Skill
Recognize The Organization Of Ideas
No description
In the Reading Comprehension section, you may be asked to identify how ideas in a passage are organized or how one paragraph relates to another. These questions test your understanding of the structure of the passage, not just the content.
Recognizing organization helps you see the writer’s plan—whether the author is comparing ideas, giving examples, presenting causes and effects, or contrasting two viewpoints.
Common Question Forms
Questions about organization can appear like these:
- “How is the information in the passage organized?”
- “How does the second paragraph relate to the first paragraph?”
- “What is the relationship between Paragraph X and Paragraph Y?”
These questions ask you to understand the overall pattern of thought in the passage.
How to Find the Answer
The organization of a passage is usually clear from the first sentence of each paragraph. Authors often begin paragraphs by stating the main idea, and the rest of the paragraph supports or develops that idea.
To answer organization questions:
1. Read the first line of each paragraph.
This often contains the paragraph’s main idea.
2. Look for keywords showing relationships.
Examples: however, on the other hand, therefore, in contrast, for example, first, next, finally
These words signal how ideas connect.
3. Choose the option that best describes the relationship.
Ask yourself:
- Is the author giving examples?
- Comparing or contrasting ideas?
- Giving a cause and its effect?
- Stating an idea and then refuting it?
Example
The Passage
(Condensed version for explanation)
- Paragraph 1: Many Americans believe Abner Doubleday invented baseball.
- Paragraph 2: Doubleday was credited with the invention due to a commission report.
- Paragraph 3: Historians now agree that Doubleday did not invent baseball; the sport likely came from English rounders.
The Question:
How is the information in the passage organized?
Explanation:
- Paragraphs 1–2 present a belief.
- Paragraph 3 contradicts this belief.
Correct answer: An idea is presented and then refuted.
Key Points to Remember
- Focus on the first sentences; they guide the structure.
- Recognize transitions that show how ideas shift.
- Determine whether the author is supporting, contrasting, explaining, or refuting ideas.
This skill helps you understand the writer’s logic and answer organization questions accurately.
Exercise
Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:
Practice Exercises
PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1–2)
Conflict within an organization is not always considered negative. Different managers hold different opinions about its value.
According to the traditional view, conflict harms an organization. Managers who follow this view try to eliminate all possible sources of conflict.
In contrast, the interactionist view suggests that conflict can be beneficial. It can reduce complacency among workers and encourage positive change. Managers who follow this view may even take steps to create conflict within the organization.
1. How is the information in the passage organized?
(A) The origins of conflict in organizations are described.
(B) Two contrasting views of conflict are presented.
(C) Two theorists debate the strengths and weaknesses of their ideas.
(D) Examples of conflict within organizations are given.
2. Which paragraph supports the idea that conflict can be useful in an organization?
(A) Paragraph 1
(B) Paragraph 2
(C) Paragraph 3
(D) None of the above
PASSAGE TWO (Questions 3–4)
IQ, or intelligence quotient, is defined as the ratio of a person’s mental age to chronological age, multiplied by 100. Chronological age is clear, while mental age is measured through standardized tests and is more difficult to define.
Standardized IQ tests are designed to measure intellectual skills such as reasoning and problem solving. These skills are considered to represent intelligence.
However, there is no agreement on which skills truly demonstrate intelligence. In addition, it has been impossible to design an IQ test free of cultural bias. Any test reflects the culture of its creators, causing test-takers from that culture to score higher than equally intelligent individuals from different cultures.
3. What type of information is presented in the first paragraph?
(A) An argument
(B) A definition
(C) An opinion
(D) A theory
4. Which paragraph explains how issues with cultural bias appear in real testing situations?
(A) Paragraph 1
(B) Paragraph 2
(C) Paragraph 3
(D) None of the above
PASSAGE THREE (Questions 5–6)
The largest lake in the western United States is the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Streams and rivers flow into the lake, but none flow out. This affects both the salt content and the size of the lake.
Although the lake receives freshwater, it is saltier than the ocean. Each year, more than two million tons of minerals flow into the lake. Most of the minerals are sodium and chloride, which make up common salt.
The size of the Great Salt Lake changes greatly depending on long-term weather patterns. Heavy rainfall causes the lake to expand, while dry periods lead to significant shrinkage due to evaporation.
5. How is the information in the passage organized?
(A) Two unusual characteristics of the Great Salt Lake are discussed.
(B) Contrasting theories about the lake’s salt levels are presented.
(C) The process explaining how the lake becomes salty is outlined.
(D) The reasons for changes in the lake’s size are given.
6. Which paragraph explains the source of the lake’s salt?
(A) Paragraph 1
(B) Paragraph 2
(C) Paragraph 3
(D) None of the above
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