Summary questions tend to start out like this: ■ The best summary of the passage is . . . ■ Which of the following best paraphrases the ideas in the passage? ■ Which of the following is the best summation of the ideas in the passage? ■ Which of the following best restates the main idea of the passage? How to Find Summary Answers in the Passage The main idea of the passage can be found in each of the paragraphs, or in sections of the paragraphs. If you can follow the way the author has logically arranged the passage, you are more likely to find the correct answer to a summary question. Practice Passage and Question Use the seven steps to answer the question following this passage. Extended-time programs often feature innovative scheduling, as program staff work to maintain par- ticipation and respond to students’ and parents’ varied schedules and family or employment com- mitments. Offering students flexibility and some choice regarding when they participate in extended learning may be as simple as offering homework sessions when children need them most—after school and before dinner—as do Kids Crew and the Omaha After-School Study Centers. Or it may mean keeping early and late hours to meet the child care needs of parents who work more than one job or support extended families, as does Yuk Yau Child Development Center. Similarly, the Florida Summer Institute for At-Risk Migrant Students is a residen- tial program so that students’ participation does not disrupt their migrant families’ travels. 6. Which of the following paraphrases best summa- rizes the passage above? a. After-school programs should help children finish their homework after school. b. Kids Crew and other programs meet the needs of children. c. There are several ways to schedule programs outside school time to meet the needs of stu- dents and families. d. Extended-time programs can be innovative, and Yuk Yau Child Development Center is an example of this. Answer Go through the seven steps. 1. The flow goes like this: innovative scheduling— family needs—examples: after school, early and late care, residential. 2. Choices a, c, and d have words and ideas noted in step 1. 3. None of the choices is contrary to the passage. (That tactic is usually used with persuasive passages.) 4. The answers are all on topic, but a and b only deal with part of the paragraph. 5. All the ideas are in the passage. 6. You are left with choices c and d. Choice d only mentions one example and the passage gives three. Choice c does not mention any examples specifically, but is broad enough to include all the examples as well as the main idea of the para- graph. You can conclude that the answer is c, and you don’t have to use step 7. – THEA READING REVIEW– 75 About the Author Authors write to communicate; that is, they want you to understand their ideas and arguments. To that end, they usually will try to write as clearly and logically as possible. To read these passages efficiently, therefore, you need to give the author your undivided attention and try to understand his or her motives and methods in writing the piece. As you read, ask yourself these questions: ■ Who is this person? ■ Can I detect anything about the author? ■ From what perspective does the author write? ■ How does the author think? ■ What was the author trying to accomplish? ■ For whom was the author writing? Sample question stems for author questions might include the following: ■ The author’s primary purpose is to . . . ■ The author is primarily concerned with . . . ■ The main focus of the author is . . . ■ In what publication might this passage be found? ■ The author is writing primarily for what kind of audience? ■ Which best describes the author’s relationship with . . . ■ Which best describes the feeling of the author toward his subject? ■ The attitude of the author toward . . . How to Find Author Answers in the Passage You may discover the purpose of the author, like the main idea, in the first or last sentence of the passage, or by looking at the topic sentences of the paragraphs. You can also skim the passage for descriptive words that reveal any bias the author has. The subject of the pas- sage and the absence or presence of technical language are two of the main clues toward discovering the author’s intended audience. Practice Passage and Question Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy – THEA READING REVIEW– Six Steps for Author Questions 1. For author purpose questions, eliminate answers that do not match the general topic. For questions about the author’s intended audience, eliminate audiences that are significantly less or more technical than the author’s style. 2. Eliminate answers that say the opposite of what the author is trying to say. 3. Look for a sentence or two that describes the author’s purpose or audience. 4. Look for words that indicate a shift in the author’s meaning. Sometimes the author’s purpose will follow words such as however, although, or instead of. 5. If you are looking for an author’s tone, label the answer choices as positive or negative. 6. If you are left with two choices, look at the topic of the passage and decide what might be an appropri- ate response to the topic. 76 Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chas- tisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intox- icated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanks- giving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. 