阅读理解训练FindingtheMainIdea.docx
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阅读理解训练FindingtheMainIdea
FindingtheMainIdea:
theauthor'smessageaboutthetopic.
Wherearethemainideasfound?
Itiseasytoidentifyamainideathatisdirectlyexpressedinthetext.
∙Mainideasareoftenfoundatthebeginningofparagraphs.Thefirstsentenceoftenexplainsthesubjectbeingdiscussedinthepassage.
∙Mainideasarealsofoundintheconcludingsentencesofaparagraph.Themainideacanbeexpressedasasummationoftheinformationintheparagraphaswellasalinktotheinformationinthenextparagraph.
Themainideaisnotalwaysclearlystated.Itismoredifficulttoidentifyamainideawhenitisinferredorimplied.Itcanbeimpliedthroughotherwordsintheparagraph.Animpliedmainideacanbefoundinseveralways.
∙Severalsentencesinaparagraphcanimplythemainideabyintroducingfactsaboutthetopicbeforeactuallystatingthetopic.
∙Impliedideascanbedrawnfromfacts,reasons,orexamplesthatgivehintsorsuggestionsconcerningthemainidea.Thesehintswillbecluesleadingyoutodiscoverthemainideaintheselectedtext.
∙Trythepassagebelowtoseeifyoucanpickoutthemainidea.
"Tomanyparents,theinfant'scryingmaybemainlyanirritation,especiallyifitcontinuesforlongperiods.Butcryingservesimportantfunctionsforthechildaswellasfortheparents.Forthechild,cryinghelpsimprovelungcapacityandtherespiratorysystem.Perhapsmoreimportant,thecryservesasasignalofdistress.Whenbabiescry,theyindicatethattheyarehungryorinpain,andthisisimportantinformationforparents."
Usethehintsbelowtodeterminethecorrectmainideaofthisparagraph.
Afterreadingaparagraphask,"Whatpointistheauthormakinginthispassage?
"
Askthefollowingquestions:
∙Who-Doesthispassagediscussapersonorgroupofpeople?
∙When-Doestheinformationcontainareferencetotime?
∙Where-Doesthetextnameaplace?
∙Why-Doyoufindareasonorexplanationforsomethingthathappened?
∙How-Doesthisinformationindicateamethodoratheory?
HowcanIdetermineifIhaveselectedthecorrectmainideaofaparagraph?
Ifyouareabletosummarizetheinformationinthepassageinyourownwords,youhaveabsorbedthecorrectmainidea.Toaccomplishthisgoal,trythestepslistedbelowafterreadingashortsectionofyourtextbook.
∙Writeashortsummaryinyourownwordsaboutwhatyouhaveread.
∙Doesyoursummaryagreewiththisgeneraltopic?
∙Doesyoursummarycontainthesameideasbeingexpressedbytheauthor?
∙Couldyouwriteaheadline(ortextbooksubheading)thatwouldexpressyoursummaryinlessthanfivewords?
Ifyouareabletorephraseyourchoiceofatopicsentenceintoaquestionandthendetermineifthepassageanswersyourquestion,youhavebeensuccessfulatselectingamainidea.
Answers:
1Thecloudsweredarkpurple.
2Thunderbecamelouderandlouder.
3Theraindropsfelloneafteranother.
Themainideasentenceofaparagraphtellswhattheparagraphisabout.Theothersentencesaredetails.Readthestoryandfindthemainidea.
1.Whenyoutakeamultiple-choicetest,doyoueverchangeyouranswers?
Somescientiststhinkthatitisasmartthingtodo.Theyfoundoutthatmoststudentswhochangetheiranswersmaketherightdecisionandmakebetterscoresontheirtests.
Thestorymainlytells_______
howtostudyfortests
whatscientiststhinkaboutanswers
howtoscorebetteronamultiple-choicetest
whichanswerstochangeonatest
2.Becauselambsaresometimeseatenbycoyotes,ranchersmayhuntortrapthecoyotes.However,killingcoyotesmayupsetnature'sbalance.Scientistshavefoundawaytoprotectsheepwithoutkillingcoyotes.Coyotesarefedlambmeattreatedwithadrug.Whentheyeatthemeat,theygetsick.Later,coyoteswon'tevengonearlambs.They'llhuntrabbitsinstead.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
whycoyotespreferrabbitstolambs
whykillingcoyotesupsetsnature'sbalance
howscientistsprotectsheepandcoyotes
whatkindofpeopledon'tlikecoyotes
3.DollyMadisonwasthewifeofPresidentJamesMadison.ShewasquiteabraveFirstLady.WhentheWhiteHouseburneddown,Dollyrescuedimportantgovernmentpapers.ShealsosavedtheportraitofGeorgeWashingtonthathangsintheEastRoomtoday.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
whoDollyMadison'shusbandwas
howtheWhiteHouseburneddown
aboutDolleyMadison'scourageousacts
wheretheportraitofGeorgeWashingtonhangs
4.Everyyearhungrydeerdomillionsofdollars'worthofdamagetoyoungpinetrees.ScientistsinWashingtonhavefoundawaytoprotectthetrees.Theyuseasubstancecalledselenium.Seleniumproducesabadsmellwhendissolved.Abitofthiselementisputinthegroundneartrees.Raindissolvestheselenium,andthetreesabsorbit.Thebadsmellkeepsthedeerawayuntilthetreesarefullygrown.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howmuchdamagedeerdototrees
howtreescanbeprotectedfromdeer
whatseleniumis
whydeereatpinetrees
5.Inreallife,rattlesnakestrytoavoidpeopleandseldomattack.Mostpeoplearebittenonlyaftertheysteponthesesnakes.Arattlesnakemaynoteveninjectitspoisonwhenitbites.Infact,moreAmericansdiefrominsectstingsthanfromsnakebites!
