UNIT 2

SKIMMING
Objectives:
1. To find the topic of the passage
2. To find the topic sentences and the controlling ideas
3. To get the main and supporting ideas of the passage
4. To understand Noun Phrases

SKIMMING

It is not always necessary to read every word of a passage. Your purpose

for reading something determines how closely you should read it. Once you know
what your purpose is, skimming is a valuable procedure. Skimming through a
passage involves reading very fast in order to recognize main ideas and
supporting details while skipping (not reading) parts that are not relevant to your
reading purpose. It can save you time in deciding what or what not to read, in
getting the general content of a passage, and in finding the author’s main point
without having to deal with details. The way you read the morning newspaper, for
example, is quite different from the way you read an assignment for a class.

A. Topic of the passage

A topic is the general idea of a paragraph or a passage. It tells the

readers what a paragraph or a passage is about. The topic of a passage is
usually stated in the first sentence, although other positions are also possible.
However, sometimes the topic is not stated in the passage at all, but is implied.

Sample Passages

a. Topic stated at the first sentence:

Veterinary medicine is the branch of science that deals with the

prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in
animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal
species, both domesticated and wild, with a wide range of conditions
which can affect different species.

b. Topic stated at the last sentence:

One technique to help with this is to consciously look into one of the
listener’s eyes and then move to the other eyes. Going back and forth
between the two makes your eyes appear to sparkle. Another trick is to
imagine a letter “T” on the listener’s face, with the cross bar being an
imaginary line across the eye brows and the vertical line coming down
the center of the nose. Keep your eyes scanning that “T” zone. This is
usually called “eye contact”.

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c. Topic implied:

In its broadest, general sense, it is the means through which the aims
and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next.
Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect
on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. In its narrow, technical sense, it is
the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its
accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation
to another, e.g., instruction in schools.

The topic of the passage is education

B. Topic sentences

A paragraph usually tells about one topic. Often one sentence is

the topic sentence. It tells the topic and the main idea of the paragraph. It sums
up the ideas of the other sentences, which give details about the main idea.
However, the topic sentence may not be stated but implied, so we must draw a
conclusion from the paragraph to obtain its topic sentence.

a. Topic sentence at the beginning:

Rice is the only major grain crop that is grown almost exclusively as
human food. There have been a series of remarkable genetic advances
that have made it possible to cultivate high-yield varieties, which are
resistant to disease and insect pests. Because rice constitutes half the
diet of 1.6 billion people, another 400 million people rely on it between
one-fourth and one-half of their diet, these advances have deterred
disasters which otherwise would have left millions of people severely
underfed.

b. Topic sentence in the middle:

Within the animal world, populations change all the time. Changes in the
animal population depend on many factors. These include the rate of
production of young, and the number of young that survive through the
breeding stage.

c. Topic sentence at the end:

By the year 2009, a vaccine against the common cold will have been
developed. By the same year, the first human will have been successfully
cloned. By the year 2014, parents will be able to create designer children.
Genetic therapy will be able to manipulate genes for abilities, intelligence,
and hair, eye, and skin color. By 2020, most diseases will be able to be
diagnosed and treated at home, and by 2030, cancer and heart disease
will have been wiped out. These are just a few examples of medical
miracles that are expected in the new few decades.

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d. Topic sentence implied

Immunization can significantly reduce the microorganisms thought to

cause cavities. The Federal Drug Administration needs to approve the
vaccine before it can be sold to the public. Consequently, the vaccine will
have to undergo a three-year trial period.

The topic sentence of the paragraph is “A new cavity preventing vaccine may
soon be on the market”.

A topic sentence contains a controlling idea that needs to be explained,

described, illustrated, or developed in the sentences that follow or precede the
topic sentence.

A topic sentence is not a statement of a fact. Therefore, the following

statements of facts cannot be a topic sentence:

 Bogor has Botanical Garden and Safari Garden.

 Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia.
 Indonesia declared its independence on August 17th.

A topic sentence can be a statement of intent or opinion, or both intent

and opinion.

A statement of intent is an objective sentence that tells the reader what

will objectively be explained in the paragraph that follows. The statement can be
expressed with noun phrases, and quantity expressions. Study the following
examples:

 There are many ways of learning English.

 Animals can be divided into three groups according to what they eat.
 One reason for occurrence of floods is deforestation.

