Practical Steps to Understanding the TOEFL Reading Exercise.
- Warm-Up: Before reading, glance at the passage focusing on the topic.
Example: “Green Spaces: A Must Have for Every City”. With such a title, the candidate can then brainstorm on the following:
- What are green spaces?
- Why do cities need parks and gardens?
- Can green spaces benefit people in ways other than improving physical health?
- What problems might a city have if it lacks or has very few green spaces?
- Prediction: Looking only at the title and doing the above brainstorming exercise will unveil some hidden facts in the text even before the candidate gets into the reading proper. For instance, the candidate will be able to predict the hidden benefits of green spaces in urban areas. This is a useful reading habit because predicting the content will help the candidate understand the passage more quickly.
- Finding the Main Idea: The main idea is the most important idea in a passage. It tells the readers what the author mainly wants them to understand. The main idea is usually broader than a supporting detail. For instance, if a passage discusses trees reducing temperatures, parks providing places for exercise, gardens improving psychological well-being and green spaces supporting wildlife, what could be the main idea?
Some readers may be tempted to take “Trees can reduce temperatures” as the main idea. This is false because it is only a detail in the passage. The most appropriate main idea will be that “Urban green spaces provide several environmental, physical and psychological benefits.” This is a better main idea because it includes the different points discussed in the passage.
In determining the main idea therefore, the candidates should ask themselves “what the passage is mainly about and what the author wants them to understand from the passage.” A quick tip for every TOEFL candidate will be for them to avoid choosing an idea that describes only a paragraph or that is stated only as an example. They should go for the idea that runs through the entire passage.
- Identifying Supporting Details: Supporting details are pieces of information that explain, develop or support the main idea. They can include facts, examples, explanations, reasons, descriptions and research findings. They are often introduced by connectors like: for example, for instance, such as, because, one reason is, another benefit is, research shows and according. E.T.C