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30 PART ONE Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills Section SCORE: (Number correct) x 10= %

B. (7-10.) Answer the questions about supporting details that follow the passage. SUPPORTING DETAILS: Mastery Test 2

'Wwhen we call someone "pig" or "swine,” we do not mean it asa compliment.
2But pigs do not deserve to be used as a symbol for an insult. *They are probably
not as dirty as they are made cut to be. *According to one pig keeper, swine
are very clean when allowed to live in a clean environment. feels that pigs
*He
are usually dirty simply because their keepers don't clean their pens. *ln any
case, no one has proven that the pig that wallows in mud prefers that to a cool
bath. 7Furthermore, pigs are smarter than most people think. *Many farmers, for
example, have obsęrved that pigs frequently undo complicated bolts on gates in
search of adventure or romance. *So the next time you call someone a pig, perhaps
he or she ought to be someone you wish to praise.
7. In general, the major details of this passage are
A. Answer the questions about supporting details that follow the textbook passage.
"IA social dilemma is a situation in which the most rewarding short-term
choice for an individual will ultimately lead to negative outcomes for all concerned.
*For example, as you hike along a beautiful mountain trail,
you stop for a snack.?You
are tempted to throw away your empty water containers and granola bar wrappers,
knowing that your backpack will be lighter if you don't have to carry your trash to
the top of the mountain and back. *But you hesitate, knowing that if all hikers litter
the trail, it will soon be unpleasant for all who use it. 5Or consider the situation of
many communities in the Southwest that have suffered severe drought for years,
so that water conservation is essential. śIndividuals living in such drought-stricken
areas face personal decisions. "For instance, should forgo the pleasure of a long
I

A. reasons why pigs are dirty. shower today so that there will be more water for all in the future?
B. reasons why pigs should not be used as symbols for insults.
1. The main idea is expressed in sentence
c. ways to insult or compliment people.
=
8. Specifically, the major details are 2 je
A. Pigs are probably not as dirty as people think; pigs are smarter than a
most people think.
B. Pigs may be dirty because their pens are dirty; it hasn't been proved
2. In general, the major supporting details of this paragraph are
that pigs prefer mud to a cool bath; pigs have been seen undoing A. rewarding short-term choices.
complicated bolts.
B. examples of social dilemmas.
|

c. People use *'pig” and 'swine” as insults; *pig” and *swine” should be c. examples of negative outcomes.
considered praise. 3. How many major details are in this paragraph?

9. One pig keeper feels that pigs will stay clean if they are A. Two
A. given baths.
B. Three
B. praised. c. Four
c. kept in a clean environment. 4. The second major detail of the paragraph begins in sentence
A. 1.
10. What example is used to show that pigs are smarter than they are often
B. 2.
thought to be? G 3
5. In the Southwest, the desire to take a long shower presents a social
dilemma because
A. a pleasant long shower could mean less water for others.
B. the water is polluted.
c. water costs more there, so long showers are expensive.

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32 PART ONE Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills
(Number correct)
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Section SCORE: x 10 = %
(
"—

6. Which summary best completes the study notes of the paragraph?
Social dilemma—a situation in which the most rewarding short-term
choice for an individual will ultimately lead to negative outcomes for
all concerned.
Example—.
A. Littering a beautiful trail is tempting, but would soon make for an
unpleasant trail for all.
B. Littering a beautiful trail is convenient because then you wouldn
have to carry trash to the top of the mountain and back.
c. To avoid littering when hiking in public places, carry empty
containers and wrappers until you get to a trash can.
B. (7-10.) Complete the outline of the textbook passage by filling in the missing main
idea and major details, including a brief explanation of each. One explanation has
been done for you.
'The three types of human memory allow a person to remove or retain
information, as needed. ?Everything that we notice—see, smell, hear, or touch—
SUPPORTING DETAILS: Mastery Test 3
A. Answer the questions about supporting details that follow the textbook passage.
'Contemporary American society has a variety of markers of entrance into
adulthood. *There are legal definitions: at 17,young people may enlist in the armed
forces; at age 18, in most states, they may marry without their parents' permission;
at 18 to 21 (depending on the state), they may enter into binding contracts.
t *Using sociological definitions, people may call themselves adults when they are
self-supporting or have chosen a career, have married or formed a significant
relationship, or have founded a family. *There are also psychological definitions.
*Cognitive maturity is often considered to correspond with the capacity for abstract
thought. *Emotional maturity may depend on such achievements as discovering
one's identity, becoming independent of parents, developing a system of values,
and forming relationships. 7Some people never leave adolescence, no matter what
their chronological age.
1. The main idea is expressed in sentence
> r
NW

forms a brief mental impression called a sensory memory. *Information is stored OB

