READING Chapter 1 - Theme: History

LESSON 1 - READING

The Introduction to the Reading Passage

TOELF reading passages follow the typical organizational structure of academic English: there is an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

• The first sentence in the introductory paragraph often establishes the topic of the reading: that is, it tells what the reading is generally about. As you read the introduction, you should ask yourself, “What is the topic of this passage?”
• Another question you should ask yourself as you read the introduction is, “Are the remaining sentences in the introduction more general or more specific than the first sentence?” Sentences that are more specific serve to more clearly define the topic.
• The last sentence in the introduction is often a thesis statement. A thesis statement introduces the main idea that the reading passage will develop. Ask yourself, “What is the thesis of this passage?”

The Body Paragraphs of a Reading Passage

The introduction is followed by body paragraphs. These present and develop the most important points of the passage. Here are some things you should consider as you read body paragraphs.

• The first sentence of each body paragraph is often a topic sentence; that is, it presents the topic of the paragraph. As you read each body paragraph, you should ask yourself, "What is the topic of this paragraph?"
• The remainder of each body paragraph presents key details that support the topic. Ask yourself, "What are the most important points expressed in this paragraph?"

If you ask yourself these questions as you read, you will be able to learn about the most important points in the passage, as well as the organization and the function of the passage.

The Conclusion of a Reading Passage

The conclusion is usually the final paragraph of a reading passage. Occasionally, a conclusion is not a full paragraph, but the final sentence or tow of the last body paragraph. The conclusion summarizes the most important points expressed in the passage, It does not present any new information.

Rhetorical Function

The specific purpose of an academic writting is called its rhetorical function: this refers to how the author intends to persuade the reader that the content of the writing is sound and believable. Some of the ways that the author can convince the reader include: defining, describing, exemplifying and explaining.

It is important that you understand what rhetorical function is because the TOEFL Reading section includes 3 - 4 questions in this topic.

Skimming

Skimming is a reading process in which you read quickly to identify important points and don’t focus on specific details. Skimming a passage is fast and effective way to determine its main idea, most important points, organization, and what type of text it is. There are a few key purposes for skimming:

• Identifying the thesis statement and topic sentences of the passage
• Recognizing the basic organization of the passage
• Noting repeated key words in the passage

Because the TOEFL is a timed test, you won’t be able to read through every passage thoroughly, so skimming is critical.

Summarizing

The ability to summarize is essential for success on the TOEFL. Note-taking is a step in summarizing, whether you are reading a long text in the Reading section, listening to a lecture or a conversation in the Listening section, or reading or listening to shorter passages in the Speaking and Writing sections. Summarizing is also required in your responses to several of the tasks in the Speaking and Writing sections.
To summarize any type of reading passage you need to understand two important things:

• What is the main idea?
• Which supporting details are the most important?
  

Summarizing is critical skill, so take the time to practice it now.