Chapter 10: Implied Main Ideas
Lab Activity 48: Implied Main Ideas: Textbook Paragraphs tbskils_small.gif
 

tbskils.gif Objective
To identify the implied main idea in textbook paragraphs.

arrow.gifStep 2: Read each of the following paragraphs, and select the implied main idea. Your instructor will tell you whether to write your answers in your book or to submit your answers online for electronic grading.

      5.       One of the most obvious ways to test the principle that human bodies are at their physical peak in early adulthood is to look at sports performances. Olympic athletes or other top world performers in any sport are pushing their bodies to the limit of their abilities in some areas. If early adulthood is really the peak, we should find that most world-record holders and top performers are in their twenties or perhaps early thirties. Another strategy to get at the same question is to look at the average performance of top athletes in each of several age groups, including those in "masters" age categories. Both types of analysis lead inescapably to the same conclusion: Athletic performance peaks early in life, although this varies somewhat from one sport to another.

     —Bee, p. 338  

 
 
 
 
      6.     Employers were asked to name the top 10 personal qualities they seek in job candidates. Communication skills topped the list, followed by motivation/initiative, teamwork skills, leadership qualities, and academic achievement.

     —Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, p. 375  

 
 
 
 
      7.     Relationship talk is talking about the nature, quality, direction, or definition of a relationship. Relationship talk is generally considered inappropriate in the early stages of a relationship. A relationship might be prematurely terminated if one partner tries to talk about the relationship too early. Willingness to talk about the relationship is one way to implicitly signal your partner about your level of interest and commitment to the relationship. As relationships move toward greater intimacy, however, the amount of direct relationship talk increases. As the relationship escalates, we should be prepared to discuss our thoughts and feelings about it. In more intimate relationships, relationship talk helps the partners resolve differences in their perceptions of the relationships that might be contributing to conflict and dissatisfaction. Unwillingness to talk about the relationship in an intimate relationship can ultimately drive a partner away.

     —Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, pp. 336–337 

 
 
 
 
      8.     Listening skills are crucial for developing and maintaining relationships. Listening clues you into others' needs, wants, and values, and it enables you to respond to them in appropriate ways. In the initial stages of a relationship, partners share a great deal of information. The amount of information tapers off in the later stages as a relationship continues over time. This tapering off creates the illusion that you don't have to listen as much or as well as you did early on. But listening is a way to demonstrate ongoing interest in another person. Even in long-term relationships, you do not know everything your partner has to say. It is still important to stop, look, and listen—to put down the newspaper or turn off the radio when your close friend begins talking to you.

     —Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, pp. 337 

 
 
 
 
      9.     There are two ways we share feelings with our partners. The first includes disclosing information about our past or current emotional status, such as sadness about the death of a family member or fear about what we will do after we graduate. The second way we share emotions is the direct expression of emotions, such as expressing attraction, love, or disappointment toward our partner. As relationships become more intimate, we have a greater expectation that our partner will disclose emotions openly. The amount of risk associated with such emotional disclosures varies from person to person. Most of us are comfortable sharing positive emotions such as happiness and joy, but we are more reserved about sharing negative emotions such as fear or disappointment. We may think expressing negative emotions makes us appear weak or vulnerable. However, in a study of forty-six committed, romantic couples, researchers found that the number one problem was the inability to talk about negative feelings. For example, partners often made the following types of observations: "When she gets upset, she stops talking"; "He never lets me know when he's upset with something he doesn't like"; and "He just silently pouts." We generally want to know how our partners in intimate relationships are feeling, even if those feelings are negative.

     —Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, pp. 336  

 
 
 
 
      10.     The most satisfying relationships are those in which both partners refrain from continually disagreeing, criticizing, and making negative comments to each other. Both individuals learn to accept the other and do not feel compelled to continually point out flaws or failures. One study found that well-adjusted couples focus their complaints on specific behaviors, whereas maladjusted couples complain about each other's personal characteristics. Well-adjusted couples are also kinder and more positive and have more humor in their interactions. They tend to agree with each other's complaints, whereas the partners in maladjusted relationships launch counter-complaints. In addition, happy couples, when compared to unhappy couples, display more affection through positive nonverbal cues, display more supportive behaviors, and make more attempts to avoid conflicts.

     —Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, pp. 341  

 
 
 
 





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