A statement of opinion makes a judgment. Words like interesting, bad,

exciting, best, terrifying, etc. give the writer’s subjective opinion (that is, a
personal feeling or belief of the writer) and the paragraph that follows will support
the writer’s opinion in the topic sentence. Study the following examples:

 Growing orchids is not easy.

 Living in Bogor is sometimes frustrating.
 Jogging early in the morning makes you healthy.

A topic sentence can be a statement of intent and opinion. Study the

following examples:

 There are some reasons why learning English is important.

 Mountain climbing is a very hazardous sport with special requirements
and strict climbing rules.

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C. Controlling ideas

A controlling idea is a word or group of words that give the main thought of
a paragraph. These important words make up part or all of a topic sentence. A
controlling idea helps a reader by telling what a paragraph’s main subject will be.
The controlling idea may be written in the forms of quantity expressions (three
main reasons, several ways, etc), a directive expression (the following steps), or
adjectives (interesting, important, etc.).

The controlling ideas of the above sentences are underlined.

D. Main and supporting ideas

The main idea of a passage is the topic of a passage and the writer’s
ideas about the topic. The supporting ideas are the ideas that relate directly to
the main idea or tell more about it.

Sample passage

Plants can be limited in their growth rates by a variety of factors. Mineral

nutrients may diffuse through the soil to the roots, and from there, they
must be carried through the body of the plant. Carbon dioxide must be
taken into the leaves. Sufficient light must fall upon the plant to cause the
rate of photosynthesis greater than the rate of consumption of energy by
the plant.

The main idea of the passage above is stated in the first sentence and the rest of
the sentences are the supporting ideas or details. The topic sentence of this
passage is a statement of intent where its controlling idea is a variety of factors.

Grammar points: Noun Phrases

A. Form

A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus a modifier; the

modifier can be:

a. Adjective
Examples: a big house, an extremely expensive car, easy tasks,
complicated problems

b. Prepositional phrases
Examples: a new computer in the classroom, the lecturer with glasses,
the shrubs under the rubber trees

c. Relative clauses
Examples: the students who work in the laboratory of a university,
which is 100 years old, the experiment, which I was
carrying out the university where you study

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B. Function

A noun phrase usually functions as:

a. Subject:
Examples: French and American managers have different
management styles.
Olympic athletes must be strong both physically and
mentally.
b. Object
Examples: Their teacher was explaining the pronunciation of the
English vowels.
Genetic research has produced both exciting and
frightening possibilities.

Exercise 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions.
(1)
A computer is a general purpose device which can be
programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations.
Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer
can solve more than one kind of problem. The essential point of a
5 computer is to implement an idea, the terms of which are satisfied by Alan
Turing's Universal Turing machine.
(2)
Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing
element and some form of memory. The processing element carries out
arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that
10 can change the order of operations based on stored information.
Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external
source, and the result of operations saved.
(3)
A computer's processing unit executes a series of instructions that
make it read, manipulate and then store data. Conditional instructions
15 change the sequence of instructions as a function of the current state of
the machine or its environment.
(4)
In order to interact with such a machine, programmers and
engineers developed the concept of a user interface in order to accept
input from humans and return results for human consumption.
(5)
20 The first electronic digital computers were developed between
1940 and 1945 in the United Kingdom and United States. Originally, they
were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several
hundred modern personal computers (PCs). In this era mechanical analog
computers were used for military applications.
(6)
21 Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to
billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a
fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile
devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries.
Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information
25 Age and are what most people think of as "computers". However, the
embedded computers found in many devices from mp3 players to fighter
aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.

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A. Match the topics and their paragraphs.

Topics: Paragraphs:
A. CPU ……..………………..
B. User interface …..…………………..
C. Modern computers ……………..………..
D. Definition of computer ..……………..……...
E. Electronic digital computers …….…………………
F. Elements of computers …….…………………

B. Underline the noun phrases in the above passage.

Exercise 2
After 1492 the world's agricultural patterns were shuffled in the
widespread exchange of plants and animals known as the Columbian
Exchange. Crops and animals that were previously only known in the Old
World were now transplanted to the New and vice versa. The history of
5 agriculture in the Age of Discovery and Early modern era was closely tied
to the processes of European exploration and colonization. Perhaps most
notably, the tomato became a favorite in European cuisine, and maize and
potatoes were widely adopted. Other transplanted crops include
pineapple, cocoa, and tobacco. In the other direction, several wheat
10 strains quickly took to western hemisphere soils and became a dietary
staple even for native North, Central and South Americans. Agriculture
was a key element in the Atlantic slave trade, Triangular trade, and the
expansion by European powers into the Americas. In the expanding
Plantation economy, large plantations producing crops including sugar,
15 cotton, and indigo, were heavily dependent upon slave labor.