W

in this sensory memory for only a few tenths of a second before it disappears
forever. "Information that is
retained for slightly longer enters what's called short- 2. The paragraph is made up of a series of
term memory. 5This form of memory can store about seven items for about thirty A. types of adults.
seconds—about enough information to dial a telephone number. *ln order to be B. definitions of adulthood.
remembered for a long period, information must pass into long-term memory. c. stages of adulthood.
7No one knows just how much information can be stored in a person's long-term
3. The second major detail of the paragraph is introduced in sentence
memory, but the capacity seems enormous.
A. 3.
B. 4.
idea:
Main
ca
4. Sentence 4 contains
1. —stores memory for a few tenths of a second. A. the main idea.
B. a major supporting detail.
Cc. a minor supporting detail.

5. Sentences 5—7 contain

A. major supporting details.
B. minor supporting details.

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sa s
to Improving
j
College Reading
j Skills
Section
|
i

SCORE: (Number correct) x IQe= %

6. Which is the best outline of the paragraph? |

i SUPPORTING DETAILS: Mastery Test 4
A. Markers for adulthood
l Legal definitions
A. (1-5.) Outline the following textbook passage by filling in the main idea and a
.

2 Sociological definitions
brief statement of each major supporting detail.
.

3. Psychological definitions 'After studying all night for an important exam, most college students find
4 Cognitive maturity
.
themselves wishing for one thing after their big test: sleep. ?Although the exact
5 Emotional maturity
reasons why people sleep are still being debated, researchers have come up
i

with a number of theories to explain the functions of sleep. *First of all, sleep is
B_ Madkcts adultkóśd tr
1. Age when entering the armed forces or marrying without parents” | believed to give the body time to repair burned-out brain cells and make more of
the special chemical that makes it possible for the brain to think. *Another theory
permission I holds that sleep enables the bódy to save energy because when we sleep, the
2. Age when self-supporting or when starting a family
3. Age of discovering one's identity or learning to think abstractly body temperature is lower, so less energy is needed to create heat. "This method
I of energy conservation may have helped people survive thousands of years ago
C. Markers for adulthood when food was hard to find. śSleep may also have helped humanity survive by
|
|

1. Legal definitions keeping people out of trouble. "In prehistoric times, when many large predators like
2. Sociological definitions I the saber-toothed tiger hunted in darkness, the habit of sleeping at night helped
3. Psychological definitions |
prevent people from being an animal's dinner. $Scientists also believe that sleep,
I in addition to being a survival tactic, is used to reduce memory. "lt allows the brain

__—_—_—_—_
|

to forget or unlearn things that are not necessary. "Otherwise, the mind would
B. (7-10.) Outline the following textbook passage by filling in the main idea and the
become clutterede and overwhelmed
elm with unneede d information.
major supporting details. Condense the major details.
. , . th
unn

1Chimpanzees, skillful tool-users, use several objects found in their

i
Maja idea:
environment as tools. ?First of all, they use sticks. *They have been seen inserting
carefully trimmed sticks into termite mounds and then withdrawing the sticks and
eating the termites that cling to them; they also are known use sticks to steal
to |
1.
honey from beehives. *In addition, chimps use leaves a variety of ingenious ways. in
sFor example, they have been seen rolling leaves into cones to use as drinking
cups, dampening them and using them to clean their bodies, and chewing them
- |
i

2.
until they can serve as sponges. *Finally, chimpanzees have been observed using |

stones to crack open nuts. 3.

