the
test. Anyone caught cheating will be asked to leave the room. His or her test sheet will be
taken. The incident will be reported to the proper authority. At the end of the test period,
all materials will be returned to the proctor. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a
failing grade for this test.”
Answer:
You should have underlined the first sentence in the paragraph – this is the stated
main idea. What can be concluded from the information is: If you do not follow the rules,
you will automatically fail the test. This concluding information is found in the last sentence.

EXERCISES 1

Write the main ide of those passage

1. Not since Americans crossed the continent in covered wagons have theyexercised and
dieted as strenuously as they are doing today. Consequently, they do not only look
younger and slimmer, but feel better. Because of increased physical fitness, life
expectancy in the nation has risen to seventy-three years, with fewer people suffering
from heart disease, the nation‟s number one killer.

Main Idea:

2. Good ideas often start with a really silly question. Bill Bowerman was making breakfast
one day. As he stood there making waffle for his son, he wondered what would happen if
he poured rubber into his waffle iron. So, he tried it and the result looked something like
the bottom of most sport shoes we see today. Still, when he took this idea to several
existing shoe companies he was literally laughed at. In fact, every single company turned
him down. Though rather disappointed, Bowerman was determined and went on to form
his own company, making Nike athletic shoes.

Main Idea:

3. An investigation into how owls fly and hunt in silence has enabled researchers to develop
a prototype coating for wind turbine blades that could significantly reduce the amount of
noise they make. Early tests of the material, which mimics the intricate structure of an
owl's wing, have demonstrated that it could significantly reduce the amount of noise
produced by wind turbines and other types of fan blades, such as those in computers or
planes. Since wind turbines are heavily braked in order to minimise noise, the addition of
 this new surface would mean that they could be run at much higher speeds-producing
more energy while making less noise. For an average-sized wind farm, this could mean
several additional megawatts worth of electricity.

Main Idea:

4. The most popular festival in Japan takes place from 1st-3rd January, and is called
Ganjitsu, which means „the beginning of the year‟. People believe that good or bad luck
in the first few days of the year represents the luck you will have for the rest of the year.
Ganjitsu is celebrated by ceremonial house cleaning, feasting and by the exchanging of
visits and presents. Most people put up special decorations at the entrance to their houses
to keep out evil spirits. The main decoration is a sacred rope decorated with ferns,
oranges, and lobster. All of these things are thought to bring good fortune, prosperity and
long life. Finally, no celebration is complete without mochi cake and zoni soup. Both the
cake and the soup are made from traditional recipes.

Main Idea:

5. Not since Americans crossed the continent in covered wagons have they exercised and
dieted as strenuously as they are doing today. Consequently, they do not only look
younger and slimmer, but feel better. Because of increased physical fitness, life
expectancy in the nation has risen to seventy-three years, with fewer people suffering
from heart disease, the nation‟s number one killer.

Main Idea:
Example from TOEFL test

The passage:

In the philosophy of John Dewey, a sharp distinction is

made between inteligence and reasoning. According to Dewey,
intelligence is theonly absolute way to achieve a balance between
realism and idealism, between practicality and wisdom of life.
Intelligence involve “interacting with other things and knowing
them,” while reasoning is merely the act of an observer,”...a mind
that beholds or grasps objects outside the world of things....”
With reasoning, a level of mental certainty can be achieved, but it
is throough intelligence that contro is taken of events that shape
one‟s life.

The question:
What is the topic of this passage?
A. The intelligence of John Dewey
B. Distinctions made by John Dewey
C. Dewey‟s ideas on ability to reasn
D. How intelligence differs from reasoning in Dewey‟s
works

This question asks about the topic of the passage. Because this passage has only one
paragraph, you should look at the first sentence of the passage to answer this question. The
first sentence of this passage discusses a distinction between the ideas of intelligence and
reasoning in the philosophy of John Dewey, so this is probably the topic. A quick check of
the rest of the sentences in the passage confirms that the topic is in fact the difference
between intelligence and reasoning. Nowyou should check each of the answers to determine
which one comes closest to the topic that you have determined. Answer A mentions only
intelligence, so it is not the topic. Answer B mentions distinction that John Dewey made, but
it does not say specifically what type of distinctions. Answer C mentions only reasoning, so
answer C is incomplete. The best answer is therefore D; the idea of how intelligence differs
from reasoning comes from the first sentence of the passage, which mentions a sharp
distinction . . between intelligence and reasoning. .
 EXERCISES 2

Stuy each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow. In
this exercise, each passage is followed by several main idea, topic, or title questions sothat
the students can practice this type of question. On the TOEFL test, one passage would
probably not have two such questions because they are so similar.

