Inferences

9
What is an inference?

What is an inference? It’s a way of guessing. When you make an inference, you have
some information and you guess more things from that information.

Lead in

Look at the picture and answer the questions. You must make inferences from the picture.

1. Where are these people?

2. Who are they?
3. What are they doing?

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 Exercise 1

Answer the following questions by choosing a, b, c, or d.

1. Carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants are collecting in the atmosphere like a
thickening blanket, trapping the Sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up.
From the paragraph, it can be inferred that …
a. Carbon dioxide and other pollutants blanket the atmosphere.
✔ b. Carbon dioxide and other pollutants collect the sun’s heat.
c. Carbon dioxide and other pollutants warm up the atmosphere.
d. The atmosphere accumulates carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

2. Hybrid cars are good for the environment, but they may not perform as well as cars that run
only on gasoline. The Toyota Prius gets great gas mileage and has low emissions, making it a
good “green” option. However, many people think that it is unattractive. The Prius also
cannot accelerate as quickly as other models and cannot hold as many passengers as larger
gas-fuelled SUVs. Although they save money on fuel, hybrid cars cost more up front than
gas- fuelled cars. A new hybrid car can cost almost $3,500 more than the same car configured
to run just on gasoline.
Which of the following can you infer from the passage?
a. Hybrid cars are more dangerous than other options.
✔ b. Toyota is making a lot of money from the Prius.
c. Cars that use gasoline are going to destroy the environment
d. Hybrid cars may not be the best choice for everyone.

3. Redwood trees are rare. They are found only on the coastal slopes of Northern California and
Oregon, and in China. Redwoods were thought to be extinct in China, but they were
rediscovered by a Chinese forester in 1948. These trees can grow hundreds of feet high and
live to be thousands of years old. They are endangered due to logging, pollution, and global
warming, which is reducing the amount of fog on the coast. Redwoods get their water from
the fog.
Which of the following can you infer from the passage?
a. The Chinese logged the Redwoods almost into extinction.
✔ b. Redwood trees will continue to grow taller throughout their whole lives.
c. Using non-recyclable products will kill Redwood trees.
d. Redwoods can only grow in places that get a lot of fog.

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 Exercise 2

Read the following texts. State whether the statement is True (T) or False (F). Then which
line(s) and paragraph describe the sentence?

Sentences TRUE FALSE

1. Pollution can make people less resistant to infection.
✔
2. Medical advice for people with asthma is to rest during periods of
high pollution.
✔
3. Cars produce the majority of worldwide greenhouse gases.
✔

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 Exercise 3

In the following paragraphs, the writer does not state the main idea directly. Try to infer
the main idea and write it below. (Remember that the main idea is always a complete
sentence.)

1. Vog is just one type of volcanic threat. In the spring of 2010, a volcano in Iceland blew its
top. Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Winds blew enormous clouds of ash
across Europe. Ash is tiny pieces of rock and glass. So much ash filled the atmosphere that it
became unsafe for airplanes to fly. Ash can damage an airplane’s engines. Thousands of
flights were cancelled. The ash disrupted flight schedules for several weeks. Experts cannot
predict when the volcano will spew ash again.

Main idea:
VOG is one type of volcanic threat, namely the threat of vulcanic ash

2. Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may
recommend taking naps, employers do not allow it. If you do have the possibility, however,
here are few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a
nap is about eight hours after you get up. A nap too late in the day may only make you feel
more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. A nap that
lasts too long may also make it difficult for you to sleep at night. If time is a problem, try a
short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful. Some people, in fact, find that they do
not need to sleep at all. They feel rested and more awake after just lying down for a while.

Main idea:

good time fot take a nap

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