TOEFL 1

READING COMPREHENSION
MAIN IDEA, TOPIC &
TITLE QUESTION
 FINDING THE MAIN IDEA

In the TOEFL Reading Comprehension section, there are questions about the topic, the title,
or the main idea of a passage. All of these questions essentially ask about the same thing. The
topic is what the passage discusses; the title represents what the passage is all about; and the
main idea is the main point the writer wants to convey. The main idea of a passage can be
either stated or unstated (implied) in the passage. To answer questions about the main idea,
you should carefully read the first line of each paragraph of the passage and look for a
common theme throughout these lines

Example 1

Of the various tribes living in the Ituri rain forest of Africa, Pygmies are the most
unusual. They are perfectly formed people except that they weigh only about eighty pounds
with a height of not more than four feet. Pygmies are great travelers, capable of moving in the
treetops almost as expertly as monkeys. Often they travel great distances through tree
branches without touching the ground.

Pygmies are also renowned as great hunters as they can shoot three or four arrows one
after another so rapidly that often the last one leaves the bow before the first has reached its
target. If an arrow misses its target, the impatient Pygmy may fly into a rage, breaking his
arrows and stamping on them. Regardless of their extraordinary little bodies, Pygmies can
consume a large amount of food. One Pygmy can finish a stalk of sixty bananas at a single
meal, in addition to quantities of meat. After eating, he will lie on his hard earth bed and
groan in pain all night. In the morning, he is ready to eat the same amount of food all over
again.

Sample questions

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

The Pygmy is ................
(A) a unique tribe in the Ituri rain forest of Africa
(B) a very skillful forest people
(C) the African tribe best in hunting
(D) a tribe in Africa living in isolation

2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
(A) Civilizing the Pygmy
(B) Living in the Forest of Africa
(C) The Wonders of Nature
(D) The Incredible Pymy
 Explanation

1. The first sentence of paragraph one shows that the paragraph talks about how unusual the
Pygmies are. The first sentence of paragraph two also supports the unusualness of the
tribe. Option (B) is too general; option (C) is too specific, used in support of the main
idea in the first sentence; and option (D) is not correct because the passage does not tell
about isolation at all. Therefore, the correct answer is (A)

2. To answer question 2, find a common idea that covers all the details of the passage. Since
the passage tells about the uniqueness of the Pygmies, the correct answer is (D) The
Incredible Pygmy

Example 2

Dew, the thin film of water that has condensed on the surface of objects near the
ground, forms when radiational cooling of these objects during the nighttime hours also cools
the shallow layer of overlying air in contact with them. It then causes the condensation of
some water vapor. This condensation occurs if the capacity of air to hold water vapor lessens
as the air is cooled. Dew forms most readily on those surfaces that lose heat through radiation
most efficiently but are insulated from external heat sources. Dew is easily formed if
humidity in the lowest layers of air is high. The humidity either supplies the moisture or at
least inhibits the evaporation of the dew already deposited. Strong winds reduce dew
formation since they mix a larger layer of air, creating a more homogeneous distribution of
heat and water vapor. Under such conditions, it is unlikely that a sufficiently cool and damp
layer of air can form near the ground

Sample question

What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The condensation of water vapor
(B) The impact of humidity on dew formation
(C) How dew is formed
(D) Where dew is formed

Explanation

The question asks about the topic or subject of the passage. Read the first sentence that says
Dew......forms when......The next sentences give details of how dew is formed. Options (A)
and (B) refer to details and option (D) is also too specific, not reflecting the general idea of
the passage. The correct answer is (C) How dew is formed
 STRATEGIES

1. Read the first line of the paragraph, or, if the passage consists of more than one
paragraph, the first sentences of all paragraphs

2. Look for a common theme or general idea that covers the supporting details

3. Go over the rest of the passage to check if you have found the correct common theme or
idea

4. Choose the answer that has the same idea as that found in the passage

Exercise 1

Migration, very common among insects and birds, is driven by weather changes.
During the cold winter period, food is incredibly inadequate for the animals to carry on, so
they make remarkable migrations to find warmer places and to forage. Although most
migrating insects only go short distances, particular insects fly very long distances. For
example, monarch butterflies spend the summer in Canada and the Northern U.S, and
afterward migrate as far south as Mexico for the winter. Many birds migrate in the fall and fly
extremely far. For instance, arctic terns nests near the North Pole in the summer. In autumn,
they fly south all the way to Antarctica and return to the north each spring. Since the journey
can be dangerous, some travel in large flocks like geese that fly in noisy, V-shaped groups

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Insects and birds migrate to keep alive
(B) Animal migration can cover long distances
(C) Insects and birds migrate in large flocks
(D) Animals can stay alive during winter

2. What is the topic of the passage?

(A) Harsh weather
(B) Food insuffiency
(C) Insects’ and birds’ migration
(D) Severe winter

