Central Idea (Main Idea)

Front

What is Benjamin Franklin known for based on his inventions?

Back

Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor.

Front

Everyone was surprised when shy little Kate came out on stage. Her sweet voice carried the tune with perfect pitch. Suddenly, she forgot the words. She felt like crying, but then the audience started clapping. They thought the song was over! Kate smiled and took a bow.
What is the main idea?

Back

Kate forgets the words to her song and is surprised when everyone claps.

Front

What is the central idea here?
A penny for your thoughts?  If it's a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars.  In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare.  Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny.  These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it's uncirculated, it'd easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that's a pretty penny.

Back

Some pennies are rare and worth a lot of money.

Front

What is the topic of this paragraph? Texting is the preferred method of communication for most teens 12-17. In fact, the number of texts sent daily increases with age. Twelve year olds typically send 20 text messages per day, most often just to "say hi'". That number increases to 50 messages per day, on average, for teens 14-17 years old. Girls in the 14-17 age group average over 3,000 texts per week. Given these facts, it's no wonder unlimited texting is a a must-have with a teen in the house.

Back

Teens and texting.

Front

What is the Central Idea of the passage?
What's that humming sound?  Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight?  Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds.  Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern.  This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly.  And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously.  After you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird.

Back

The hummingbird flys in a totally unique and unusual way.

Front

What is the main idea of the passage about tidal waves?

Back

What tidal waves are like

Front

What is the main idea about the Navajo Indians' population change over the last one hundred years?

Back

How much the Navajo tribe has grown

Front

What is the main idea of the passage about the octopus?

Back

How an octopus gets its food

Front

An old way of collecting worms for fishing is called grunting. To go grunting, put a pointed piece of wood into the ground. Then rub a piece of steel back and forth across it. The worms feel the noise in the ground. They come to the surface, and you can just pick them out of the dirt. This paragraph mainly tells:

Back

how to get worms for fishing bait

Front

What does the paragraph mainly tell about a flea market?

Back

how a flea market is a place where people may find bargains