Main Idea
Exercise 1
1.b; 2.b
Exercise 2
1. Across the country, many states have abolished the policy of “social promotion,” even though there is no hard evidence that making children repeat a grade has a positive effect.
2. In 1932, Wallace H. Carothers developed nylon, the first synthetic fiber, which had a dramatic effect on world events.
Exercise 3
1. No nicknames for soldiers of previous generations have earned the popularity of the term GI.
2. Since her death, Frida Kahlo’s reputation has overtaken her husband’s.
Exercise 4
1. King Leopold of Belgium exploited the Congo for personal gain and all but ruined the country.
2. The invention of the CAT scan was as important a discovery as the development of X-Rays.
Inference Exercises
Exercise 1
| 1. | Abraham Lincoln Clue: He steered the country through civil war. Explanation: Lots of people have big Adam’s apples, but America has had only one civil war. |
| 2. | Tina Turner Clue: She ruled the stage but Ike ruled the roost. Explanation: There were many popular women singers in the sixties but only one was linked to a domineering husband named Ike. |
Exercise 2
Answers may vary.
1. Inference: The puppy may well have been abused by its former owners.
2. Inference: The students are going to take advantage of the substitute teacher.
Exercise 3
1. b; 2. a
Exercise 4
1. a; 2. b
Exercise 5
Answers will vary.
1. Richard the Lionhearted was not so pure of heart as some movies suggest.
2. Her romantic attachment to Clyde Barrow led Bonnie Parker into a life of crime.