Exercise 2

DNA fingerprinting is any of several techniques used to analyze and compare DNA
from separate sources. Law enforcement officers use DNA fingerprinting to identify suspects.
Hair, blood, semen, and other biological materials found at the scene of a crime are used for
DNA fingerprinting. No two people, even identical twins, have exactly the same DNA
sequence. Thus, although only partial segments of a person’s DNA are studied in the
procedure, those segments will be unique. Next, the DNA fingerprint of a suspect’s blood or
other body materials are compared to that of the evidence from the crime scene to see how
closely they match
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The confirmation of a crime suspect
(B) The use of DNA fingerprinting in law enforcement
(C) The uniqueness of DNA fingerprints
(D) The procedure to use DNA fingerprinting

2. What is the subject of the passage?

(A) DNA fingerprinting
(B) Law enforcement
(C) Identical twins
(D) Biological materials

Exercise 3

Hibernating animals that preserve energy and survive in the winter with little or no
food can be put into two categories. The first category is that of the true hibernators. They go
into such a deep sleep that they may appear dead. Their body temperature drops near the
freezing point; breathing and heartbeat slow down significantly. For example, a hibernating
woodchuck’s temperature drops from 980 F to as low as 380 F, and its heart rate slows from 80
to 4 beats per minute. If its temperature continues to fall, it will awaken slightly and shiver to
warm up a bit. Other true hibernators include jumping mice, little brown bats, eastern
chipmunks, and some species of ground squirrels.
The other class of hibernators does not experience major changes in temperature,
breathing and heart rate. Animals such as skunks, racoons and some chipmunks are light
sleepers during the harshest weather and wake for a day or so every two to fourteen days to
roam and eat during milder weather. But hibernating bears, unlike other hibernators of this
class, do not eat or drink or excrete at all. They get their energy by burning their stored fat
and the metabolic rate is reduced by only 50%. They can wake up quickly athough they
breathe less and their heartbeats are slower.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Hibernation is a deep sleep in the winter
(B) There are two kinds of hibernators
(C) Body temperature drops during hibernation
(D) The aim of hibernation is to survive during winter

2. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
(A) What Is Hibernation?
(B) Why Do Animals Hibernate?
(C) Hibernator Classification
(D) Hibernating Process
 Exercise 4

That a human being sees the world in three dimensions is made possible because
human eyes are about three inches apart. The separation of the eyes presents two slightly
different views of every image a person encounters. In the brain’s visual cortex, these views
are compared, and the overlap is translated into a stereoptic picture. To estimate relative
distances, the brain takes a reading of the tension in eye muscles.
A person sees in three dimensions only up to about 67 meters. Beyond that, he might
as well be one-eyed because his eyes cannot provide two extraordinarily different views over
long distances. Instead, he relies on experience to determine where an object is while at the
same time the brain searches for clues and makes its finest assumption. For example, the
brain realizes that near objects overlap far ones; that bright objects are closer than dim ones;
and that large objects are nearer than small ones
These “monocular cues” are what painters use to trick the eyes into thinking that a flat
canvas is three dimensional and miles deep. For that reason, paintings are much more
convincing if one closes his eyes and tries to imagine the pictures. His brain captures all the
clues the painter has used. But when both eyes are open, the brain gets more information and
mixed signals. The paint may say miles, but the eye muscles say inches

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) What three-dimensional view is in human eyes
(B) How human eyes see objects in three dimensions
(C) The wonders human eyes have
(D) The monocular cues a painter uses

2. What makes human eyes see in three dimensions?

(A) The separation of the eyes
(B) The stereoptic picture of the brain
(C) The visual part of the brain
(D) The estimation of distances

3. The word “its” in Line 9 refers to......

(A) experience
(B) object
(C) time
(D) brain

4. The word “dim” in Line 10 is closest in meaning to.......

(A) fixed
(B) faint
(C) sealed
(D) aged

5. Where in the passage does the author mention the limit that human eyes can see objects
in three dimensions?
(A) Lines 1-2
(B) Lines 4-5
(C) Lines 6-8
(D) Lines 12-13
6. When can the eyes see paintings best?
(A) When the eyes are closed
(B) When the eyes are open
(C) From far away
(D) From a short distance

Exercise 5

The Academy Awards, granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
are the most prominent film awards in the United States. They have great impact on the film
industry since an award winning or nomination can give both prestige and profit to a studio or
a performer. The award ceremony and the extravagant parties afterwards such as the
Academy’s Governor’s Ball are broadcast all over the world.
The award statuette is called The Academy Award of Merit. The small statue’s
nickname, the Oscar, is used as often as its formal name, even by the Academy itself. The
Academy’s domain name is oscars.org and the official website for the Academy Awards is at
oscars.com. The origin of the name has never been determined. Many claimed to have given
the name Oscar. They include actor Bette Davis, academy librarian Margaret Herrick, and
columnist Sidney Skolsky
The Academy first awarded the Oscars at a banquet in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
on May 16, 1929. The awards were given to the films shown in 1927 and 1928. Since 1934
the qualification period of a film nomination has been matched with the calendar year. The
Academy Award ceremony on February 27, 1935 honored the Oscars to films released from
January to December 1934

