READING COMPREHENSION TECHNIQUES

MAIN IDEA EXERCISES
By E. Morton
(Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG)



RÈN LUYỆN KỸ NĂNG TÌM ĐẠI Ý (MAIN IDEA)
CỦA ĐOẠN VĂN TRONG BÀI THI ĐỌC HIỂU IELTS
Written by E. Morten
Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG
Kỹ năng tìm đại ý của đoạn văn là một trong những kỹ năng quan trọng
trong thi IELTS phần đọc hiểu bởi vì nó giúp làm bài đọc hiểu phần ghép TIÊU
ĐỀ với ĐOẠN VĂN (headings) nhanh hơn và hiệu quả hơn. Khi làm dạng bài
này người đọc đọc kỹ và nhanh chóng tìm đại ý đoạn văn sau đó lựa chọn các
tiêu đề cho trước để chọn làm tiêu đề cho đoạn văn. Sự khác nhau giữa đại ý và
tiêu đề là đại ý luôn là một câu nhưng tiêu đề có thể chỉ là cụm từ mà thôi.
ĐẠI Ý (MAIN IDEA) LÀ GÌ?
Đại ý của đoạn văn chính là mục đích của đoạn văn viết về, là ý nghĩ
hay thông điệp chính mà tác giả muốn gửi đến người đọc. Nói cách khác, đại ý
có thể làm tiêu đề cho cả đoạn văn. Chỉ cần đọc tiêu đề là người đọc biết đoạn
văn về cái gì.
ĐẶC ĐIỂM CỦA ĐẠI Ý ĐOẠN VĂN
Tất cả thông tin trong bài đọc (như ví dụ minh họa, lý do, số liệu minh
chứng, nghiên cứu và thực tế) đều phải gắn liền và phục vụ cho việc chứng
minh và làm rõ thêm đại ý của bài đọc mặc dù một số thông tin có thể không
quan trọng.
XÁC ĐỊNH ĐẠI Ý CỦA ĐOẠN VĂN
- Đọc kỹ toàn bộ đoạn văn.
- Gạch chân phần thông tin (như ví dụ minh họa, các lý do, số liệu minh chứng,

body building can help, often withdraw from social contact with their peers.
This is their way of avoiding taunts about their size or shape. Still, they are
understandably angry at being badly treated because of their body type.
Although school psychologists generally recognize that boys today are having
severe body image problems, they are at a loss about what to do to solve
those problems.
Main Idea
a. More than in previous generations, teenaged boys are getting into body
building.
b. Teenaged boys today are showing more anxiety about their physical
appearance than did boys of previous generations.
2. In 1997, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reported that
skateboarding injuries were up by 33 percent. Mountain climbing injuries were

2


also up by 20 percent. Similarly, snowboarding injuries showed an increase of
thirty-one percent. By all accounts, many Americans are having a love affair
with risky sports; as a result, they are injuring themselves in ever greater
numbers. One reason for the growing participation in risky, or extreme, sports
has been put forth by Dan Cady, a professor of popular culture at California
State University. According to Cady, previous generations didn’t need to seek
out risk. It was all around them in the form of disease epidemics, economic
instability, and global wars. At one time, just managing to stay alive was risky,
but that feeling has all but disappeared, at least for members of the privileged
classes. To a degree Cady’s theory is confirmed in the words of adventure
racer Joy Marr. Marr says that risk has been “minimized” in everyday life,
forcing people to seek out challenges in order to prove themselves. (Source:
Karl Taro Greenfield. “Life on the Edge.” Time. September 6, 1999, p.29).


