TOEFL READING: MAIN IDEA

Automobiles: Problems and Solutions

The idea of a small electric car is not new. A number of different car manufacturers already sell such cars. But now a French company, Renault, has designed a very special kind of electric car. By pushing a button, you can make it fold up! The back of the car folds into the car body. These cars were designed mainly for use in cities. They have several advantages over regular cars. Their small size makes them much easier to drive around busy, narrow streets. They are also much easier to park in city parking spaces. Like other electric cars, these autos do not pollute the air. This is an important consideration these days when many cities have serious pollution problems.

Question: What is the main idea of the previous paragraph?

• Electric cars do not pollute the air.

• The new folding electric car has many advantages over regular cars.

• Small cars are very convenient in narrow streets.

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Many studies have shown that it is better to wear your seatbelt when you are travelling in a car. Seat belts greatly reduce the risk of death or injury in an accident. This fact is widely recognized and many governments have passed laws requiring seat belt use. However, many people still do not wear seat belts. Researchers have found several reasons for this. Some people feel uncomfortable with the seat belts. They are afraid of being trapped in the car in an accident. Others do not think that the seat belt can protect them. They believe that people have no power over their fate. Fate will decide whether they will have an accident and whether they will be injured or die. They think that wearing a seat belt or not will make no difference.

Question: What is the passage about?

• In spite of the risks, some people do not wear seat belts.

• All new cars must now be equipped with seat belts.

• Some people feel uncomfortable wearing seat belts.

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The country with the most crowded roads is Italy. In 1992, there were an average of 101.1 vehicles (cars, trucks, and buses) per kilometer of road in Italy. This can be compared with the vehicles-per-kilometer ratios of other European countries. The ration varies for, 35.8 in France to 74.2 in Great Britain. In the United States, the ratio is 30.6. Part of the reason for Italy’s higher ratio lies in its geography. Because much of the country is mountainous, there are fewer roads. Thus the traffic is more concentrated on those few roads. This fact has caused some serious problems. Many cities and highways are often blocked by terrible traffic jams. The heavy traffic has also meant a high accident rate for Italy. And finally, all those cars add to Italy’s air pollution.

Question: What is the previous paragraph about?

• Because of the mountains, there are fewer roads in Italy.

• Crowded roads create traffic jams, accidents, and air pollution.

• Italy’s roads are the most crowded in the world.

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Hurricanes generally occur in the North Atlantic from May through November, with the peak of the hurricane season in September; only rarely will they occur for December through April in that part of the ocean. The main reason for the occurrence of hurricanes during this period is that the temperature on the water’s surface is at its warmest and the humidity of the air is at its highest.

On the tropical storms that occur each year in the North Atlantic, only about five, on the average, are powerful enough to be called hurricanes. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical storm must have winds reaching speeds of at least 117 kilometers per hour, but the winds are often much stronger than that; the winds of intense hurricanes can easily surpass 240 kilometers per hour.

Question: The passage mainly discusses....

• How many hurricanes occur each year

• The strength of hurricanes

• The weather in the North Atlantic

• Hurricanes in one part of the world

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Hurricanes generally occur in the North Atlantic from May through November, with the peak of the hurricane season in September; only rarely will they occur for December through April in that part of the ocean. The main reason for the occurrence of hurricanes during this period is that the temperature on the water’s surface is at its warmest and the humidity of the air is at its highest.

On the tropical storms that occur each year in the North Atlantic, only about five, on the average, are powerful enough to be called hurricanes. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical storm must have winds reaching speeds of at least 117 kilometers per hour, but the winds are often much stronger than that; the winds of intense hurricanes can easily surpass 240 kilometers per hour.

Question: The best title passage would be ….

• The North Atlantic Ocean

• Storms of the Northern Atlantic

• Hurricanes: The Damage and Destruction

• What Happens from May through November

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