1. 2 2 What college brings us? Reading skills Presentation of the skill
UNIT
Section B
Reading skills
Presentation of the skill
Reading skill practice

2. Basic elements of a paragraph:
Reading for Major Details
Basic elements of a paragraph:
Main Idea
usu. the topic sentence
closely related to the main idea
Major Details
most specific, answer the question relating to major details
Minor Details

3. Reading for major details
Skills of reading for major details
Learn to identify the main idea of a paragraph—find the topic sentence.
Only look for those that further support and closely relate to the main idea.
Identify the minor details of a paragraph —most specific information and can be ignored in understanding the main idea.

4. Reading for major details
Read the following paragraphs. Then find the main idea, major details as well as minor details of each paragraph.

5. Main idea Major details Minor details
Example1: Three great American writers are Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Mark Twain was a humor author from the 19th century. He is known for Huckleberry Fin, a story about the south. His works are always funny. In contrast, Poe wrote scary stories. One example is the Tell Tale Heart. Poe also wrote mystery. Finally, there is F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote in the early 20th century. His most famous work is the Great Gatsby: a story of a party life in the roaring 20s.
Major details
Minor details

6. Main Idea Major Details Minor Details
major information about the writers
Main Idea
three great American writers
characteristic of their works and their masterpieces
Major Details
information about their masterpiece
Minor Details
specific Information about their masterpieces

7. Reading for major details
Main idea
Example2: Of course, nowadays, if we study the humanities alone, we are liable to miss many opportunities. Each one of us needs to become as technically and professionally skilled as possible to help meet the needs of modern life. In fact, increasingly a pairing of technical knowledge and inner insight is seen as the ideal in the establishment of a career. If I were the Dean of Admissions at a medical school and two people applied to our school, both having the required basic scientific courses, on a philosophy major and the other solely a pre-med student, the philosophy applicant would be chosen.(Para. 9, Text A)
Major details
Minor details

8. Main Idea Major Details Minor Details How to get more opportunities?
If we study the humanities alone, we are liable to miss many opportunities.
Main Idea
A paring of technical knowledge and inner insight is seen as the ideal
Major Details
The last sentence: an example
Minor Details
Why is a paring of technical knowledge and inner insight seen as the ideal?

9. Assignment
Finish exercise 1, Text B (Page 47): Read the following paragraphs from Text B. then find the main idea and major detail of each paragraph.

10. What college brings us?
Section B
The end
主讲人：巫玮