Choose the best answer.

1. The topic sentence of the above paragraph is …….sentence.

A. the first B. the third C. the last

2. The controlling ideas are………………..

A. heavily dependent upon slave labor
B. transplanted to the New and vice versa
C. closely tied to the processes of European exploration and colonization

3. The topic sentence is a statement of ………

A. intent B. opinion

4. What was the dietary staple of native North, Central and South Americans?
A. wheat B. maize C. potatoes

5. Which were not mentioned as transplanted crops in the passage?

A. pineapple B. potatoes C. coffee

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Exercise 3

It has been about a decade since oil palm trees were first utilized to
make meal boxes and degradable tableware. Today, by integrating
designers’ ingenuity, oil palm waste is made into notebooks and bags that
give a tactile sensation. Besides being an eye-opener, the move helps oil
5 palm-based papers achieve a breakthrough in the paper industry! Today,
on the shelves are various types of notebooks with their brown covers
printed with thought-provoking slogans. They are all oil palm-based items
that ooze creativity. “These products were only introduced about two
months ago but they have been receiving overwhelming responses in the
10 market,” quipped Liu Shiwei. Aeiou studio, which started out as a
manufacturer of gift wraps, was founded by Liu, along with three other
friends. Liu was only 24 at that time. Today, the company has several
paper-based brands and printing facilities under its belt. Recently, Liu also
collaborated with a palm oil chemicals company to upgrade the
15 technology in meal box and tableware production, signifying a venture into
the paper manufacturing industry. By leveraging on the company’s original
expertise in designing, beautiful stationery is being churned out.

Choose the best answer.

1. What is the topic of the above passage?
A. Timbers B. Oil palm products C. Papers

2. What is the main idea of the above passage?

A. Oil palm trees are planted all over the world.
B. There are many products made from oil palm trees.
C. Paper manufacturing industries are popular.

Exercise 4

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

European agriculture underwent a number of significant changes

during the middle Ages. Tools including the scythe and plow were
improved from classical versions, a three field system of crop rotation was
invented, and the moldboard plow and wheeled plow were increasingly
5 used. Draft horses were bred and increasingly used as a working animal
in many parts of Europe, while oxen continued to be used for this purpose.
Metal horseshoes were widely adopted. Much of Europe had low
population densities during this period, to which extensive farming was
well-suited. In parts of Southern Europe, more intensive farming combined
10 techniques continued from classical Roman agriculture and those
transferred from Islamic regions. In the late middle Ages, the use of
manure as fertilizer increased, which in turn decreased the necessity of
regular fallowing of fields.

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1. Which is the topic sentence of the above passage?
A. The first sentence B. The third sentence
C. The last sentence

2. What are the controlling ideas?

A. A number of significant changes C. regular fallowing of fields
B. many parts of Europe

3. The topic sentence shows a statement of ………….

A. opinion B. intent C. intent and opinion

4. The scythe (line 2) is ……….

A. a change B. a tool C. a version

5. What animals were used as working animals?

A. Horses B. Both horses and oxen C. oxen

6. What was invented during the middle Ages?

A. classical versions B. a 3-field system C. crop rotation

Exercise 5
1
Are there any benefits that genetic engineering could bring to
humankind? 2By performing genetic engineering, scientists can obtain
knowledge about genetic mechanisms. 3For example, they may be able to
uncover some secrets of genetic mapping. 4Genetic mapping is the
5 identification of individual genes for various functions. 5If scientists are
raising restriction enzymes to splice certain genes, they must be able to
identify the genes. 6Thus, genetic engineering helps to identify certain
nucleotide sequences, and to use various restriction enzymes to "read"
the sequences. 7For example, if it appears that a single gene is
10 responsible for a certain function, the recombinant-DNA process may tell
us otherwise that two multiple genes, or even other factors are responsible
for the specific function (Zhu).

a. Read the above passage and underline all the noun phrases in the
passage.

b. Skim the above passage and say whether the following is TRUE or
FALSE.

