By the end of the first third of the passage, topic and scope will always be revealed. Purpose and main idea (if there is one) are also often revealed in the first 1/3. Moreover, the first third of the passage will provide information on the direction in which the passage is heading and how difficult the passage is going to be. For all of these reasons, reading the first third with special care is crucial.
However, understanding a passage's purpose and main idea is only part of the battle in Reading Comprehension. It's equally important to grasp the passage's structure, or the way in which the author executes his or her purpose and supports his or her main idea.
Paragraph topics are of importance in this regard: they discuss specific issues, and the issue probed in one paragraph often provides a strong clue about the issue to be taken up in the next. Here, the direction in which the author is moving - toward a comparison of Eastern Europe and Asian societies and a description of the institutions that they have to develop in order to become democratic - is predictable; and the text is very accessible.
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Video Lessons and 10 Fully Explained Grand Tests
Large number of solved practice MCQ with explanations. Video Lessons and 10 Fully explained Grand/Full Tests.