3


research team headed by Wallace H.Carothers had developed the first
synthetic fiber, called nylon. As it turned out, the development of nylon had a
surprisingly profound effect on world affairs. True, it’s first use was in fashion,
and in 1939, the Dupont company began marketing sheer nylon hose for
women. Nylons were a spectacular hit and sold off the shelves almost
immediately. But they disappeared with the coming of World War II, as nylon
became essential to the war effort. It was used in everything from parachutes
and ropes, to insulation and coat linings. Sadly Carothers never witnessed the
impact of his creation. He committed suicide two years before the first pair of
nylons ever went on sale.
Main Idea: In 1934, Wallace H. Carothers developed nylon, the first synthetic
fiber
Exercise 3
Directions: Each paragraph is followed by a statement of the main idea that
is not quite accurate or precise enough. In other words, it almost—but not
completely—sums up the main idea. Revise each statement to make it more
effectively express the main idea.
1. Over the last two centuries, America’s soldiers have been given several
nicknames, among them “yanks,” “grunts,” “doughboys,” and “Johnny Reb.”
However, none of those nicknames has had the staying power of the
nickname “G.I.” Derived from the words “government issue,” the term “G.I.”
emerged in World War II and gave birth to its own masculine and feminine
forms, “G.I. Joe” and “G.I. Jane.” It was even attached to one of the most
famous educational bills in American history, the G.I. Bill. At one point, the
military tried to rid itself of the name G.I. claiming that it dehumanized the
people to whom it referred. Military manuals and pamphlets began

1. In the 1870s, the Welsh explorer Henry Morton Stanley navigated the
Congo river under the sponsorship of King Leopold of Belgium. Wherever he
stopped, he made treaties with the African chiefs he encountered. As a result,
when Stanley returned to Europe, King Leopold was able to take possession
of an area eighty times the size of Belgium. Leopold promptly called the area
the Belgium Congo and turned it into his own private goldmine, almost
destroying the Congo in the process. Under Leopold’s rule, the Congolese
were faced with impossibly high taxes and forced into slave labor. Agents of
the Belgian government would give each Congolese family a basket to fill with
rubber. If members of the family did not return the basket with the required
number of pounds of rubber, their home would be burned to the ground.
Anyone who rebelled would be put in prison. Meanwhile, Leopold grew
enormously rich, squandering his blood money on yachts, mansions, and
mistresses. To keep the Belgian people quiet, he also expended enormous
sums on public works. Nevertheless, public opinion against Leopold and his
vicious ways grew stronger. Ultimately he was forced to give up his
stranglehold on the Congo, but not before millions of people had been
imprisoned and thousands had died.
Main Idea:

2. Computerized axial tomography, also known as the CAT scan, was
developed in 1971. In its importance, the development of the CAT scan ranks
with Roentgen’s discovery of X-Rays. The word “tomography” comes from the
Greek word “tomos” meaning section or slice. In effect, the CAT scan allowed
doctors to see into the body almost as if layers of it had been sliced away for
better viewing. For the first time, it was possible to view soft tissue inside the
skull, chest and abdomen without resorting to surgery. Thanks to the CAT
scan, radiologists could now distinguish normal from clotted blood. They could
also examine the ventricles of the heart without inflicting pain. Prior to the
creation of the CAT scan, it had been necessary to pump air into the


Main Idea 1
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty
thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for
World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double die
penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and
letters. If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. Before you put on that Angry Birds costume and exhaust yourself roving from door to door
pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on the tradition in which you are taking part.
Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000
years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts, so
they celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon
fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be candy fueled costume
ball that we know today.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. When one hears the term “reality” applied to a television show, one might expect that the
events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted, but this is not always the
case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film
crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be “reality.”
Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by
producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of “reality” television claim that the
participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations

that uses electroreception. What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity
produced by the muscular movements of its prey. The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey
while hunting but, rather, pursues it through electroreception. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only
mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The platypus is an odd creature indeed.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
7. Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state
of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of
the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea
level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at
least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308
feet.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea 2
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. Being a clown isn’t all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger
every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding
competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In
this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see,

Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward
and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in
position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off
with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can
both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you’ve seen a
hummingbird in flight, it’s unlikely that you’ll mistake them for another bird.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to
making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your
cookie recipe thoroughly before baking. Make sure that you have all of the necessary ingredients
before you continue. Next, use good tools and utensils. Sometimes, the craftsperson is only as
good as his or her tools. By using good tools you can minimize mistakes and improve the
quality of your product. Lastly, you should use top quality ingredients. Unlike in the fairytales,
you can’t turn lead into gold. If you use poor quality materials, you’ll create an inferior product.
So, to make perfect cookies you should use the highest quality materials available. Bon apatite!
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. The term “machine gun” is commonly applied to any gun that is designed to fire repeatedly
and in rapid succession for as long as the trigger is held down. During the course of warfare, the
trigger of some machine guns may be held down almost continuously for hours to create
suppressant fire (rounds fired not necessarily to kill an enemy, but to prevent them from
attacking). All of this firing can generate a lot of heat, which may cause the weapon to overheat
and malfunction. But this situation has been addressed in a number of ways. For one, practically
all machine guns fire from an open bolt, which allows air to cool the breach between bursts of
fire. Additionally, some machine guns have removable barrels, which allow hot barrels to be
replaced. And some advanced machine guns even have sophisticated barrel cooling systems,
which maintain a functional heat level within the weapon. As you might have concluded, a lot of

