READING

To succeed in the reading section, the candidate must be able to:

• identify the main idea in the text;
• find important details;
• understand vocabulary in context;
• recognize relationships between ideas;
• make reasonable interpretations.

This does not imply that you should try to memorize the text. Rather, ask yourself what each paragraph is mainly about and try to identify the details that support the main idea.

Exercise. Read the short text below and determine the main idea.

Text

Planting trees in our cities is very important. This is because urban trees provide shade, improve air quality and make cities more attractive. However, they require regular maintenance.

Which of the following options best states the main idea?

A. Trees are difficult to maintain.

B. Urban trees have benefits but require maintenance.

C. Trees only improve air quality.

Answer: Option B is the correct answer because it summarizes the main idea raised in the text. That is the importance of planting trees in our cities and the inconveniences that come with it. The other two options are false because they are one sided.