1. What does the first paragraph discuss?

(A) The parties after the award ceremony
(B) The benefits an award winner earns
(C) The most important film awards in the United States
(D) The influence of the film industry around the world

2. The word “impact” in Line 2 is closest in meaning to......

(A) effect
(B) concern
(C) need
(D) advantage

3. The word “its” in Line 7 refers to......

(A) statuette
(B) the Academy
(C) nickname
(D) the Oscar

4. The word “claimed” in Line 9 is closest in meaning to.......

(A) proved
(B) defended
(C) admitted
(D) accepted
5. When were the Academy Awards presented for the first time?
(A) In 1927
(B) In 1929
(C) In 1934
(D) In 1935

6. Where in the passage does the author mention the origin of the name Oscar?
(A) Lines 6-7
(B) Lines 9-10
(C) Lines 12-13
(D) Lines 15-16

Exercise 6

The term “breakdancing” referring to the breaks in music and the movements
performed during the breaks, emerged and became popular in New York. In disco parties in
New York, dancers continued their dancing with movements when a record was changed, or
when there was a break in the music.
It was actually James Brown, who inspired dancers with an acrobatic dance when in
1969 he performed on stage a dance with high-energy moves to his song Get on the Good
Foot. Soon, kids in New York were doing the Good Foot, which was the direct precursor to
the kind of breakdancing we know today. Now called old-style breaking, the Good Foot was
very different from the present style of breakdancing. It had small variations on the headspin
or backspin although its floor works or floor rocks involved some extremely fast, complicated
leg moves.
The Good Foot remained popular until about 1977, when the Freak took over. This
style was based on the hit record Freak Out by the Shrieks. Then, in early 1980 a new
breakdance group named Rock Steady Crew was founded. This group added a lot of acrobatic
moves, and breakdancing now includes not only floor rock, headspins, backspins, but also
handglides, and windmills.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How the Good Foot became popular
(B) Why people like breakdancing
(C) The founder of breakdancing
(D) The development of breakdancing

2. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
(A) Breakdancing: The Advantages and Disadvantages
(B) Breakdancing: A Popular Dance among Youth
(C) How Breakdancing Came into Existence
(D) The Styles and Movements of Breakdancing
 Exercise 7

Origami, coined from the Japanese words ori and gami meaning “to fold” and
“paper”, is an art of paper folding. Popular not only in Japan but also around the world,
origami has served various purposes from past to present time
Origami is used in religious ceremonies, cultural events, education, and as leisure
activities. In the past, origami was practiced to make decoration for religious ceremonies at
shrines. Nobles would attach a piece of origami to their swords to bring them luck in battles.
Samurai warriors exchanged gifts adorned with good-luck tokens of origami figures. They
celebrated weddings with glasses of sake or rica wine wrapped in male and female paper
butterflies representing the bride and groom. Tea ceremony masters received their diplomas
specially folded to prevent misuse in case the documents should fall into the wrong hands
because once the paper was opened, it could not be resealed without allowing extra creases to
show. Nowadays, origami is taught at elementary school to teach concepts of geometry and
mathematical skills. It also instilis patience and generates creativity in children. However, it
is not only kids that enjoy folding origami figures of animals, flowers and trees as a pastime,
but adults also love using origami to make usable items such as cups, boxes, and hats, and to
decorate houses such as lamp shades

1. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) Paper folding
(B) Origami artists
(C) Japanese cultures
(D) Geometric concepts

2. What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Origami is an art in creating shapes
(B) Religious ceremonies used origami
(C) Origami has been used for various purposes
(D) People show their creativity through origami

Exercise 8

A common sight in many countries, graffiti, referring to words or drawings on a

surface, is viewed both positively and negatively. Art critics have begun to see artistic value
in a certain type of graffiti and recognize it as a form of public art. Most of those who
practice graffiti art are avant-garde artists who aim at self-expression and creativity. Their
graffiti may involve high stylized letterforms drawn with markers, finely detailed pictures, or
cryptic and colorful spray-paint murals on walls of buildings, underground passages,
rooftops, and even freight trains. However, some people regard graffiti as vandalism because
it is done on public or private property without permission. Some see graffiti as an unwanted
nuisance since oftentimes it exhibits profanity. Others think that the presence of graffiti
contributes to a heightened fear of crime. Graffiti artists would refer to this kind of graffiti as
“gang graffiti” which is different from their artistic graffiti in form and intent. Gang graffiti is
usually written by teenagers who want to be recognized by their peers, and the way they
express themselves reflects the pain and inner confusion of their age group.
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities have provided walls or areas exclusively
for use by graffiti artists. Some believe that this policy encourages artists to produce great art
without the worry of being caught. Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the
presence of legal graffiti walls does not guarantee illegal graffiti elsewhere

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Graffiti is everywhere in many countries
(B) Graffiti is considered both good and bad
(C) Some graffiti is highly artistic
(D) There are ways to overcome vandalism

2. What would be the best title for the passage?

(A) The Uniqueness of Graffiti
(B) The Phenomenon of Graffiti
(C) Graffiti Pros and Cons
(D) Modern Graffiti