not sure of the main idea?...

Sometimes you'll come across a passage so difficult or poorly written that you're confused way before you even reach the second paragraph.  You may think that if you continue reading sooner or later the passage will begin to make sense.  Unfortunately, what happens is that you become even more confused.

It's absolutely crucial that you come to grips with the main idea of a passage.  Until you do, the details won't make much, if any, sense.  WHAT TO DO?

Since the author frequently sums up his or her point in the last sentence or two of the passage, go directly to the last paragraph.  By reading the last few lines carefully, you should get a much better grasp of the author's main idea.  Once you've gotten a handle on the main idea, return to the first paragraph and proceed with the rest of the passage.  Now the text should make a lot more sense.