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Reading and Study Skills, 7/e

John Langan

More Mastery Tests

Main Idea

Locate the main-idea sentence in each selection that follows. Then, in the spaces provided, put the number of each sentence.


1		¹Violence surrounds us-not only in real life but in our entertainment. ²Films emphasize it-as those who saw The Godfather and its sequels know. ³In fact, violence is big at the box office. ⁴A drive-in favorite was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which graphically portrayed a series of murders perpetrated by unemployed cattle butchers. ⁵Indeed, the realism with which film violence is staged is ever increasing. ⁶Improved techniques allow close-ups of realistically bruised and mutilated bodies. ⁷Television, in both its news reports and its entertainment, provides a steady diet of violence. ⁸Riots, uprisings, wars, terrorists' raids-all are a part of our daily lives in the evening news. ⁹Even children's toys can encourage aggression.



2		¹One of childhood's saddest figures is the child who is chosen last for every team, hangs around the fringes of every group, walks home alone after school, is not invited to any of the birthday parties, and sobs in despair, "Nobody wants to play with me." ²There are many reasons why this child and other children can be unpopular. ³Sometimes such children are withdrawn or rebellious. ⁴They are often the youngsters who walk around with a "chip on the shoulder," showing unprovoked aggression and hostility. ⁵Or they may act silly and babyish, "showing off" in immature ways. ⁶Or they may be anxious and uncertain, exuding such a pathetic lack of confidence that they repel other children, who don't find them any fun to be with. ⁷Extremely fat or unattractive children, children who behave in any way that seems strange to the others, and slow-learning youngsters are also outcasts.



3		¹Companies are constantly changing the packaging that covers their products. ²At times, however, the changes backfire and reduce rather than increase customers' satisfaction with the product in question. ³One of the most successful packages has been the Camel cigarette pack, which shows a camel, two pyramids, and three palm trees. ⁴An executive at R. J. Reynolds some years ago decided that the package would be more striking if the pyramids and trees were removed. ⁵The surgery was performed, but the public howled. ⁶Camel sales fell off instantly, and, not surprisingly, Reynolds quickly returned the camel's props.



4		¹Colonial farmers in America grew all their own food, with the exception of certain imported luxury items, such as coffee, tea, and sugar. ²Farm animals such as sheep, pigs, and cows provided milk and meat. ³Clothing was made from plant and animal sources. ⁴The flax plant's fibers were dyed with berry juices, spun into thread, woven into cloth, and sewn into shirts and dresses. ⁵Sheep provided wool for heavier clothing, and the hides of pigs and cows were tanned into leather. ⁶Leather could be cut and crafted into shoes, boots, gloves, shirts, and leggings; leather was also needed for harnesses, bridles, whips, and reins. ⁷The abundant forests of a young America were filled with timber for houses and fuel. ⁸Colonists chopped down trees and corded wood in order to cook and to heat their homes. ⁹Only a few necessary items, such as glass and iron, were bought by the farmers. ¹⁰Luxuries such as books, china, and lace were purchased when it was possible; they were by no means considered essential items. ¹¹This self-sufficiency, or ability to provide for themselves, was a characteristic of many early American settlers.



5		¹A bottle of cologne on a department store counter catches your eye. ²It is beautifully packaged in a handsome bottle and shiny box. ³You check the price tag, which reads "$37.50," and walk away wondering how two ounces of cologne can be so expensive. ⁴After all, cologne is made from only a few pennies' worth of alcohol and essential oils mixed with a good amount of water. ⁵How can a department store charge so much for it? ⁶The price on the cologne box reflects not only the cost of the raw materials but a variety of additional costs. ⁷The department store is paying the salary of the salesperson behind the counter and the cost of the space needed to store the cologne inventory. ⁸The department store also provides services such as charge accounts; the cost of each piece of merchandise is raised accordingly. ⁹The manufacturer of the cologne may have spent more on its fancy bottle and box than on the fragrance itself. ¹⁰The packaging caught your eye, as the manufacturer wanted, but you are going to pay for it. ¹¹You'll also pay for the advertising done by the nationally known cosmetics company and the cost of the transportation used to ship the cologne to the store. ¹²And if the cologne was made in and shipped from France, the price goes up even more!

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