1. Which of the following best expresses the topic of the paragraph below?

An amoeba can do an unusual mathematical trick: It multiplies by dividing. After it has grown to a certain size, the amoeba’s single cell divides in half to produce two amoebas. In about a day, the two amoebas have grown to the point at which they are ready to divide and form four; the day after that, there are eight amoebas, and so forth. How many amoebas will there be at the end of the week?

(Harold R. Jacobs, Mathematics: A Human Endeavor)

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2. What is the main idea of the paragraph below?

Drama languished in Europe after the fall of Rome during the fifth and sixth centuries. From about A.D. 400 to 900 almost no record of dramatic productions exists except for those of minstrels and other entertainers, such as acrobats and jugglers, who traveled through the countryside. The Catholic church was instrumental in suppressing drama because the theater—represented by the excesses of Roman productions— was seen as subversive. No state-sponsored festivals brought people together in huge theaters the way they had in Greek and Roman times.

(Adapted from Michael Meyer, The Bedford Introduction to Literature)

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3. Which of the following best expresses the topic of the paragraph below?

The institution of the foreign migrant worker appears around the world when a relatively rich country is near a relatively poor one and there is access between them. Mexican farm workers in the United States, Algerian farm workers in France, Turkish laborers in Germany, and Ethiopian domestic servants in Kuwait are all examples. Each example shows the combined effects of overpopulation and unequal distribution of employment opportunity and wealth. In all cases, there are dangers that migrant workers will be exploited by local employers who recognize their vulnerability and that they will be resented by local workers who see them as competitors. Cesar Chavez (1927–1994) organized the United Farm Workers union in California in response to such problems in 1962 and after a multiyear strike was able to obtain better wages and working conditions for grape pickers. Similar unions have developed in many places around the world.

(Adapted from Lanny B. Fields, Russell J. Barber, and Cheryl A. Riggs, The Global Past.)

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4. What is the main idea of the paragraph below?

One form of distraction is imagery. Creating a vivid mental image can help control pain or other unpleasant physical symptoms. Usually people create a pleasant and progressive scenario, such as walking along the beach, hiking in the mountains, or enjoying a gathering of friends. Aggressive or arousing imagery can also be useful, such as imagining a heated argument, fighting off an enemy, or driving a race car at high speeds. Whatever imaginary scenario you use, try to visualize all the different sensations involved, including the sights, sounds, aromas, touches, and tastes. The goal is to become so absorbed in your fantasy that you distract yourself from the pain sensations.

(Adapted from Don H. Hockenbury and Sandra E. Hockenbury, Psychology)

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5. What is the main idea of the paragraphs below?

Around 1930, jazz gained significantly in popularity, thanks in part to Louis Armstrong’s recordings. With popularity came changes, not all of them to the good. Jazz now had to reach bigger audiences in ballrooms and roadhouses. This meant big bands, with ten to twenty players, and carefully written out arrangements of the songs played. Improvisation, which was really the rationale behind jazz, was necessarily limited under these conditions.

However, big-band jazz—called swing—compensated for some of its lost spontaneity by variety of tone color and instrumental effects. A novel style of band orchestration was developed, based on the contrast between brass (trumpets and trombones) and “reed” (mainly saxophone) groups. Soloists cut in and out of the full-band sounds. Jazz “arrangers,” who “arranged” current songs for the bands, treated this style with the greatest technical ingenuity and verve; they deserve the name of composers. Sometimes they contrived to allow for some improvisation within their arrangements.

(Adapted from Joseph Kerman and Gary Tomlinson, with Vivian Kerman, Listen)

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6. Which of the following best expresses the topic of the paragraph below?

Experimental filmmakers usually work independently of the usual sources for financing and distributing films. In the United States they are largely unrestricted by censorship or a ratings system and tend to be free of outside pressures on the shape and content of their finished films, especially if they make their films for showing on the Web. Experimental filmmakers are, of course, influenced by films they have seen and inevitably imitate them, reject them, use parts of an existing film, or even rework whole films.

Frequently experimental filmmakers use the most recent advances in filmmaking, or they apply advances in other forms of human expression to experimental films. For example, once anamorphic lenses were developed, some experimental filmmakers explored their use. As computer graphics emerged and evolved, experimental filmmakers explored their uses. Once video became less cumbersome and less costly (and film stock and developing film became more expensive), many artists and experimental filmmakers rushed to experiment with video’s creative possibilities.

(adapted from William H. Phillips, Film: An Introduction)

Vocabulary Check:

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7. What is the main idea of the paragraphs below?

Students sometimes complain that information or concepts in a textbook chapter are hard to remember because they are simply too similar. If you occasionally confuse related terms and concepts, it may be because you’re experiencing interference in your memories for similar information.

To minimize memory interference for related information, first break the chapter into manageable sections, then learn the key information one section at a time. As you encounter new concepts, contrast them with previously learned concepts, looking for differences and similarities. By building distinct memories for important information as you progress through a topic, you’re more likely to distinguish between concepts so they don’t get confused in your memory. A simple way to make text information visually distinct is by using different colored highlighters for different concepts.

(Adapted from Don H. Hockenbury and Sandra E. Hockenbury, Psychology)

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8. What is the main idea of the paragraphs below?

Deborah Tannen has written extensively about the different conversational styles of men and women. Males and females use casual language in quite different ways, especially when men are talking to men and women are talking to women. When groups of men are in a conversation, each speaker tries to control the topic. The most important tool in gaining and keeping control is humor. The humor is usually directed at others in the group, often in the form of teasing. However, the teasing cannot go too far; it cannot be seen as actually insulting. Being able to be teased without getting angry and then responding in kind is a valued skill. Verbal competition among groups of young men is a near cultural universal.

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9. Which of the following best expresses the topic of the paragraph below?

Until the relatively recent development of technology, most people throughout history were largely ignorant of the world. Travelers might bring stories of distant places, but only the literate few could read about those places. For most people around the globe, information traveled slowly. For instance, the Battle of New Orleans was fought two weeks after a treaty ended the War of 1812. The combatants were unaware of the treaty’s signing. Later on in the nineteenth century, the railroad and telegraph brought the world closer. Even so, coverage was still slow and spotty.

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10. What is the main idea of the paragraphs below?

Birthday parties for children at my son’s school are becoming too extravagant. At first, the parties were just slightly elaborate. One family hired a clown who made animals out of balloons, and another offered pony rides. But a few families were quickly overcome by a sense that their child’s party had to be more elaborate than other children’s, and soon most of the parents appeared to be participating in a bizarre competition. If one family took children on an outing to a local lake, the next paid for parasailing. The last straw, as far as I was concerned, was a party where the children were fed a catered meal from a four-star restaurant and taken on a helicopter ride. If I tried to keep up with people who throw such elaborate parties, I would end up bankrupt.

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