Main Idea Practice 7B

Front

The most important point the author makes.

Back

Central or Main Idea

Front

What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?

Back

All of these

Front

SUPPORTING DETAILS

Back

Details that explain the central or main idea

Front

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main/central idea?

Back

What point is the author trying to make?

Front

What is the central idea of the passage?
Thomas Edison’s life span is known as “The age of Edison.” If it wasn’t for Thomas Edison, we might not have electric lights, telephones, movie cameras, or computers! Think of all the ways these great products affect our lives today. Edison held over 1,000 patents and received dozens of awards during his lifetime for his inventions and contributions to science.

Back

Thomas Edison was an important inventor

Front

What is the central idea of the passage?
The law was not exactly fair in the Middle Ages in Europe. Back then, you could blame someone in your town for committing a crime. The “criminal” could then challenge you to a fight to prove his guilt or innocence. If you lost the fight, you were charged as a liar and the criminal was believed to be innocent. If you won, the criminal was believed to be guilty.

Back

Laws were unfair in the Middle Ages

Front

What is the central idea of the passage? In training to be a knight, a person was expected to study hard and learn good manners. They were taught to play musical instruments, sing, and recite poetry. They also studied reading, writing, geometry, and strategy games. Another knight would then teach the person to shoot a bow and arrow, fight with a sword, and ride a horse. To say the least, knights had a well-rounded education.

Back

Knights learned a variety of subjects while training

Front

What is the central idea of the passage?
There are a lot of myths flying around about bats. One of these myths is that bats are blind. Bats can actually see quite well, some even better than people! Another myth is that bats are dirty. This is also untrue, as bats are very clean animals. Like cats, they spend lots of time grooming themselves.

Back

Bats are misunderstood animals

Front

What is the central idea of the passage? In 1981, a new television channel was introduced to showcase musicians performing their songs in music videos. This channel was called MTV, or Music Television. Since the channel first went on the air, viewership has increased, and the channel has expanded to countries all over the world. Today, MTV not only shows music videos, but a variety of other television programming as well.

Back

MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

Front

What is the central idea of the passage?
William Shakespeare was a very prolific writer. By the time of his death at 52 years of age, he had written 37 plays, 154 poems, and two long, narrative poems. No other writer of his time produced as many high-quality works as Shakespeare. Among his most popular works are Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His words have inspired many writers to this day!

Back

Shakespeare was a talented writer