Contoh Soal Identify key elements in a speaker's argument
Contoh Soal Identify key elements in a speaker's argument - In this lesson, we will focus our attention on how to identify the main idea in an excerpt and we will start by defining what a main idea is:
What is the main idea expressed in the excerpt?
Current rates of global mortality from natural disasters amply demonstrate that being poor makes people far more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Just in the past year, flooding killed 140 in the Niger Delta and left hundreds homeless, 66 dead in Manila and 440,000 in evacuation centers across the Philippines, 100 dead in northeastern India with 2 million people forced from their homes—and that’s a partial list. More broadly, around 90 percent of the 60,000 people who die in natural disasters each year die in the developing world.
The main (or controlling) idea is normally found in a paragraph at the beginning, the middle, or at the end. It is the controlling idea because it dominates the paragraph as being the focal point of all the other ideas. All the other ideas or sentences in the paragraph support it in a negative or positive way depending on the nature of the main idea. Consider this paragraph:
"In countries where many different languages are
spoken, English is often used as an official language to help people
communicate. India is good example. English is the common language in
this country where at least twenty-four languages are spoken by more
than one million people."
"In countries where many different languages are
spoken, English is often used as an official language to help people
communicate. India is good example. English is the common language in
this country where at least twenty-four languages are spoken by more
than one million people."
SOAL 1
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
A long stretch of coast lay before the eyes of the
men. Slowly, the land rose up out of the sea. The men could
see a small house against the sky. To the south, they could see a
lighthouse. Tide, wind, and waves were pushing the lifeboat northward.
The men thought someone on land would have seen the boat by now.
men. Slowly, the land rose up out of the sea. The men could
see a small house against the sky. To the south, they could see a
lighthouse. Tide, wind, and waves were pushing the lifeboat northward.
The men thought someone on land would have seen the boat by now.
SOAL 2
What is the main idea of the excerpt?
It would be difficult to describe
the brotherhood of men that was here established on the sea. Each man
felt it warmed him. They were a captain, a sailor, a cook and a
reporter. And they were friends. The reporter knew even at the time
that this friendship was the best experience of his life.
the brotherhood of men that was here established on the sea. Each man
felt it warmed him. They were a captain, a sailor, a cook and a
reporter. And they were friends. The reporter knew even at the time
that this friendship was the best experience of his life.
All obeyed the captain. He was a good leader. He always spoke in a low voice and calmly.
“I wish we had a sail,” he said, “to give you two boys a chance to
rest.” So they used his coat and one of the oars to make a sail and the
boat moved much more quickly.
rest.” So they used his coat and one of the oars to make a sail and the
boat moved much more quickly.
The lighthouse had been slowly growing larger. At last, from the top
of each wave the men in the boat could see land. Slowly, the land
seemed to rise from the sea. Soon, the men could see two lines, one
black and one white.
of each wave the men in the boat could see land. Slowly, the land
seemed to rise from the sea. Soon, the men could see two lines, one
black and one white.
They knew that the black line was formed by trees, and the white line
was the sand. At last, the captain saw a house on the shore. And the
lighthouse became even larger.
was the sand. At last, the captain saw a house on the shore. And the
lighthouse became even larger.
“The keeper of the lighthouse should be able to see us now,” said the captain. “He’ll notify the life-saving people.”
Slowly and beautifully, the land rose from the sea. The wind came
again. Finally, the men heard a new sound – the sound of waves breaking
and crashing on the shore.
again. Finally, the men heard a new sound – the sound of waves breaking
and crashing on the shore.
SOAL 3
What is the main idea expressed in the excerpt?
Read the following excerpt and answer the question.
The sailor rowed, and then the reporter rowed, and
then the sailor rowed again. They rowed and rowed through the long
night. The land had disappeared but they could hear the low sound of the
waves hitting the shore. This was surely a quiet night.
then the sailor rowed again. They rowed and rowed through the long
night. The land had disappeared but they could hear the low sound of the
waves hitting the shore. This was surely a quiet night.
The cook finally spoke: "Billie, what kind of pie do you like best?"
"Pie," said the sailor and the reporter angrily. "Don't talk about those things!"
"Well," said the cook, "I was just thinking about ham sandwiches, and ..."
A night on the sea in an open boat is a long night. The sailor
continued to row until his head fell forward and sleep overpowered him.
Then he asked the reporter to row for a while. They exchanged places so
the sailor could sleep in the bottom of the boat with the cook and the
captain.
continued to row until his head fell forward and sleep overpowered him.
Then he asked the reporter to row for a while. They exchanged places so
the sailor could sleep in the bottom of the boat with the cook and the
captain.