|

4.
Main idea:
B. (6.) Read the textbook excerpt below. Then complete the study notes on the next .

page by circling the letter of the best summary of the supporting details.
h
'The multiplier effect refers to any change in one part of our economic system
that creates changes elsewhere. *For example, if a university decides to build a new
2. j |
dormitory, some construction workers will have more income. 3If some of these
workers decide to spend the extra income on new boats, boat-builders will have
3. 4 more income. *The boat-builders, in turn, might spend this income in neighborhood
restaurants, and the restaurant owners might spend it
on cars.*Money never stays in
one place, and every market decision has an impact on other markets.
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. Name Date
36. PART ONE Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills
Section SCORE: (Number correct) x10= %
__

Study notes: SUPPORTING DETAILS: Mastery Test 5

Maultiplier effect—Any change in one part of our economic system A. Answer the questions that follow the textbook passage.
that creates changes elsewhere.
'Suburbs arose out of a complex set of social factors. One factor was the
Example—
A. The decision to build a new university dormitory will lead to economic and technological developments that made it possible for people to
live far from where they worked. *Early in this century, most people were limited in
|

work for some construction workers.

B. Our economic system is very complicated.
c. Building a dorm allows construction workers to buy boats, giving
boat-builders money for restaurants, and so on.
C. Answer the questions about supporting details that follow the textbook passage.
1Studies done in the 1930s in New Guinea by the social scientist Margaret
Mead show that not all cultures share our views of the differences between
the sexes. The mountain people called the Arapesh, for example, do not think
men and women are different in temperament. *They expect both sexes to be
equally gentle, home-loving, and what we would call "maternal" in their relations
with others. *The neighboring Mundugumor people, by contrast, are as fierce
as the Arapesh are gentle. 5$Men and women are equally "macho," paying less
attention to their children than to plotting for power and position. *A third tribe,
the Tchambuli, do believe the sexes are different in temperament, but their sex
roles are the reverse of ours. 7Tchambuli women are the practical, hard-headed
providers, while the men of the tribe spend their days beautifying themselves and
looking for approval from the women.
7. Sentence 1 provides
A. the main idea.
B. a major supporting detail.
c. a minor supporting detail.
8. In general, the major supporting details of this paragraph are
A. differences between the sexes.
B. examples of differing cultural views of the sexes.
c. a series of stereotypes about Western culture.
9. How many major details are in this paragraph?
A. Two
B. Three
c. Four
where they could live by the need to find transportation to work. *This meant that
most had to live in the cities near where the jobs were. Because there were relatively
few automobiles and highways, people walked or used public transportation to
get to work and go shopping. *This encouraged the concentration of population,
and central cities served as the commercial and cultural core of urban areas. By
the 1940s and 1950s, the increasing prosperity of many Americans, along with the
automobile, made it possible for them to live farther from work and opened up
suburban life to middle-class Americans.
*In addition, government policy was also a factor contributing to
suburbanization. *First of all, the government paid 80 percent of the cost of
developing the interstate highway system. "With cars and high-speed highways,
people can now live far from where they work and shop. ''In sprawling cities such
as Los Angeles, for example, it is common to live fifty or more miles from where you
work. '*Also, government agencies made available federally guaranteed mortgage
loans for the purchase of new homes. Because land outside of the cities was both
inexpensive and available, this is where much of the construction took place.
1. In general, the major details of this passage are
A. economic developments that led to the growth of suburbs.
B. factors that contributed to suburbanization.
c. ways the government helped suburbs to develop.
2. Specifically, the major details of the passage are
A. suburbs; cities.
B. central cities; federally guaranteed mortgage loans for new homes.
c. economic and technological developments; government policy.
3. Sentence 1 provides
A. the main idea of the passage.
'B. a major detail of the passage.
c. a minor detail of the passage.

