Verbal: Reading Comprehension Main Idea and Detail Flashcards

A passage argues that a long-accepted theory about coral bleaching has overlooked the role of bacterial symbionts. Which choice best states the primary purpose of the passage?

Answer: To propose that a neglected factor revises an established explanation

Primary purpose centers on introducing a previously ignored factor that revises the accepted theory.

When a question asks for the 'main idea' of a passage, the correct answer most reliably reflects which feature?

Answer: The author's overarching point that spans the whole passage

Main-idea answers must encompass the entire passage, not one supporting detail or a rejected view.

A passage describes a problem in its first paragraph and a proposed solution in its second. The main idea most likely concerns which of the following?

Answer: Both the identified problem and the suggested remedy

When a passage moves from problem to solution, the main idea links the two.

Which answer to a main-idea question should you be most suspicious of?

Answer: One that is true but addresses only a single paragraph

A statement that is accurate but too narrow fails the main-idea test.

A detail question asks what the passage states about a specific 18th-century trade route. Where should you primarily look for the answer?

Answer: In the specific lines of the passage discussing that route

Detail questions are answered from the specific text, not outside knowledge.

An author writes: 'While critics praised the novel's structure, its emotional impact was, at best, modest.' What is the author's main attitude toward the novel?

Answer: Mixed, acknowledging strengths but noting a weakness

Praising structure while limiting emotional impact signals a balanced, mixed view.

Which strategy best helps identify a passage's main idea efficiently?

Answer: Focusing on the first and last sentences of each paragraph and the author's tone

Topic sentences and tone reveal structure and thesis quickly.