In a living creature, different sequences of DNA instruct cells to create certain proteins. In one oi the Avida creations, different sequences ot computer code instruct the program to perform certain functions. In both cases, the reproduction of the organisms is subject to forces such as competition and mutation. | Question Type 11 Summary Questions The final question type on the TOEFL is the summary question. These questions are typically worth two points and require you to find multiple correct answers. Here s an example of one. 15. Directions An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Animals in the phylum called arthropods have shells or exoskeletons with distinctive characteristics. Answer Choices Insects spiders shrimp crabs and centipedes are all arthropods. The chitin in the exoskeleton is similar in chemical composition to the cellulose in wood. The shell has three layers that protect an arthropod from injury and water loss. Because the shell is hard it must be discarded and replaced as the arthropod grows. The hyaline in a scorpion s shell glows under black light because it is excited by ultraviolet radiation . The large surface area of the shell makes possible a high number of muscles and a variety of adaptive colorations. For this type of question you will click and drag answer choices to add them to the summary. Fortunately these questions always show up at the end of the section so by the time you attack a summary question you should have a pretty good idea of the passage s main points. CRACKING THE READING SECTION 153 Your main task for this question is to separate details from main ideas. Use your understanding of the structure of a passage to figure out which choice is a detail and which choice is a main point. In general details will appear in the middle of paragraphs and are often mentioned only once. Main ideas will appear at the beginning or end of paragraphs and show up throughout the passage. Let s go through each choice and decide .
