Main Idea Assessment

  Every night the moon looks a little different. This is because as the moon moves around the earth, sunlight shines on different parts of the moon. The part of the moon that the sunlight is shining on is the part of the moon we see. The moon goes through four main stages. The first quarter moon, full moon, third quarter moon, and new moon are the four stages. It takes about 29 days for the moon to finish all the stages. If it is a clear night, look in the sky. You will find the moon in one of its stages.
This passage is mainly about

• how the sun can be seen in the evening.
• how the moon is different from the sun.
• why the moon looks different every night.
• why the earth moves around the sun.

 Alaska became the 49th state in the United States on January 3, 1959. It is the largest state in the country. The state is known for its tall mountains. It is home to the tallest mountain in North America. This mountain is called Mount McKinley. It is 20,230 feet tall. Mount McKinley is also called Denali. Denali means "The Great One." Many people visit Alaska to see the mountains and the glaciers. Glaciers are huge blocks of ice that have formed over many years. They are made of snow that has frozen solid. Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers. 
This passage is mainly about

• Alaska
• Denali
• glaciers
• mountains

 A local man named David Wayne wants people to slow down. He says that drivers often speed through his neighborhood. This makes it dangerous for the children who live there. He first began asking people to slow down when he moved to the neighborhood twenty-nine years ago. He has since asked the city to put in stop signs. The city claims that the neighborhood does not need stop signs. These days, Wayne sits in his front yard holding a sign that asks drivers to slow down.
Which sentence from the article best describes the main idea?

• He says that drivers often speed through his neighborhood.
• A local man named David Wayne wants people to slow down.
• This makes it dangerous for the children who live there.
• The city claims that the neighborhood does not need stop signs.

The number one product in America is corn. Corn is grown and used for many different things. One type of corn we eat is called sweet corn. Another type of corn is the corn we feed to animals. We also use corn to make ethanol. Ethanol is used to make cars go.
 People use corn to make thousands of other things. It is even in laundry soap. Of course, you know it is used for popcorn. It is also used to make corn meal. You will find it in cereals and many other foods.
This passage is mainly about

• why corn is found in cereal.
• how corn makes ethanol.
• the kind of corn fed to animals.
• the many ways to use corn.

Forest Fires
 Forest fires can happen almost at any time, and they can spread quickly. The fires can have a great effect on plant and animal life. Fires can be harmful to a forest, but they can also be good.
 If a large fire breaks out, it can cause a lot of damage to a forest. Plants can be destroyed and cleared away. With most plants gone, fewer plants can produce food or be used for food. Animals that need the plants for food will have to leave the forest. Other times, animals will leave because they no longer have homes.
  However, forest fires are not bad all the time. If controlled, forest fires can help plant and animal life. There are special people who can start and control fires for a purpose. For example, fires can be started so that they can clear out dead plants. The dead plants take away water that could go to healthy trees in the forests. New plants can then grow, and animals can eat those plants.
 Forest fires can be damaging to plants and animals. However, if the fires are under control, they can be helpful. 
Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that forest fires can be harmful?

• New plants can then grow, and animals can eat those plants.
• There are special people who can start and control fires for a purpose.
• Animals that need the plants for food will have to leave the forest.
• The fires can have a great effect on plant and animal life.

  The Wright brothers built the first working airplane. They made the world's first flight. It took place on December 17, 1903. They flew near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville was at the controls. The plane flew 120 feet. It was in the air for 12 seconds. The brothers made three more flights that day. Wilbur made the longest flight. It lasted 59 seconds. The plane went 852 feet.
Which is the best title for the paragraph above?

• Christmas in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
• The Longest Flight of the Wright Brothers
• The First Flights of the Wright Brothers
• The Last Flight of the Wright Brothers

  Cairo, Egypt, is an amazing city. It is the largest city in Africa. It is on the banks of the Nile River. The Nile is the longest river in the world. Many people visit the city every year. Most of the people come to see the Pyramids of Giza. Some people will even ride their first camel in Cairo. Some visitors will take a boat ride down the Nile River. The city even has places that show how paper was first made. This paper is called papyrus. There is so much to learn about in Cairo.
Which best describes the main idea of the passage?

• Many people live in Cairo.
• The Nile River runs through Cairo.
• The Pyramids of Giza are in Cairo.
• Cairo is an amazing city.

Jack is a handsome Belgian horse. There are more than 150 types of horses in the world. The largest, like Jack, can weigh more than 1,900 pounds. The smallest is only about 2 feet, 5 inches tall. You have to be very careful when you feed Jack. His teeth are very big! He has one bottom eyelash that is four inches long.
This passage is mostly about Jack, who

• is a large Belgian horse.
• is friends with a small horse.
• likes to eat good food.
• owns horses of all sizes.

     The middle of a pencil is filled with something that we call lead. There is a metal called lead, but this is not what pencil lead is made of. Pencil lead is actually made from something called graphite.
 So, why is it called lead when lead is not even used? In the 1400s, the Romans did write with the metal called lead. But in the late 1400s, a soft rock was found to be better. People began to write with this soft rock instead. This soft rock became known as graphite. Even though pencils no longer used lead, the name “pencil lead” just stuck. 
What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

• what pencil lead is made from
• how most pencils are made today
• why pencils use the metal lead
• when pencil lead was first made

   In 1871, a great fire started in Chicago. It killed at least 250 people. 90,000 people did not have a home after it ended. The fire wrecked 4 square miles near the center of the city. Legend says the fire started when a cow kicked over a lantern. The fire spread because there was no rain. People worked to rebuild the city. Chicago kept growing. After the fire, stores moved from the Chicago River. They moved over to State Street.
This passage is mostly about

• the people of Chicago.
• the center of Chicago.
• the Great Chicago Fire.
• the stores on State Street.