The reporter thought that he was the one man afloat on all the oceans
in the world. The wind had a sad voice as it came over the waves.
in the world. The wind had a sad voice as it came over the waves.
Suddenly, there was a long, loud swishing sound behind the boat and a
shining trail of silvery blue. It might have been made by a huge knife.
Then there was another swish and another long flash of bluish light,
this time alongside the boat. The reporter saw a huge fin speed like a
shadow through the water, leaving a long glowing trail. The thing kept
swimming near the boat. He noted its speed and power. The reporter
wished the men would wake up. He did not want to be alone with the
shark.
shining trail of silvery blue. It might have been made by a huge knife.
Then there was another swish and another long flash of bluish light,
this time alongside the boat. The reporter saw a huge fin speed like a
shadow through the water, leaving a long glowing trail. The thing kept
swimming near the boat. He noted its speed and power. The reporter
wished the men would wake up. He did not want to be alone with the
shark.
This excerpt is about four men, a captain, a cook, a reporter and a sailor whose ship has sank and are in a boat. It is night and the sailor and reporter take turns at rowing the boat. They row without knowing to where they are rowing and finally, the sailor gives up and lets the reporter row by himself. While rowing, the reporter is suddenly surprised by something moving fast in the water. It is a shark and the fear grips the reporter.
What is the main idea expressed in the excerpt?
SOAL 4
What is the main idea in the following excerpt?
If there was a moonshot moment in President Obama’s State of the Union speech, it involved global development. The U.S., Obama pledged, “will join with our allies to eradicate extreme poverty in the next two decades.” Part of that effort would involve saving the world’s children from preventable deaths and “realizing the promise of an AIDS-free generation.”
In one short paragraph, Obama committed the U.S. and its partners to ending absolute poverty planet wide and saving millions of lives each year. Even more astounding is that the goal is plausible—if, that is, the U.S. is willing to spend the same as we did on the original moonshot and ask the rest of the world to do the same.
The goal of eliminating $1.25-a-day poverty over the next 20 years may be the most straightforward part of the president’s package. It also demands the least of the American taxpayer. Forecasts of poverty rates from Martin Ravallion of the World Bank and the Center for Global Development suggest that economic growth in developing countries alone will be rapid enough to reduce the number of people in the developing world living below the $1.25-a-day line from 20 percent to 3 percent. Even a slight “bending of the curve” through more rapid growth, lower inequality, or (even) transfers from richer countries would get us to zero. This can be accomplished with minimal assistance from the West, if the record of the past 20 years is anything to go by. The decline in the proportion of people in absolute poverty from 43 percent to 21 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2010 was led by China and India, both countries that receive aid worth a fraction of a percent of their GDP
SOAL 5
What is the main idea in the following excerpt?
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Office of Indian Energy is collaborating with the University of Alaska
Fairbanks ACEP (Alaska Center for Energy and Power) to support in-depth
technical and economic analysis of wind-diesel energy systems in rural
Alaska. The resulting report will evaluate the costs and benefits of
installing hybrid power systems in Alaska Native villages to alleviate
high energy costs by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Office of Indian Energy is collaborating with the University of Alaska
Fairbanks ACEP (Alaska Center for Energy and Power) to support in-depth
technical and economic analysis of wind-diesel energy systems in rural
Alaska. The resulting report will evaluate the costs and benefits of
installing hybrid power systems in Alaska Native villages to alleviate
high energy costs by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Through the Energy Policy Act of 2005,
the DOE Office of Indian Energy is authorized to fund and implement a
variety of programmatic activities that assist Tribes with energy
development, capacity building, energy infrastructure, energy costs, and
electrification of Indian lands and homes. The Office also administers
grants that support the evaluation, development, and deployment of
energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on tribal lands that
will help save energy and money, expand the use of renewable energy
resources, and promote economic development.
the DOE Office of Indian Energy is authorized to fund and implement a
variety of programmatic activities that assist Tribes with energy
development, capacity building, energy infrastructure, energy costs, and
electrification of Indian lands and homes. The Office also administers
grants that support the evaluation, development, and deployment of
energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on tribal lands that
will help save energy and money, expand the use of renewable energy
resources, and promote economic development.
“In Native Alaska villages, where energy
costs have tripled over the past decade and many residents are spending
up to half their monthly income on fuel for heating, electricity, and
transportation, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is focused on providing
village leaders with the knowledge and resources required to make
informed energy choices that will guide their communities toward a
sustainable energy future,” said Tracey LeBeau, Director of the Office
of Indian Energy.
costs have tripled over the past decade and many residents are spending
up to half their monthly income on fuel for heating, electricity, and
transportation, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is focused on providing
village leaders with the knowledge and resources required to make
informed energy choices that will guide their communities toward a
sustainable energy future,” said Tracey LeBeau, Director of the Office
of Indian Energy.
