MAIN IDEA EXERCISES

Choose the correct answer!

1. Shakespeare wrote four types of plays: histories, comedies, tragedies, and
tragicomedies. Some scholars contend that Shakespeare's choice of three of
these types of dramatic forms reflects his various psychological states. As a
young man making a name for himself in London, he wrote comedies. Then,
saddened by the death of his son, he turned to tragedies. Finally, seasoned by
life's joys and sorrows, he produced tragicomedies. But a look at the theatre
scene of his day reveals that Shakespeare was not so much writing out of his
heart as into his pocketbook. When comedies were the vogue, he wrote
comedies; when tragedies were the rage, he wrote tragedies; and when
tragicomedies dominated the stage, he produced tragicomedies.
The primary purpose of the passage is to….
A. examine Shakespeare's life in light of his dramatic works
B. contests a theory that attempts to explain why Shakespeare wrote the kinds
of plays he did
C. explain the terms (definition) "comedy," "tragedy," and "tragicomedy" as
they are used in discussions of Shakespeare's plays
D. compare Shakespeare's plays with the works of other dramatists of his day

2. European zoos of the late 19th and early 20th centuries incorporated the visual
cultures of their animals’ native homes into ornate buildings - reflections of
their nations’ colonial aspirations. The Berlin Zoo’s ostrich house resembled an
Egyptian temple, with large columns flanking the entrance and scenes of
ostrich hunts decorating the exterior. Berlin’s elephant enclosure was built in
the spirit of a Hindu temple; the home for its giraffes adopted an Islamic
architectural style. Zoos in Cologne, Lisbon, Antwerp, and Budapest, among
others, created similar exhibits. These zoos were no home for subtlety: The
animals they contained were exotic to most visitors; the buildings that did the
containing reinforced the sensation.

Which of the following best states the main idea of the paragraph?
A. Buildings in the late 19th and early 20th European zoos emphasized the
exotic origins of the animals they housed
B. Many buildings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries European zoos were
built to resemble Egyptian temples
C. European zoos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to evoke
subtle emotions in their visitors
 D. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the animals in
European zoos came from outside of Europe

3. Though fun to watch, chimpanzees should not be kept as pets. They are
dangerously stronger than any NFL lineman. Adult chimps weigh only 100 to
160 pounds but have been measured pulling six to nine times their own
weight-----with one hand. Thus, to match the strength of an average chimp, a
human being would have to be able to register a two-handed pull of about a ton
it takes a very strong man to pull a quarter of that. Combined with this strength
is the fact that a chimp is capable of losing its temper for reasons known only
to the chimp. Chimps signal their feelings with subtle cues of behaviour that
aren't apparent to most humans. It is quite possible for a chimp to be on the
verge of violence while its owner sits unaware or even unknowingly continues
to provoke. Furthermore, it's not wise to keep a cute young chimp and release it
into the wild when it becomes dangerous. Wild-raised chimps will routinely
gang up on and kill those raised in captivity

The main idea of this passage is that….

A. chimpanzees are not as reliable as dogs.
B. chimpanzees should not be kept as pets for a variety of reasons.
C. keeping chimpanzees as pets and then releasing them into the wild is a
danger to the pet chimpanzee.
D. no man is as strong as a chimpanzee.

4. Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use
pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so
many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need
to see where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what
types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also
need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in
a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

A. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is
B. Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way
C. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short
D. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the
area
5. The extremely hot and humid weather that occurs in the United States in July
and August is commonly called the “dogs days” of summer. This name comes
from the star Sirius, which is known as the Dog Star. Sirius is the brightest
visible star, and in the hot summer months, it rises in the east at approximately
the same time as the Sun. As ancient people saw this star rising with the Sun
when the weather was at its hottest, they believed that Sirius was the cause of
the additional heat; they believed that this bright star added its heat to the heat
of the Sun, and these two together made summer weather so unbearably hot.

The topic of this passage is…

A. how dogs like to play during the summer
B. the causes of hot and humid weather
C. why the hot summer days are known as the “dogs days”
D. the days that dogs prefer
6. In the philosophy of John Dewey, a sharp distinction is made between
"intelligence" and "reasoning". According to Dewey intelligence is the only
absolute way to achieve a balance between realism and idealism, between
practicality and wisdom of life.
Intelligence involves "interacting with other things and knowing them," while
reasoning is merely the act of an observer, "... a mind that beholds or grasps
objects outside the world of thing.... " With reasoning, a level of mental
certainty can be achieved, but it  is through intelligence that control is taken of
events that shape
one's life.

What is the topic of this passage?

    (A)    The intelligence of John Dewey
    (B)    Distinctions made by John Dewey
    (C)    Dewey’s ideas on the ability to reason
    (D)    How intelligence differs from reasoning in Dewey’s works
7. Vitamin D deficiency is traditionally associated with bone and muscle
weakness, but in recent years a number of studies have shown that low levels
of the vitamin may predispose the body to high blood pressure, congestive
heart failure, and chronic blood vessel inflammation (associated with hardening
of the arteries). It also alters hormone levels to increase insulin resistance,
which raises the risk of diabetes.

In a review article published in the Journal of the American College of

Cardiology, researchers surveyed recent studies on the link between vitamin D
deficiency and heart disease to come up with practical advice on screening and
treatment. They concluded that vitamin D deficiency is much more common
than previously thought, affecting up to half of the adults and apparently
healthy children in the U.S. Researchers say higher rates of vitamin D
deficiency may be due in part to people spending more time indoors and efforts
to minimise sun exposure through the use of sunscreens. Sunscreen with a sun
protection factor (SPF) of 15 blocks approximately 99% of vitamin D synthesis
by the skin.

The main idea of this passage is that …

A. vitamin D deficiency in one’s body is the main cause of diseases.
B. Traditional vitamin D deficiency causes problems in bones and muscles.
C. Research findings show vitamin D deficiency may lead to health problems.
D. The best source of vitamin D to improve one’s health comes form sunshine.