TOEFL Meeting 13

TOEFL Preparation
Meeting 13
SKILL 1:
SKILL 1:
MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS
• A question about “Main Idea” is almost always asked in
every reading passage of Paper TOEFL Test.
• The questions may ask about topic sentence, subject, title,

primary idea or main idea.
• Main Idea is usually found in the beginning of the reading

passage.
Examples I
The passage:
Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield,

Massachusetts, by the name of James Naismith. Because of the terrible weather in
winter, his physical education students were indoors rather than outdoors. They really
did not like the idea of boring, repetitive exercises and preferred the excitement and
challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on
a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team members
involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of American-style
football.
The question:
1. What is the main idea of this passage?

(A) The life of James Naismith
(B) The history of sports
(C) Physical education and exercise
(D) The origin of basketball
Examples II
The passage:
Early maps of the North American continent showed a massive river that began in the
Rocky Mountains, flowed into the Great Salt Lake, and from there continued westward into
the Pacific Ocean. This river, named the Buenaventura River, on some maps rivaled the
great Mississippi River. This mythical river of course does not exist. Perhaps an early
mapmaker, hypothesized that such a river probably existed; perhaps a smaller river was
seen and its path from the Rockies to the Pacific was assumed. As late as the middle of the
nineteenth century this river was still on maps and explorers
were still searching for it.
The question:
2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) Early Maps of North America

(B) A Non-Existent River on Maps
(C) A Comparison of the Buenaventura and the Mississippi Rivers
(D) Rivers in Mythology
MAIN IDEA QUESTION
• What is the topic of the passage?
• What is the subject of this passage?
• What is the main idea of the passage?
How To Identify The • What is the author’s main point in the

passage?
Questions
• 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 be
generally be determined by looking at the first
sentence of each paragraph.
How To Answer the 1. Read the first line of each paragraph
2. Look for a common theme or idea in the
Questions
first lines.
3. Pass your eyes quickly over the rest of
the passage to check that you really have
found the topic sentences.
4. Eliminate any difficulty wrong answer
and choose the best answer from the
remaining choices.
TOEFL Exercise 1
SKILL 2:
STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

• Ask about one piece of information in the passage rather than a passage
as a whole.
• The answers to the questions are generally given in order to the

passage.
• The correct answer is often restatement of what is given in the passage.

It means that the correct answer often expresses the same idea as what
is written in the passage, but the words are not exactly the same.
Examples
The passage:
Flutes have been around for quite some time, in all sorts of shapes and sizes and made from a variety
of materials. The oldest known flutes are about 20,000 years old; they were made from hollowed-out
bones with holes cut in them In addition to bone, older flutes were often constructed from bamboo or
hollowed-out wood. Today’s flutes are generally made of metal, and in addition to the holes they have
a complicated system of keys, levers, and pads. The instrument belonging to well known flautist
James Galway is not just made of any metal; it is made of gold
The questions:
1. According to the passage, the oldest flutes
(A) had holes cut in them
(B) were made of metal
(C) were made 200,000 years ago
(D) had a complicated set of levers and pads
2. The passage indicates that James Gaiway’s flute is made of

(A) bones
(B) bamboo
(C) wood
(D) gold
STATED DETAIL QUESTION
• According to the passage….

How To Identify The • It is stated in the passage that………
Questions • The passage indicates that…….
• The author mentions that …………
Where to find the answer The answer to these questions are found in order
in the passage.
How To Answer the 1. Choose a keyword in the questions
2. Skim the appropriate part of the passage
Questions
for the key word.
3. Read the sentences that contains the
keywords or idea carefully.
4. Look for the answer that restates an idea
in the passage.
5. Eliminate the wrong answers and choose
the best answer from the remaining
choices.
TOEFL Exercise 2
SKILL 3:
UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

• Test you to find an answer that is not stated or not mentioned or not
true in the passage.
• The type of question is that three of the answers are stated, mentioned,
or true, while one answer is not.
• Your job is to find the three incorrect answers and then choose the
letter of the one remaining answer..
Examples
The passage:
The Florida Keys are a beautiful chain of almost 1,000 coral and limestone islands These islands form an arc that
heads first southwest and then west from the mainland. U.S. Highway 1, called the Overseas Highway connects the
main islands in the chain. On this highway, it is necessary to cross 42 bridges over the ocean to cover the 159 miles
from Miami on the mainland, to Key West the farthest island on the highway and the southernmost city in the
United States.
The questions:
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida Keys?

(A) The Florida Keys are a chain of islands.
(B) The Florida Keys contain coral and limestone
(C) The Florida Keys are in the shape of an arc.
(D) The Florida Keys are not all inhabited.
2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway 1?
(A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway

(B) It joins all of the islands in the Florida Keys.
(C) It has more than 40 bridges
(D) It connects Miami and Key West
UNSTATED DETAILS QUESTION
• Which of the following is not stated….?

How To Identify The
• Which of the following is not mentioned…?
Questions
• Which of the following is not discussed…?
• All of the following are not true except…?
Where to find the answer The answer to these questions are found in order
in the passage.
• Choose a key word in the questions
• Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the

key word (or related idea)
• Read the sentence that contains the key word or

How To Answer the questions? idea carefully
• Look for the answer that are definitely true

according to the passage. Eliminate those answer.
• Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed

in the passage.
TOEFL EXERCISE 3

TOEFL Meeting 13

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TOEFL Preparation

• The questions may ask about topic sentence, subject, title,

• Main Idea is usually found in the beginning of the reading

Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield,

1. What is the main idea of this passage?

(A) Early Maps of North America

• What is the topic of the passage?

• What is the subject of this passage?

• What is the main idea of the passage?

How To Identify The • What is the author’s main point in the

• Which of the following would be the best

STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

• The answers to the questions are generally given in order to the

• The correct answer is often restatement of what is given in the passage.

2. The passage indicates that James Gaiway’s flute is made of

• According to the passage….

• The author mentions that …………

UNSTATED DETAIL QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida Keys?

2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway 1?

(A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway

• Which of the following is not stated….?

• All of the following are not true except…?

• Scan the appropriate place in the passage for the

• Read the sentence that contains the key word or

• Look for the answer that are definitely true

• Choose the answer that is not true or not discussed

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