Central Idea

Central Idea

What is the overall idea of the passage I'm reading?

Does this idea have details that support it within the passage?

What is Central Idea?

• Central idea refers to what the text is mainly about

• Central idea is NOT the topic of the text

• Central idea can most often be stated on one sentence

How do I find the Central Idea of a passage?

• Read the entire passage

• Ask yourself "what was this passage mainly about?"

• Look for words or ideas that are repeated throughout the passage (Circle or Underline these words or phrases)

• Write one sentence summaries at the paragraph after reading when many paragraphs are present.

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and determine the central idea.

Dogs and wolves are part of the same animal family. Both animals have strong senses of smell and are loyal to their packs. But dogs and wolves are quite different when it comes to people. Dogs are used to living with people and get along well with them. In fact, dogs have been called "man's best friend." Wolves, on the other hand, cannot live with humans. Wolves prefer to live in the wild, where they can hunt for their food. Clearly, dogs belong with people, while wolves do not.

• Dogs are better suited to living with people than wolves are.

• Wolves and dogs are members of the same family, so they have many things in common.

Multiple Choice

As a daughter of wealthy Illinois businessman, Jane Addams did not have to worry about money. However, she was concerned about the poor. During a trip to Europe, Addams visited Toynbee Hall, a settlement house in London. Settlement houses were places offering free services to the poor. Inspired by what she saw in London, Addams opened a settlement house of her own in Chicago in 1889. Hull House was one of the first centers of its kind in the United States. It helped many families who had just arrived from Italy, Germany, Russia, and Greece. The center offered classes, child care, food, and help with finding jobs.

• Hull house was one of the first place in the U.S. to offer free child care, classes, and other services to poor families.

• As a result of her visit to London's Toynbee Hall, Jane Addams founded the first settlement house in Chicago.

Multiple Choice

Many sharks swim long distances around the planet. How they do this without getting lost is a mystery. A group of scientists in California thought the sense of smell could be an answer. To find out, they stuffed the noses of one group of sharks with cotton balls. A second group's noses remained unplugged. Both groups were taken to a deep part of the ocean. The sharks that didn't have cotton balls on their noses swam straight toward shore. Those with cotton balls seemed to wander. Therefore, the scientists believe that sharks may indeed use their noses to get around in the ocean.

• Scientists know that sharks can swim long distances without getting lost.

• To study sharks' sense of smell, scientist stuffed cotton balls in the animals' noses.

• Scientists discovered that sharks find their way around by using their noses.

Test creators may ask you:

"Another good title for this passage would be..."

It's just another way of asking for the central idea.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct title for the passage below.

Black widow spiders are far more deadly to animals than they are to people. The spiders catch beetles, flies, and other insects in thier webs and wrap them in silk. Then, they suck the insects out and eat them. Female black widows sometimes even kill and eat other spiders! People, on the other hand, are usually safe from black widows. The spiders only bite to protect themselves. A person who is bitten by a black widow may experience aches or upset stomachs. However, it is rare for a person bitten by a black widow to die.

• How Deadly are Black Widows?

• Black Widows are Not Nice!

• I Have a Pet Spider

• Meet Charlotte