Topics and Stated Main Ideas: Objective 1 Objective 2

CHAPTER 4
TOPICS AND STATED

Chapter 4: Topics and Stated Main Ideas
MAIN IDEAS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL:
Objective 1 Identify the topic of a reading

selection.
Objective 2 Select the stated main idea.
FOCUS ON BUSINESS AND

PERSONAL FINANCE
Throughout the readings in this chapter,
you will learn about building wealth and
managing money. You will also learn about
careers in business and finance and read
about real people who have started their
own successful businesses. Perhaps you
can turn your passion into a profitable
business, making money doing what you
love. This chapter will help you understand
the skills that are needed to be successful
in business and with your personal
finances.
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TOPICS, STATED MAIN IDEAS,
Topics, Stated Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

AND TOPIC SENTENCES
Knowing who or what a selection is about is the first step in understanding what you are
Topic: the subject of
reading. Knowing the general topic can help you better understand the points that are
a reading selection.
being made.
It’s important to identify the topic of the selection you are reading because knowing
the topic will put you on the right track to finding the main idea. The topic is usually
mentioned or referred to in the sentence containing the main idea.
Objective 1 How to Find the Topic

Begin by asking, “Who or what is this selection about?” Next, look for the subject that
is most frequently mentioned in the reading, usually a word or phrase that is repeated
often in the subjects of the sentences. A topic is a subject, like surfing, Egypt, classic cars,
or 19th-century poets. Topics are not complete sentences. Paragraphs may have the topic
as a title but not always. For example, a paragraph on the best seafood restaurants in
town may have a catchy title that does not state the topic plainly, like “Fishing for Great
Dining.”
Directions: As you read the following paragraph, ask yourself, “Who or what
is this about?” Underline any words or phrases that give you a clue.
There are several key elements that make a great leader in business. First,
you must have good leadership skills. Good leaders are good listeners and
have excellent communication skills. They know how to read people and
inspire them. Also, they must be dedicated to learning their business. The
best business leaders constantly look for new ways of doing things to gain
new customers while continuing to maintain their present ones. Third, good
leaders in business have goals. They know what they want to accomplish and
how they are going to do it within a specific time frame. Having these key
elements can make anyone a good business leader.
1. Which of the following topics is the best “fit” for this passage?
a. business
b. leaders
c. good business leaders
d. leadership
© Pearson Education, Inc.
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Getting the Finding the right topic to fit the passage is like finding a pair of shoes that fit. Some
topics are too broad; some are too narrow. One that is just right will fit the passage
Specific Topic perfectly. Read the following passage, and as you read, try to find the topic of this
passage. Ask yourself, “Who or what is this passage about?”
Underline any words or phrases that give you a clue to the topic.
An IRA, or individual retirement account, is a savings and investment
program for your personal finances so that you will have income after you
retire. There are several different types of IRAs. One type is known as the
traditional IRA. This IRA will allow you to contribute up to $3,000 of your
annual salary to a retirement fund before the salary is taxed. For example, if
you made a salary of $50,000 a year, you would be able to save $3,000 into a
traditional IRA and only be taxed on the remaining $47,000. This lowers your
income tax and allows you to invest the money until you reach the age of
59½, the age when you may begin to withdraw the money.
1. Which of the following topics is the best “fit” for this passage?
a. IRAs
b. retirement accounts
c. investing money
d. saving money
Answers (b), (c), and (d) are too broad because they include other ways to save not
described here. Answer (a), IRAs, is the perfect fit for this passage because most of the
sentences in the paragraph describe the traditional IRA.
Specific versus As you have seen in the example above, some topics are broader than others. When a
passage has a wide variety of details and can be broken down into subtopics, it will have
General Topics a broad topic. But if a passage discusses only one thing, it will have a narrower (more
specific) topic.
Look at the following groups of words, and circle the broadest topic in
each row:
1. 2. 3.
notebook New York sports equipment
pens Texas basketball
school supplies California tennis racket
highlighter United States basketball hoop
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Topics, Stated Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences
Now look at the following groups of topics. Number them in order from
the most general (1) to the most specific (4). The first set is done for you.
EXAMPLE:
❏
1 books (This is the broadest term; all of the subtopics below
could fall into this category.)
❏
2 novels (Novels are a type of book, and they contain both items
listed below.)
❏
3 paragraphs (Paragraphs are in novels and include sentences.)
❏
4 sentences (Sentences make up a paragraph.)
1.
❏ team sports
❏ pitchers
❏ baseball
❏ sports
2.
❏ Ford Motor Co.
❏ U.S. auto manufacturers
❏ manufacturers
❏ American manufacturers
3.
❏ bushes with flowers
❏ bushes
❏ red roses
❏ roses
4.
❏ actors
❏ entertainers
❏ film actors
❏ Brad Pitt
5.
❏ iPhone
❏ cell phone companies

❏ technology companies
❏ Apple
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Practice 1.
Read the following paragraphs, and underline any clues that help
you determine the topics. Then, write the topic that best fits each
paragraph on the line below.
If you apply for a credit card or a loan and you’re turned down, it may
be because of your credit history. In some cases, if you have never bor-
rowed money before, you may not have a credit history. In other cases,
you may have borrowed money but have been late on your payments,
or you may have a poor credit history due to fraud—specifically, identity
theft. One way to find out about your credit history is to get a credit re-
port. Your bank can direct you where to get one, or you can look online
for credit reports. It is recommended that consumers check their credit
history once every two or three years.
The topic of this passage is:
2. Read the following paragraphs, and underline any clues that help
Stocks, also known as equity shares, are units of ownership in a com-

pany. If a company wants to raise money to develop new products
or services, it may sell shares of the company. The price of a stock is
determined by its demand. The demand to buy the stock may go up
when investors feel the stock may make them a good profit. Typically,
investors buy stocks at a lower price and hold onto them until the price
of the stock goes up. Then they sell the stocks and keep the profit. The
stock market is constantly changing due to many factors. However, like
all products, the price of stocks will increase when the demand to buy
increases, and it will decrease when the demand to buy decreases.
3. Read the following paragraphs, and underline any clues that help
When a company needs money to make the business grow, it may go to

a bank and ask for a loan, but this means the company will have to begin
making monthly payments in addition to paying an interest charge.
Another way to raise the money is to sell bonds. A bond is just a loan from
investors. Bonds have the principal (the amount borrowed) and interest
(the lending fee) due at a much later date, called the “maturity date.”
Companies can sell bonds to raise money without having to pay
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Practice
U-Review
them back immediately in monthly payments. Unlike stockholders,
bondholders do not own any share of the company. Also, bonds have
a maturity date when they must be paid back with interest, whereas
stocks can be held indefinitely.
TEXTBOOK Read the following paragraph, and underline any clues that help you determine the
topic. Then, write the topic that best fits the paragraph on the line below.
SELECTION
If you are a first-time borrower and have no credit history, it may be difficult to
get a bank loan. You may want to think about joining a credit union. A credit
union is like a bank, but it is owned by its members. The board of directors
and loan committee are elected by the members of the credit union. In the
United States, credit unions typically charge lower interest rates on loans and
pay higher interest dividends on savings accounts than most banks. Credit
unions offer many of the same services as banks. Some credit unions are small
and run by a few members, while others are huge with several billion dollars
in resources and more than a hundred thousand members.
U-Review For each of the following sentences, write “T” if the statement is true or “F” if the
statement is false. As you go over the answers with your team, discuss why the false
statements were false.
1. Topics tell us who or what the reading passage is about.

2. Topics are complete sentences.
3. Topics are often found in the sentence that states the main idea.
4. Topics are usually not found in titles or bold print.
5. Knowing the topic will help you find the main idea.
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Stated Main Ideas
Objective 2
Finding the main idea of a reading passage is the most important part of reading
comprehension. Knowing the key message that the author is trying to get across will
unlock many other supporting roles.
PATTERN OF AUTHOR’S
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE
MAIN
IDEA
AUTHOR’S SUPPORTING
TONE AND BIAS DETAILS
Characteristics A main idea is always a complete sentence that states an important point about the
of a Main Idea topic. That’s why you can often find the topic in the main idea sentence. Main ideas are
never questions; they’re always statements.
The main idea is
the most important
point that the author Mark which of the following statements would be considered stated main
is making about the ideas.
topic.
1. There are several benefits to having a college degree.
2. Ways to save money for college.
3. How to get financial assistance in college
4. Finding money to pay for college can be a challenge.
5. What are the best ways to save for college?
Main Idea Authors use different styles to convey main ideas.

Styles 1. Some main ideas will introduce the major points that the paragraph will discuss.
There are several types of marketing methods that would be appropriate for
this product. (The several types would be the major details.)
Three main factors are important to consider when deciding upon the correct
way to solve a crime. (The three factors would be the major details.)
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Stated Main Ideas
2. Some main ideas are a summary of the paragraph.
Mozart was one of the most influential composers of all time. (The major
details would explain why he was the most influential composer.)
Thomas Edison worked tirelessly to create new inventions and processes.

(The major details would explain how he worked to create new inventions and
processes.)
3. In definition pattern paragraphs, the definition of the term is the main idea. It is
usually followed by an explanation and may include examples in the supporting details
Immediate memory is the temporary memory where information is processed

briefly (in seconds) and subconsciously, and then is either blocked or passed
on to working memory.
Self-concept is the perception of who we are and how we fit into the world.
(Sousa, David A. How the Brain Learns, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2006,
pp. 287, 289.)
4. Other main ideas may be a conclusion of a study, experiment, or discussion.
The results of the study show that, over the period of a lifetime, students who do
not get a college degree will earn less than half the income of those who do.
In conclusion, it is often difficult to prove arson as the cause of a fire.
When a main idea is stated in a sentence, it is known as the topic sentence.

