Chapter 5 CRCB Summary and Exercises

Chapter 5
Summary
Locating Stated Main Ideas

1. A topic is a word or short phrase about the main ideas of an essay, paragraph or article. The main idea is the major point the author makes about the topic. The details are specifics supporting the main ideas. Mind maps are used as line drawings that show relationships between the ideas.

2. Previewing is a strategy used to prepare you for reading new material. It involves reading the title, introduction, headings and summary. The stated main idea can either be implied or stated directly in the text.

3. There are four strategies used for recognizing the main idea. The first comes with asking the question “What is this all about?” The second is to look in the usual spots, usually placed at the beginning, in the first or second sentence or at the end of the paragraph. The third strategy is to notice word clues. Word clues signal what is important in the text. They indicate changes in the author’s thinking. Emphasis word clues grab your attention and let you know which words are key to remember. A few examples are “in conclusion, most importantly, thus, therefore, in summary and hence”. Support word clues lets you know when the details of the main idea are coming up. Some examples are for example, for instance, first of all, also, because, finally and as a result, just to name a few. The fourth strategy involves categorization, which helps you decide which are the main ideas and which are details.


















Exercise 5a
General and Specific Ideas
Box/Underline the most general item in each list.

1. Saab 4. gas
Audi matter
Mustang solid
cars liquid

2. genetics 5. Buddhism
DNA Sikhism
RNA religions
3. English Islam
history 6. control group
majors variables
research
data







Exercise 5b
Identifying Topics

For each list, think about what the separate items have in common and ask yourself, What is the general subject, or topic, of this list?

1. Topic: holidays 2. Topic: Authors/poets
Labor Day Langston Hughes
Fourth of July Emily Dickinson
Memorial Day T.S. Eliot

3. Topic: puzzles 4. Topic: nutrition
crossword calories
riddles carbohydrates
jigsaw fat
conundrum protein

5. Topic: resume 6. Topic: dental hygiene
name gingivitis
education tartar
employment experience periodontal disease
references plaque