TEN STEPS to IMPROVING COLLEGE READING SKILLS This

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SIXTH EDITION TEN STEPS to IMPROVING COLLEGE READING SKILLS John Langan © 2014 Townsend Press

4 Implied Main Ideas

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas In Chapters 2 and 3, you learned the two basic parts of anything you read: a main idea and the supporting details that explain and develop that idea. As you have seen, the main idea may be clearly stated in one sentence of a selection. However, sometimes the main idea is implied—only suggested by the supporting details and not clearly stated in one sentence. The reader must figure out such an implied main idea by considering the supporting details.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas In this cartoon, you can figure out the implied main idea by noting the details.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas The man’s coworkers are complaining that he doesn’t leave coffee for anyone else; also, he has such a caffeine high that he is flying!

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas The man’s coworkers are complaining that he doesn’t leave coffee for anyone else; also, he has such a caffeine high that he is flying! The clearly implied idea is that he is drinking too much coffee.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Sometimes a selection lacks a sentence that directly states the main idea. In such cases, the author has simply decided to let the details of the selection suggest the main idea. You must figure out what that implied idea is by deciding upon the point all the details support.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs To decide on the main idea, we must ask the same three questions we’ve already used to find main ideas: “Who or what is this paragraph about? ” “What is the main point the author is trying to make about that topic? ” And when we think we know the main point, we can test it by asking, “Does all or most of the material in the paragraph support this idea? ”

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Read this selection, asking yourself, “Who or what is the paragraph about? ” All people are concerned about a few great questions: the existence of God, the purpose of life, the existence of an afterlife, and morality. About the first, science has nothing to say: no test tube has either proved or disproved God’s existence. As to the purpose of life, although science can provide a definition of life and describe the characteristics of living organisms, it has nothing to say about ultimate purpose. Regarding an afterlife, science can offer no information, for it has no tests that it can use to detect a “hereafter. ” As for the question of morality, science can demonstrate the consequences of behavior but not the moral superiority of one action compared with another. Science cannot even prove that loving your family and neighbor is superior to hurting and killing them.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Read this selection, asking yourself, “Who or what is the paragraph about? ” All people are concerned about a few great questions: the existence of God, the purpose of life, the existence of an afterlife, and morality. About the first, science has nothing to say: no test tube has either proved or disproved God’s existence. As to the purpose of life, although science can provide a definition of life and describe the characteristics of living organisms, it has nothing to say about ultimate purpose. Regarding an afterlife, science can offer no information, for it has no tests that it can use to detect a “hereafter. ” As for the question of morality, science can demonstrate the consequences of behavior but not the moral superiority of one action compared with another. Science cannot even prove that loving your family and neighbor is superior to hurting and killing them. All of the details are about science and great human concerns, so that must be the topic.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Now ask yourself, “What is the main point the author is trying to make about science and great human concerns? ” All people are concerned about a few great questions: the existence of God, the purpose of life, the existence of an afterlife, and morality. About the first, science has nothing to say: no test tube has either proved or disproved God’s existence. As to the purpose of life, although science can provide a definition of life and describe the characteristics of living organisms, it has nothing to say about ultimate purpose. Regarding an afterlife, science can offer no information, for it has no tests that it can use to detect a “hereafter. ” As for the question of morality, science can demonstrate the consequences of behavior but not the moral superiority of one action compared with another. Science cannot even prove that loving your family and neighbor is superior to hurting and killing them. Which statement expresses the general point that the author is trying to make about the topic? A. Science alone cannot tell us about the four main concerns that all people have. B. Science alone has not contributed any answer to the question of whether God exists. C. There is no scientific data on whethere is life after death. D. Science alone cannot provide us with any guidance on whether we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs All people are concerned about a few great questions: the existence of God, the purpose of life, the existence of an afterlife, and morality. About the first, science has nothing to say: no test tube has either proved or disproved God’s existence. As to the purpose of life, although science can provide a definition of life and describe the characteristics of living organisms, it has nothing to say about ultimate purpose. Regarding an afterlife, science can offer no information, for it has no tests that it can use to detect a “hereafter. ” As for the question of morality, science can demonstrate the consequences of behavior but not the moral superiority of one action compared with another. Science cannot even prove that loving your family and neighbor is superior to hurting and killing them. The details reveal the author’s general point. A. Science alone cannot tell us about the four main concerns that all people have. B. Science alone has not contributed any answer to the question of whether God exists. C. There is no scientific data on whethere is life after death. D. Science alone cannot provide us with any guidance on whether we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs All people are concerned about a few great questions: the existence of God, the purpose B About the first, science has nothing to say: of life, the existence of an afterlife, and morality. no test tube has either proved or disproved God’s existence. As to the purpose of life, although science can provide a definition of life and describe the characteristics of living organisms, it C Regarding an afterlife, science can offer no has nothing to say about ultimate purpose. information, for it has no tests that it can use to detect a “hereafter. ” As for the question of morality, science can demonstrate the consequences of behavior but not the moral superiority of one action compared with another. D Science cannot even prove that loving your family and neighbor is superior to hurting and killing them. All the other statements are supporting details for this main idea. A. Science alone cannot tell us about the four main concerns that all people have. B. Science alone has not contributed any answer to the question of whether God exists. C. There is no scientific data on whethere is life after death. D. Science alone cannot provide us with any guidance on whether we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Remember, to find implied main ideas, it often helps to decide on the topic first. Do so by asking yourself, “Who or what is the selection about? ” After you find the topic, then ask yourself, “What is the author’s main point about the topic? ”