“We are very excited for the opportunity
to work with the DOE Office of Indian Energy and the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) to systematically assess performance of
installed wind-diesel systems in Alaska,” said ACEP Director Gwen
Holdmann. “We view this as a necessary first step both to help optimize
existing projects and design the systems of tomorrow. This collaboration
complements funding we have received to support our portion of the
study from the Shell Foundation and the DOE EPSCoR program.”
to work with the DOE Office of Indian Energy and the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) to systematically assess performance of
installed wind-diesel systems in Alaska,” said ACEP Director Gwen
Holdmann. “We view this as a necessary first step both to help optimize
existing projects and design the systems of tomorrow. This collaboration
complements funding we have received to support our portion of the
study from the Shell Foundation and the DOE EPSCoR program.”
SOAL 6
What is the main idea in the following extract?
The control unit is the “brain” of the
wind turbine. It reacts immediately to the wind speed. In stormy weather
it switches the turbine off if necessary, or immediately decides how
the rotor blades need to be adjusted to achieve the best energy yield.
Using a robust simulation system, researchers are testing the control
unit in real time. The system will be shown at the Hannover Messe 2013
from April 8 to 12 (Hall 13, Stand C10).
wind turbine. It reacts immediately to the wind speed. In stormy weather
it switches the turbine off if necessary, or immediately decides how
the rotor blades need to be adjusted to achieve the best energy yield.
Using a robust simulation system, researchers are testing the control
unit in real time. The system will be shown at the Hannover Messe 2013
from April 8 to 12 (Hall 13, Stand C10).
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology IWES in Kassel are testing the complex control system of wind turbines under real conditions in the laboratory before they are built into offshore wind energy plants, for example. This way, software and hardware faults can be found and eliminated before the costly installation of the turbine.
"Our virtual wind turbine tricks the control computer into believing it is controlling a real system. Here at the institute we can simulate every conceivable environment, depending on what the manufacturers are planning and want to test. The advantage of our system compared with existing solutions is a special modeling approach that makes secure and reliable real-time simulations possible,” explains Dr.-Ing. Boris Fischer, a scientist at IWES.
There is wide variance in wind turbines and the hardware and software
modules manufacturers use. The researchers adapt the simulation to the
relevant requirements. Reality tests can be performed not just on the
control unit but on the electrical generator or the systems for
adjusting the rotor blades as well.
modules manufacturers use. The researchers adapt the simulation to the
relevant requirements. Reality tests can be performed not just on the
control unit but on the electrical generator or the systems for
adjusting the rotor blades as well.
SOAL 7
What is the main idea behind the following excerpt?
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested on Tuesday that we are having 100-year flooding events every two years nowadays. That’s because even small rises in sea levels create the potential for far more frequent extreme weather events—something we’ve long understood. A Pacific Institute study published 22 years ago looked at flooding in the San Francisco Bay area. It noted that, due to climate change, the absolute sea level has risen 4 inches to 6 inches in the past century and a further sea-level rise of 6 inches will change the frequency of the 1 in 100-year storm events into a 1 in 10-year storm at the entrance to the Bay.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested on Tuesday that we are having 100-year flooding events every two years nowadays. That’s because even small rises in sea levels create the potential for far more frequent extreme weather events—something we’ve long understood. A Pacific Institute study published 22 years ago looked at flooding in the San Francisco Bay area. It noted that, due to climate change, the absolute sea level has risen 4 inches to 6 inches in the past century and a further sea-level rise of 6 inches will change the frequency of the 1 in 100-year storm events into a 1 in 10-year storm at the entrance to the Bay.
So events like Sandy should hardly come as a surprise to politicians—or the rest of us.
At the same time, Sandy demonstrated once again that those who will suffer the most from increasingly common extreme weather events are poor people. Even though the storm’s tail only clipped the island of Haiti, Hurricane Sandy killed 52 people there, left 200,000 people homeless, and destroyed 70 percent of the crops in the south of the country. There is flooding across the country, making the lives of the 370,000 people still living in temporary shelters after the 2010 earthquake even more precarious. Haiti’s population is about half that of New York City’s metro area, yet even a glancing blow from Sandy carried a higher death toll in the Caribbean nation than did the direct hit on the Big Apple.
