Twenty-five percent of all automobile thefts occur when the doors of a car are left unlocked. People often forget to lock their doors, find it inconvenient, or tell themselves, “I’ll only be a minute.” But it only takes a minute for an accomplished car thief to steal a car. And thieves are always alert to the opportunities that distracted or rushed people present them with.
(A) leave the doors unlocked.
(B) never be in a rush.
(C) prevent the opportunity.
(D) be willing to perform a citizen’s arrest.
Although the paragraph doesn’t state, “It’s your own responsibility to prevent car thieves from having an opportunity to break into your car,” this idea is certainly implied. The correct answer is Choice (C). There’s no implication that people should be willing to (or can) perform a citizen’s arrest. Leaving the doors unlocked is the opposite of what one should do, and never being in a rush is probably unlikely.
An example of an unreasonable conclusion drawn from the passage would be something like “if everyone locked their doors, there would be no crime” or “all car thieves should be sentenced to 30 years in prison.” Nothing in this particular passage supports such a conclusion.
Check out another example:
Boiler technicians operate main and auxiliary boilers. They maintain and repair all parts, including pressure fittings, valves, pumps, and forced-air blowers. Technicians may have to lift or move heavy equipment. They may have to stoop and kneel and work in awkward positions.
(A) a person with joint problems.
(B) an individual unaccustomed to heavy lifting.
(C) a person who isn’t mechanically minded.
(D) a person who’s physically fit.
Although the passage doesn’t state, “This job requires a physically fit person,” the duties listed imply that this is so. The correct answer is Choice (D). A person with joint problems may not be able to stoop or kneel or work in awkward positions. A person who’s unaccustomed to heavy lifting may not be able to lift or move the heavy equipment as needed. A person who isn’t mechanically minded may not have the knowledge necessary to maintain and repair boilers and all their parts. This leaves Choice (D) as the answer, and it’s true that a person who’s physically fit would be a good choice for the job.
Do You Get My Point? Breaking down Paragraphs
All good writing has a point. Some writing has more than one point. Points are ideas that the writer is trying to convey to the reader. The primary purpose of the writing is known as the main point or main idea. Points used to support or clarify the main point are called subpoints or supporting points. You should know how to identify main points and subpoints when you practice reading.
What’s the big idea? Determining the main idea in a paragraph
Questions on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest frequently ask you to identify the main point of a reading passage. How do you get better at identifying main ideas? Practice. The main idea, which is the most important point the author is making, is sometimes stated and sometimes implied in a piece of writing.
Finding a topic sentence
Often, the author begins or ends a paragraph or passage with the main idea, which is located in what’s called a topic sentence. A topic sentence, reasonably enough, describes the topic that the author is writing about.
The local school district is facing a serious budgetary crisis. The state, suffering a revenue shortfall of more than $600 million, has cut funding to the district by $18.7 million. Already, 65 teachers have been laid off, and more layoffs are expected.
No, the primary theme of this passage isn’t “schools in our area suck.” The main point of this paragraph can be found in the opening sentence, “The local school district is facing a serious budgetary crisis.” What follows are details regarding the budget crisis.
Sometimes a passage builds up to its main idea, and sometimes the main idea is implied instead of stated. Consider the following paragraph:
The farmers’ market reopened on the second weekend of May. Amid the asparagus and flowers, shoppers chatted about the return of temperatures in the 70s. Across the street, children (and their dogs) played Frisbee in the park. Finally, spring has come to town.
In this paragraph, you may think that the farmers’ market’s reopening is the main point, but the other information about the temperature and the kids playing Frisbee tells you that the main idea is something a bit broader than the market’s opening. The main idea is stated in the last sentence: “Finally, spring has come to town.”
In other words: Rephrasing passages
You likely won’t have time to write down the main point or to jot down your paraphrase or summary. Instead, as you’re reading, simply try to mentally keep track of what’s being said by putting it into your own words.
Look at the following paragraph:
The local school district is facing a serious budgetary crisis. The state, suffering a revenue shortfall of more than $600 million, has cut funding to the district by $18.7 million. Already, 65 teachers have been laid off, and more layoffs are expected.
Now put down this book and spend a few moments paraphrasing the preceding paragraph. Come on. Pick up that pencil and get those brain cells