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. From airplanes to forklifts, hydraulic power is the strength behind many amazing
technologies that affect our daily lives, even the breaks on your school bus, but how do they
work? First, fluid is rapidly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid collect, the
valve is slammed shut which causes a pressure spike. Because the chamber is sealed, the
pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism channels the pressure and provides great
power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, Grandma can stop a car with one foot.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. Many people use the words cyborg and android interchangeably when, in fact, they have
different meanings. Both terms refer to beings powered by robotics, but an android is powered
entirely by robots. Though androids are completely mechanical, they are designed to look like
humans. They may have synthetic skin, hair, and other features, but no human organs. On the
other hand, cyborgs are part human and part machine. They may have robotic hands, legs, or
eyes, but all cyborgs have surgically implanted technologies that enhance their abilities.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. It is widely acknowledged fact that machines are stronger than people, but is it possible for
them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of
technological singularity. In a nut shell, the theory of technological singularity says that when a
computer becomes capable of improving its own capabilities, even in just the slightest way, it
will go into an infinite loop, getting progressively smarter, which would inevitably lead to
machines becoming smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available
intelligence might lead to huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured
and so forth. On the other hand, it could lead to the total domination of mankind by robots,
which would be bad. I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.

2. Money is pretty old but nobody knows exactly how old it is. Perhaps the oldest evidence of
people using money is in the Code of Ur-Nammu. The Code of Ur-Nammu is a system of laws
written around 2050 BC. That’s like 4,000 years ago! Many of Ur-Nammu’s laws carry fines,
such as one stating that if a man is proven innocent of sorcery, his accuser must pay 3 shekels.
This ancient document shows me two things: Ur-Nammu didn’t tolerate false witch-hunts, and
money is very old.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. One particular problem that the U.S. faced when rebelling against the British was currency.
While under British control, colonists mainly used British paper money and foreign coins, but
after forming a new nation the Americans needed their own currency, so they created
Continental currency. Congress issued over 240 million Continental Dollars during the
Revolution. Unfortunately, these dollars soon dropped in value, giving rise to the popular
expression, “not worth a Continental.” By the end of 1778, Continentals were worth 1/5th of their
face value. By 1780, they were worth 1/40th. In the 1790s, the U.S. bought back Continentals for
1% of their printed value. One reason for this decline was economic warfare. During the war the
British hired artists to counterfeit Continental Dollars. Large amounts of these counterfeit notes
were funneled into the American economy and the value of the Continental Dollar crashed.
When people start complaining about today’s inflation rates, I tell them about Continentals.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. Hyperinflation refers to when the value of money drops rapidly. During World War I, Germany paid
for the war by borrowing. The German Mark steadily lost value as the war went on and German people
could buy less and less. After losing the war, Germany was required to make large payments to the Allies.
They paid all of the debts that they could by printing more money. Soon the German Mark was worthless.
When the war had started, the U.S. Dollar was worth around four German Marks. By November of 1923,

companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away “free” headphones or sports towels in return
for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through
undisciplined spending. They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate
of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts. It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea Worksheet 5
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he
noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always
fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s
center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth
through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton
formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. In the summer of 1939, a few months before World War II started, Albert Einstein and a group
of Hungarian scientists wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this letter they warned
Roosevelt that the Nazi’s were conducting atomic research and that the consequences would be
dire if the Nazis were to win the race to build an atom bomb. They recommended that U.S.
become involved in uranium research. As a result of this letter, the U.S. joined the atomic race

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Nikola Tesla was an inventor and physicist who is best remembered for his contributions to the

