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Topic Sentences
In the last section, you learned what a main idea is. Often, writers
express their main idea in a clearly defined sentence known as a topic sentence.
Topic sentences are usually found at the beginning of a paragraph in order
to immediately establish the main idea. But this is not always the case—
topic sentences can be found anywhere in a paragraph, and sometimes, the
author chooses not to use one at all. Still, looking for the topic sentence is
a good skill to have when ferreting out the meaning of a reading passage.
TOPIC
What a passage is about—the subject being discussed.
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501 Reading Comprehension Questions
The answers to this section begin on page 46.
For the following three questions, choose the topic sentence that best fits
the paragraph.
111. The term spices is a pleasant one, whether it connotes fine
French cuisine or a down-home, cinnamon-flavored apple pie.
____________. In the past, individuals traveled the world seeking
exotic spices for profit and, in searching, have changed the course
of history. Indeed, to gain control of lands harboring new spices,
nations have actually gone to war.
a. The taste and aroma of spices are the main elements that make
food such a source of fascination and pleasure.
b. The term might equally bring to mind Indian curry made thou-
sands of miles away and those delicious barbecued ribs sold on
the corner.
c. It is exciting to find a good cookbook and experiment with
spices from other lands—indeed, it is one way to travel around
the globe!
d. The history of spices, however, is another matter altogether,
and at times, it can be filled with danger and intrigue.
112. It weighs less than three pounds and is hardly more interesting to look
at than an overly ripe cauliflower. ___________________________. It
has created poetry and music, planned and executed horrific wars,
and devised intricate scientific theories. It thinks and dreams, plots
and schemes, and easily holds more information than all the libraries
on Earth.
a. The human brain is made of gelatinous matter and contains no
nerve endings.
b. The science of neurology has found a way to map the most
important areas of the human brain.
c. Nevertheless, the human brain is the most mysterious and com-
plex object on Earth.
d. However, scientists say that each person uses only 10% of his or
her brain over the course of a lifetime!
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501 Reading Comprehension Questions
TOPIC SENTENCE
A sentence that introduces or defines the topic of a paragraph. This
is frequently the first sentence in a paragraph—but not always.
113. ___________________. It rained in April; it rained in May. It
rained in the mornings; it rained in the afternoons. It poured, it
drizzled, it showered, it misted—but always it rained. But the good
news is we won’t have a drought this summer.
a. The rain makes me gloomy.
b. This spring was the rainiest on record.
c. Rain is nice, but I prefer sunshine.
d. Scientists know very little about the global climate.
For the following questions, a topic sentence is given. Try choosing the
sentence that best develops or supports it.
114. A fireplace should be lined with special fire bricks to prevent heat
transfer.
a. Normal bricks are not dense enough to withstand excessive
heat.
b. Fire codes also require a smoke alarm in every room.
c. Good up-drafts can make a pleasant fire, however.
d. Modern houses don’t use as much lumber as older homes did.
115. Cosmetic plastic surgery is one of the fastest-growing segments of
U.S. medicine.
a. Cosmetic plastic surgery can have dangerous side effects, some
of which can be fatal.
b. Americans are eager to make their bodies as perfect as possible
and to minimize the visible signs of aging.
c. The price of cosmetic plastic surgery is also on the rise.
d. This increase in cosmetic plastic surgery says something quite
disturbing about our culture.
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501 Reading Comprehension Questions
116. If a car suddenly begins to skid on ice, a driver’s instinctive reaction
might be the wrong one.
a. Skids can be a terrifying experience.
b. Cars can be very unpredictable on ice.
c. Many people instinctively turn the wheel in the wrong direc-
tion, making the skid worse.
d. New tires can help reduce the risk of skidding on ice.
117. The “lead” inside the common pencil is actually not lead at all.
a. Lead is commonly mined in Africa.
b. Pencils were invented in 1603 by William Ledbelly.
c. Even when sharpened, a pencil may not write as well as a pen.
d. The substance used in pencils today is graphite.
118. The Greek ideal of the hero most closely resembles today’s free-
agent superstar.
a. A superstar is an athlete who commands a great salary based on
his individual skills.
b. The Greek warrior’s focus was on grasping at immortality, and
he did this by ensuring that his name would live on, long after
he died.
c. The Greek hero valued self-interest above loyalty to a cause, his
king, or to his army, just as the free-agent superstar values his
contract salary above any special team, coach, or the game.
d. The Greek hero was impressive in his performance on the
battlefield as well as in the sports arena.
119. There is no instruction by the old bird in the movements of flight;
no conscious imitation by the young.
a. The most obvious way in which birds differ from humans in
behavior is that they can do all that they have to do, without
ever being taught.
b. More extraordinary than the fact that a bird is able to fly
untaught, is that it is able to build a nest untaught.
c. Young birds frequently make their first flights with their par-
ents out of sight.
d. Young birds brought up in artificial environments will build the
proper kind of nest for their species when the time comes.
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