TOEFL Reading Prose Summary Questions
The last question of most passages: pick the three sentences (out of six) that best summarize the passage's main points. This is worth more than a standard question — partial credit is given for two out of three correct, so it pays to attempt it even under time pressure.
What This Question Looks Like
"Select the three answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage."
How to Answer It
- Think about the passage's overall argument first, not paragraph-by-paragraph details — the three correct sentences usually map to the passage's major sections or turning points.
- Eliminate options describing a minor example, a single supporting detail, or something true but peripheral to the main argument — these are the classic wrong choices.
- If two options say almost the same thing, one is likely correct and the other a distractor rephrasing it slightly wrong — pick the one that matches the passage's actual claim.
The Trap Most Students Fall Into
A sentence that is factually accurate and appeared in the passage, but describes a secondary detail rather than one of the passage's two or three central ideas.
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