A topic sentence is
the sentence that Remember that a main idea is an idea. It can be stated or implied. But when it is stated,
states the main idea, it is found in the topic sentence. Also remember that a topic sentence is always a
the author’s most complete sentence, never a phrase, and it is never a question. The most common mistake
important point.
made when searching for a topic sentence is to choose one of the supporting details. To
make sure you have the right topic sentence, you must always check by asking yourself,
“Do most of the sentences in the paragraph tell me more about this idea?”
Sometimes students draw a conclusion about what they have read, thinking that it is
a main idea. Conclusions are also based on the details, but a conclusion is often not the
same thing as the main idea. For example, which of these statements is the main idea,
and which one is a conclusion?
a. Pinocchio is about a puppet who became a real boy whose nose grew
longer every time he told a lie.
b. You should never tell lies because you will only bring misfortune upon
yourself.
The main idea tells what the story was about, whereas the conclusion is an inference
you make based on the details in the story. Sentence (a) is the main idea, and (b) is a
conclusion of the story.
Knowing the main idea is the key to good comprehension and will help you in many
other aspects of your learning: in writing good paragraphs and essays, in highlighting,
and in note taking.
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Stated Main Once you have found the topic sentence, you should check to see if the other sentences
tell you more about it. If they don’t, then look again for a sentence that might better state
Idea: Checking the author’s most important point. Always choose a statement that is general enough to
Your Answer relate to the details discussed in the paragraph. In the following paragraph, the topic and
the topic sentence are underlined. Most of the other sentences help to prove the topic
sentence.
Have you ever been to a restaurant and stood there next to an empty desk
waiting to be seated? Or once you were seated, did you have to wait more
than five minutes for a waiter to approach your table? Even after the meal,
did you become frustrated trying to get the waiter’s attention so you could
get your check? If you’ve experienced any of these things, then you know
how important it is to have good customer service. Customers who have a
poor experience at a restaurant or any other business are not likely to come
back and may even tell their friends about it. Customer service is one of the
most important factors in a business.
Practice Finding
Read the following paragraph. Find the topic by underlining the subject that
the Topic and is most often mentioned. Then, decide which sentence states the main point
Topic Sentence that the author is trying to make about the topic. This will be the topic sen-
tence. When you think you have found it, ask yourself, “Do most of the other
sentences tell me more about this idea?” If the answer is yes, you have the
correct topic sentence.
When trying to save money, you need to know about your options.
Most people save their money in a savings account at a bank. They are
paid interest from the bank for allowing the bank to hold and use their
money. If you save money in a money market account, your interest rate
will be determined by how well the stock market is doing. Although you
won’t lose any of your original investment, you won’t be making much
interest when interest rates are low. Another way to save money is to buy
a certificate of deposit, or CD. You cannot cash in the certificate until it
reaches a certain age, but CDs are a good investment if you don’t need
the money right away.
1. What is the topic of this passage?

a. savings accounts
b. money market accounts
c. banking
d. ways to save money
2. What is the topic sentence?

a. Most people save their money in a savings account at a bank.
b. When trying to save money, you need to know about your options.
c. If you save money in a money market account, your interest rate will be
determined by how well the stock market is doing.
d. Saving money today will keep you from financial trouble in the future.
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Where to Find the Topic Sentence
Where to Find the Topic Sentence

Topic sentences can be found anywhere in a paragraph, but there are some places where
they are more likely to appear.
Topic Sentence Topic sentences are often the first sentence of the paragraph, as in the following paragraph.
at the Notice that the topic is in bold print, and it is mentioned in the topic sentence.
Beginning One way of investing money is to purchase real estate. Most people want
to buy real estate not only as an investment but for a place to live. Others
may want to lease out the property to renters so they can make money. But
investing in real estate is like any other investment—there are no guarantees of
making money. In fact, buying the wrong property or buying when real estate
prices are going down can result in losing money. When there are not enough
buyers or renters to match the flood of properties on the market, real estate
won’t sell. Many people can get behind in their taxes and mortgage payments
and lose their property to the banks who lent them the money to buy it.
Topic Sentence Sometimes the topic sentence comes at the end of a paragraph, as in the following passage.
at the End A loan is an amount of money borrowed from a lender. Most loans are paid
back in regular monthly payments, plus an interest charge. The interest
charged on a loan can be high or low, depending upon the terms of the
loan contract. If the interest rate is high, the cost of the loan will be high. A
borrower must also look at the terms of the loan contract. Questions like,
“Can I pay off the loan at any time?” and “What happens if I am late on my
payment?” should be answered in the contract. Some lenders have high
fees or increase the interest rate of your loan for being late on payments.
There are many factors to consider when taking out a loan.
Topic Sentence In some cases, the topic sentences appears in the middle of the paragraph, as is shown here.
in the Middle When a company or bank loans money to a borrower, it will often ask for
something as “collateral.” This is usually some type of property such as a
car or real estate that can be held until the loan is paid off. The lender will
hold the title (ownership papers) of the car, or place a “lien” (a claim) on the
real estate. Collateral is used to secure a loan to make sure that the lender
receives some sort of repayment if a loan is not paid back. This means that
the lender must be paid back first when the collateral is sold. If the borrower
does not pay back the loan, or is late on payments for a certain number of
months, the lender can keep the collateral.
Topic Sentences Often an author will want to emphasize an important point. To do this, the author may
in the First and present the topic sentence first and then restate the same idea again at the end. Usually,
a repeated topic sentence is stated in different words but has the same key idea. Notice
Last Sentences how the topic sentences in this paragraph are similar but not identical:
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Beware of borrowing money from loan sharks, because you may end up in
serious trouble. People who loan money with extremely harsh terms are known
as “loan sharks.” Their customers are usually people who are desperate, poor,
and not well informed about borrowing money safely. Loan sharks sometimes
commit criminal acts if the payments are late. Some loan sharks threaten or
even assault borrowers for missing payments. They charge very high interest
rates, which make it impossible for the loans to ever be paid back. Or they
may have hidden terms in their contracts that allow them to charge extra fees
or take away personal property as collateral. Borrowing from loan sharks is a
dangerous way to get money, no matter how badly it’s needed.
TIPS ON TOPIC SENTENCES

Here are some things to keep in mind about topic sentences:
• They are always complete sentences, never a phrase or a question.
• They state the author’s most important point about the topic.
• They are explained or proved by most of the other sentences in the
paragraph.
• They are broad statements that are general enough to include all the details
in the paragraph.
• They are not the same as inferences or conclusions.
• Topic sentences usually mention the topic or make a reference to the topic.
Practice 1. Read the following groups of sentences. One item is the topic, one is the
topic sentence, and the others are sentences that explain or prove the
topic sentence. These are known as supporting details. Label each item
T = topic, TS = topic sentence, or SD = supporting detail.
Example:
TS Using the Internet is one way to conduct business online.
SD Pop-up ads can appear on Web sites to advertise new
products or services.
T Internet Business
SD A “shopping cart” is a feature that allows people to buy
products online.
Group 1
A business plan is a written plan that shows how a
business will be conducted.
It includes details about how much it will cost to start and
run the business.
Business plans predict about how much money the
business will make in the next few years.
Business plans
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Practice
Practice
Group 2
Examples of small businesses are hair salons, restaurants,
newsstands, or locksmiths.
Small businesses
There are many different kinds of small businesses.
The term “small business” means businesses with less than
100 employees.
Group 3
Franchises
Some popular franchises include fast-food restaurant
chains, convenience stores, and gas stations.
Franchises are branches of a large corporation that owns a
chain of small businesses with the same brand name and
same products or services.
Franchise owners enjoy the benefits of a large corporation
but must pay a percentage of their profits to the corporation.
Group 4
There are several reasons why more than half of all new
businesses go bankrupt within the first five years.
Many new businesses do not have enough money to keep
them going during the years when they are trying to get
established.
Some new businesses fail because the managers do not
have enough experience in management.
New businesses failures
Group 5
Start-up capital
One source of start-up capital is to sell shares of stock in
the company.
Sometimes private investors will give money to a new
business in return for a percentage of the business.
New businesses need money to get started, known as
“start-up capital.”
2. In each of the following paragraphs, underline the topic and locate the
topic sentence.
APR means the annual percentage rate that you will pay as interest
on your loan. The APR is determined by the lender and the general
economy. Some lenders charge much higher APRs than others. If you
have a credit card, your APR for charging purchases may be less than
the APR for transferring balances to other credit cards or for cash
advances. Sometimes the APR changes depending on how much
money you owe or your credit score. Often credit card companies will
137
Practice
advertise a low introductory APR for anywhere from 3 to 6 months,

and then it will increase. When taking out a loan, you need to know
not only your APR but also the terms under which it may change, so
read the loan or credit card application carefully.
1. What is the topic of this paragraph?

a. loans
b. APRs
c. credit cards
d. applying for a loan
2. What is the topic sentence of this paragraph?

a. APR means the annual percentage rate that you will pay as interest
on your loan.
b. The APR is determined by the lender and by the general economy.
c. Sometimes the APR changes depending on how much money you
owe or your credit score.
d. When taking out a loan, you not only have to know your APR, but
the terms under which it may change, so read the loan or credit
card application carefully.
Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi to a poor,

single mother. They moved to the inner city of
Milwaukee, where life was hard. She earned a
scholarship to Tennessee State University, where
she majored in communications. After a series
of successful jobs as a news anchor, she moved
to Chicago to host a morning talk show. Her
popularity gave her so much success that she
soon had her own show and moved into film
acting. Oprah Winfrey is a role model for women
everywhere because she overcame poverty and
hardship to achieve great success. Oprah always found new ways to stay
challenged. She started her own magazines and her own television and
film production company, which were a huge success. For three years
in a row, she was the world’s leading African American billionaire, worth
more than $2.5 billion. But Oprah’s success is more than financial. She
has raised millions of dollars for charities and donated millions of her own
money. She has won many awards for her humanitarian efforts, making
her one of the most influential and generous women in the world.
1. What is the topic?

a. Oprah’s TV show success
b. the world’s richest woman
c. Oprah Winfrey
d. rich women
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Practice
Practice
a. Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi to a poor, single mother.
b. Oprah Winfrey is a role model for women everywhere because she
overcame poverty and hardship to achieve great success.
c. For three years in a row, she was the world’s leading African
American billionaire, worth more than $2.5 billion.
d. She has won many awards for her humanitarian efforts, making her
one of the most influential and generous women in the world.
3. If you purchase an item with your credit card, you may withhold payment
if the product is damaged or of poor quality. First, you must try to resolve
the problem with the company that sold you the goods. Under the Fair
Credit Billing Act (a federal law), you can have payment withheld if the
sale took place within 100 miles of your home address and it is worth $50
or more. If you can’t get a refund, write to your credit card company or
call its customer service number. Otherwise, you will lose your rights to
stop payment. Your credit card company will investigate the claim, and if
it is approved, you will not have to pay for the item.
1. What is the topic of this paragraph?

a. withholding a credit card payment c. credit cards
b. returning damaged goods d. the Fair Credit Billing Act
2. Which of the following is the topic sentence for this paragraph?

a. First, you must try to resolve the problem with the company that
sold you the goods.
b. If you can’t get a refund, write to your credit card company or call
its customer service number.
c. Your credit card company will investigate the claim, and if it is
approved, you will not have to pay for the item.
d. If you purchase an item with your credit card, you may withhold
payment if the product is damaged or of poor quality.
When Larry Page was a student at the University of Michigan, he loved
turning his creative ideas into useful technology. After he graduated with
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science, he enrolled
in the PhD program at Stanford University. There he met another
studentwho was also interested in the Internet, Sergey Brim. Together,
they created a computer program to find data more easily and tried it on
the Stanford University Web site. It worked so well that they decided to
create their own company and named it Google. Today, both young men
are listed in Forbes magazine’s richest people in the world. Each of them
has a net worth close to $20 billion. Larry Page and Sergey Brim created
one of the most successful Internet companies in history—Google.