7. Lincoln’s purpose in proclaiming a holiday was to a. make peace with Native Americans. b. promote separation of church and state. c. thank God for blessings and favor. d. bring complaints as well as thankfulness before God. Answer Use the six steps to answer the question. 1. Choice a does not match the general topic. 2. Choice b says the opposite of what Lincoln meant; he was proposing that all Americans thank God. 3. The last sentence seems to be a climax. Both c and d contain the idea of thankfulness. 4. The word but at the beginning of the fourth paragraph seems to indicate a shift, but that shift is really part of Lincoln’s meaning; he is contrast- ing the blessings America has experienced with Americans’ having forgotten God. 5. This isn’t a tone question, so you don’t need this step. 6. You’re left with choices c and d. The holiday was about thanking God, not bringing complaints. Look again for mention of complaints in the pas- sage. There isn’t one, so the closest answer is c. Practice Passage and Questions Now try the steps on the questions that follow this passage. The most significant research results produced are as follows: In the area of micro-ecological adaptation and evolutionary process, our research has shown that regardless of the complexity of the selection force and the biological traits, the rate of evolution- ary change of the plant populations has been rapid and the results are even better than we expected. Further study of the interactions between plants and their soil environments found that a successful colonization of plant species in soils with elevated toxic levels of soil chemical compounds such as sele- nium may be achieved in the presence of other chemical compounds (such as sulfate) that could alleviate the toxic effects and improve the condi- tions for colonization. The knowledge generated by these ecological studies has made it possible to apply the research with more confidence. – THEA READING REVIEW– 77 8. In what publication might this passage be published? a. a book of dissertation abstracts b. a general encyclopedia c. a bulletin to parents d. a science teacher’s manual 9. Which of the following can best describe the author’s attitude toward the results of the research? a. unbiased b. satisfied c. apologetic d. elated Answers Here’s how you could use the steps on question 8. 1. This is a rather technical passage. Eliminate c. 2. Although no choice disagrees with the author, a science teacher’s manual would have hints in it for teaching students. There are no clues that this is a teacher’s manual. Choice d is gone. 3. There is no climax. 4. There are clue words, though they’re not easy to find. The author mentions research that is being done. Encyclopedias don’t include cur- rent research, so b is eliminated. That leaves you with choice a. This makes sense because a dissertation is someone’s research. (You don’t need to use steps 5–6.) For question 9, you have an attitude question. 1. This is a scientific paper so it has to be fairly objective. 2–4. You don’t need these steps for an attitude question. 5. From negative to positive, you might rank the answer choices like this: apologetic, unbiased, satisfied, elated. There are some clue words; “even better than we expected” and “more con- fidence” sound as though you should look on the positive side of the list, which includes choices b and d. 6. This is a research report. Elated probably would not be appropriate. The author might be elated, but there are no clues in the passage that the author is that happy. Satisfied, choice b, seems the closest choice. Define Details and Context Clues Most people find detail questions fairly easy to answer, because the answers are right there in the passage. Words in context may be a bit more difficult because you have to look for clues to the word’s meaning in the context of the passage. However, you have probably been answering detail questions and figuring out words from context most of your life. These questions mean (relatively) easy points for you. All you need are some strategies to help enhance your speed and accuracy. Details Detail questions ask about one specific fact in the pas- sage. They are signaled by question words such as what, when,or where. You will often find the phrase “accord- ing to the passage” in a detail question. How to Find Detail Answers in the Passage Detail answers are usually in the body of the para- graphs. Normally they are not in the main idea sentences. – THEA READING REVIEW– 78 Practice Passage and Questions Recycling goods gives communities the opportu- nity to lower their waste output, reduce disposal costs, and most importantly, combat global envi- ronmental problems. Recycling paper, glass, plastic, metals, and organic wastes lessens the demand for raw materials and energy. Producing aluminum from scrap instead of raw materials trims air pollu- tion by over 90%. Creating paper from recycled goods reduces the amount of energy needed to process it by over 70%, and it also saves trees. Governmental sources of information about recy- cling include the Department of Environmental Pro- tection, Solid Waste Management, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Public Works Department. 10. Which fact is NOT found in the passage? a. Governmental sources of information about recycling include the Public Works Department. b. Producing aluminum from scrap instead of raw materials trims air pollution by over 90%. c. Producing plastic from recycled materials low- ers air pollution by over 70%. d. Recycling glass and metals lessens the demand for raw materials and energy. 