Reading for Details

There's no magic in magic.  It's all in the details.  

- Walt Disney

Details are critical.  Supporting details prove claims and provide structure for the main idea of a paragraph or passage. But even the finer details serve to bring life and color to what we experience and read.

Key Details

You can identify key details by asking the questions who, what, where, when and why.

• Ask who, and your detail will be about a person.
• Ask what, and your answer will be a fact about a thing.
• Ask where, and your answer will be a fact about a place.
• Ask when, and your answer will be a fact about time.
• Ask why, and your detail will give you a cause.
• Ask how many or how much, and your answer will be a fact about a number or amount.

Noting Details

Keep track of important details by highlighting or underlining them in the text, writing a note in the margin, or writing a note in a notebook or computer notepad.  That activity puts them in your mind as well as keeps them handy for future reference.  

Finding Details

When you need to reflect on your reading, answer a question, or prove a point, LOOK BACK to your notes or text to recall the key ideas.

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Practice

Scientists are interested in the genes that make up human DNA and how they are passed between generations.  What might they do with that information? 

Human Genome Project 

      Researchers carried out the Human Genome Project between 1990 and 2003. During this time, they mapped out the 20,000 to 25,000 genes that line a human being's DNA. This new body of knowledge can lead to insights about inherited traits, gene-based medical treatments, the history of human beings, and criminal investigations. However, researchers also anticipated concerns about the impact of genetic testing: the reliability of the results, a person's right to privacy, and bias against those with any predisposition for a disease. 

According to the passage, the anticipated concerns include –

A. taking DNA samples at crime scenes.

B. designing a drug that is effective on one type of gene.

C. the accuracy of diagnoses from genetic testing.

D. tracing migration patterns of ancestors.

Answer Key

Look back to the last sentence: "However, researchers also anticipated concerns about the impact of genetic testing: the reliability of the results, a person's right to privacy, and bias against those with any predisposition for a disease." This passage directly states the concerns of genetic testing, which include "reliability of the results." This most closely matches answer choice (C), as "accuracy" is a synonym for "reliability."