1. What is the topic? (Who or what are most of the details about?)
a. Larry Page c. Google
b. Sergey Brim d. Larry Page and Sergey Brim
139
Practice

a. When Larry Page was a student at the University of Michigan, he
loved turning his creative ideas into useful technology.
b. Together, they created a computer program to find data more
easily and tried it on the Stanford University Web site.
c. It worked so well that they decided to create their own company
and named it Google.
d. Larry Page and Sergey Brim created one of the most successful
Internet companies in history—Google.
TEXTBOOK Read the following textbook selections, underline the topics, and then answer
the questions that follow.
SELECTION
The field of marketing is extensive—and so are the opportunities for
someone graduating with a marketing degree. While one person may
seek out the excitement of an advertising agency that serves multiple
clients, another might prefer to focus on brand management at a single
organization. For someone else interested in marketing, working as a buyer
for a retail chain is appealing. A few people might want to get into marketing
research. Others might have an aptitude for supply chain management or
logistics management, the aspect of supply chain management that focuses
on the flow of products between suppliers and customers. A lot of people
are attracted to sales positions because of the potential financial rewards.
(Collins, Karen. Exploring Business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice
Hall, 2008, p. 187.)

a. logistics management c. sales
b. management d. marketing

a. The field of marketing is extensive—and so are the opportunities
for someone graduating with a marketing degree.
b. A few people might want to get into marketing research.
c. For someone else interested in marketing, working as a buyer for
a retail chain is appealing.
d. Others might have an aptitude for supply chain management or
logistics management, the aspect of supply chain management that
focuses on the flow of products between suppliers and customers.
Have you ever wanted to go surfing but couldn’t find a body of water with
decent waves? You no longer have a problem: the newly invented PowerSki
Jetboard makes its own waves. This innovative product combines the ease
of waterskiing with the excitement of surfing. A high-tech surfboard with
a 40-horsepower, 40-pound watercraft engine, the PowerSki Jetboard has
the power of a small motorcycle. Where do product ideas like the PowerSki
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U-Review
Jetboard come from? How
do people create products
that meet customer
needs? How are ideas
developed and turned
into actual products? How
do you forecast demand
for a product? How do
you protect your product
To see the PowerSki Jetboard in action, visit the ideas? In this chapter, you’ll
company’s Web site at www.powerski.com. Watch learn the answers to many
the streaming videos that demonstrate what the questions about products.
Jetboard can do.
(Adapted from Collins, Karen. Exploring Business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/
Prentice Hall, 2008, pp. 131–132.)

a. PowerSki Jetboard
b. surfing
c. products
d. selling products

a. Have you ever wanted to go surfing but couldn’t find a body of
water with decent waves?
b. This innovative product combines the ease of waterskiing with the
excitement of surfing.
c. You no longer have a problem: the newly invented PowerSki
Jetboard makes its own waves.
d. In this chapter, you’ll learn the answers to many questions about
products.
U-Review List six ways you can identify a topic sentence of a paragraph. Then, check
your answers with your team to see if there are any you forgot. (Hint: If you
need help getting started, go back and reread “Tips on Topic Sentences.”)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
141
6.
Bonus Question: What question should you ask to check if you have the
correct topic sentence?
Reading 1 Vocabulary Preview

The following vocabulary words are from the article “A Matter of Perspective: Do Money
Worries Make You Crazy?” With a partner or in a team, choose the correct meanings of
the underlined words in the following sentences. Use context clues (LEADS), word part
clues, and parts of speech to help you figure out the meanings.
1. If you look at money from the wrong perspective (per-SPEK-tiv), it can

cause a lot of unhappiness. (Hint: The root is “spect,” meaning “to see or
view.”)
a. proportion
b. viewpoint
c. amount
d. idea
2. Rather than trying to break down words into their parts, some people
prefer to read them with a holistic (hole-IS-tik) approach.
a. in sections
b. the whole thing
c. solid
d. unusual
3. Patients with terminal (TER-min-ul) diseases are not expected to live.

(Hint: The root, “term,” is from the Latin root “terminus,” meaning “to end.”)
a. serious
b. unexpected
c. fatal
d. watchful
4. It was so sweltering (SWELL-ter-ing) on the day of the parade that many of

the marchers fainted from the heat.
a. extremely hot
b. mild
c. chilly
d. important
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Reading 1: Vocabulary Preview
5. He invited me to open a charge account at his store, but I declined
(dee-KLINE ‘D) his offer.
a. accepted
b. listened to
c. didn’t accept
d. questioned
6. The forlorn (for-LORN) look on Jim’s face told me that his team had lost
the basketball game.
a. sad
b. angry
c. happy
d. long
7. Even though Jamika finds math difficult, her perseverance

(per-sa-VEER-ence) has enabled her to pass Algebra with a B.
a. presence
b. hardness
c. determination
d. frustration
8. If you trust me with your apartment while you are gone, I promise to be
a good steward (STOO-ard) and make sure everything is kept safe until
you return.
a. caretaker
b. babysitter
c. waiter
d. cook
9. The lessons I learned about hard work were imprinted (im-PRINT-ed) upon
me by my mother, who was always busy working.
a. written on
b. impressed upon
c. given to
d. taken from
10. After her car accident, Jaya got into a funk, and nothing seemed to
cheer her up.
a. junk car
b. dance
c. situation
d. depressed mood
143
Reading 1 What Do You Already Know?
1. What do you know about Suze Orman?

2. What have you learned about how to stay financially healthy? What advice can you
share with your team?
Directions: As you read this article, practice the four-step reading process.
Preview the article, and then write on the following lines one or two
questions that you would hope to have answered.
As you read, answer the questions in the margins to check your comprehension.
Adapted from
“A Matter of Perspective: Do Money
Worries Make You Crazy?”
SUZE ORMAN
Guideposts Magazine, March 2004
Suze (“Suzie”) Orman was not always a popular celebrity
of her own TV show. She has authored seven best-selling
books and has made her own fortune as a financial advisor.
This article describes how her childhood experiences and
mistakes with money taught her how to be money-wise. In
this article she reveals some of her secrets to wealth.
1 Taxes, mortgage payments, credit card bills, medical expenses. Every day I hear
from people who are anxious or frustrated or just plain worried sick about their
inances. Is money the answer? I always tell them the same thing—money can’t
make you happy. But how we relate to money has an awful lot to do with our
outlook on life. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there.
2 Some of you probably don’t even want to think about your inances, and we
all know people battling to make ends meet. If you’re struggling with money
worries, like so many are (or know someone who is), you need to replace the
negative feelings about your inances with a positive, holistic approach. There is
no terminal inancial disease. When it comes to money, you are the patient, the
doctor, and the pharmacist. By taking a few positive steps, you can ind a cure
that will free you inancially and spiritually.
Back to the Future
3 My irst money disappointment came early, at age eight. In the hot Chicago
summers, all of us kids in the neighborhood would go swimming at the
Thunderbird Motel. It cost just a dollar. One sweltering Saturday, I asked my mother
144
Reading 1
Reading 1: ”A Matter of Perspective: Do Money Worries Make You Crazy?”

for a dollar to go swimming. She looked at me with the saddest face I had ever seen.
“Sweetheart, we don’t want anyone else to know, but I just don’t have a dollar to
give you.” What am I going to tell my friends? I thought. I’m not proud of what I did.
But as I said, it’s about honesty. That night, after my mom and dad went to sleep,
I took some change out of my father’s pants pockets. I used it to buy candy for my
friends. I wanted them to still like me, even if I couldn’t hang out with them at the
pool. Take note. Mistakes like that impact the decisions we make in the future.
4 Long after my days swimming at the Thunderbird, I was in a department store
buying an expensive gift for a friend. The saleslady swiped my credit card. All I
What are some
mistakes that Suze could think was, “Dear God, please don’t let it be declined.” Here I was a grown
Orman made in the woman, still spending money I didn’t have to buy gifts so people would like me. Still
past? feeling ashamed.
Value Yourself More Than Your Paycheck
5 My dad had a little chicken shack. It was all of 400 square feet. One day the chicken
shack caught ire. Dad stood on the street, helplessly watching his livelihood go up
in smoke. Before anyone could stop him, he ran into the lames. Mom and I could
see him pounding at the metal cash register. Finally, he picked up the register and
staggered outside. The scalding hot metal register left my dad with third-degree
burns all over his upper body. He nearly gave his life for a day’s receipts. No wonder
I grew up thinking money was all-important!
6 It took me years to understand that Dad felt that he was nothing without money.
To his friends and neighbors he always pretended he had more than he really did.
Bad enough that his wife had to work to help make ends meet. Sometimes she even
made more than he did. That was a tremendous source of shame for him. And he
never got over it.
7 The last time I saw my father he was in the hospital. This was after I had
graduated from the University of Illinois and worked in brokerage irms. I later
had my own business as a stockbroker and had been doing it for about a year. He
What fear did her was so proud that he opened up a small account at my irm. That last day he asked,
father express when
“Suze, who is going to take care of you and your mother?” I told him not to worry,
he was in the hospital,
and why did he feel that he gave my mother and me everything we could ever need. But I could tell by
that way? the forlorn look in Dad’s eyes that he wished he had done more for us inancially.
8 Today, the thing I would like to tell Dad is that his mistakes and perseverance
helped teach me to develop a healthy relationship with money. I don’t have to tell
you that there are many other things more important than money. Thinking less of
yourself because of your inancial situation will only blind you to the true blessings
How did her parents
affect the way Suze in your life. You won’t make more because of those negative thoughts and—like my
thinks about money? father—you’ll end up full of regrets.
Track Those Spending Habits
9 What does it cost you to live each month? Most of us don’t know—not exactly.
We pull money out of the ATM and don’t keep close track of where it goes. That’s
a form of denial. Write down every dollar you spend during a month. You’ll be
surprised by how little things—movie tickets, soft drinks, toiletries—add up.
10 Time to spend more wisely. You don’t have to make unrealistic budget cuts. It’s
all about trimming. Make your own coffee and bring it to work. Try going to the
grocery store every eight days instead of every Saturday. The more aware you are
of how you spend your money, the more control you’ll gain over it. But irst you
have to know what you spend.
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Reading 1
Dig Yourself Out of Debt

