Verbal: Reading Comprehension Main Idea and Detail Flashcards

A passage presents two competing economic theories and then sides with neither, calling for more data. The main idea is best described as:

Answer: A claim that the debate remains unresolved pending further evidence

Refusing to choose and calling for data signals an unresolved-debate main idea.

A detail question asks which characteristic the passage attributes to a particular enzyme. The best approach is to:

Answer: Locate the enzyme in the text and match the stated characteristic

Match the answer to the specific characteristic stated in the text.

Which of the following would make an answer choice WRONG for a main-idea question?

Answer: It introduces an idea never mentioned in the passage

An out-of-scope idea not in the passage cannot be the main idea.

A passage's tone shifts from skeptical in early paragraphs to cautiously approving by the end. What does this suggest about the main idea?

Answer: The author ultimately offers qualified support

A shift toward cautious approval indicates qualified support as the main point.

The phrase 'for instance' in a passage most often signals that the following text is:

Answer: A supporting example for a preceding claim

'For instance' introduces an example supporting a prior claim, a detail rather than the main idea.

A question asks for a detail mentioned only in the second paragraph. Which is the safest method?

Answer: Re-read the second paragraph and locate the precise statement

Detail questions require returning to the precise relevant lines.

An overly broad answer choice for a main-idea question typically fails because it:

Answer: Claims more than the passage actually supports

Overly broad choices overreach beyond what the passage establishes.