1. The topic of the above passage is genetic engineering.

2. The topic sentence is the sixth sentence.
3. It is a statement of opinion.

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 Exercises for Tutorial Classes
(UNIT 2)

Exercise 1
Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph and circle the controlling
idea. Decide whether it is a statement of intent, opinion, or both intent and
opinion.
A. There are many ways of communicating that do not utilize language. Cries
of warning and aggression, of contentment and affection, are forms of
communication not limited to human, Or, on the human level, the dirty look
which may convey meaning, does not involve language. Gestures are also
forms of communication. The nod of the head means ‘yes’ to Americans,
but a single not in the Middle East is a clear “no”.

B. It is difficult to make a distinction between food additives and food

ingredients. Sugar, which is a natural product, is generally considered to
be an ingredient whereas saccharin, an artificial sweetener, is usually
termed an additive. One method to distinguish between additives and
ingredients is to classify them according to function. Additives are used in
food production to enhance flavor and color, to prolong shelf life and to
preserve or enhance nutritional value. These functions are non-essential
and hence it is possible to classify the substances which perform them as
additives rather than ingredients.

C. Improved sanitation is not the only factor which accounted for the decline
in morbidity and mortality rates. In the period following the Second World
War the use of the pesticide DDT had a profound effect on public health.
DDT was used to control the pests which spread diseases such as
sleeping sickness, malaria and typhus. Used throughout the developing
world, over one billion people were liberated from the threat of these
diseases. Following the wide-scale employment of DDT in Sri Lanka in
1947, the number of deaths resulting from the disease fell from over
10,000 a year to zero in the early ‘60s. Ten years later, as a result of a
reduction in the DDT spraying campaign, over two million people were
infected with malaria.

D. Multimedia applications are used in many kinds of fields. For example,

some museum, banks and estate agents have information kiosks that use
multimedia. Companies produce training programs on optical disks, and
marketing managers use presentation packages (e.g. Microsoft Power
Point) to make business presentations. Teachers use multimedia to make
video projects or to teach subjects such as music and languages. They
have all found that moving images, sound and music involve viewers
emotionally as well as inform them, and make their message more
memorable.

E. Water puts out in two ways. When a sufficient amount of water is poured
over a fire, the fire is smothered. It stops burning because it cannot get
enough oxygen. Water also puts out fire by lowering the burning point of
the fire. It does this by taking into itself the heat of the fire and turning into
stems, thus lowering the heat of the burning thing.

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Exercise 2
Read the passage and do the exercises that follow.
Memory is a fundamental factor in intelligence. Without it, there could
hardly be any intelligence. If we did not remember any of the words we
heard, the faces we saw, the general information we acquired, the places
we have been, etc., we should be hopeless idiots. We should not remember
5 what food to eat or what clothes to wear, we could learn no lessons, and
consequently, we should be constantly in chaotic state.

a. Choose the best answer.

1. The topic of the paragraph above is a/an __________________.
a. fundamental factor b. intelligence c. memory
2. The topic sentence of the paragraph is stated at ___________ sentence.
a. first b. second c. last
3. The main idea of the paragraph above is _____________.
a. a photographic memory is an advantage for students
b. a necessary condition of intelligence memory
c. a man who suffered from amnesia would probably not very intelligent

b. Underline any noun phrases found in the passage above.

Exercise 3
Read the passage and do the exercises that follow.
The phenomenon that we call light is only a small part of the
spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Living begins utilize only the
intermediate range of these wavelengths. Reaction to light waves is
mediated by pigment called carotenoids. Plants use carotenoids for
5 photosynthesis, and animals use them to activate sensory nerves. It is not
surprising that living creatures on earth are adapted to the middle range of
electromagnetic radiation, as the atmosphere of earth severely restricts
the range of wavelengths, particularly at sea level.

a. Choose the best answer.

1 What is the topic of the passage?
A. Vision B. Radiation C. Light D. Magnetism
2. Which of the following would make the best title for the passage?
A. The Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation
B. The Spectrum of Light on Earth
C. The Use of Light
D. Adapting to Light Sources
3. What is the primary purpose of this passage?
A. To describe the reaction of living creatures to light on earth.
B. To convince the reader of the need for electromagnetism.
C. To describe the physical basis of electromagnetism.
D. To report on the effect of radiation on living creatures.

b. Underline any noun phrases found in the passage above.

