Identifying the Main Idea

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Tom jumped into the pool. The water was chilly, but Tom didn't mind. Today was the day for his first diving lesson. he could do a few dives already, but he wanted to learn to do fancy dives correctly. He was anxious to learn the swan dive and the jackknife.

• Tom wants to learn to dive.

• Tom is a diving teacher.

• Tom can do fancy dives.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Chocolate is a popular food. Today we think of it mainly as a candy. Years ago, it started out as a drink. All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat.

• Making chocolate is a long process.

• Chocolate is high in vitamins.

• Chocolate has few uses.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

The crop that gives the most food to humans and animals in the United States is corn. Most of the corn grown is for use as animal feed. The farmers of the United States produce about one half of all the corn grown in the world.

• Corn is grown as feed for humans and animals.

• Corn is grown all over the world.

• Corn is important as it is used for many things.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Did you know that there are two kinds of pandas? Both types of pandas live in the high mountain forests of Asia. The better known of the two is the giant panda. The giant panda has a white coat with black legs and ears. The smaller panda looks like a cat and weighs about 10 pounds.

• There are two different kinds of pandas.

• The giant panda is more important.

• The two pandas are very similar.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Cats are a popular house pet. Cats come in a variety of colors. Some cats have long hair and some have short. There are cats that have no tails. Cats can have eyes of many different colors. A cat can be a solid color, more than one color, or striped.

• Cats make the best house pet.

• Cats are very similar.

• There is much variety in the cat family.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Florida is known for its sunshine and flowers. Florida is known for other things as well. Many of the fruits we eat are grown in Florida. Examples are the grapefruit and orange. In fact, Florida grows more of these two fruits than any other state.

• Disney World makes Florida important.

• Florida is known for many reasons.

• Florida is a very large state.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

John wants to be a boxer. In boxing, people fight others of the same weight and size. This makes for an even match. John goes to a gym several times a week to practice. He wears padded gloves to prevent injury. It is necessary to be in top shape to be a good boxer.

• Boxing is an extremely dangerous sports.

• All boxers are the same weight and size.

• Boxing requires practice and safety measures.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Identify the main idea of the passage.

Every fall, each oak tree drops a great quantity of acorns. Acorns are the seeds for new oak trees. Not all acorns become oak trees. Actually, only a few are lucky enough to grow into trees. These lucky acorns find good soi and the right amount of sun and water.

• Acorns grow very slowly.

• All acorns become oak trees.

• An acorn must find the right place to grow.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2