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs What is the topic of this paragraph? The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. A. School worksheets B. Books C. Teaching tools D. Crowd control devices

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs What is the topic of this paragraph? The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. A. School worksheets B. Books C. Teaching tools D. Crowd control devices

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. A. School worksheets B. Books C. Teaching tools D. Crowd control devices The topic is referred to in every sentence in the paragraph.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. Which statement best expresses the unstated main idea of the paragraph? A. School worksheets may do more harm than good. B. Reading is one of the most difficult skills for teachers to teach and students to learn. C. Over the years, school worksheets have served as both an assessment tool and a crowd control device. D. Teachers have a variety of teaching tools to choose from.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. In this paragraph, the author describes how worksheets turned into a student control device and multiplied out of control.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. In this paragraph, the author describes how worksheets turned into a student control device and multiplied out of control. He also notes that research has showed no benefit from worksheets and that students given too many worksheets may wind up thinking they “hate reading. ”

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. A. School worksheets may do more harm than good. In this paragraph, the author describes how worksheets turned into a student control device and multiplied out of control. He also notes that research has showed no benefit from worksheets and that students given too many worksheets may wind up thinking they “hate reading. ” The paragraph clearly supports the idea that worksheets may do more harm than good.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. Statements B and D are not covered in the paragraph. A. School worksheets may do more harm than good. B. Reading is one of the most difficult skills for teachers to teach and students to learn. D. Teachers have a variety of teaching tools to choose from.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. Statement C covers only the first half of the paragraph. A. School worksheets may do more harm than good. B. Reading is one of the most difficult skills for teachers to teach and students to learn. C. Over the years, school worksheets have served as both an assessment tool and a crowd control device. D. Teachers have a variety of teaching tools to choose from.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs The original intention of a school worksheet was intelligent: to discover which students didn’t understand the reading lesson, so the teacher could work with them individually. Unfortunately, the teacher had to keep the rest of the class busy while doing that, so more worksheets were passed out. The assessment tool soon turned into a crowd control device. To make matters worse, the worksheets multiplied faster than the loaves and fishes, often reaching 1, 000 per child per school year. But research shows no connection between the number of worksheets a student does and how good a reader the child eventually becomes. If you’re fed reading as six worksheets a day, 1, 000 sheets a year, under the pronouncement, “Boys and girls, it’s time for reading, ” by the time you reach fourth grade you think worksheets are reading, and you mistakenly think you hate reading. The implied main idea of the paragraph: School worksheets may do more harm than good.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words In the previous paragraphs in this chapter, you have been asked to choose the implied main idea from a list of statements. In general, however, when you read you will often have to infer—figure out on your own—an author’s unstated main idea.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words To help you identify the topic and the main idea, remember these strategies you saw in Chapter 2: 1 Look for repeated words as you read. 2 Try to mark major supporting details. Major details are often signaled by such common addition words as the following: Addition Words

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. What is the topic of this paragraph?

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. One key to the topic here is the word sleepwalkers, which is repeated throughout the paragraph.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. The other key to the topic is major details in the paragraph. Three of the details are signaled by addition words

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. The four major details are all beliefs about sleepwalkers.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. The repeated word plus the major details tell you the topic. Topic: Beliefs about sleepwalkers

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. Topic: Beliefs about sleepwalkers The author’s main point about the topic could be stated as follows: Main idea: There are several mistaken beliefs about sleepwalkers.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Putting Implied Main Ideas into Your Own Words A mistaken belief about sleepwalking is that sleepwalkers drift about in a ghost-like way, with arms extended. The fact is most sleepwalkers walk around quite normally, though their eyes are usually closed or glazed. It is also commonly believed that one should never wake a sleepwalker. But it is advisable to do so if the walker seems in immediate danger—for example, if he or she is going toward an open window or handling a sharp object. Another popular misconception is that sleepwalkers are not “really” sleeping or are only half-asleep. In fact, they are in a very deep state of sleep. A last commonly held belief is that sleepwalkers are easy to spot because they’re in nighties or pajamas. Often this isn’t true because sleepwalkers can do routine tasks, including getting completely dressed. Topic: Beliefs about sleepwalkers Main idea: There are several mistaken beliefs about sleepwalkers.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs Figuring Out Implied Central Ideas in Longer Passages When you read a longer passage, you may have to infer an author’s unstated central idea (also called a central point or thesis). The implied central idea that you come up with should cover all or most of the details in the passage.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Central Ideas in Longer Passages To decide on the implied central idea, we must ask the same three questions we’ve already used to find main ideas: “Who or what is this paragraph about? ” That will be the topic. “What is the point the author is trying to make about that topic? ” And when we think we know the central point, we can test it by asking, “Does all or most of the material in the passage support this idea? ”

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs / Figuring Out Implied Central Ideas in Longer Passages See pages 150– 155 in the textbook for examples and practice in figuring out implied central ideas in longer passages.

CHAPTER 4 Implied Main Ideas