Main Idea Practice

Multiple Choice

The main idea is what the passage is ____ about.

• Partly

• Mostly

Bats

Some kind of bats eat many insects. Some bats can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Bats are helpful to the environment. Bats help us by eating insects. Without bats, we would have too many insects.

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea?

• What the story is mostly about

• the details of the story

• the ending of the story

Multiple Choice

Sharks can lose up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. Sharks have teeth arranged in rows inside their mouths. These teeth do not have roots like human teeth do, so they fall out easily. When a shark takes a powerful bite into its food, several teeth are lost. When these teeth are lost, new ones push forward from the back rows to replace them. Luckily, sharks continually grow new teeth to replace the thousands they lose.

• What shark teeth look like
• Sharks lose many teeth over their lifetime.
• Sharks are carnivorous predators. 

Multiple Choice

Jenny visited her grandmother in the hospital. She saw how kind and helpful the nurses were to her grandmother. Now she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. She wants to help sick people get well.

What is the main idea?

• Jenny got sick.

• Jenny wants to be a nurse.

• Her grandmother was in the hospital.

• Jenny was glad the nurses were being kind to her grandmother.

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

Jon held the ball in his hands.  He bounced it slowly on the ground.  Once. Twice. He crouched low and then jumped.  The ball flew into the air.  Up, up, up, it went.  Then down, down, into the basket.  “Yes!” he yelled.  “Nothing but net!”
What is the main idea?

• How to throw a basketball.
• Jon could jump.
• Jon liked basketball.
• Jon makes a basket.

Multiple Choice

It was backward day at school.  The students had to do things backward.  Some of them wore their T-shirts backward.  They took a test before they studied the lesson.  Dessert was served first instead of last.  They tried to walk home backward, but they bumped into each other and fell down. 
What is the main idea?

• Dessert is supposed to come last.
• The students had a backward day.
• It is hard to do things backward.
• Students failed their tests.

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

What is the main idea?
green, blue, purple, red

• colors
• things
• animals
• people

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

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 is supported by what?

• concluding sentences

• details

Multiple Choice

The central idea of a passage/text is....

• what the text is a little bit about

• what the text is sometimes telling you

• what the text is never about

• what the text is mostly or mainly about

Multiple Choice

Supporting details....

• are pointless when determining the central idea

• just give more information

• do not support the central idea

• help prove the central idea (evidence)