Main idea

Main idea

Multiple Choice

Considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, Jackie Joyner-Kersee has won many Olympic medals in track and field events. You would never imagine that she has asthma! As a child, she couldn't even run and play with the other children without finding herself out of breath and very tired. But Jackie has always been determined to succeed. Even though she struggles with asthma, she never lets it get in the way of her dreams.

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee had asthma as a child.

• Asthma affects children at a very young age.

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee is an amazing athlete who has had asthma since childhood.

Multiple Choice

Maps have been around for a very long time! Very early maps were created over 4,000 years ago but the Egyptians and Babylonians. The maps were made with twigs and seashells or were scratched in the sand. Then in 150 AD, a Greek astronomer and geographer named Claudius Ptolemy created the first known books of maps. This eight-book series included maps pointing out the locations of over 8,000 places!

• Maps have been around for a very long time.

• The Greeks were the first people to make maps.

• All early maps were made with sand, twigs, and seashells.

Multiple Choice

ASL stands for American Sign Language, and it was developed to help deaf and hearing-impaired people speak with their hands. There is a sign for each of the 26 letters in the alphabet, but most signing is based on ideas and concepts, rather than actual words. ASL has helped many hearing-impaired people learn how to communicate.

• American Sign Language is based on signing individual letters.

• ASL stands for American Sign Language.

• American Sign Language was developed to help the hearing-impaired communicate.

Multiple Choice

All clouds are made as a result of water vapor rising from rivers, oceans, and lakes. Although all clouds are formed in the same way, scientists have classified and named them according to their appearance. For example, stratus clouds look like long, flat sheets in the sky, and cirrus clouds appear curly and wispy. Another type of cloud is the cumulus cloud, which looks like a mass of puffy, white cotton balls.

• All clouds are made from rising water vapor.

• Clouds have different names depending on their shape.

• Scientists have discovered many different types of clouds.

Multiple Choice

An orchestra is a group of musicians organized to perform music. The group is lead by a conductor, who makes sure the musicians keep the beat of the music. Instruments in an orchestra include the cello, violin, flute, clarinet, drums, trombone, and trumpet. When played together, the sounds of these instruments blend to make beautiful music!

• Conductors use a baton to help musicians keep the beat of the music.

• Orchestras include mostly brass and woodwind instruments.

• An orchestra is a group of musicians playing together.

Multiple Choice

Ballet dancers make dancing on their toes look easy. They do this by training for many hours each day. They must constantly practice to learn the difficult moves they make, and exercise to keep themselves in shape. While many dancers are good, only the most disciplined and talented dancers perform onstage as professionals.

• Ballet dancers are in good physical shape.

• Ballet dancers train very hard every day.

• Most ballet dancers are processionals.

Multiple Choice

There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

What is the main idea?

• There are many fun things to do at the beach.

• It is also fun to look for shells.

• Some people simply like to sunbathe.

• Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Multiple Choice

Floods can cause tremendous damage. They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind. It can take months to clean up after a flood.

What is the main idea?

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.

• Floods cause mudslides.

• Floods damage houses and roads.

Multiple Choice

Tom started to reel in his line. The fish tugged and pulled hard. Judging by the weight of his catch, this fish could feed his family for three days. Tom struggled to stay in the boat and not be pulled over the side. Finally his catch came into view. He had snagged a snapping turtle!
What is the main idea?

• Tom finds enough food for his family.
• Tom gets pulled out of his boat by a huge fish.
• Tom didn't catch anything.
• Tom catches a snapping turtle while fishing.

Multiple Choice

Mary has a new pet.  Her pet is a baby kitten.  It is soft and cuddly.  The kitten likes to sleep a lot.  Mary put a soft blanket in a box for its bed.  Mary plays with her kitten when it is awake.  She never forgets to feed her kitten.
What is the main idea?

• The kitten sleeps a lot.
• Mary plays with her kitten
• Mary’s new pet is a kitten.
• Mary want a new pet.