11. According to the passage, which substances should be recycled? a. paper, glass, rubber, and metals b. plastic, colored glass, and newsprint paper c. organic wastes, small metal parts, and glass d. paper, glass, plastic, metals, and organic wastes 12. With which of the following would the author be most likely to agree? a. Americans don’t have time to recycle their garbage. b. Recycling will help save the earth. c. Plastic is a valuable resource, so we shouldn’t try to reuse it. d. We should recycle even though it costs more and uses more energy to do so. 79 Six Steps for Detail Questions 1. Notice the way the passage is arranged. 2. Search the passage for the detail asked for in the question. 3. Skim for key words. Look for words that are in the question. Once you find the words, find the answer in that sentence. 4. Eliminate answers that contain facts that are not found in the passage. Also eliminate choices that are found in the passage but that do not answer the question. 5. If you are having trouble finding the answer, you may need to review up to five lines above a key word. 6. Do not let technical words stop you from answering the question. You are not being tested on technical language alone. There is always enough information in the passage to answer a detail question without previous knowledge of the topic. Answers For detail questions, you don’t necessarily have to work through all the steps. Here are some tips on how you might have answered the questions. 10. Because you are being asked to look up each answer in the passage to see whether it is there, this is really four questions in one. If you decide to take the time to answer this question at all, you should leave it until you have answered the other questions about this pas- sage. By then, you will have discovered how the passage is arranged, and you may have even noticed some of the facts in the passage. Choice a is found in the last sentence. Choices b and d are also contained in the paragraph. You can find all the answers but c in the pas- sage. The passage states that producing alu- minum (not plastic) from recycled materials lowers air pollution by over 90% (not 70%). The answer is c. 11. The answer is d. The other choices all contain one or more items that are not discussed in the passage. 12. Use the process of elimination for this ques- tion. Choices a and d are in direct opposition to the other ideas expressed in the passage. Choice c is not related to the overall message of the passage and is contrary to the writer’s purpose. The answer is b. Even though the author doesn’t directly say this, it can be inferred from the first sentence of the passage: “Recycling goods gives communities the opportunity to lower their waste output, reduce disposal costs, and most importantly, combat global environmental problems.” Another hint is the phrase “it also saves trees.” Words in Context Another type of question on the THEA has to do with words in context. You will have to look for clues to answer these kinds of questions. Questions on words in context have stems like these: ■ What is the best synonym for ________ as it is used in the passage? ■ Which of the following is the best meaning of ________ as it is used in the second sentence? How to Find Words-in-Context Answers Answers to words-in-context questions are found in the sentences immediately preceding, including, and fol- lowing the word. Usually there is some explanation nearby—some synonym for the word or paraphrase of its meaning. Practice Passage and Question In his famous study of myth, The Hero With a Thou- sand Faces, Joseph Campbell writes about the arche- typal hero who has ventured outside the boundaries of the village and, after many trials and adventures, has returned with the boon that will save or enlighten his fellows. Like Carl Jung, Campell believes that the story of the hero is part of the col- lective unconscious of all human kind. He likens the returning hero to the sacred or tabooed person- age described by James Frazier in The Golden Bough. Such an individual must, in many instances of myth, be insulated from the rest of society, “not merely for his own sake but for the sake of others; for since the virtue of holiness is, so to say, a powerful explosive which the smallest touch can detonate, it is necessary in the interest of the general safety to keep it within narrow bounds.” There is much similarity between the arche- typal hero who has journeyed into the wilderness and the poet who has journeyed into the realm of imagination. Both places are dangerous and full of wonders, and both, at their deepest level, are jour- neys that take place into the kingdom of the uncon- scious mind, a place that, in Campbell’s words, “goes down into unsuspected Aladdin caves. There not only jewels but dangerous jinn abide . . .” – THEA READING REVIEW– 80 . like this: ■ The best summary of the passage is . . . ■ Which of the following best paraphrases the ideas in the passage? ■ Which of the following is the best summation of the ideas in the passage? ■ Which. passage? ■ Which of the following best restates the main idea of the passage? How to Find Summary Answers in the Passage The main idea of the passage can be found in each of the paragraphs, or in sections of. subject? ■ The attitude of the author toward . . . How to Find Author Answers in the Passage You may discover the purpose of the author, like the main idea, in the first or last sentence of the passage,