Central Idea 1.2

A central idea can be best defined as...

• something that proves a thought or is used as evidence.

• the universal thought or idea projected in a text.

• a thought that has a detail.

• none of these.

What is the Central Idea of this paragraph?

People often refer to taxes in terms of their being much too high. In reality, they are probably even higher than you think, because in addition to the federal income tax we are now studying, there are many other Federal, State, and local taxes, including sales taxes, inheritance taxes, state income taxes, personal property taxes, real estate taxes, and others. These are just some of the most obvious ones.

• Taxes are much too high.

• Some taxes are hidden.

• We pay more taxes than we may realize.

• Inheritance taxes and real estate taxes are unfair.

A way to remember the word analyze is to think about...

• confusing a person.

• putting things in order.

• putting things together to make it one.

• breaking it down.

True or False:

Rhetoric is the language and it can be persuasive.

• True

• False

You can associate rhetoric most often with:

• biographies

• speeches

• directions

• none of these

True or False

The words theme and central idea are sometimes interchangeable.

• True

• False

What is the central idea of the following paragraph?

The attitudes of Americans toward gambling are amazingly contradictory. You may find, for example, that horse racing is legal in your state, but that you cannot legally play poker for money on your front porch; bookies may be prosecuted by state law, but they are supposed to purchase a federal license nonetheless; one church condemns gambling, while another raises money by sponsoring Bingo games. Gambling laws are inconsistent from state to state or even from town to town and are very difficult to enforce.

• Americans have negative attitudes toward gambling.

• Gambling laws are difficult to enforce

• Churches do not have uniform ideas about gambling.

• Gambling laws are inconsistent from community to community.

The BEST definition for PURPOSE as related to READING is:

• The fault of a writing.

• The intention or reason something was produced or written.

• The reason something is around.

• All of these are the BEST as the word relates to reading.

A synonym for the word PURPOSE is:

• point of view

• cause

• effect

• all of these are synonyms for the word.

True or False:

An author's point of view can be told in only one way.

• True

• False