10. The Arapesh do not think that men and women are
A. equally gentle.
B. *maternal."
c.. different in temperament.
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38 PARTONE Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills
Section SCORE: (Number correct) x 10 = %

4. Sentence 8 provides SUPPORTING DETAILS: Mastery Test 6

A. the main idea of the passage.
B. a major detail of the passage.
A. (1-6.) Outline the following textbook passage by
filling in the missing major and
C. a minor detail of the passage.
minor details.
"Certain significant differences exist between the House and the Senate. ?The
5. Sentence 12 provides
most obvious difference, of course, is size—the House has 435 members and the Senate
A. the main idea of the passage.
100. *This factor leads to differences in style. *Perhaps, as one author has stated, "the
B. a major detail of the passage.
most striking difference noticed by most visitors to the Capitol is the apparent formality
c. a minor detail of the passage. and impersonality in the House chamber as contrasted to the relatively informal and
friendly atmosphere in the Senate." 5Size also influences the procedures followed by the
B. (6-10.) Complete the map of the following textbook passage by filling in the main House and the Senate. House rules are many and complex; Senate rules are short and
idea and the four major supporting details. relatively simple. "House rules, for example, sharply limit the time in which a member
1Through the years, experts in our country have suggested various purposes may speak during a debate, whereas senators are subject to few limits. .

of imprisonment. ?Prior to 1800 it was widely assumed that the punishment of
those who did not follow society's rules was necessary if the community was
to feel morally satisfied. *In recent years there has been a renewed interest in
punishment—not for the sake of vengeance, but to restore a sense of moral
order. *During the last century and a half, a second purpose of imprisonment has
been rehabilitation. 5In this view, crime resembles "disease," something foreign
*Another difference between the two houses of Congress is the political
outlook of their members. *Most representatives have smaller constituencies; each
speaks for the residents of a particular district. "The representative's concerns,
therefore, are often limited to local issues that are of interest to fewer groups.
"Senators have statewide constituencies. '?As a result, they must keep in mind the
interests of a variety of groups. ,

and abnormal to most people. Ślt is presumed that individuals are not to blame
for the disease, and that we should focus on curing them. ”Another purpose of
imprisonment has been to deter crime. *Some studies suggest that the certainty
of arrest and punishment does tend to lower crime rates. *Last, some argue that
neither rehabilitation nor deterrence really works, so that it is useless to send
people to prison with these goals in mind. "Instead, imprisonment should be used
as selective confinement, reducing crime rates by keeping "hard-core" criminals off
the streets. ''One study of young men in Philadelphia showed that 6 percent of the
men were responsible for over.half the crimes committed by the entire group.
"A further major difference between the two houses of Congress derives
from the different terms of office of their members (two years in the House, six
years in the Senate). '*This means that most representatives are campaigning
almost all the time, whereas senators have more time before they must seek
reelection. "As a result, senators can pay more attention to aspects of legislation
that do not directly affect their chances of winning or losing voters' support.
Main idea: Significant differences exist between the House and the Senate.
A. Differences in size: 435 in House vs. 100 in Senate
1. Style differences

a. Formal style in the House

b.

b,

a.

b.

B.
1.

2.Statewide outlook of senators

C. Differences in terms of office: 2 years in House vs. 6 years in Senate
I. Constant campaigning of representatives
2. More time for senators to spend on legislation not affecting their campaigns

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139
140 PARTONE Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills

B. (7—10.) Complete the map of the following textbook

passage by filling in the main
idea and the missing major supporting details.

'To a greater or lesser extent, all of us have learned aggressive responses.

2We are each a potential aggressor. 3A number of conditions have been found to
stimulate aggression. *For one thing, pain—both mental and physical— heightens
aggressiveness. *Any decidedly hurtful event, whether a big disappointment, a
personal insult, or a physical pain, can incite an emotional outburst. Environmental
-

irritants can also stimulate aggression. "The most-studied is heat. *Studies have
found that, compared with students who answered questionnaires in a room
with a normal temperature, those who did so in an uncomfortably hot room
(over 90” F) reported feeling more tired and aggressive and expressed more
hostility toward a stranger they were asked to rate. *A third condition, one that
i
especially provokes aggression, is. attacks by another. 'eExperiments confirm that
attacks bring counterattacks, especially when the victim perceives the attack as

.
intentional. "'Finally, ccowding—the feeling of not having enough space—can be
stressful. '*The stress experienced by animals allowed to overpopulate a confined
environment produces heightened aggressiveness. 3And
it is undeniably true that
dense urban areas suffer higher rates of crime and emotional distress.

| Environmental