some main idea exercises

A-Read the paragraphs below and write the main idea of each in the space provided.

1) Our institutions have failed to make systematic provisions, such as free childcare and/or paid maternity leave for bearing and raising children. So, when women take time off from work to raise their young children, their incomes fall. This happens at a time when their family expenses begin to increase. The interruptions to their careers resulting from their maternal responsibilities decrease their lifetime earnings and savings. In her book, The Price of Motherhood, Ann Crittenden refers to this danger as "mommy tax." Even more than discrimination on the basis of their sex, this mommy tax puts women at higher risks of poverty in old age.

Main idea:_______________________________________________

2) Governments have often tried to restrict the performance or spread of certain works of art for political reasons. In particular, totalitarian regimes have tried to censor literature, theatre, painting and other art forms. In western democracies, songs have been rejected by radio stations owing to their lyrical content, a decision often taken by radio stations rather than the governments themselves. However, this action often had the opposite result in that the records concerned had enjoyed increased sale because of the curiosity generated by the ban. In 1977, the year of Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee, the Sex Pistols' single God Save the Queen reached number two in the U.K. Top 40 after being banned for political reasons. In 1989, the famous Indian writer, Salman Rushdie, published his book entitled Satanic Verses, and the content of his book created anger among Islamic fundamentalists. As a result, the spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, accusing Rushdie of apostasy and promising his execution. The condemnation put the author's life in grave danger, but it also greatly boosted the sale of his book, Satanic Verses, which was not even considered to be Rushdie's best work.

Main idea:____________________________________

3) The days seem to pass more quickly as we grow older. That is because everyday routines put our brains in a kind of autopilot mode, a state in which we do things without paying much attention. It might seem counterintuitive, but the truth is that "routine is a form of inactivity," says Dina Avni-Babad, a psychologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We rarely remember routine actions, whereas new experiences leave more lasting impressions in our memories. Such non-routine experiences stimulate our interests and enhance our awareness of ourselves and the world around us. They enable us to take notice and to experience the passage of time differently than we do otherwise. Unfortunately though, we encounter fewer new experiences as we age.

Main idea:__________________________________________

Suggested Answers

1)      It becomes more and more difficult for a woman to carry out her maternal duties and pursue her career at the same time.

2)      Despite the government censorship on works of art, it has created opposite results.

3)      Everyday routines make one’s brain to become inactive while new experiences activate the mind.