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howrattlesnakesaren'tasdangerousaseveryonebelieves
whyinsectskillpeople
whenrattlesnakesusetheirpoison
howsnakesbite
6.Imaginetestingglassbythrowingchickensatit?
Sometimesfastmovingairplanesflythroughflocksofbirds.Ifthebirdshitthewindshieldofaplane,theglasscouldshatterandcauseacrash.Airplanemanufacturershavemadeachickencannonthatfiresrubberchickensatglasswindshields.Ifthewindshielddoesn'tbreakwhentherubberchickenhitsit,thedesignersknowthattheglasscanwithstandtheforceofarealcrash.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
whybirdscanbedangeroustoairplanes
howachickcannontestsglass
howbigabirdhastobetodamageanairplane
howthechickencannonworks
7.Thediamondisahardelementthatcancutthroughalmostanymetal.Thatiswhyitisoftenusedforindustrialpurposes.Wholediamondstonesaresetintotools.Dustfromcrusheddiamondstonesisusedforcoatingtheedgesoftools.Caremustbetakenwhenexposingdiamondstoextremeheatbecauseheatcanturnthemintographite.Graphiteisthesoftmaterialusedinthemanufactureofleadforpencils.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howtoturnadiamondintoagraphite
howdiamondsareusedinindustry
howdiamonddustcoatstooledges
whendiamondsareusedinpencils
8.AlfredNobelinventeddynamitetohelpbuilders,butitwasusedforwar,whichmadehimfeelveryguiltyaboutthemisuseofhisinvention.Hewasarichman,sohesetupa$9millionfund.Todaythefundisusedtorewardpeoplewhohaveimprovedhumanlife.NobelPrizesareawardedinsixfields,includingpeace,medicine,andchemistry.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
whattheNobelPrizesareawardedfor
whyNobelfoundedtheNobelPrizefund
howmuchmoneywassetasideforrewards
whatinventionAlfredNobelcreated
9.ThetemperatureofAntarticaoncefellto128degreesbelowzeroFahrenheit.Inthesummertime,temperaturesaveragewellbelowfreezing.Mostofthelandiscoveredwithicethatisupto2milesthick.Onlyafewstrongmossesandsturdyspiderscanliveonthisbigblockofice.Sinceverylittlesnoworrainfallsthere,Antarticaisadesert.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
aboutadesertwithextremelycoldtemperatures
whichplantsandinsectsliveinAntartica
howmuchsnowandrainfallthere
howlowthetemperatureoncefell
10.TheMarineshadaprobleminWorldWarII.Ordersweresentincode,buttheenemykeptlearningthecode.Nothingcouldbekeptsecret.ThensomeonethoughttheNavajosoldierscouldhelptheMarines.SinceveryfewotherpeoplecouldspeakNavajo,thislanguagewasusedasacode.NooneontheenemysideknewNavajo,sothemessagesstayedsecret.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howNavajopeoplekeptsecrets
whenthesecretcodewasused
howtheMarinesusedNavajoasacode
whytheoriginalcodehadtobechanged
11.Sharkshaveakeensenseofhearingandcansmellbloodfromalmost2,000yardsaway.Sharksalsohaveaspecialsystemofchannelsintheirskinthathelpsthemfeelthevibrationsofasplashingswimmer.Weknowthatinclearwater,sharkscanseedinnerfromabout50feetaway.Ifyoueverspotashark,alwaysswimawaysmoothly!
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howwellsharkshear
whysharkshavepoorvision
howsharkssensefood
whentoswimawaysmoothly
12.Trousersarearecentstyleinthehistoryoffashion.Menworetightsundershort,loosepantsuntiltheearly1800swhenthefirstrealpantsformenappeared.Untilthe1940sfewwomenworelongpants.DuringWorldWarII,womenfactoryworkersstartedwearinglongpants.Thefashioncaughton.
Thestorymainlytells_______
thatlongpantsareasomewhatnewfashion
whenmenstoppedwearingpantaloons
whoworetights
whywomendon'tweartrousers
13.Ascientistbelievesthatmillionsofanimalshavediedevery26millionyears.Hethinksthatcometsareresponsibleforthosedeaths.CometswouldexplodeonimpactastheyslammedintoEarth.DustfromtheexplosionsblockedlightandheatfromtheSun.PlantsandanimalsonEarthcouldnotwithstandsuchconditions,sotheydied.
Thisstorymainlytells_______
howoftenanimalsdied
whycometsmaycomenearEarth
wherethedustcomesfrom
aboutapossiblecauseofanimaldea