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Exercise 4
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.
The term weathering refers to all the ways in which rock can be
broken down. It takes place because minerals formed in a particular way
(say at high temperatures, in the case of igneous rocks) are often
unstable when exposed to various conditions. Weathering involves the
5 interaction of the lithosphere (the Earth’s crust) with the atmosphere and
hydrosphere (air and water). It occurs at different rates and in many
different ways, depending on the climatic and environmental conditions.
But all kinds of weathering ultimately produce broken minerals and rock
fragments and other products of the decomposition of stones.
10 Soil is the most obvious, and from the human point of view, the most
important result of weathering process. Soil is the weathered part of the
Earth’s crust that is capable of sustaining plant life. Its character depends
on the nature of the rock from which it is formed. It also depends on the
climate and on the relative “age” of the soil. Immature soils are little more
15 than broken rock fragments. Overtime, immature soil, which contains
quantities of humus, formed from decayed plant matter. Mature soil is
darker, richer in microscopic life, and more conducive to plant growth.

a. Choose the best answer.

1. The first paragraph primarily describes _____________.
A. the process by which rocks are broken down
B. the weathering of igneous rocks
C. gradual changes in the Earth’s weather patterns

2. The main topic of the second paragraph is __________.

A. a description of immature soil
B. the growth of plants
C. the evolution of soil

3. The main idea of the entire passage is that ___________.

A. weathering breaks down rocks and leads to the development of soil
B. soils may be classified as mature or immature
C. the Earth’s crust is constantly changing

b. Underline any noun phrases found in the passage above.

Exercise 5
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.
Desert tundra, or cold desert, occurs on the Arctic edges of North
America, Europe, and Asia. In these areas the temperatures are almost
always freezing, and they cause an environment in which plant life is
virtually impossible. The existence of ice rather than water for the majority
5 of the year means that vegetation does not have enough moisture for
growth to take place. During the short period of time when the temperature
increases enough for the ice to melt, there is generally a large volume of
water. Too much water and not enough drainage through the frozen
subsoil make it difficult for plants to grow.

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a. Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Where Desert Tundra Is Found
B. The Weather in the Arctic
C. The Effect of Desert Tundra on Plant Life
D. The Variety of Plant Life in Desert Tundra

2. According to the passage, desert tundra is found ___________.

A. throughout North America, Europe and Asia
B. on the Arctic borders of the northern continents
C. in Antarctica
D. at the North Pole

3. According to the passage, what makes plant life almost impossible in areas
of desert tundra during most of the year?
A. Excessive water on the plane C. The frozen state of the water
B. The increase in temperature D. The lack of ice

4. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT happen when
the weather heats up?
A. Plans grow well C. The ice melts
B. There is not enough drainage D. There is too much water

5. According to the passage, why is it impossible for the water to drain after it
melts?
A. The land beneath the surface is still frozen
B. The temperature is too high
C. The period of time is too short
D. The vegetation is flourishing

b. Underline any noun phrases found in the passage above.

Exercise 6
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Whales are mammals rather than fish, yet they live in the world’s
oceans rather than on land. Because of the fact that they are mammals,
scientists have believed for quite some time that whales are descendants
of land animals.
5 Some interesting evidence to support this theory has recently been
found. In Egypt, fossils have been found of a forty-million-year-old- whale
leg, kneecap, ankle, foot-bones, and toes. It appears from the fossil
evidence that the bones were not very strong and not very large in
comparison to the size of the whale.
10 Based on this fossil evidence, the following evolutionary path has
been hypothesized. As the whale began its evolution toward the water, its
legs weakened and disappeared, leaving only the front flippers today.

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a. Choose the best answer
1. The main idea of this passage is that ____________.
A. numerous whale fossils have been found in the world’s oceans
B. there is evidence that whales may have descended from land
mammals
C. whales are mammals not fish
D. whales have not evolved very much over the last millions of year

2. All of the following are TRUE about whales, ECXEPT _________.

A. they are mammals C. they are fish
B. they may have come from the land D. they live in the ocean

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the whale fossils in the
passage?
A. They found in Egypt.
B. They support the theory that whales came from land.
C. They are forty million years old.
D. They showed that ancient whales had flippers

4. Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the list of whale fossils found
in Egypt?
A. A whales’ kneecaps C. A whale’s foot-bones
B. A whales’ ankle D. A whale’s fingers

5. According to the hypothesis in the passage, what happened to whales’

legs?
A. They got stronger over time C. They disappeared quickly
B. They got larger over time D. They became front flippers

b. Underline any noun phrases found in the passage above.