11 Okay, you’ve gotten honest about your spending. Now start talking about your
debt. The average American family today has $8,500 of credit card debt. So there is
nothing for you to be ashamed about. Tell a few of your closest friends exactly how
much you owe on your credit cards. It’s like an alcoholic entering recovery. The irst
step is admitting what your problem is.
12 Maybe you’re so far behind that you’re thinking, “I don’t have the money to pay
these bills. What’s the use in opening them?” Maybe you’re afraid to see the number
on the balance due line. Get over it! Open up those bills! Find out exactly how much
you owe—down to the last penny, so you can do something about it. Remember,
when it comes to your inances, you’re the patient, the doctor, and the pharmacist.
13 List your debts from the highest interest rate to the lowest. Call the credit card
company and negotiate a lower rate. Today. Start paying the most you possibly can
toward your highest interest rate debt and the minimum toward all the others. Once
you’ve paid off the debt at the top of the list, move to the next one until you’ve rolled
What are the first steps
to becoming financially them all down. If it takes you ive years, you must do it. Your inancial, emotional,
healthy? and spiritual well-being are at stake.
Teach Your Children Well
14 My father used to yell at my mom for spending too much. She’d run around the
house frantically closing windows so the neighbors didn’t hear the ighting and
bickering about our family’s inancial dif iculties. The negative messages stuck. I
thought if I could just make a lot of money when I grew up, I would be happy.
15 It is very important to be open with children about money. Talk to them about
why they get an allowance, and what they are allowed to do with the money you
give them. Giving money is a chance to teach. Explain to your kids or grandkids that
the things that mysteriously show up in their lives—electricity, water, food, toys,
and clothes—all have to be paid for. Why isn’t Mommy buying furniture for the
living room? Because it isn’t affordable right now, and that’s okay. Show them by
your actions how to be good inancial stewards. Read your children books and play
games (like Monopoly or Life) that involve spending and saving, and talk about the
inancial decisions they make. When they’re older, have them sit next to you when
you ill out your 401(k) paperwork, or explain what a tax return is. Your children
How should you teach
your children about and grandchildren are becoming imprinted with their money memories right
money? now— whether you know it or not. Make those impressions positive and valuable.
Give and You Shall Receive
16 One day I was in a terrible funk. I turned on the TV and happened to catch a
fundraising drive. I picked up the phone and pledged as much as I could spare.
Those people needed money more than I did. Immediately I felt better, as if a
What is one of the burden had been lifted. From then on, whenever I felt down I’d give to a charity.
important purposes of I’d feel better and, amazingly, in every instance the amount was showered back
having money? on me tenfold. Not that I’m saying you should give in order to receive. You have to
give with an open heart. The best returns are not necessarily inancial. They’re the
sense of freedom and purpose granted to you by being able to help other people.
Those rewards are great no matter how little or how much you have to share, $5
1,602 words divided or $5,000. The point is, money can’t be so important that you can’t let it go. It took
by minutes awhile for me to igure it out. When you open your hands to give to others, you’re
= words opening yourself up to receive the gifts God has to give you.
per minute.
146
Reading 1 Thinking About What You Read
Reading 1: Thinking About What You Read

It is a good habit to summarize everything you read to strengthen your comprehension.
Directions: Briefly answer the following five questions, and then use this
information to write a summary of the article “A Matter of Perspective:
Do Money Worries Make You Crazy?”
1. Describe the subject (who and what?)
2. Action (what happened?)
3. Where?
4. When?
5. Why?
Use your summary notes to write a two- or three-sentence summary of the

article on the lines below. In your own words, describe what the article was
about and why the author wrote it.
147
Reading 1 Comprehension Questions
The following questions will help you to recall the main idea and the details of “A Matter of
Perspective: Do Money Worries Make You Crazy?” Review any parts of the article that you
need to find the correct answers.
LITERAL 1. What is the topic (subject) of this article?

COMPREHENSION
a. money
b. worrying about money
c. Suze Orman
d. Suze Orman’s steps to financial security
MAIN IDEAS 2. What is the main idea of the article? (What is the most general statement
that tells the most important point of the article?)
a. By taking a few positive steps, you can find a cure that will free you
financially and spiritually.
b. Tracking your spending habits is an important key to money management.
c. Pay down your debts so you can begin saving.
d. Teach your children how to manage money.
3. What is the topic sentence (or main idea) of paragraph 1?

a. Taxes, mortgage payments, credit card bills, medical expenses.
b. Every day I hear from people who are anxious or frustrated or just plain
worried sick about their finances.
c. Is money the answer?
d. But how we relate to money has an awful lot to do with our outlook on life.
4. What is the topic sentence (or main idea) of paragraph 16?

a. One day I was in a terrible funk. I turned on the TV and happened to
catch a fundraising drive. I picked up the phone and pledged as much
as I could spare.
b. Those people needed money more than I did.
c. The point is, money can’t be so important that you can’t let it go.
d. When you open your hands to give to others, you’re opening yourself
up to receive the gifts God has to give you.
SUPPORTING 5. According to the article, Suze Orman’s first disappointment about not
DETAILS having money came when:
a. she didn’t have enough to buy a present for her friend.
b. she spent all of her allowance on candy for her friends.
c. her parents couldn’t give her one dollar to go swimming.
d. her father suffered burns on his body because he saved the family’s
cash register from a fire.
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Reading 1
Reading 1: Comprehension Questions

6. According to the article, Suze Orman believes that
a. money is the most important resource we have.
b. many other things are more important than money.
c. you should pay your bills every eight days instead of every Saturday.
d. you should save your money before you pay off your credit cards.
7. According to the article, which of the following statements is not accurate?

a. You should write down all of your expenses.
b. The more you are aware of how you spend money, the more control
you’ll have over it.
c. You should pay off your debt with the lowest interest first and save the
highest interest debt to last.
d. You should teach your children about money.
DRAWING 8. What does Suze Orman mean when she says, “When it comes to money,
CONCLUSIONS you are the patient, the doctor and the pharmacist”?
a. You should become a doctor or a pharmacist.
b. You are responsible for finding a cure for your money problems and
taking action to solve them.
c. You are like a patient because you have a terminal financial disease.
d. You can become ill if you worry too much about your finances.
9. What does Suze Orman mean when she says, “money can’t be so
important that you can’t let it go”?
a. It’s hard to let go of money.
b. Once you have some money, you shouldn’t let it go.
c. There are some things that are more important than having money.
d. Money should be the most important thing in life.
VOCABULARY IN 10. Use context clues, word part clues, and parts of speech to determine
CONTEXT the meaning of the underlined word as it is used in the following
sentence: Mistakes like that impact the decisions we make in the future
(paragraph 3).
a. influence
b. crash
c. decide
d. helping
149
Reading 1 Vocabulary Practice
Use the vocabulary words from the Word Bank to complete the following sentences.
Write the words into the blanks provided.
WORD BANK
holistic terminal sweltering declined forlorn
perseverance funk perspective steward imprinted
1. If you apply for a loan and you are , you can apply for
one at another bank or credit union.
2. If you have the right about money, you will have a
healthy financial outlook.
3. Instead of trying to write every little detail about the book in your report,
just write a more summary of the entire novel.
4. The day my team won the championship will be in my
memory forever.
5. Mrs. Jones was diagnosed with a disease, but her
treatment was so successful that she is now expected to live a long life.
6. On a(n) day like today, the best thing to do is to stay
in a cool, air-conditioned room, or go swimming.
7. No one thought Ming would be able to finish college and become an
artist, but her hard work and paid off, and now she
works as an illustrator.
8. A small boy who looked very asked me if I had seen
his lost puppy.
9. Dave got into a serious after his girlfriend left him for
another guy.
10. Because Tina is too young to manage her inheritance, her uncle is her
financial until she reaches the age of 18.
150
Reading 1Questions for Writing and Discussion
Reading 1: Questions for Writing and Discussion

Review any parts of the article you need to answer the following questions.
1. What did Suze Orman learn from her mistakes about managing money?
2. What do you think that Suze Orman means when she says that, when it
comes to money, you are the patient, the doctor, and the pharmacist?
3. Suze Orman said that “how we relate to money has an awful lot to do
with our outlook on life.” If you were given $500, what would you do
with it? Would you save it? Spend it? Use it to pay off bills?
What does this show about your relationship with money?
4. In what ways have your parents or family influenced your outlook on

money?
5. Suze Orman says that there are things more important than money. What
do you think some of those things might be?
151
Reading 1 Vocabulary Practice–Speed Quiz
DIRECTIONS: The object of the game is to be the team with the most matched sets of cards.
1. It was such a ____day, our

