TOEFL Reading Exercises Pertemuan 7

Matakuliah : G0602 / Bahasa Inggris 3Tahun : 2007

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Contents

1. Answer main idea correctly 2. Recognize the organization of ideas3. How to identify the question 4. Where to find the answer 5. How to answer the question 6. TOEFL exercises

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• Mahasiswa dapat menjelaskan jawaban tentang ide pokok suatu teks.

Learning Outcomes

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

• The most common type of question asks about the main idea, topic, title, or subject.

• There may also be questions about how the information in the passage is organized or about which type of information is included in a particular paragraph.

Skill 1: Answer main idea questions correctly

• TOEFL test 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 be asked to identify the topic, subject, title, primary idea, or main idea.

• Main idea is the primary point that the author is trying to get across in the passage.

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

Skill 1: Answer main idea questions correctly

• Since the TOEFL passages generally written in a traditionally organized manner, it is relatively easy to find the main ideas by studying 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.

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

A. The intelligence of John DeweyB. Distinctions made by John DeweyC. Dewey’s ideas on the ability to reason

D. How intelligence differs from reasoning in Dewey’s works

Example from the Paper TOEFL Test

The Passage:

In the philosophy of John Dewey, a sharp distinction is made between intelligence and reasoning. According to Dewey, is the only absolute way to achieve a balance between realism and idealism, between practicality and and wisdom of life. Intelligence involves “interacting with other things and knowing them,” while reasoning is merely the act of an observer, “…a mind that beholds or grasps outside the world of things…” With reasoning, a level of mental certainty can be achieved, but it is through intelligence that control is taken of events that shape one’e life.

The question:

What is the topic of this passage?

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

• The first sentence of the above 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.

• Now you should check each of the answers to determine which one comes closest to the topic that you have determined.

• The best answer is therefore, D; which has the closest meaning with the topic sentence (the topic sentence).

• If the passage consists of more than one paragraph, you should study the beginning of each paragraph to determine the main idea.

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

A. The Process of Nitrogen fixation B. Two Nitrogen ProcessesC. The Return of Nitrogen to the Air

D. The Effect of Nitrogen on Plant Life

Example from the Computer TOEFL Test

The Passage:

Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen is continuously fed into biological circulation. In this process, certain algae and bacteria convert nitrogen into ammonia (NH3). This newly-created ammonia is then for the most part absorbed by plants.

The opposite process of denitrification returns nitrogen to the air. During the process of denitrification, bacteria cause some of the nitrates form the soil to convert into gaseous nitrogen or nitrous oxide (N2O). In this gaseous form, the nitrogen returns to the atmosphere.

The question:

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

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Questions About the Ideas of the Passage

• In the above example the, the first sentence of the first paragraph indicates that the first paragraph is about the process of nitrogen fixation.

• The first sentence of the second paragraph indicates that the process of denitrification is discussed in the second paragraph.

• The best answer to this question is the second answer because it covers both main ideas in the first and second paragraph.

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MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS

HOW TO IDENTIFY QUESTION

On both paper and computer tests

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?

WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER

The answer to this type of question can generally be determined by looking at the first sentence of each paragraph.

HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

1. Read the first line of each paragraph2. Look for a common theme or idea in the first

lines.3. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of the

passage to check that you have really found the topic sentece(s).

4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer from the remaining choices.

SUMMARY

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EXERCISES

1. TOEFL Exercise 1 (pp.371-373).

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MATERI PENDUKUNG

1. http://www.ets.org/ell/testpreparation/toefl/

2. http://www.testmagic.com/toefl/listening/couldntagreemore.htm

3. ://www.testmagic.com/toefl/gramm_quizzes/201_2