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.