Tips-Trik Reading Comprehension

Selain grammar dan listening, kemampuan lainnya yang harus dikuasai untuk dapat "menghancurkan" TOEFL adalah reading. Dalam reading comprehension, kita selalu diminta untuk menjawab beberapa pertanya yang jawabannya tersurat maupun tersirat dalam suatu paragraf. Masalahnya adalah waktu yang singkat, kita harus dapat menyelesaikan banyak soal dalam TOEFL dengan waktu yang relatif singkat.

Salah satu soal yang selalu muncul adalah mengenai topic sentence. Untuk mengatasi keterbatasan waktu dalam membaca paragraf dan memahaminya untuk dapat menjawab pertanyaan ini, ada beberapa tips yang dapat membantu kita. Mau tau? ini dia...

Position of topic sentence

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. Position of the topic sentence may be the first or last sentence in the paragraph. The topic sentence may also be the first and last sentence of the paragraph- “sandwitch-style.” A sandwitch-style” paragraph is especially helpful to your reader if the paragraph is very long. The second topic sentence in the “sandwitch-style” paragraph also serves as a concluding sentence.

Example 1:

Hurricanes

Hurricanes, which are also called cyclones, exert tremendous power. These violent storms are often a hundred miles in diameter, and their winds can reach velocities of seventy-five miles per hour or more. Furthermore, the strong winds and heavy rainfall that accompany them can completely destroy a small town in a couple of hours. The energy that is released by a hurricane in one day exceeds the total energy consumed by  humankind throughout the world in one year.

Example 2:

Famous School “Failures”

Albert Einstein. One of the world’s geniuses, failed his university entrance examinations on his first attempt. William Faulkner, one of America’s noted writers, never finished college because he could not pass his English courses. Sir Winston Churchill, who is considered one of the masters of the English language, had to have special tutoring in English during elementary school. These few examples show that failure in school does not always predict failure in life.

Example 3:

Synonyms

Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning, do not always have the same emotional meaning. For example, the words “stingy” and “frugal” both mean “careful with money.” However, to call a person stingy is an insult, while the word frugal has a much more positive connotation. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive, but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-called synonyms are not really synonymous at all.

Setelah tau posisi dari topic sentence, saatnya mengetahui beberapa pertanyaan yang sering keluar dalam Reading Comprehension.

I. QUESTION ABOUT THE TOPIC OF THE PASSAGE

    * WHAT IS THE TOPIC OF THIS PASSAGE?

    * WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS PASSAGE?

    * WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE MAINLY DISCUSS?

  If a question asks about the topic or subject of a passage, it is asking about what is discussed throughout the passage.

II. QUESTION ABOUT THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PASSAGE

    * WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PASSAGE?

    * WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S MAIN POINT IN THIS PASSAGE?

  The main idea of a passage is the topic of a passage and the author’s idea about that topic.

III. QUESTION ABOUT THE TITLE OF THE PASSAGE

  *WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE THE BEST TITLE?

A question about the best title for a passage is asking almost the same information as a topic question, but it is written as a title with capital letters.  

Inilah beberapa tips dalam menyelesaikan soal-soal Reading Comprehension.

Semoga membantu!!

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