AC power system and radio, but he may have also built a death ray. At a 1937 luncheon in his
honor, Tesla claimed to have created a weapon that could shoot a concentrated beam of energy
capable of bringing down fleets of airplanes. He further claimed to have built, demonstrated, and
used this weapon. When Tesla entered negotiations with the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the
Soviet Union to sell his device, Tesla claimed that one of these parties had sent people to break
into his room and steal his invention, but that this theft was impossible since the blueprint for the
weapon was entirely in his mind. Unfortunately, Tesla died with the blueprint in his mind before
anyone could get one. On second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. Marie Curie not only the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize, she is also the only person to
win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. Most notably, however, Marie Curie discovered
radiation. She was also the first person to use radiation to treat tumors. Curie experimented
extensively with radioactivity during her scientific career. Unfortunately the damaging effects of
radiation were not known then. Her exposure to radiation most likely was the cause of her
blindness and early death. Still today her scientific papers are considered too dangerous to handle
without protective equipment. These documents are stored in lead-lined boxes. Even her
cookbook is radioactive. She must have made some really hot food in her lifetime.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

classmates and friends, others more heartfelt and carefully composed, but most students have no idea how
far back this practice dates. The earliest Valentine's Day card dates back to the 1400s. When postage
rates dropped in the early 1800s, mailing them grew in popularity. Then, in the 1840s, the first Valentine's
cards were mass produced. Today, the Valentine's Day card continues to evolve. In 2010, an estimated
15 million e-valentines were sent. But some things never change: Will you be mine? Click "Y" or "N."
5. Some people have a hard time remembering to get their loved ones appropriate gifts on Valentine's
Day. This can lead to painfully long talks about "where the relationship stands." Perhaps the best way to
avoid these talks is by taking the moral highroad. Instead of forgetting these holidays, choose not to
celebrate them. Inform your loved one that you don't want to buy into the materialism and
commercialism of these manufactured holidays. Tell that person that you want to have a relationship with
them, not the marketers, and that you want to celebrate your love everyday, not just one day a year. It's a
tough pitch, but if you can make the sale then you'll be in the clear for life.
6. Jimmy didn't have any money, but he wanted to show Jane that she meant a lot to him, so he decided
to make her a Valentine's Day card. He got some nice, thick cardstock paper and folded it in half. He cut
it into the shape of a heart and drew a cherub on the front of it. Then, he wrote a thoughtful message on
the inside. When he gave it to Jane, she was so touched that she cried and her tears stained the front of
the card. Thinking the card ruined, Jimmy was so offended that he broke up with her calling her a
"crybaby" as he left. The moral of the story is that young people shouldn't date.


ANSWERS TO MAIN IDEA EXERCISES
By Donald E. Morton
(Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG)

Main Idea 1
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about rare and valuable pennies.
2.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about the origins of Halloween.
3.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how reality television isn't always

An appropriate title: This paragraph is about the invention of basketball.
4.
An appropriate title: The hummingbird flys in a totally unique and unusual way.
5.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains how to make perfect cookies.
6.
An appropriate title: Machine guns overheat and there are different ways to address
the issue.

Main Idea with Robots 3
1.
An appropriate title: Robonauts have improved over the years.
2.
An appropriate title: Automation is both good and bad for humanity.
3.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how hydraulics work.
4.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.

An appropriate title: This paragraph compares and contrasts androids and cyborgs.
2


5.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains the theory of technological
singularity.

6.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains a new procedure for clean up for

3


An appropriate title: Not Worth the Paper It's Printed On: Germany after
WWI
5.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph explains how to detect a counterfeit bill.

An appropriate title: Be Alert: Catching on to Today's Counterfeiting
Problem
6.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph describes a new form of electronic currency called Bitcoin.

An appropriate title: Bitcoin: Making Payments in the Future
7.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph describes how certain young people can become burdened with debt.

An appropriate title: The Shakles of Debt: Beware of Student Credit Cards

Main Idea Worksheet 5 | Answers
1.


Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Tesla may have built a death ray but he died before it could be completed.

An appropriate title: Mad Scientist: Tesla's Final Project
6.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Marie Curie did amazing work with radiation that caused her health problems later.

An appropriate
Extraordinaire

title: Radioactive

Woman:

5

Marie

Curie

Scientist


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ANSWERS