Topic and Main Ideas Example
6. In topic and main idea questions, some of the answer choices may try to rick you by being:
1) too general: broader than what is covered in the passge
2) too specific: supporting ideas and details instead of main ideas
3) inaccurate or untrue according to the passage
4) irrelavant or not dealt with in the passage
Look at an example:
================================================================
Jazz is a restless music, and its best practitioners have adhered to Ezra Pound's philosophy to "make it new" with particular intensity, sometimes to ill effect. As one might expect in such an explosive environment, there have been plenty of fads, false theories, and dead ends. the tension between the urge to make it new and the awareness of possible dead ends creates an atmosphere of controversy over what jazz is should be.
With what topic is the paragraph minly concerned?
1) Ezra Pound's philosophy
2) The struggle over innovation in jazz
3) Fads and false theories of jazz
4) Controversial jazz recordings
================================================================
The first answer choice, Ezra Pound's philosophy, is too general to be the topic of the paragraph. The third choice, Fads and false theories of jazz, is too specific; it is a supporting detail. The fourth choice, Controversial jazz recordings, is not dealt with here.
The answer is the second choice, The struggle over innovation in jazz. Innovation is creativity. Some key phrases are "make it new," explosive environment, tension, urge to make it new, and atmosphere of controversy.