Using an index card of 1/4 sheet of W D
ice cream cones quickly
paper, copy one of the numbered sweltering very hot
melted
items from the lists below. Your in-
structor will inform you about which
W Cards (Words) D Cards (Definitions) Sentence Cards
item(s) to copy onto the card(s).
(Some students may have to make 1. holistic 11. turned down 21. It is such a(n) ____day that I
more than one card to get all 30 think I would rather swim than
cards made.) Label the word cards 2. terminal 12. determination
go running.
with a “W” and the definition cards
with a “D” as illustrated below. 3. sweltering 13. referring to the whole
22. The ____-looking dog poked
thing
4. declined his nose through the fence and
2. 5. forlorn
14. viewpoint whined for attention.
There are three matching cards 15. caretaker 23. If you have enough ____,
6. perseverance
for each set: the vocabulary word 16. sad, pitiful
you can succeed at just about
card, the definition card, and 7. perspective anything.
the sentence card. When your 17. final, ending, or fatal
8. steward 24. A hospice is a care center for
instructor tells you to begin, in
your teams, match as many sets of 18. impressed upon patients with ____ illnesses.
9. imprinted
3 cards as you can, matching the 19. depressed mood 25. In ___medicine, they treat the
word with its definition and the 10. funk
whole body instead of just one
sentence it completes. With the 20. very hot
part.
remaining cards that do not match
any of your sets, trade cards with 26. Serving in the military during
other teams. a war gave Juan a new ____
on life.
3. 27. I offered to buy James a new
Lay out the cards into rows as basketball, but he ____ my
illustrated on the right. offer.
28. I promised my brother that I
4. would be a good _____ of his

new car if he let me borrow it
When time is called, the team with for a few days.
the most correctly matched sets of
cards wins. 29. Keisha fell into a(n) ____ after
she lost her dream job.
30. The memory of 9-11 will be

____on me as long as I live.
152
Reading 2 Vocabulary Preview
Reading 2: Vocabulary Preview

The following vocabulary words are from the article “Taryn Rose: Taking a Risk on
Shoes.” With a partner or in a team, choose the best meaning of the underlined words in
the following sentences. Use context clues (LEADS), word part clues, and parts of speech
to help you figure out the meanings.
1. When Maria’s mother needed a hip replacement, it was performed by an

orthopedic (or-tho-PEA-dik) surgeon.
a. the special medical area of the brain
b. the special medical area of the skeleton
c. the special medical area of dental surgery
d. highly skilled
2. That dress is so fashionable that you look absolutely chic (sheek) in it!
a. heavy
b. skinny
c. stylish
d. terrible
3. During the first six months after we opened our new restaurant, it was such
grueling (GROOL-ing) work that I came home exhausted every night.
a. very difficult
b. short
c. cruel
d. simple
4. My boyfriend is in medical school, and he must apply for a fellowship

(FELL-o-ship) because he can’t afford to pay the tuition fees.
a. a group of people at a social event
b. partners
c. a grant for financial aid
d. guardian
5. At the sound of the ship’s horn, the passengers began to embark

(em-BARK) onto the ship.
a. get off
b. get on board
c. pay their way
d. resist
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Reading 2
6. Before deciding to go into business, it is important to get feedback

from focus groups (FO-cus groups) to find out if people think your idea
is valuable.
a. photographers
b. a group of people at a reunion
c. a group starting a business
d. a group who answers questions about a new product or service
7. To reach potential (po-TEN-shel) buyers, Jasmine sent out flyers

advertising her new makeup kits.
a. possible
b. late
c. sellers
d. wealthy
8. In American Government class, we learned that the demographics

(dem-o-GRAF-iks) of the country show that the majority of citizens are
mostly older baby boomers—people over the age of 55.
a. candidates
b. government
c. population data
d. photos for magazines
9. In the United States, the smallest segment (SEG-ment) of the work

force consists of Asians and Pacific Islanders.
a. population
b. section or part
c. to break up
d. people
10. Although I try to watch my diet, I sometimes indulge (in-DULJ) in a

hot fudge sundae.
a. to forgive
b. to refuse
c. to give in to
d. eat
154
Reading 2 What Do You Already Know?
Reading 2: “Taryn Rose: Taking a Risk on Shoes”

1. What are your favorite styles or types of clothes or shoes? What brands of clothing or
shoes do you like?
2. Have you ever taken a risk to do something in which you believed you would succeed?
Describe the situation.
Directions: As you read this article, practice the four-step reading process.
Preview the article, and then write on the following lines one or two
questions that you would hope to have answered.
As you read, answer the questions in the margins to check your comprehension.
“Taryn Rose: Taking a Risk

on Shoes“
MARIA BARTIROMO
Adapted from “Dreamers: The Risk Taker,” by Maria Bartiromo.
Reader’s Digest (www.rd.com, July 2008).
After graduating from college, Taryn Rose went on to do
her residency as an orthopedic surgeon. She wanted to
change her career path but was afraid of failure. It would
mean taking risks and starting all over again. But she
followed her heart’s desire, and it led her to a new and
exciting future.
MADE FOR WALKING

1 After working 36-hour shifts as a resident in orthopedic surgery, Taryn
Rose knew a lot about sore feet. But unlike most of her colleagues,
she turned her pain into profit: Today she is CEO of Taryn Rose
International, a $28 million company that makes chic and comfortable
shoes.
2 A Vietnamese refugee who came to the United States when she was
eight, Rose assumed she’d follow in the footsteps of her physician father.
For a while, she did, getting her medical degree from the University
of Southern California and choosing a grueling training in orthopedic
surgery.
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Reading 2
3 But when the time came to apply for post-residential fellowships, Rose
found her heart was no longer in medicine. “I felt like a part of me, the
part that loves to learn new things, that likes adventure, would be dying.”
4 Rose had always loved shoes, especially high heels. When her fellow
residents headed home after long hours on their feet, “I would make my
way to Neiman Marcus for some retail therapy,” she says. What if, she
Why did Taryn Rose
want to give up her wondered, she gave up her career to learn how to make stylish shoes that
career as a doctor? could stand up to a day’s work?
5 Rose realized the only thing stopping her was her “fear of failure. I
could hear my friends and family saying, ‘Why did you leave a secure
job?’ If I failed, would I be okay facing them? And I thought, ‘So what?
I can go back to do a fellowship.’ I started to accept that it would be okay
to say, ‘I failed, but I tried.’ Once I was comfortable with that idea, the
fear dissolved. I realized I feared regret more than failure. And after you
embark on the path you choose, there is nothing acceptable but success.”
6 But first, Rose had to learn the shoe business. “The great thing about
a medical education is that it teaches you how to learn,” she says,
“because every case and every patient is different.” Rose had become
friends with a salesclerk who knew people in the shoe industry in Italy.
She made the introduction and headed off to Milan, Italy, to learn how
to make shoes.
7 She didn’t have the money to conduct focus groups on her potential
market. “My research was done sitting on the couch at Neiman Marcus,
How did her college asking women what they wanted from shoes. Then I studied the
education help her in
learning how to start a demographics. Baby boomers are the largest segment of the population;
business? they have the most money and their feet are going to hurt as they age.”
No Regrets
8 With the data to back her up, Rose got a $200,000 loan from the Small
Business Administration in 1998. She wore out a lot of her own shoe
leather showing samples to independent shoe stores and buyers at
upscale department stores.
9 “Someone told me it costs $10 million to start a new brand,” Rose
says. She didn’t have $10 million, but she had a good story, and it got
picked up by a lot of magazines. Taryn Rose International was on its
way. “I did everything at the beginning: the designing, the marketing,
the accounts receivable,” Rose recalls. “There were moments when I
was so frustrated, I remember crying. The client is saying, ‘Where are
my shoes?’ The vendor is saying, ‘Where is my payment?’ But when
you’re faced with saving a patient, you don’t think about giving up.”
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Reading 2
Reading 2 : “Taryn Rose: Taking a Risk on Shoes”

10 Her natural sense of optimism also helped. “If someone tells me we’re
$200,000 short of our goal, I’ll say, ‘Let’s sit down and see how we can
bring up those numbers.’”
11 Handmade in Italy of the finest leathers, the shoes are designed for
comfort, for women and men. They range from $200 to $400 a pair.
Rose makes sure they’re also available through discount catalogs and
websites as well as her warehouse sale. “My family started out in this
country with nothing, so I don’t have a problem selling to a discount
How did Taryn Rose
catalog. Today’s discount catalog customer may one day be a luxury
deal with problems in customer.”
the business? 12 Now that she can indulge her love of shoes, Rose owns about 200
pairs and, she adds, “a warehouse of 20,000 more that I can borrow from
at any time!”
13 Rose has no regrets about leaving medicine. “What I’m doing is
not all that different from what I was doing as a physician. The goal is
the same, to relieve pain. A former professor told me, ‘You’re helping
hundreds of thousands of people with your shoes. As a surgeon, you
would have helped only the few who made it to your office. You’re
having a much greater effect.’”
14 Looking back, Rose admits she caught a couple of lucky breaks.
“To me, luck is about being prepared for those opportunities that come
knocking. You have to have an open mind, the right skills, and all your
senses working to see what opportunities present themselves. Luck can
What advice does
Taryn offer to someone open the door, but you still have to walk through it.” Preferably, in a pair
starting a business? of good-looking, great-feeling shoes.
15 It’s barely eight years since Rose, now 40, started her business. The
shoes can be found in more than 220 stores worldwide. There are four
boutiques in the United States and one in Paris, France. The business
has been so successful that she has expanded her product line by adding
handbags. Taryn Rose International footwear boutiques are found in
Beverly Hills; New York; Las Vegas; San Jose; and Seoul, Korea. Her
products are also sold in hundreds of department stores, including
Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, SAKS Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom,
Lord & Taylor, and Harrods of London as well as online at tarynrose.
com. Taryn Rose International has become a successful name brand in
women’s fashion around the world.
1,004 words divided by minutes = words per minute
157
Reading 2 Thinking About What You Read
It is a good habit to summarize everything you read to strengthen your comprehension.
Directions: On the following lines, write a two- or three-sentence summary of

the article. “Taryn Rose: Taking a Risk on Shoes.” In your own words, describe
what the article was about and why the author wrote it.
Comprehension Questions
The following questions will help you to recall the main idea and the details of “Taryn
Rose: Taking a Risk on Shoes.” Review any parts of the article that you need to find the
correct answers.
LITERAL 1. What is the topic of this article?

