5%B.THE WORLD POPULATION WILL EXCEED NINE BILLIONPEOPLE BY 2050.C....
20.5%
b.The world population will exceed nine billionpeople by 2050.c. Three out of five persons on Earth today liveSource:Data from U.S. Census Bureau, International Datain Asia.Base.d.The U.S. population will decline in the nextcentury because it is too expensive to live here.The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the world pop-e. Population growth should be a top concernulation will reach over nine billion people by 2050, withfor all nations.most of the population increase occurring in less devel-oped countries.Tips and
C H A P T E R18
Strategies for
the GED Social
Studies Exam
YOU HAVE reviewed what you need to know for the Social Stud-ies Exam. Now you will learn some specific tips and strategies to useon the exam.O
N T H E
SO C I A L
Studies Exam, you will read short passages, varying in length from 50 to 170words, and then answer a multiple-choice question or set of questions concerning the passage.Reading passages may be taken from a number of sources, often drawn from a workplace or aca-demic context. The test uses both primary sources, such as firsthand historical or practical documents, and sec-ondary sources, such as excerpts from editorials, news articles, or news magazines.B e a n A c t i v e R e a d e r
When you read social studies material, you use a similar set of skills as you do when you read other kinds of text.Reading is an active exercise in which you interact with the text, paying close to attention to the key thoughts anddetails of a passage. Try skimming a passage first so that you can discern its organization and get clues about itsmain ideas. If you read at a slow pace initially, you may lose the overall idea in too many details. Look to see if areading excerpt is broken into sections, if there are any helpful topic headings, and what key terms are boldfacedor highlighted. After you finish skimming, go back and read more closely. This time ask yourself questions as youread to help you better understand and recall the passage: What is the main point of the text? How did the authorsupport his or her point? As you read, consider making quick notes on a separate piece of paper to help you high-light important words or ideas.1 5 5
W h e r e I s t h e M a i n I d e a ?
d.The most important Egyptian contributionwas a written script called hieroglyphics.e. Scholars have found similarities betweenTo show that you understand the concepts presented inheiroglyphics and ancient Greek.social studies material, the test will sometimes ask you tofind the main ideaof a passage. A main idea is a generalAlthough choice ais a true statement, it is too generalstatement that contains all the ideas within a passage. Itto express the main idea of the paragraph. Choice bisis an author’s main point.also a true statement but is too specific to describe theTo locate a main idea, carefully read the topic sentencepassage’s main idea. Choice dis an opinion that is notof the passage. The first sentence may contain the overallsupported by the details of the passage. Choice eis notidea that an author wishes to express. However, some-supported by the passage. Choice c best describes thetimes an author may build up to his or her point, inparagraph’s main idea.which case you may find the main idea in the last sentenceTo practice finding the main idea, ask yourself some ofof the introductory paragraph or even the last sentence ofthe following questions when you read:the entire passage. Students often confuse the topicorsub-jectof a passage—that is, what the passage is about—with■
What is this passage about?the main idea. The main idea is what the author intends■
What is the author’s purpose?to say aboutthe subject. For example, read the following■
If you were asked to choose a headline or title forparagraph:the passage, what would you choose?■
Which sentence contains all the ideas expressedThe fertile black soil of the Nile River Valley inin the passage?northeastern Africa gave rise to the agriculture-based society ofancient Egypt.For more than