At the same time, Sandy demonstrated once again that those who will suffer the most from increasingly common extreme weather events are poor people. Even though the storm’s tail only clipped the island of Haiti, Hurricane Sandy killed 52 people there, left 200,000 people homeless, and destroyed 70 percent of the crops in the south of the country. There is flooding across the country, making the lives of the 370,000 people still living in temporary shelters after the 2010 earthquake even more precarious. Haiti’s population is about half that of New York City’s metro area, yet even a glancing blow from Sandy carried a higher death toll in the Caribbean nation than did the direct hit on the Big Apple.
Current rates of global mortality from natural disasters amply demonstrate that being poor makes people far more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Just in the past year, flooding killed 140 in the Niger Delta and left hundreds homeless, 66 dead in Manila and 440,000 in evacuation centers across the Philippines, 100 dead in northeastern India with 2 million people forced from their homes—and that’s a partial list. More broadly, around 90 percent of the 60,000 people who die in natural disasters each year die in the developing world.
SOAL 8
What is the main idea in the following excerpt? Hans Joachim Braun says now is a good time to increase wheat production. (Hans Joachim Braun is director of the Global Wheat Program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center).
“In
the last four years we have seen three major price hikes, where the
wheat price and other staple process exploded. And that puts a big, big
bill on countries which are depending on wheat imports, and Africa is
the biggest wheat importer.”
He also says demand for wheat in
sub-Saharan Africa is growing faster than for any other crop. There are
two main reasons for that.
“With higher income people would like
to have more diversified food. But that is possible not the most
important one. The most important one is that there is a tremendous
migration of in particular male labor to the cities. And wheat products
are convenient food because you can easily buy it. It’s easy to process
and you also can store it for a few days, which is different from some
of the maize and rice products.”
There are three possible
challenges for growing more wheat in Africa: climate change, disease and
pests, like insects. Mr. Braun says rising temperatures should not have
a major effect on wheat. In fact, he says, it could help wheat grow in
areas with high rainfall totals. As for fighting disease and pests,
experts suggest growing more resistant crops.
In addition, railroads and roads would have to be improved so large amounts of wheat could be moved to large markets.
The
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center estimates that
sub-Saharan Africa will import forty million tons of wheat this year.
Those imports are expected to cost eighteen billion dollars.
“In
the last four years we have seen three major price hikes, where the
wheat price and other staple process exploded. And that puts a big, big
bill on countries which are depending on wheat imports, and Africa is
the biggest wheat importer.”
He also says demand for wheat in
sub-Saharan Africa is growing faster than for any other crop. There are
two main reasons for that.
“With higher income people would like
to have more diversified food. But that is possible not the most
important one. The most important one is that there is a tremendous
migration of in particular male labor to the cities. And wheat products
are convenient food because you can easily buy it. It’s easy to process
and you also can store it for a few days, which is different from some
of the maize and rice products.”
There are three possible
challenges for growing more wheat in Africa: climate change, disease and
pests, like insects. Mr. Braun says rising temperatures should not have
a major effect on wheat. In fact, he says, it could help wheat grow in
areas with high rainfall totals. As for fighting disease and pests,
experts suggest growing more resistant crops.
In addition, railroads and roads would have to be improved so large amounts of wheat could be moved to large markets.
The
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center estimates that
sub-Saharan Africa will import forty million tons of wheat this year.
Those imports are expected to cost eighteen billion dollars.
SOAL 9
What is the main idea in the following excerpt?
One way to think about time is to imagine a world
without time. There could be no movement, because time and movement
cannot be separated.
A world without time could exist only as
long as there were no changes. For time and change are linked. We know
that time has passed when something changes.
In the real world --
the world with time -- changes never stop. Some changes happen only
once in a while, like an eclipse of the moon. Others happen repeatedly,
like the rising and setting of the sun. Humans always have noted natural
events that repeat themselves. When people began to count such events,
they began to measure time.
In early human history, the only
changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of
objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was
the difference between light and darkness.
The sun rises in the
eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the
west, causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was
even and unfailing. The periods of light and darkness it created were
the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light
and darkness -- one day.
People saw the sun rise higher in the
sky during the summer than in winter. They counted the days that passed
from the sun's highest position until it returned to that position. They
counted 365 days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once
around the sun. We call this period of time a year.
Early humans
also noted changes in the moon. As it moved across the night sky, they
must have wondered. Why did it look different every night? Why did it
disappear? Where did it go?
Even before they learned the answers
to these questions, they developed a way to use the changing faces of
the moon to tell time.
The moon was "full" when its face was
bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun
appeared between full moons. They learned that this number always
remained the same -- about 29 suns. Twenty-nine suns equaled one moon.
We now know this period of time as one month.