COMPREHENSION a. the shoe business c. an orthopedic surgeon
b. Taryn Rose Shoes d. Taryn Rose
MAIN IDEAS 2. What is the main idea of the article?

a. To be successful, you need to take risks.
b. Taryn Rose left her career as a doctor to start a successful shoe company.
c. After working 36-hour shifts as a resident in orthopedic surgery, Taryn
Rose knew a lot about sore feet.
d. Luck can open the door, but you still have to walk through it.
3. What is the topic sentence of paragraph 13?

a. Rose has no regrets about leaving medicine.
b. The goal is the same, to relieve pain.
c. You’re helping hundreds of thousands of people with your shoes.
d. You’re having a much greater effect.
4. What is the topic sentence of paragraph 15?

a. It’s barely eight years since Rose, now 40, started her business.
b. There are four boutiques in the United States and one in Paris, France.
c. The business has been so successful that she has expanded her product
line by adding handbags.
d. Taryn Rose International has become a successful name brand in
women’s fashion around the world.
158
Rewading 2: Comprehension Questions
SUPPORTING 5. According to the article, when Taryn Rose wanted to give up medicine to
DETAILS start her own company, what was stopping her at first?
a. Her parents forbid her to quit her career as a doctor.
b. She didn’t have the money needed to start a business.
c. She was afraid of failing.
d. She didn’t know how to start a business.
6. According to the article, Taryn Rose has also started to sell:

a. luggage
b. hats
c. briefcases
d. handbags
7. According to Taryn Rose, what does having “luck” mean?

a. when things just all seem to go in your favor
b. when someone offers you a lot of money to start your business
c. when you have prepared yourself for opportunities with an open mind
and the right skills
d. when customers really want what you have to offer
DRAWING 8. What does Taryn Rose mean when she says, “Luck can open the door,
CONCLUSIONS but you still have to walk through it”?
a. You can’t be lucky all the time.
b. You may get lucky and get an opportunity, but you still have to do the
work to be successful.
c. You can’t expect luck to help you.
d. If a door opens for you, you will be successful.
VOCABULARY IN Using context clues and word part clues, determine the best meaning for the
CONTEXT underlined word in each of these sentences. If necessary, use a dictionary.
9. Her natural sense of optimism also helped. “If someone tells me we’re
$200,000 short of our goal, I’ll say, ‘Let’s sit down and see how we can
bring up those numbers.’” (paragraph 10)
a. positive thinking
b. direction
c. negative thinking
d. confusion
10. “Luck can open the door, but you still have to walk through it.”
Preferably, in a pair of good-looking, great-feeling shoes (paragraph 14).
a. if at all possible c. for certain
b. probably d. never
159
Reading 2 Vocabulary Practice
Use the vocabulary words from the Word Bank to complete the following sentences.
Write the words into the blanks provided.
WORD BANK
orthopedic chic grueling fellowship segment
embark focus groups potential demographics indulge
1. When the breakfast food company created its newest cereal product, it
hired several to gather feedback about the product.
2. Taking six classes proved to be too for Nadia, so she

dropped one class.
3. A(n) surgeon told me I needed to have surgery on my foot

after it was broken during football practice.
4. All of the candidates for student government president

first had to gather signatures before they could be put on the ballot.
5. Samantha’s new hairstyle looks so that I’m sure her

boyfriend will like it.
6. Our travel guide told us that we were about to on the

biggest and newest cruise ship ever built.
7. According to the of this state, there should be more baby

boomers employed than people in younger age groups.
8. Even though Gary is on a strict diet, he still likes to in

eating a bowl of popcorn on the weekends while watching a game on TV.
9. Drug abuse has invaded every of our society—the poor,

the middle class, and the wealthy.
10. If Carlo is granted a(n) by the university, he will enter

the graduate program and study finance.
160
Reading 2 Questions for Writing and Discussion
Reading 2: Questions for Writing and Discussion

Review any parts of the article you need to answer the following questions.
1. When did Taryn know that being an orthopedic doctor was not the right
career for her?
2. When Taryn Rose decided she wanted to make shoes for a living, she had to
overcome her fears. What were these fears and how did she overcome them?
3. Even though she started her shoe business from scratch, Taryn Rose
became very successful. How do you think she became so successful?
What lessons can you learn from her?
4. Do you think her time spent learning to become a doctor was a waste
of time for Taryn Rose, or do you think it was useful to her in her career as
a business woman?
5. What kind of business would you be interested in operating? Describe it.

161
Vocabulary Practice–Team Password
Directions: The object of this game is to correctly guess the word in three tries.
List A List B
For 3 pts: vertebrae For 3 pts: evening gown

1.
For 2 pts: ankles and knees For 2 pts: high-heel shoes Divide the team into two opposing teams, or play
For 1 pt: having to do with bones For 1 pt: very stylish one team against another.
2.
For 3 pts: final exams For 3 pts: college ___________
Each team will take one list of clues, list A or list
For 2 pts: digging a deep hole For 2 pts: professor’s assistant
For 1 pt: very difficult work For 1 pt: a grant for financial aid
B. These can either be torn out of the book or
copied onto paper. You may only have one list
when you begin the game.
For 3 pts: aircraft For 3 pts: marketing

For 2 pts: train station For 2 pts: product survey
For 1 pt: it gives feedback about a
3.
For 1 pt: to get on board
new product or service Decide which team will go first. A member of that
team will read the first clue to the other team. The
other team has 15 seconds to guess the word.
For 3 pts: a good business idea has it For 3 pts: minorities There are three clues on each card: the first two
For 2 pts: not actual For 2 pts: senior citizens are hints; the third clue is the definition. If team
For 1 pt: possible For 1 pt: population data members guess the word correctly with only the
first clue, they get three points. If they need the
second clue to guess the word, they get two
points. If they guess it on the third clue, they get
For 3 pts: shopping spree
For 3 pts: citrus fruit has it
one point. If they cannot guess the word after all
For 2 pts: in geometry, a line_______ For 2 pts: eating chocolate cheesecake
For 1 pt: section or part For 1 pt: to give in to clues have been given, no points are awarded,
and the play goes to the opposing team, who will
read its first clue.
4. 5. 6.
The correct answers are found When a team correctly identifies Continue playing until all the
in the instructor’s edition. After a word, the team sets aside that cards are played or time is
all the clues have been read, the card and draws a new card from called. The team with the most
team with the highest score wins. the pile, which it will use on its points wins.
next turn.
WORD LIST
If you decide to use this word list, leave it face up on the table as
you are playing:
indulge segment grueling demographics
potential embark fellowship focus group
orthopedic chic
162
Adam Metzinger,
On the Job Interview

ON THE
JOB Trust Administrator
INTERVIEW
What is your career, and how did you become
interested in it?
I work as a trust administrator for a large financial
institution in the Global Trust Department. We
handle some of the financial deals for governments
or large corporations. For example, if a government
or corporation wanted to fund a large project like
building a bridge or a power plant, the financial
deal would be handled by our department.
What is your training and education?

I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology and
criminal justice, and then my master’s in business
administration.
Did you ever consider quitting when you were in college?

Not really. Some courses were harder than others. While I was doing an internship
for my bachelor’s degree, I worked as a salesman for a brokerage firm on Wall Street.
I found that I wasn’t really interested in being a salesman, so I learned something
important from that, plus I gained the experience in business that I needed to get
this job.
What do you like about your job?

I enjoy lots of things, especially the variety of work that I do. I move around some
very large sums of money, which are used for many different purposes all around
the world. Each project is unique, and I get to do business on an international scale.
What do you dislike about your job?

I have no dislikes, but working with huge sums of money carries a lot of
responsibility, so I have to read everything very carefully, looking at every detail in
the contracts.
If you could give college students one piece of advice, what would it be?
My best advice is, even if you do nothing else, go to class. Your professor will get to
know you, and you can learn a lot just by being there.
163
VIEWPOINT: Illegal Immigration
VIEWPOINT
FOR Read the following letters to the editor about the guest-worker program and then answer
CRITICAL the questions that follow.
THINKING
Dear Editor:
I think the guest-worker program to allow immigrants into our
country to work should not be instituted. Under this program, foreign
workers would be given a temporary pass that would allow them to
come here and work. Many other people who want to come into the
country have been waiting years and paying thousands of dollars
in applications and fees to come here legally. Is it fair to allow
temporary workers to get in sooner and cheaper? Who is going to
keep track of them and make sure they leave when their time is up?
I think the guest-worker program is a bad idea. It will only encourage
more temporary immigrants to come here.
Signed,
Citizen Taxpayer
Dear Editor:
The guest-worker program is a great idea. It would allow immigrants to

enter the country legally to earn a wage. Their willingness to work for the
minimum wage helps to lower the cost of goods and services by keeping
prices low. This will keep business and manufacturing here instead of
sending work overseas. That’s good for the country’s economy. The
guest-worker program would reduce the number of people trying to enter
the country illegally. It would lessen the need for border patrol agents and
costly resources that are needed to keep illegal aliens out of the country.
Also, we would know who is applying to enter the country, and we could
screen out any unwanted individuals. The guest-worker program is a good
program for everyone—citizens and immigrants.
Signed,
Liberty for All
164
Critical Thinking
Viewpoint for Critical Thinking

