GMAT RC Find Main Idea

By Abhishek Tomar on Sep 08, 2009 with Comments 0

In GMAT, Reading Comprehension is all about finding the MAIN IDEA.  Once you get the main idea you are done with the Passage. Usually it is said in many GMAT Books that you find the main idea in first para but experience say that it is usually in the second or the last para. This is because GMAT Examiner knows that people read the first para carefully but they get off course in the end and there you are with the main idea.

Best Idea what GMAT high scored students say is that write down the main idea of each para and conclude from those the main idea of the passage. In this way you will reach the right conclusion. Experience say that GMAT put the bait of main idea in the first para and deny that idea in the second or the last para and you are left hanging in between what’s the main idea is. Some people answer questions as they read through the passage. That is definitely NOT RECOMMENDED. You are definitely taking the bait of GMAT. Just like in the above example you will see that you have the main idea or I should say you THINK you have the main idea that is “Biologist have long know that some types of electromagnetic radiation such as X rays and gamma rays can be dangerous to human beings”

STEP of Finding MAIN IDEA

Read the whole page very carefully but don’t waste too much time in reading and understanding the passage. Find the main idea of the pare you are reading and write down on the scratch paper. Do this with all paragraph Read all the main idea of the passages and conclude with the main idea of the passage Start answering the questions

Take the look at this example of GMAT Reading Comprehension first paragraph
First Para:

” Biologist have long know that some types of electromagnetic radiation such as X rays and gamma rays can be dangerous to human beings. Operating at a frequency of 10(18) through 10(22) mHz, these rays, which are well above the visible light spectrum, were first detected in the early years of the twentieth century”

Second Para:

“However, until now, no one has ever suggested that microwave radiation might also be harmful. In preliminary laboratory results. Clearly and Milham exposed to low doses or microwaves. Clearly ex- posed cancer cells to levels of radiation that are commonly found in microwave ovens and found that the abnormal cell grew 30 percent faster than did unexposed cells. Milham’s study focused on harm radio operations who are commonly exposed to levels of radiation slightly higher than those emitted by cellular telephone. He discovered elevation levels of myrmidon leukemia”

Third para:

“The methodology of clearly and milham has been questioned by other scientists in the field. However, no one seriously disputes that their preliminary finding must be taken seriously or that new studies should be set up to try to duplicate their results. Although federal guidelines for how much electromagnetic energy can be allowed to enter the work and home environment have been made more stringent since they were first implemented in 1982, the recent studies pose troubling questions about
the safety of microwaves”

CRACK the above GMAT passage

In retrospect, the organization of the passage is pretty clear

1. The first paragraph states the known dangers of the electromagnetic radiation
2. The second paragraph speaks about the possible dangers of microwaves as shown by 2 studies
3. The third paragraph questions the two studies, but decides that, on hthe balance, microwaves may indeed be dangerous.