Passage one (questions 1-2)

Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of U.S. army post, but it is even more renowed for
the Fort Knox Bullion Depository, the massive vault that contains the bulk of the
U.S.government‟s gold deposts. Completed in 1936, the vault is oused in a two-story buding
constructed of granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and
has a door that weight more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices
available are in place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection.
1. Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?
A. The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky
B. The federal gold depository
C. The U.S. army post at Fort Knox
D. Gold bullion
2. Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?
A. The Massive Concrete Vault
B. Fort Knox Security
C. Where the United States Keeps Its Gold
D. A Visit to Kentucky

Passage two (questions 3-4)

One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be

determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can
scratche a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs‟
hardness scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this
scale, ranging from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale,
quartz (number 7) is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it;
however, feldspar is unable to make a mark on quartz.
3. Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?
A. The hardness of diamonds
B. Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test
C. Feldspar on the Mohs‟ scale
D. Recognizing minerals in their natural state
4. Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?
A. The hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other
minerals
B. Diamonds, wth a hardness of 10 on the Mos‟ scale, can scratch all other minerals
C. A softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
D. Talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs‟ scale

READING TEST 2

Study each of the passages and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

Passage one (questions 1-2)

Another program instrumentalin the popularization of science was Cosmos. This

series, broadcast on public television, dealt with topics and issues from varied fields of
science. The principle writer and narrator of the program was Carl Sagan, a noted astronomer
and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
1. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses
A. A different scientific television series
B. Carl Sagan‟s scientific achievements
C. The Pulitzer Prize won by Carl Sagan
D. Public television
2. The paragraph following this passage most likely contains information on what?
A. The popularity of science
B. The program Cosmos
C. The astronomer Carl Sagan
D. Topics and issus from various fields of science
Passage two (questions 3-4)

When a strong earthquake occurs on the ocean floor rather than on land, a tremendous
force is exerted on the seawater and one more large, destructive waves called tsunamis can be
formed. Tsunamis are commonly called tidal waves in the United States, but this is really an
inappropriate name in that the cause of the tsunami is an underground earthquake rather than
the ocean‟s tides.
Far from land, a tsunami can move through the wide open vastnes of the ocean at a
speed of 600 miles (900 kilometers) per hour and often can travel tremendous distances
without losing height and strength. When a tsunami reachs shallow coastal water, it can reach
a height of 100 fee (30 meters) or more and can cause tremendous flooding and damage to
coastal areas.
3. The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses
A. Tsunamis in various parts of the world
B. The negative effets of tsunamis
C. Land-based earthquakes
D. The effect of tides on tsunamis
4. Which of the following is most likely the topic of the paragraph following the passage?
A. The causes of tsunamis
B. The destructive effects of tsunamis on the coast
C. The differences between tsunamis and tidal waves
D. The distances covered by tsunamis

Passage three (questions 5-6)

While draft laws are federal laws, marriage laws are state laws rather than federal;
marriage regulations are therefore not uniform throughout the country. The legal marriage
age serves as an example of this lack of conformity. In most states, both the man and the
woman must be at least eighteen years old to marry without parental consent; however, the
states of Nebraska and Wyoming require the couple to be at least nineteen, while the
minimun age in Mississippi is twenty-one. If parental permission is given, then couple can
marry at sixteen in some states, and a few states even allow marriage before the age of
sixteen, though a judge‟s permission, in addition to the permission of he parents, is
sometimes required in this situation. Some state which allow couples to marry at such a
young age are now considering doing away with such early marriages because of the
numerous negative effects of these young marriages.
5. The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses
A. State marriage laws
B. The lack of uniformit in marriage laws
C. Federal draft laws
D. The minimum legal marriage age
6. The topic of the paragraph following the passage is most likely to be
A. Disadvantages of youthful marriages
B. Reasons why young people decide to marry
C. The age when arental consent for marriage is required
D. A discussion of why some states allow marriages before the age of sixteen