iBTReadingQuestion:SummaryChart(BewareofParagraphStructures)
Thesummarychartisfairlyeasyifyouthinkofitasanexerciseinlocatingthemainideaofthepassage,itstopicsentences,andconclusion.However,nothingisaseasyasitseemsontheiBTTOEFLtest,right?Scanthefirstandlastsentencesofeachparagraph.Thesearetheusualhidingplacesforthepointsthatwillbestsummarizethereadingpassage.Becareful,though,becausesomeparagraphsinverttheirstructure.ThemostcommonstructureinwrittenEnglishistobeginwithamainideaandthensupportitwithR.E.D.(reasons,examples,anddetails).Theinvertedstyleismostcommoninthefirstandlastparagraph,sobecareful!TheseparagraphswillbeginwithR.E.D.andworktowardsthethesisorconclusion.Again,themostcommonareasarethefirstandlastsentencesofeachparagraph.Wheneveryoufindtwoanswerchoicesfromthesameparagraph,thenyouknowthatoneneedstobeeliminated.However,keepinmindthatsomeanswerchoicesforthesummarychartactuallyincludemultiplepiecesofinformationthatmightoccurthroughoutaparagraph.Ifthisisthecase,thenyouknowitsagoodchoice.
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LABELS:IBTREADINGQUESTION:SUMMARYCHART