TOEFL FOUNDATION

READING COMPREHENSION

PRACTICE
The main idea of a paragraph is what the whole paragraph is mostly about.
The details are small pieces of information that make the paragraph more
interesting.
A summary includes the main idea of each of the paragraphs in a story. It
does not include the details of the paragraphs.
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As you read this story, look for the main idea of each paragraph. These can
be put together to make a summary of the whole story.

Anthony’s teacher, Mr. Rivera, gave the class a different kind of homework
assignment. The assignment was to watch the weather report on television
every night for a week. Mr. Rivera told the students some things to listen for as
they watched each night’s report. He also gave them a worksheet to fill out while
they watched.
Mr. Rivera said to look at the large weather map that they would see behind
the weather reporter. He told them that they might see a large blue line or a
large red line on the map. There might be both a blue line and a red line. He said
that a blue line is a high pressure area that usually brings dry weather. A red line
is a low pressure area that usually brings wet weather. When blue and red lines
meet, there usually is stormy weather on the way.
On the worksheet there was a box to fill in with the expected high
temperature for the next day. There were other boxes to check if it was
expected to rain, or to be cloudy, or to be windy.
Anthony watched the weather report and filled in the worksheet each
night. He noticed that the next day was usually a lot like the report said it would
be. One day’s weather map showed a blue line right next to a red line, and the
next day there was a rainstorm. Anthony decided that he liked this kind of
homework assignment.

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Anthony’s teacher is Mr. Rivera.
B. Anthony’s homework was to watch the weather report for a week.
C. Anthony likes to watch the weather report on television.
2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. Mr. Rivera told the students what to watch for on the weather report.
B. Mr. Rivera said the blue lines usually brings dry weather.
C. Mr. Rivera said to look at the weather map behind the reporter.
3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. The worksheet had a box to fill in with the expected high
temperature for the next day.
B. The worksheet had a box to check if it was going to rain.
C. Mr. Rivera gave the students a worksheet to fill in.
4. What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
A. Anthony liked the homework assignment.
B. One day after Anthony watched the report there was a rainstorm.
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C. Anthony noticed that the weather report was usually right.

5. Write the number 1 through 4 in the boxes beside the events to show the
sequence of what happened, from first to last.
1-4?
Mr. Rivera told the students what to watch for on the weather
report.
Anthony’s homework was to watch the weather report.
Mr. Rivera gave the students a worksheet to fill in.
Anthony noticed that the weather report was usually right.

As you read this story, think about what the whole story is mostly about.

The Crab and His Mother

A Mother Crab was watching her son play on the beach. Like all crabs, the
Young Crab walked along sideways. He walked along to the left, then he walked
along to the right. The Mother Crab saw the lobsters on the other side of the
beach. The lobsters were all walking straight forward. The Mother Crab said to
her son, “Why do you walk sideways like that, my son? It would be much better
to walk straight forward.”
The Young Crab said to his mother, “That is true, dear mother. Show me
how to walk straight, and I will follow your example.”
The Mother Crab tried and tried, but she could not walk straight forward.
She finally gave up trying, when she saw how foolish she had been to find fault
with her son.
1. What is this whole story mostly about?
A. We learn best by example.
B. The lobsters walked straight forward.
C. The Young Crab learned to walk straight forward.
2. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes
the story more interesting?
A. The Mother Crab walked up and down the beach, looking for her
son.
B. The Young Crab walked along to the left, then he walked along to
the right.
C. The Young Crab sat by his mother, watching the lobsters walking
around on the beach.
3. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes
the story more interesting?
A. The Mother Crab laughed when she saw her son walking sideways.
B. The Mother Crab told the lobsters that it would be better if
they walked sideways.
C. The Mother Crab told her son that it would be better to walk
straight forward.
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4. Which of these is a small piece of information from the story that makes
the story more interesting?
A. The Mother Crab showed the Young Crab how to walk straight
forward.
B. The Mother Crab tried and tried, but she could not walk straight
forward.
C. The Mother Crab asked the lobsters to show the Young Crab how to
walk straight forward.
As you read about sloths, think about the main idea of each paragraph.

Sloths
Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth
to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if
you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved
claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb
trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging
from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.
Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes
set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it
is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to
turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they
don’t put on much of a show.
Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the
sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the
sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths
and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so
seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are
animals.
Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth,
including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of
Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its
tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to
move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main
enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are
disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if
these fascinating little animals became extinct

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth.
B. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground.
C. The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long.
D. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.
2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. Sloths have a round head, small ears, and sad-looking eyes.
B. The shape of a sloth’s mouth make it look like it is always smiling.
C. A sloth can turn its head almost all the way around.
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D. Sloths are very cute to look at.

3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Sloths are home to other plants and creatures.
B. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur.
C. The plants that grow on the sloth make the sloth green.
D. Moths and insects live in the sloth’s fur.
4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. Sloths the size of elephants once lived on earth.
B. Today, sloths live in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
C. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches.
D. It would be sad if sloths became extinct.

Benjamin Sees a Sloth

Benjamin’s class was learning about unusual animals. Today they were
going on a field trip to the zoo to see some of the animals they had learned
about. Benjamin’s favorite was the sloth. He had never seen one, but he had
learned a lot about them, and seen pictures of them. They were so cute. They
had big round eyes, and looked like they were wearing a mask. The sloths in all
of the pictures looked like they were smiling.
Benjamin remembered a story he had read about sloths. The story said that
many sloths live in the tropical forests in the South American country of Bolivia.
Santa Cruz, a large city in Bolivia, has many large parks with old and beautiful
trees. Years ago, many sloths lived in these trees. People liked to come to the
parks and look for the sloths. Even though there were many sloths in the parks,
they were hard to see. Their fur was as green as the leaves of the trees they
lived in. Benjamin wished he could have visited one of those parks. He was sure
he would have been able to spot the sloths, even if they were hard to see.
The story went on to say that there was a problem with the sloths in the
parks. Even though sloths don’t move very often, and are very, very slow, they
do not like to be bothered. And if they are bothered, their long curved claws
make very good weapons. Children in the parks of Santa Cruz, and even some
adults, would poke at the sloths to try to get them to move. Some of these
people got serious scratches and cuts from the sloths’ sharp claws. The city
decided to move the sloths out of the parks and back to the forests that were
their natural home. Benjamin decided that had been a good idea. The sloths
would be safer, and so would the people.
Benjamin’s class arrived at the zoo, and they finally came to the section
where the sloths lived. The sign said there were two sloths. It was a large area,
with many trees. Benjamin looked and looked, but he didn’t see the sloths. He
was very disappointed. Then his teacher said, “Look there!” and pointed. And
there was one of the sloths, just ten feet away from Benjamin, a little higher
than his head. And it was even cuter in person than it was in the pictures.
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1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Benjamin’s class was learning about unusual animals.
B. Benjamin’s class was going on a field trip to the zoo.
C. Benjamin had learned a lot about sloths.
D. The sloths in all of the pictures looked like they were smiling.
2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. Many sloths live in the tropical forests of Bolivia.
B. Years ago, many sloths lived in the city parks of Santa Cruz.
C. People liked to come to the parks and look for the sloths.
D. Benjamin wished he could have visited one of those parks.
3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. There was a problem with having the sloths in the city parks.
B. Sloths don’t move often, and are very slow when they do move.
C. The sloth’s long curved claws make very good weapons.
D. Some people got serious scratches and cuts from the sloths’ claws.
4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The sign said there were two sloths.
B. It was a large area, with many trees.
C. Benjamin looked and looked, but he didn’t see the sloths.
D. The sloth was even cuter in person than it was in pictures.