Early humans hunted
animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes from
place to place in search of food. Then, people learned to plant seeds
and grow crops. They learned to use animals to help them work, and for
food. They found they no longer needed to move from one place to another to survive.
As
hunters, people did not need a way to measure time. As farmers,
however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter.
They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed
calendars.
One way to think about time is to imagine a world
without time. There could be no movement, because time and movement
cannot be separated.
A world without time could exist only as
long as there were no changes. For time and change are linked. We know
that time has passed when something changes.
In the real world --
the world with time -- changes never stop. Some changes happen only
once in a while, like an eclipse of the moon. Others happen repeatedly,
like the rising and setting of the sun. Humans always have noted natural
events that repeat themselves. When people began to count such events,
they began to measure time.
In early human history, the only
changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of
objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was
the difference between light and darkness.
The sun rises in the
eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the
west, causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was
even and unfailing. The periods of light and darkness it created were
the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light
and darkness -- one day.
People saw the sun rise higher in the
sky during the summer than in winter. They counted the days that passed
from the sun's highest position until it returned to that position. They
counted 365 days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once
around the sun. We call this period of time a year.
Early humans
also noted changes in the moon. As it moved across the night sky, they
must have wondered. Why did it look different every night? Why did it
disappear? Where did it go?
Even before they learned the answers
to these questions, they developed a way to use the changing faces of
the moon to tell time.
The moon was "full" when its face was
bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun
appeared between full moons. They learned that this number always
remained the same -- about 29 suns. Twenty-nine suns equaled one moon.
We now know this period of time as one month.
Early humans hunted
animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes from
place to place in search of food. Then, people learned to plant seeds
and grow crops. They learned to use animals to help them work, and for
food. They found they no longer needed to move from one place to another to survive.
As
hunters, people did not need a way to measure time. As farmers,
however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter.
They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed
calendars.
SOAL 10
What is the main idea in the excerpt below?
At least things didn’t get worse. For half a decade, the
percent of Americans living below the poverty line has increased each
year, from 12.3 percent in 2006 to 15.1 percent in 2010. Today the
Census Bureau released its analysis of U.S. poverty
in 2011, and the official poverty rate essentially held at 15 percent,
meaning that 46.2 million people live below the poverty line.
percent of Americans living below the poverty line has increased each
year, from 12.3 percent in 2006 to 15.1 percent in 2010. Today the
Census Bureau released its analysis of U.S. poverty
in 2011, and the official poverty rate essentially held at 15 percent,
meaning that 46.2 million people live below the poverty line.
That’s
still the highest level in almost two decades, but it’s good news
compared with what some people expected. The Brookings Institution, for
example, predicted that the rate would increase to 15.5 percent, or an additional 1.5 million people.
still the highest level in almost two decades, but it’s good news
compared with what some people expected. The Brookings Institution, for
example, predicted that the rate would increase to 15.5 percent, or an additional 1.5 million people.
Although
poverty levels held, there’s still bad news. Median real household
income fell 1.7 percent, to $62,273, and income inequality rose in 2011.
The Gini index, a common measure of inequality, rose 1.6 percent from
2010 to 2011. “This represents the first time the Gini index has shown
an annual increase since 1993, the earliest year available for
comparable measures of income inequality,” the Census said.
poverty levels held, there’s still bad news. Median real household
income fell 1.7 percent, to $62,273, and income inequality rose in 2011.
The Gini index, a common measure of inequality, rose 1.6 percent from
2010 to 2011. “This represents the first time the Gini index has shown
an annual increase since 1993, the earliest year available for
comparable measures of income inequality,” the Census said.
The
rise in inequality seems to be driven by gains at the upper end of the
income spectrum and declines in the middle class. The real income of the
highest quintile of earners rose 1.6 percent, and the top 5 percent of
earners saw their incomes increase 4.9 percent. At the same time, the
middle-income quintiles fell between 1 percent and 1.9 percent each.
When you adjust the Gini intex to take into account different types of
households for each segment, the lowest quintile basically stayed the
same. The rate of the extremely poor—people earning less than half of
the official poverty threshold—was constant at 6.6 percent of the
population.
rise in inequality seems to be driven by gains at the upper end of the
income spectrum and declines in the middle class. The real income of the
highest quintile of earners rose 1.6 percent, and the top 5 percent of
earners saw their incomes increase 4.9 percent. At the same time, the
middle-income quintiles fell between 1 percent and 1.9 percent each.
When you adjust the Gini intex to take into account different types of
households for each segment, the lowest quintile basically stayed the
same. The rate of the extremely poor—people earning less than half of
the official poverty threshold—was constant at 6.6 percent of the
population.