How to scan? How to find the main idea of a paragraph or an essay? These skills are essential in test and exam.

1. Group 6:
Part 1: Hoang Hai Yen
Do Thi Nham
Part 2: Bui Bich Phuong
Tran Nhu Quynh
Duong Thu Thao

2. Presentor: Hoang Hai Yen
Do Thi Nham

4. What is the main idea?
The Main idea refers to what a paragraph or an
article is about.
•"Main" means what is important, or key, the
heart of the matter.
• "Idea" means the thought, the thesis

5. How to find the main idea?
There are six steps:
Preview
in introductions, titles, chapter headings, subheadings, bold words, boxed information, pictures,
charts, and graphs.
Read
Read the entire text, looking for the general idea or ideas being presented. Re-read to find and
highlight key words and concepts.
Focus
Focus on individual paragraphs within the text, starting at the beginning. Generally, each
paragraph in a piece of writing about a topic is a group of sentences dealing with one idea related
to that topic.
Look for transition words
Words and phrases such as "thus," "first," "next," "however," and "in addition,"
Identify the most general statement
Sometimes the main idea of a paragraph is directly stated in a sentence, called the topic
sentence of the paragraph.
Look for supporting evidence and discussion
Sometimes the main idea is not directly stated in one sentence but is implied or suggested by all
of the sentences in the paragraph.

6. In English paragraphs, the Main Idea will most
likely be found in one of these five places:
1) in the first sentence
2) in the last sentence
3) in the middle of the paragraph
4) in two sentences of the paragraph
5) not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

7. Let's use the paragraph below as an example.
Find the main idea.
• Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West
Beach. It is a beach with light- colored, soft sand.
The coastline goes on for a long way and many
people enjoy walking along it. Children like to
play in the surf and walk along the rocks that are
visible at low tide. This is a fun beach for people
of all ages.
• In this paragraph:
THE MAIN IDEA (WHAT THE WRITER IS SAYING
ABOUT THE TOPIC) IS THAT SUMMER IS A
WONDERFUL TIME AT WEST BEACH.

8. • A. Despite the hatred that most people feel toward
cockroaches, they do help humans in several ways. For
example, they are perfect experimental animals and are used
for scientific research in the laboratory. Breeding them is
easy, for they thrive under almost any conditions. In studies
on nutrition and food, cockroaches are good subjects because
they will eat any kind of food. They can be used to study heart
disease, and cancer researchers work with roaches because
they grow cancerous tumors like those that are found in
humans.
• 1) in the first sentence
2) in the last sentence
3) in the middle of the paragraph
4) in two sentences of the paragraph
5) not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

9. • B. About 300 million years ago, long before dinosaurs ruled the
earth, the cockroach already had been here for a long time. We can
only guess at why it has not become extinct, but the physical assets
of the cockroach provide a major reason for its survival. The
cockroach's body is very flat, allowing it to slip into tiny cracks and
crevices, and its six strong running legs give it unmatched powers of
escape. Two small feelers detect movements and changes in air
currents, thus warning the insect of approaching danger. The
cockroach's two large eyes are made up of hundreds of tiny,
separate eyes which are very good for seeing movements - an
ability that helps a roach escape its enemies.
• 1) in the first sentence
2) in the last sentence
3) in the middle of the paragraph
4) in two sentences of the paragraph
5) not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

10. • In two sentences of the paragraph.
• The cockroach's body is very flat, allowing it to slip into tiny
cracks and crevices, and its six strong running legs give it
unmatched powers of escape.
• The cockroach's two large eyes are made up of hundreds of
tiny, separate eyes which are very good for seeing
movements - an ability that helps a roach escape its
enemies.

11. • C. Every game from the latest multimedia games to old
favorites like cards and chess can be played on home
computers. Home computers are used to balance family
finances, to complete banking transactions, and even to do
the grocery shopping. Those computers which are equipped
with a modem allow users to go "online" to "chat" with
others -- that is, people can have a conversation on the
computer about anything from being in love to getting
medical advice. And of course students use home computers
to type up school reports, to research their papers for classes
and even to do the calculations for math homework.
• 1) in the first sentence
2) in the last sentence
3) in the middle of the paragraph
4) in two sentences of the paragraph
5) not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

12. • not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)
The advantage of the computer.

13. • E. Television can be an excellent teacher for everyone from very young
children to the oldest of viewers. Television entertains young children
with sights and songs. Television provides company for older viewers who
are stuck at home with no one to talk to. New immigrants can learn
English just by turning on the television. All viewers can keep informed on
the latest events around the world by watching the news. While there are
many great things about television, there are also many bad things. Over
time, television shows have begun to show more and more violence,
death and murder. The bad language and profanity on some shows make
them unsuitable for families. The number of shows which deal with sex
outside of marriage also shocks many viewers. And these terrible scenes
are sometimes copied by young, impressionable viewers.
• 1) in the first sentence
2) in the last sentence
3) in the middle of the paragraph
4) in two sentences of the paragraph
5) not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

14. • in the middle of the paragraph
While there are many great things about
television, there are also many bad things.

15. Bui Bich Phuong
Tran Nhu Quynh
Duong Thu Thao
Presentor:

17. 1.The skill of Reading from right to left
and up and down.

18. Don’t read from left to right

19. 2.The skill of starting in the middle

20. Don’t start at the beginning

21. What is difference between
SKIMMING skill and SCANNING skill?
SKIMMING skill SCANNING skill
Goal Look quickly identify
the main ideas of a
text
find dates, names, and
places
Search for key words or
ideas
find a particular answer
Used It might be used to
review graphs, tables,
and charts. Have lots of
material to read in a
limited amount of time
used to discover required
information to make a
decision about sth.

22.  Divide class into 2 teams: A& B
 Look at a TV schedule
 Listen a question and find the correct
answer as soon as possible.
 One representative of each team ater that
run quikly and touch to board . Who’s faster
will give the answer.
10 points/ correct answer.

23. 1. You are thinking about traveling
to the USA for a vacation. Which
show should you watch?
Key: ABN: 6.00 p.m.: Travel Abroad

24. 2. Your friend doesn't have a TV, but would like
to watch a film starring Tom Cruise. Which
film should you record on your video?
Key: ABN: 7.00: Pretty Boy

25. 3. Which sport can you watch that
takes place outside?
Key: CBC: 7.00: Golf Review

26. 4. You like modern art. Which
documentary should you watch?
Key: CBC: 11.00: MOMA: Art for Everyone

27. 5. How often can you watch the news?
Key: 4
0.30: Late Night News
10.30: Nightly News
6.00 p.m.: National News
6.00 p.m.: In-Depth News

28. 6. Is there a horror film on this evening?
Key: ABN: 9.00
Tracking the Beast

29. Exercise: Reading skills for academic study:
Scanning for specific information.
1%
2%
6%
13%
16%
30%
¾
had engaged in role-play
had experienced field trips
felt competent at writing essays
felt A-level courses had prepared them very well for university
had used video/audio
had made significant use of primary sources
felt A-level courses had prepared them fairly well for university

31. www.dcielts.com/ielts-reading/scanning-skills/
http://42explore.com/skim.htm
http://esl.about.com/od/readinglessonplan1/a/
Reading-Comprehension-Skills-Scanning.htm
www.stmartin.edu/.../SkimmingAndScanning.pdf
http://www.ehow.com/how_4540359_main-idea-
paragraph.html
www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/mainideap2.cfm
 http://testprep.about.com/od/tipsfortesting/a/Main_
Idea.htm