新视野大学英语Book2.1-B Reading
Skills
Reading for the
Main Ideas in Paragraphs
Being able to determine the main idea of a passage is one of the
most useful skills you can develop. It is a skill you can apply to
any kind of reading. The main idea of a passage is the thought that
is present from the beginning to the end. In a well-written
paragraph, most of the sentences support, describe or explain the
main idea.
Writers most
frequently use the first sentence of a paragraph to state the main
idea, as is clear from the following example taken from Reading
Passage A:
Consequently, we work hard at the task of saving time. We produce a
steady flow of labor-saving devices; we communicate rapidly through
faxes, phone calls or emails rather than through personal contacts,
which though pleasant, take longer -- especially given our
traffic-filled streets. We, therefore, save most personal visiting
for after work hours or for social weekend gatherings. (Para. 5, Reading Passage A, Unit 1)
Main idea:
We work hard at the task of saving
time.
However, the
main idea sentence may also appear in other places: in the middle
or at the end of a paragraph. Sometimes, there is no sentence in
the paragraph that directly states the main idea. The main idea is
simply left unstated or implied.
Reading for the Main Ideas in
Paragraphs
The
particular reading skill introduced for this unit is reading for
the main idea in a paragraph. This skill is one of the most useful
reading skills students can develop. Finding the main idea is
necessary for the understanding of a piece of
writing.
The main
idea of a paragraph is usually stated by one of the sentences in
the paragraph. The main idea sentence is commonly known as “a topic
sentence” or “a topic statement”. It may appear in one of several
places in the paragraph. Most frequently the first sentence of a
paragraph states the main idea, as is clear from the following
example taken from Reading Passage A:
The U. S. is definitely a telephone country. Almost everyone uses
the telephone to conduct business, to chat with friends, to make or
break social appointments, to say “Thank you,” to shop and to
obtain all kinds of information. Telephones save the feet and
endless amounts of time. This is due partly to the fact that
telephone service is superb here, whereas the postal service is
less efficient. (Para. 7, Reading Passage A,
Unit 1)
Main idea: The U. S. is definitely a telephone country.
However, the main idea sentence may also appear in other places: in
the middle or at the end of a paragraph. Look at two more examples
taken from Reading Passage A:
1. “We are
slaves to nothing but the clock,” it has been said. Time is treated
as if it were something almost real. We budget it, save it, waste
it, steal it, kill it, cut it, account for it; we also charge for
it. It is a precious resource. Many people have a rather acute
sense of the shortness of each lifetime. Once the sands have run
out of a person’s hourglass, they cannot be replaced. We want every
minute to count. (Para. 2, Reading Passage A,
Unit 1)
Main Idea:
It (= Time) is a precious resource.
In this
paragraph the main idea appears in the middle of the
paragraph.
2. Americans
believe no one stands still. If you are not moving ahead, you are
falling behind. This attitude results in a nation of people
committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. Time is one
of the two elements that Americans save carefully, the other being
labor. (Para. 1, Reading Passage A, Unit
1)
Main Idea: Time is one of the two elements that Americans save
carefully, the other being labor.
In this paragraph the main idea appears at the end of this
paragraph.
Please notice that sometimes there is no sentence in the paragraph
which directly states the main idea. That doesn’t mean that there
isn’t a main idea in the paragraph, only the main idea is implied.
In these cases you have to write a sentence to sum up the main idea
of the paragraph.
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