1. A point of view is the author’s opinion about a topic. To find the author’s
point of view, ask yourself, “How does this author feel about this issue?”
What is the author’s point of view about the guest-worker program in the
first letter?
2. What is the author’s point of view about the guest-worker program in the
second letter?
3. Which letter do you agree with, and why?
4. What could be the consequences of allowing immigrants to come into the

country to live and work temporarily?
5. What could be the consequences of not allowing illegal immigrants to

come into the country to live and work temporarily?
WRITE YOUR THOUGHTS

Write a letter to the editor stating your own feelings about the guest-worker
program. What do you think should be done with illegal immigrants? Use a
separate sheet of paper.
165
CREDIT CARD AGREEMENT
REAL- If you apply for a credit card with a bank or other financial institution, you should read
LIFE the terms of the credit card agreement carefully. The following is an excerpt (part) of a
READING credit card agreement. Use the four-step reading process as you read, and then answer
the questions that follow to check your comprehension. Preview the selection first, and
then read it and answer the questions that follow with your team.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
FEES: We may charge your account for RETURNED CHECK. If you write a
the following fees. The application and check from your account and that check
payment of a fee will not release you from is not honored because your account is in
responsibility of the action which caused default or over the limit, we will charge
the fees. you a fee of $35.00
LATE PAYMENT. We may charge CASH ADVANCE FEE. An additional

a $25.00 late fee to your account if finance charge will be added to your
you do not pay at least the minimum account each time you obtain a cash
payment by the stated due date. In advance. This additional finance charge
addition to the late fee, we will cancel will be 8% of the amount of the cash
any temporary low rate offers if your advance with a maximum of $30.00.
payment is late more than one billing Internet transactions are exempt from
cycle during the promotion. We will the cash advance fee
charge an additional late fee of 10% of
your balance for each billing cycle that ENTIRE BALANCE DUE: If you
your account is past due. fail to make a required payment when
due or default on any other term in this
agreement, we can declare the entire
OVER THE LIMIT. If you go over
balance of your account due and payable
your credit limit or cash advance limit
at once without notice. We can also
by $50.00 or more, we will add an
demand complete immediate payment
additional $30 Over the Limit fee to
if you make any false or misleading
your account for each billing cycle that
statement on your application or if you
you remain over your credit limit.
die or file for bankruptcy.
RETURNED PAYMENT. If you make a COLLECTION COSTS: To the extent
payment on your account with a check permitted by applicable law, you agree
from some other financial institution to pay all costs and disbursements,
and that check is not honored by the including reasonable attorney fees,
financial institution on which it is incurred by us in legal proceedings to
drawn, you will be charged a fee of collect or enforce your indebtedness.
$35.00
166
Questions
Real-Life Reading
1. Which of the following will not happen if you do not make a minimum
payment by the date due?
a. You will be charged a $35 late fee.
b. The company will cancel any temporary low-rate offers if the payment is
late more than one billing cycle during the promotion.
c. The company will allow you to make an additional payment the following
month with no penalty.
d. The company will charge an additional late fee of 10% of the balance for
each billing cycle that the account is past due.
2. Identify the following statement as true or false. If it is false, correct it to

make it true: For each billing cycle that you charge an amount $50 or more
over your credit limit, the company will charge you a $50 fee.
a. True b. False
3. For which of the following will you be charged a $35 fee? (Choose all that
apply.)
a. a check written from another bank that is not honored by this credit
card company
b. not paying the minimum amount by the due date
c. if a check is returned because your account is in default or over the limit
d. each time you make a cash advance
4. Identify the following statement as true or false. If you give false or

misleading information on your credit card application, or if you
declare bankruptcy, you will be required to pay the entire account
balance immediately.
a. True b. False
5. Identify the following statement as true or false. If your account is not

paid when due and you face legal action because of this, you will be
responsible to pay all fees that are charged by the attorneys or
the collection agencies.
a. True b. False
167
BUILDING VOCABULARY
Throughout this course, you will be introduced to word parts that make up many words in the
English language. Study the following word parts, and then answer the questions that follow.
Prefixes Roots Suffixes

in- into duct- to bring, to take -tion, -sion action, state of
de- away; reverse cis- to cut -ive- a state or quality
1. What English words can you create from these word parts?
Using a dictionary, look up the meanings of any of the words you wrote
that you can’t define. Use one of the words you wrote in a sentence that
reveals its meaning with a context clue:
168
TEXTBOOK GRAPHIC AIDS
Textbook Graphic Aids

In business, operations managers often use program evaluation and review technique
(PERT) charts for complex schedules. These charts diagram the activities required to
produce a good, specify the time required to perform each activity in the process, and
organize activities in the most efficient sequence. The following is a PERT diagram
showing the process for producing one “hiker” bear at Vermont Teddy Bear. Study the
diagram, and then answer the questions that follow.
SEW EMBROIDER
CUT MATERIAL CLOTHES T-SHIRT
FOR CLOTHES (10 minutes) (10 minutes)
(10 minutes)
CUT FUR STUFF AND DRESS BEAR PACKAGE BEAR

START (10 minutes) SEW FUR (15 minutes) (5 minutes)
(30 minutes)
CUT
ACCESSORIES SEW
(5 minutes) ACCESSORIES SHIP BEAR
(10 minutes) (5 minutes)
1. What is the topic of this chart?

a. children’s toys c. PERT chart for making a Vermont
Teddy Bear
b. manufacturing stuffed
animals d. sewing
2. What does PERT stand for?

a. package, export, receive, and transport
b. program evaluation and review technique
c. preview examples and revise technology
d. program explanation and review technique
3. Which stage of the process takes the most time?

a. cutting material for clothes c. dressing the bear
b. cutting accessories d. stuffing and sewing the fur
4. Which three steps can occur all at the same time?

a. cut material for clothes, cut fur, cut accessories
b. sew clothes, embroider shirt, stuff and sew fur
c. cut accessories, sew accessories, dress bear
d. dress bear, package bear, ship bear
5. For the purple portion of the assembly line, what is the total time needed
to complete the operations?
a. 10 minutes c. 30 minutes
b. 45 minutes d. one hour
169
CHAPTER REVIEW PRACTICE #1
Read the following paragraph. Circle the topic, and underline the
topic sentence. Then, complete the exercises that follow.
When you invest your money, you should know which investments are
insured and which ones are not. An insured investment will guarantee
that what you invested will be paid back, plus some interest. An
uninsured investment is a risk, meaning that you may get less money
back than what you invested. Examples of insured investments are
savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit
(CDs). Investments that are not insured are stocks, mutual funds, and
annuities. A mutual fund is an account to purchase stocks, bonds, and
other investments. An annuity is a long-term savings contract that invests
your money for a certain period of time at a specific interest rate.
Label each of the following: T = topic, TS = topic sentence, or SD =
supporting detail. One will be a topic, one will be a topic sentence, and two
will be supporting details.
1. When you invest your money, you should know which

investments are insured and which ones are not.
2. Investments that are not insured are mutual funds and
annuities.
3. An annuity is a long-term savings contract that invests your
money for a certain period of time at a specific interest rate.
4. Insured and uninsured investments
5. Identify the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence:

An uninsured investment is a risk, meaning that you may get less money
back than what you invested.
a. underinsured
b. not insured
c. all insured
d. not sure
170
Chapter Review Practice #2

After 25 years of being one of the leading salespeople in her company,
Mary Kay Ash found herself passed over for promotion by a man she had
trained who made twice her salary. This was a common occurrence in
the 1960s because of prejudice against women and minorities. Mary Kay
quit her job and started her own company to offer women opportunities
to be business owners who sell products from home. Her business was
established on the Golden Rule and on placing faith first, family second,
and career third. Today, the Mary Kay Corporation employs 1.8 million
people in 35 countries, with more than $2.4 billion in wholesale sales.
Mary Kay Ash showed women how to be independent and successful in
business.
Label each of the following: T = topic, TS = topic sentence, or SD =

supporting detail. One will be a topic, one will be a topic sentence, and two
will be supporting details.
1. Mary Kay Ash

2. After 25 years of being one of the leading salespeople in
her company, Mary Kay Ash found herself passed over for
promotion by a man she had trained who made twice
her salary.
3. Her business was founded on the Golden Rule, and on
placing faith first, family second, and career third.
4. Mary Kay Ash showed women how to be independent and
successful in business.

Her business was established on the Golden Rule and on placing faith
first, family second, and career third.
a. a place of business
b. increased
c. published
d. founded upon
171
After your insured property has been damaged or stolen, you may make
a claim with your insurance company. The insurance company conducts
an investigation, and, if your claim is approved, you will be paid for a
repair or complete replacement. Insurance companies hire specialists to
conduct these investigations. An insurance investigator is a person who
examines all the evidence on a claim and reports his or her findings to
the insurance company. Insurance investigators do much of the same
work as law enforcement investigators and may also be called to testify
in court during a lawsuit. The salaries of insurance investigators vary
depending on the company they work for and the area in which they
specialize. Most insurance investigators have some college or technical
school education.
Label each of the following T: = topic, TS = topic sentence, or SD = support-

ing detail. One will be a topic, one will be a topic sentence, and two will be
supporting details.
1. An insurance investigator is a person who examines all the
evidence on a claim and reports his or her findings to the
insurance company.
2. Insurance investigators
3. Insurance investigators do much of the same work as law
enforcement investigators and may also be called to testify in
court during a lawsuit.
4. Most insurance investigators have some college or technical
school education.

The salaries of insurance investigators vary depending on the company
they work for and the area in which they are most informed.
a. are high
b. are different
c. are unimportant
d. individual
172
TEXTBOOK PRACTICE
Textbook Practice
Preview the following paragraphs, then read actively and answer
the questions.
Why Do Businesses Fail?
Why do more than half of all new small businesses go out of business
within the first five years? And why do one-third of all new businesses
go out of business within the first two years? There are many reasons
why most new businesses do not make it, and often it is a combination
of things that cause them to fail. First, if the business idea was not a
good one to begin with, it has a poor chance of success. By doing a
little research to find out what people think about your idea first, you
can avoid wasting time and money on an idea that won’t succeed. The
second most common reason is that going into business always takes
more start-up capital than people think it will. They underestimate how
much they will need to keep going during the first few years. Third,
many new business owners have no experience in running a business.
The best way to learn is to first take an interim job as a manager in the
same business and gain some knowledge of how to avoid mistakes. And
fourth, sometimes growing too fast can cause a company to fail. When
the sales orders keep coming, and there is not enough stock to fill them
or employees to do the job, customers become unhappy.
(Adapted from Collins, Karen. Exploring Business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/
Prentice Hall, 2008, p. 36.)
Label each of the following: T = topic, TS = topic sentence, or SD = support-

ing detail. One will be a topic, one will be a topic sentence, and two will be
supporting details.
1. The second most common reason is that going into business
always takes more start-up capital than people think it will.
2. Reasons why new businesses do not make it
3. There are many reasons why most new businesses do not
make it, and often it is a combination of things that cause
them to fail.
4. First, if the business idea was not a good one to begin with,
it has a poor chance of success.