Exercise 7
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.
NewTech Equipment Company announced that it expects to cut
4,000 jobs within the next six month in Brazil as part of its strategy to
reorganize its money-losing business. NewTech has been struggling to
make a profit after two years of losses worldwide.
5 The reduction in its labor force comes a surprise to business analysts,
who had been impressed with the performance of the company in recent
months. Although its revenues have not matched those of its first two
years of business, they had been increasing steadily since June.
New competition was blamed for this loss of revenue, but sources
10 close to the company place the blame on the lack of direction from the
chairman of the company, Pierre Reinartz. He has been with the company
for only a year, and he will probably resign soon.
It is expected that Mary Strube will succeed him. She was responsible
for opening the international offices, which have been more profitable than
15 those in Brazil. The international offices will not be affected by the staff
reduction.

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a. Choose the best answer.
1. What is the topic of the passage above?
A. The resignation of Mr. Pierre Reinartz
B. The reduction of employees in NewTech Equipment Company
C. The appointment of Miss Mary Strube as the new chairman
D. The profits made by NewTech Equipment Company

2. Why will NewTech cut jobs locally?

A. To be more profitable
B. Because it is moving overseas
C. Because labor costs have gone up
D. Because Chairman Reinartz directed it

3. Where will these jobs be cut?

A. Asia B. Brazil C. The United States D. Europe

4. How long has NewTech been losing money?

A. Six months B. One year C. A year and half D. Two years

5. What surprised analysts?

A. The recent growth of income
C. The decision to reduce employees
B. The resignation of the chairman
D. The opening of an international branch

6. What describes the international branches of NewTech?

A. They earn more money that the Brazilian office.
B. They are less cost-effective.
C. They are older than the Brazilian branch.
D. They will be closed within six months

Exercise 8
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.
While fats have lately acquired a bad image, one should not forget how
essential they are. Fats provide the body’s best means of storing energy,
a far more efficient energy source than either carbohydrates or proteins.
They act as insulation against cold, as cushioning for the internal organs,
5 and as lubricants. Without fats, there would be no way to utilize fat soluble
vitamins. Furthermore, some fats contain fatty acids that provide
necessary growth factors, strengthen the immune system, and help with
the digestion of other foods.
An important consideration of fat intake is the ratio of saturated fats to
10 unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, which are derived from dairy products,
animal fats, and tropical oils, increase the amount of cholesterol in the
blood. Cholesterol may lead to coronary heart disease by building up in
the arteries of the heart. However, unsaturated fats, derived from
vegetable oils, tend to lower serum cholesterol if taken in a proportion
15 twice that of saturated fats.
The consumption of a variety of fats is necessary, but the intake of
too much fat may lead to a variety of health problems. Excessive intake of
fats, like all nutritional excesses, is to be avoided.

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a. Choose the best answer.
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that fats ____________.
A. deserve their bad image
B. serve important function in the body
C. can be dangerous if consumed excessively
D. store energy more efficiently than proteins or carbohydrates

2. The main idea of the second paragraph is ______________.

A. unsaturated fats may reduce cholesterol level
B. the consumption of any type of fat leads to heart disease
C. it is important to eat the proper proportion of saturated fats and
unsaturated fats
D. saturated fats are more beneficial than saturated fats

3. The main idea of the third paragraph is ___________.

A. people are eating less and less fat today
B. fat should be gradually eliminated from the diet
C. people should avoid eating fats for health reasons
D. excessive consumption of fats may be dangerous to health

4. A variety of health problems may occur if a person ___________ in his or

her diet.
A. supplies adequate fats
C. combines enough fats with other foods
B. includes sufficient foods
D. consumes excessive fats

Decide whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE.

5. There are four functions of fatty acids mentioned in paragraph 1
6. Unsaturated fats can be obtained from dairy products, animal fats, and
tropical oils.
7. Fatty acids in fats are essential for growth.

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