Multiple Choice

Many people have not heard giraffes make noises.  Giraffes do not use sounds to “talk” with each other.  When hurt, giraffes make a low moo, something like a cow.  When frightened, they make a short, high sound.
What is the main idea?

• Giraffes do make noises
• Giraffes talk all the time.
• Cows and giraffes talk to each other.
• Lots of people have heard giraffes talk.

Multiple Choice

Scissors, glue, and construction paper covered the desks of every student in the classroom. Mrs. Brown was getting ready to hand out heart-shaped candies. Students were talking softly as they cut out hearts and coloured with markers and crayons. In just 10 minutes they would start their Valentine's Day party.
What is the main idea or main event of the passage?

• Mrs. Brown had heart shaped candy
• Mrs. Brown's class was getting ready for a Valentine's Day party
• Scissors, glue, and construction paper were on the desks in the classroom
• All of the students were making Valentine's Day cards for their friends

Multiple Choice

Snow was falling again. Every puzzle was put together, every book was read, and the refrigerator was covered in artwork. Buddy and William were bored. They couldn't go out and play in the snow because they were both sick. Even though school might be canceled tomorrow, they were ready to go back to school.
What is the main idea or main event of the passage?

• they were sick
• it was snowing again
• they were bored and ready to go back to school
• the refrigerator was covered in artwork, and the puzzles were put together

Multiple Choice

Toy cars and trucks were lying all over the floor. Ben had dumped his entire toy box in the middle of his room looking for his favorite blue car. His Uncle Lonnie had given it to him for his birthday. Uncle Lonnie was coming for a visit, and Ben wanted them to play together with it. Ben looked for about an hour and could not find the car. When his mother called him, he stepped on something hard. It was his blue car.
What is the main idea or main event of the passage?

• Ben had many toys and trucks
• Uncle Lonnie gave Ben a blue car
• Ben dumped his entire toy box in the middle of the floor
• Ben found the blue car his Uncle Lonnie gave him by stepping on it

Multiple Choice

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.
• The author enjoys spending time with her family.
• The author's grandparents live far away.
• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

Multiple Choice

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!
What is the main idea?

• Sometimes people feel sad.
• You should do good things for others.
• We're not always happy.
• There are many ways to make yourself feel better. 

Multiple Choice

What at is the main idea of this paragraph?

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.  Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball.  They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.  Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.

• They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.
• Soccer players learn how to dribble.
• They learn how to work together as teammates.
• Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.

Multiple Choice

The main idea of a text is...

• what the text is a little bit about
• what the text is never about
• what the text is sometimes telling you
• what the text is mostly, or mainly, about

Multiple Choice

Amanda sat on a chair in her room.  She looked out the window at a tree, which was covered with snow.  She held a pencil in her hand and a pad of writing paper in her lap.  She began to dream of a story she could write.  Suddenly, a bird flew onto a snow-covered branch of the tree.  The bird’s head was red, and its feather were black with white tips.  Amanda thought, “What if the bird were magic?”  Now she had an idea for her first story.
What is the main idea?

• Amanda was lazy and a dreamer
• Amanda couldn't write.
• Amanda wants to be a writer and gets an idea for a story.

Multiple Choice

Have you ever wondered where chalk comes from?  Tiny animals called foraminifera live in the sea.  Each of these small living animals makes a tiny shell out of lime.  When they die, their shells remain.  With time, these shells become layers of white rock which we call chalk.  Chalk is often found in places that were once underwater.
What is the main idea?

• Chalk is found in the ocean
• Chalk is soft stone that is used on blackboards
• Real chalk is made by a small sea animal.

Multiple Choice

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

What is the passage mostly about?

• who uses pemmican today

• what can be put into pemmican

• how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.

• why people eat pemmican today

Multiple Choice

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

What is the passage mostly about?

• who uses pemmican today

• what can be put into pemmican

• how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.

• why people eat pemmican today