The best way to learn is to first take an interim job as a manager in the
same business and gain some knowledge of how to avoid mistakes.
a. intern’s
b. first
c. high-paying
d. temporary
173
STUDY SKILL CHAPTER REVIEW
You can make an effective study

guide using a sheet of notebook
paper.
1.
Starting with the bottom, fold up FOLD
your notebook paper four times,
about every five lines, until you
have just the top portion of your FOLD
paper showing.
FOLD
2.
Write a review question on the top line.
QUESTION #1: What is a topic?
Question 1
3.
Unfold the paper once, and write the
answer to the question on the lines
Answer 1 below the fold. Beneath that, write
Question 2 question #2.
4. 5.
Each time you unfold the paper, write After you have created your study guide,
the answer to the question before it and read the questions one at a time, giving
the next question. For example, on the the answer, and then check your answer
next unfolding, you’d write the answer by unfolding the paper. Keep the study
to question #2 and then write question guide handy, in your purse or pocket, so
#3 below it. Continue using both sides of you can review it often
the paper.
Create a study guide for Chapter 4 by copying the following questions on your
folded notebook paper and looking up the answers in this chapter.
174
Study Skill Chapter Review
QUESTION #1: What is a topic?
#1 Answer:
Question #2: What is a main idea?
#2 Answer:
Question #3: What is a topic sentence?
#3 Answer:
Question #4: How do you check to determine if you have found the topic sentence?
#4 Answer:
Question #5: Where are topic sentences found in a paragraph?
#5 Answer:
Make up some of your own questions and answers for the back of the paper.
175
READING LAB ASSIGNMENTS
STATED MAIN IDEA

1. Go online to MyReadingLab and click on the Study Plan tab. Do the practices
and tests for Stated Main Idea.
COMPREHENSION IMPROVEMENT
2. Go online to MyReadingLab and click on the Reading Level tab. Choose a
story to read, and then answer the questions that follow.
SKILL APPLICATION
3. Look at the list of learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter. What
applications could these have in your career or in real life? List some ways that
you will be able to use the skills taught in this chapter. For example, you can
find the topic and main idea in a business report for your job. In what other
ways can this skill be used?
CAREER EXPLORATION
4. To find out more about a specific business career, go online to www.bls.gov/
oco and search for an occupation. This site will tell you what the job is like,
what the outlook is for employment, and current salary and educational
requirements. Print the article, and then preview, read, highlight, and
annotate it.
LEARNING REFLECTION
Think about the skills and concepts presented in this chapter. What have you
learned in this chapter that will help your reading comprehension and enable
you to do well in college? Which learning strategy helped you the most in
your learning?
176
SELF-EVALUATION CHECKLIST
Self-Evaluation Checklist
Rate yourself on the following items, using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = neither agree nor disagree
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree
1. I completed all of the assigned work on time.
2. I understand all the concepts in this chapter.
3. I contributed to teamwork and class discussions.
4. I completed all of the assigned lab work on time.
5. I came to class on time.
6. I attended class every day.
7. I studied for any quizzes or tests we had this

chapter.
8. I asked questions when I didn’t understand

something.
9. I checked my comprehension during reading.
10. I know what is expected of me in the coming week.
For support in meeting this chapter’s objectives, go to the Study Plan in MyReadingLab
and select Topics and Stated Main Ideas. Read and view the resources in the Review
Materials section, and then complete the Recall, Apply, and Write exercises in the
Activities section. Check your results by clicking on Gradebook.
177
STUDY SKILL: Test Taking
Study Skill: Test Taking
As you read the following section on test taking, practice the four-step reading process:
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4

Preview Read actively Highlight and Review
annotate
Many students suffer from test anxiety and become so stressed that they cannot recall
the information they need to answer questions correctly. There are many stress-relieving
techniques that can help, such as taking deep breaths, or visualizing your success on
the test. Positive self-talk is an important part of reducing stress. Reminding yourself
that you know the material and can answer the questions correctly is much better than
thinking that you are doomed to fail even before you start. Using alcohol or other
“helpers” will only worsen your brain’s ability to think clearly.
Prepare Being prepared

means STUDYING
IMPORTANT Maybe in the past you have studied and did not see results.
TIPS FOR The reason could be the way that you studied. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
TEST • Prepare for the test by taking good notes. brain remembers the first thing you learn
TAKING Keep your notebook up to date, and use any the best.
prepared notes from the instructor. • Know when the test will be given.
• Use a variety of methods to study. You can’t do your best when the test comes
If you know your learning style, you can use as a surprise.
particular study methods that match your • Know what will be on the test and the
style. Try using flash cards, voice recordings, format.
outlines, question-and-answer cards, (essay, objective, true-false, etc.)
diagrams, maps, and other aids to find what • Form a study group to ask each other
works best for you. questions.
• Study every day, even if it’s only for 20 Split up the chapter so each person is
minutes. responsible for teaching and reviewing one
Short study times of 15 to 20 minutes each part with the group.
day for a week are much more effective than • For application courses such as math,
2 hour sessions. reading, or English make sure you know
• Divide the material into sections. the rules, formulas, and procedures.
Study one section each day, and review the Use what you have been taught to do.
previous sections afterward because your
STUDY • If you find yourself getting sleepy while • Take advantage of any free tutoring
TIPS studying, take a five-minute break to get a services available at your school. Many
drink of water and walk around. Do some colleges have free tutoring services, and
exercises to get your blood circulating and you only need to ask for an appointment.
add more oxygen into your blood. Ask your instructor or go online to your
school’s Web site to find tutoring.
178
Study Skill: Test Taking
EFFECTIVE There are two things you need to do before you can learn effectively. First, you must
LEARNING correctly understand the material; it must make sense to you. Second, the learning must
have meaning for you.* Think of ways that you can use the information or how you can
apply it to situations in your own life.
THE DAY Get your materials ready the day before the test. If you need a #2 pencil, a pen, a good
BEFORE THE eraser, an electronic scanning answer sheet, or a composition booklet, don’t wait until
TEST the test starts to find out that you don’t have them.
THE DAY OF Testing day begins the night before. ALWAYS get a good night’s rest and eat a nutritious
THE TEST breakfast. Water, protein, and glucose (a type of sugar found in fruit) are all important
brain fuel. Drinks with excessive amounts of caffeine can cause your thinking to become
unfocused. Leave early for the test. Do a brief review of the material while waiting to start,
but don’t start studying new information. Concentrate on what you feel you know already.
AT THE TEST Read through the questions before you begin, paying close attention to the instructions.
Underline the verbs that tell you what you must do, such as “explain,” “define,” “give an
example,” “tell how,” “give reasons,” etc. Also note how many parts there are to each question.
If there are two parts, you must answer both parts to get full credit. Find out whether you
must answer in pencil or in ink and if you can write on both sides of the paper.
EXAMPLE
“Explain four causes of the Civil War, and give five effects of the War.”
Note how many points
Note the word “explain.” Notice how many each section is worth so
That does not mean you items you must you can concentrate on
can just list the causes; it answer. the questions worth the
means you must provide Some directions tell most points. Be aware of
specific details about them you to answer all of the how much time you have to
questions, while others complete the test, and don’t
allow you to choose a spend excessive time on
certain number. one question.
• Never change an answer unless you are sure that the answer you have is wrong.
Usually your first choice is correct. Before you hand in your paper, go over it again
to make sure you answered every single question that you were supposed to answer.
• Leave no blanks. If you’re having a hard time finding the correct answer, eliminate
the two least correct answer choices and then make an educated guess based on
factual information or logical reasoning. Leaving a question blank will guarantee a
wrong answer, but if you guess by choosing between two answers, you have a 50%
chance of getting it right.
• Be sure you leave no stray marks or smudges on electronic-scoring answer
sheets.
*Adapted from David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks: Corwin
Press, 2006, p. 48.
179

Topics and Stated Main Ideas: Objective 1 Objective 2

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CHAPTER 4

TOPICS AND STATED

Objective 1 Identify the topic of a reading

Objective 2 Select the stated main idea.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS AND

Topics, Stated Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Objective 1 How to Find the Topic

❏ U.S. auto manufacturers

❏ bushes with ﬂowers

❏ cell phone companies

The topic of this passage is:

Stocks, also known as equity shares, are units of ownership in a com-

The topic of this passage is:

When a company needs money to make the business grow, it may go to

The topic of this passage is:

The topic of this passage is:

1. Topics tell us who or what the reading passage is about.

Main Idea Authors use different styles to convey main ideas.

Thomas Edison worked tirelessly to create new inventions and processes.

Immediate memory is the temporary memory where information is processed

4. Other main ideas may be a conclusion of a study, experiment, or discussion.

In conclusion, it is often difﬁcult to prove arson as the cause of a ﬁre.

When a main idea is stated in a sentence, it is known as the topic sentence.

1. What is the topic of this passage?

2. What is the topic sentence?

Where to Find the Topic Sentence

TIPS ON TOPIC SENTENCES

advertise a low introductory APR for anywhere from 3 to 6 months,

1. What is the topic of this paragraph?

2. What is the topic sentence of this paragraph?

Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi to a poor,

1. What is the topic?

1. What is the topic of this paragraph?

2. Which of the following is the topic sentence for this paragraph?

one of the most successful Internet companies in history—Google.

2. What is the topic sentence?

1. What is the topic?

2. Which of the following is the topic sentence for this paragraph?

1. What is the topic?

2. Which of the following is the topic sentence for this paragraph?

Reading 1 Vocabulary Preview

1. If you look at money from the wrong perspective (per-SPEK-tiv), it can

3. Patients with terminal (TER-min-ul) diseases are not expected to live.

4. It was so sweltering (SWELL-ter-ing) on the day of the parade that many of

7. Even though Jamika ﬁnds math difﬁcult, her perseverance

1. What do you know about Suze Orman?

Reading 1: ”A Matter of Perspective: Do Money Worries Make You Crazy?”

Dig Yourself Out of Debt

Reading 1: Thinking About What You Read

1. Describe the subject (who and what?)

2. Action (what happened?)

Use your summary notes to write a two- or three-sentence summary of the

LITERAL 1. What is the topic (subject) of this article?

3. What is the topic sentence (or main idea) of paragraph 1?

4. What is the topic sentence (or main idea) of paragraph 16?

Reading 1: Comprehension Questions

7. According to the article, which of the following statements is not accurate?

Reading 1: Questions for Writing and Discussion

4. In what ways have your parents or family inﬂuenced your outlook on