Central Idea Review

Identify the central idea.

There is a common belief that while the dog is man’s best friend, the coyote is his worst enemy. The bad reputation of the coyote traces back to his fondness for small animals; he hunts at night and is particularly destructive to sheep, young pigs, and poultry. Yet it is sometimes wise to encourage coyotes. Provided valuable farm animals are protected, the coyote will often free the property of other animals, like rabbits, which are ruinous to crops and certain trees. He is especially beneficial in keeping down the rodent population. Where coyotes have been allowed to do their work without molestation, ranchers and fruit growers have found them so valuable that they would no more shoot them than they would shoot their dogs.

• Under certain conditions the coyote is helpful to man.

• The coyote is feared because of his fondness for small animals.

• Modern ranchers would no sooner shoot coyotes than they would shoot dogs.

• The coyote usually prefers rabbits and other rodents to sheep and poultry.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

Identify the central idea.

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.

• Gambling laws are inconsistent from community to community.

• Churches do not have uniform ideas about gambling.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Identify the central idea.

The term "machine gun" is commonly applied to any gun that is designed to fire repeatedly and in rapid succession for as long as the trigger is held down. During the course of warfare, the trigger of some machine guns may be held down almost continuously for hours to create suppressant fire (rounds fired not necessarily to kill an enemy, but to prevent them from attacking). All of this firing can generate a lot of heat, which may cause the weapon to overheat and malfunction. But this situation has been addressed in a number of ways. For one, practically all machine guns fire from an open bolt, which allows air to cool the breach between bursts of fire. Additionally, some machine guns have removable barrels, which allow hot barrels to be replaced. And some advanced machine guns even have sophisticated barrel cooling systems, which maintain a functional heat level within the weapon. As you might have concluded, a lot of brain power has gone into keeping those guns firing.

• Machine guns overheat and there are different ways to address the issue.

• Machine guns are powerful weapons.

• Machine guns fire rapidly and repeatedly.

• None of these

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

Identify the central idea.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed a $1.35 trillion tax cut package. This is the biggest reduction in twenty years. The measure lowers all income tax rates. The package now goes to a House-Senate conference committee. In the committee, Congressional and White House negotiators will quarrel over the size and timing of the tax cuts. In the final tally, 62 senators voted for the bill and 38 voiced against it. All 50 Republicans and 12 Democrats joined in support of the package.

• The vote on the tax cut was 62 to 38.

• Negotiators will argue about the timing.

• The Senate passed a large tax cut.

• Taxes are way too high in America.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Depression is a common illness that is easy to treat. Unfortunately, many people don't take their symptoms seriously and don't talk to their doctors about their problems. They don't know that depression has a physical cause; it is not a sign of weakness or a mood that will just go away.

Which of the following details would best support the central idea of this passage?

• Juan doesn't feel like himself anymore.

• Girls are more likely to suffer from depression than boys.

• Depression often runs in families.

• Many people try to hide their depression and avoid getting help.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

During World War I, many soldiers died because their wounds became infected. Antibiotics had not been discovered at that time. During World War II, many more soldiers died while in combat. Antibiotics are used to treat infections because they kill bacteria in the body. They are easily the most widely prescribed drug in the world.

Which statement best supports the main idea of the passage?

• Many World War I soldiers died from infections.

• Antibiotics are used to treat infections.

• More World War II soldiers died while in combat.

• There were no antibiotics in World War I.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2