Unit 1 | Topics and main ideas

Understanding topics
A topic tells what a text is about in general. Knowing the topic in a text is the
SPOTLIGHT ON TESTING

first step in answering reading comprehension questions.

1 Finding a topic
AUDIO FILE Listen to or read the conversation. What is the topic? Check (✓) the correct answer.
1. Jenny needs a roommate for her new apartment.
2. Jenny’s having a problem with her roommate.
3. Jenny stopped being friends with Shelly.

Mark Hey, Jenny. How’s your new apartment? Mark Does Shelly know how you feel?
Better than living in the dorm, I bet. Jenny No. That’s the problem. She’s such a
Jenny Oh, hi, Mark. Yeah, it is. Most of the time. nice roommate and a good friend, but
Mark What? What do you mean? You have a I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Do
great apartment. you remember what happened last
year with my old roommate Laura?
Jenny Yeah…. One time I asked her if she could go
Mark Who’s your roommate? outside to talk on the phone, and she
stopped talking to me all semester!
Jenny Shelly Cole. You know, second-
year biology student, from L.A. Mark Oh, yeah. But Shelly’s a different
person. I think you should be honest
Mark Oh, yeah. I know her. How’s it going?
with her. I mean, if she’s really a
Jenny Oh, she’s great. We like the same good friend, she’ll understand.
food, she likes to clean the house…
Jenny You think so?
Mark That sounds nice.
Mark Yeah, sure. And if you don’t tell her,
Jenny Yeah. But there is one little you’re always going to feel bad. And then
problem. She likes to listen to someday you won’t be friends anymore.
music… while she’s studying.
Jenny I guess you’re right. Thanks, Mark.
Mark Oh.
Mark No problem, Jenny. Let me
Jenny Yeah. I just can’t do that. I have to know how it goes.
study in a quiet place. And when
we have exams, it’s really hard.

Understanding main ideas

Main ideas give supporting information about a topic. Finding the main ideas in a
text is one of the first things you need to do when you prepare to answer certain
kinds of exam questions.

2 Finding main ideas

Choose the group that gives the main ideas of the conversation in Exercise 1.

Group A Group B
• Shelly is generally a good roommate. • Jenny and Shelly like the same food.
• There’s one problem: she listens to loud music. • Jenny’s old roommate stopped talking to her.
• Mark tells Jenny to talk to Shelly about the problem. • Mark wants to know what happens next.

2 Spotlight on Testing • Unit 1

Strategies for taking the: TOEFL® Test TOEIC® Test IELTS™ Test
3 Choosing topics
Read the article. What is the topic? Check (✓) the correct answer.
1. Choosing a college can be hard.
2. Deciding one’s major can be difficult.
3. Students have a hard time finishing college.

A Major Decision
About 60 percent of American students go directly Some advisers say that students need better tools,
from high school into college. Choosing a college both in colleges and in high schools, to help them
can be difficult. But once these students are in figure out what major is best for them. A few
college, there is one other choice that seems to be universities have started offering special computer
even harder—deciding on a major. programs to help. Students can learn more about
On average, college students in the United States different majors, or even about what kinds of jobs
change their major three times. There are several people find with each kind of major. They are
reasons for this, according to academic advisers. sometimes surprised to find philosophy majors
About half of all freshmen start college not working for a soft ware development company or
knowing what to major in. Among those who biology majors in the tourism industry.
think they know what they want to study, six out Students seem to like these new tools, and more
of ten end up changing their major as well. students use them each year. Of course there are
College is a time of discovery. As students take other resources available to help, like academic
classes, they find new areas that they are interested advisers. Even with all of these tools available
in. Unfortunately, some of those students find so to them, choosing a major is difficult for many
many interesting classes that they are not able to students. The good thing is, they can always
decide on a major. Some of those students end up change it.
going to school for years, without even graduating!

4 Check your understanding

Read paragraphs 2–5 in Exercise 3 again. What is the main idea of each paragraph? Number the
sentences 2–5.
a. Better tools are needed to help students choose the right major.
b. Students often discover what they like when they take
different classes. Most tests have
a time limit. Get faster by
c. Even with great tools, deciding a major can still practicing each section of the test
be hard. with a clock. Don’t spend too much
d. Many students change their majors. time on one or two questions or
your time might run out.
5 Skills in review
Look at the reading on page 5 of the Workbook. What is the
topic? What are the main ideas?

Spotlight on Testing • Unit 1 3