Central Idea Practice #1

Each year, millions of people come visit the U.S. national parks. In 2014, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had more visitors than any other. Over 10 million people came to witness its beautiful mountains. Not even the Grand Canyon was as popular as Great Smoky. Less than half as many came to see the giant canyon. Great Smoky has 800 miles of hiking trails that stretch across two states, North Carolina and Tennessee. The park also has over 10,000 species of plants and animals. It has 31 kinds of salamander alone! Bears are also plentiful in the park. Visitors must take care not to disturb them.

One reason the Great Smokies area is so popular is that it is very close to cities. The town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is just a five-minute drive from one of the park's three main entrances. This means visitors can easily take a hike in the park and drive back to the city in one day. However, the downside is that air pollution from the city can be a problem in the park. Even so, it has not stopped millions of people from enjoying the many wonders the park has to offer.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• Pollution from nearby cities has a negative effect on Great Smoky park.

• Visitors can easily reach Great Smoky National Park from a nearby city.

• Great Smoky National Park has many species of plants and animals.

• Great Smoky National Park is the most popular national park in the country.

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Each year, millions of people come visit the U.S. national parks. In 2014, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had more visitors than any other. Over 10 million people came to witness its beautiful mountains. Not even the Grand Canyon was as popular as Great Smoky. Less than half as many came to see the giant canyon. Great Smoky has 800 miles of hiking trails that stretch across two states, North Carolina and Tennessee. The park also has over 10,000 species of plants and animals. It has 31 kinds of salamander alone! Bears are also plentiful in the park. Visitors must take care not to disturb them.

One reason the Great Smokies area is so popular is that it is very close to cities. The town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is just a five-minute drive from one of the park's three main entrances. This means visitors can easily take a hike in the park and drive back to the city in one day. However, the downside is that air pollution from the city can be a problem in the park. Even so, it has not stopped millions of people from enjoying the many wonders the park has to offer.

Which key detail in the article supports the main idea?

• The Grand Canyon only had half as many visitors as Great Smoky.

• Due to the abundance of bears, visitors must be very careful.

• There are 31 species of salamander in the national park.

• Great Smoky National Park has three main entrances for visitors.

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(1)Humans have been growing apples for thousands of years. In that time, they have bred many different kinds besides just red and green apples. The different kinds of apples serve different purposes. Some are good for eating, some for cooking, and some for making cider.

(2)Red Delicious apples are probably the most popular apples for eating in the U.S. They are dark red and have a mild, sweet flavor. Honeycrisp is another popular eating apple. This red and yellow apple is crisp and tart but has a honey-like sweetness.

(3)Cooking apples are often sour and firmer than eating apples. Antonovka is a popular Russian cooking apple. It is a large, yellow-green apple that is very sour when eaten raw, but that sweetens when it is cooked. Rome Beauties are rounded, red and glossy. They don’t have much flavor when they are raw, but they become flavorful when cooked.

(4)Cider apples are good for making cider, but because of their bittersweet taste, they are not good for eating. The small, green, rough-skinned Brown Snout is a popular cider apple. The slightly larger crimson and yellow-striped Foxwhelp is a popular cider apple, too.

(5)These are just a few of 7,500 different kinds of apples. Next time you're at the grocery store, look around and you may discover more.

What is the main idea of the article?

• Different apples have different uses.

• Dark colored apples taste better.

• People only eat sweet apples raw.

• There are 7,500 different kinds of apples.

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(1)Humans have been growing apples for thousands of years. In that time, they have bred many different kinds besides just red and green apples. The different kinds of apples serve different purposes. Some are good for eating, some for cooking, and some for making cider.

(2)Red Delicious apples are probably the most popular apples for eating in the U.S. They are dark red and have a mild, sweet flavor. Honeycrisp is another popular eating apple. This red and yellow apple is crisp and tart but has a honey-like sweetness.

(3)Cooking apples are often sour and firmer than eating apples. Antonovka is a popular Russian cooking apple. It is a large, yellow-green apple that is very sour when eaten raw, but that sweetens when it is cooked. Rome Beauties are rounded, red and glossy. They don’t have much flavor when they are raw, but they become flavorful when cooked.

(4)Cider apples are good for making cider, but because of their bittersweet taste, they are not good for eating. The small, green, rough-skinned Brown Snout is a popular cider apple. The slightly larger crimson and yellow-striped Foxwhelp is a popular cider apple, too.

(5)These are just a few of 7,500 different kinds of apples. Next time you're at the grocery store, look around and you may discover more.

How do the key details in paragraph 2 support the main idea?

• By showing why people do not cook with apples meant for eating

• By describing the colors and sizes of the different apples

• By showing that eating apples are always sweet and crisp

• By describing the different flavors of the different apples

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(1)Humans have been growing apples for thousands of years. In that time, they have bred many different kinds besides just red and green apples. The different kinds of apples serve different purposes. Some are good for eating, some for cooking, and some for making cider.

(2)Red Delicious apples are probably the most popular apples for eating in the U.S. They are dark red and have a mild, sweet flavor. Honeycrisp is another popular eating apple. This red and yellow apple is crisp and tart but has a honey-like sweetness.

(3)Cooking apples are often sour and firmer than eating apples. Antonovka is a popular Russian cooking apple. It is a large, yellow-green apple that is very sour when eaten raw, but that sweetens when it is cooked. Rome Beauties are rounded, red and glossy. They don’t have much flavor when they are raw, but they become flavorful when cooked.

(4)Cider apples are good for making cider, but because of their bittersweet taste, they are not good for eating. The small, green, rough-skinned Brown Snout is a popular cider apple. The slightly larger crimson and yellow-striped Foxwhelp is a popular cider apple, too.

(5)These are just a few of 7,500 different kinds of apples. Next time you're at the grocery store, look around and you may discover more.

What is the main idea of paragraph 4?

• Cider apples are smaller than eating and cooking apples.

• Cider apples are good for making cider but not for eating.

• Most cider apples are green, red, or yellow in color.

• The most popular cider apples are those with strange names.

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(1)Carlsbad Caverns National Park has changed since Jim White first explored its caves with his homemade ladder. Today, a person can explore its caves in comfort or, if he or she chooses, do it the way old Jim did.

(2)Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 caves that make up Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the most famous and the easiest to explore. Over the years, it has been paved, lit with electric lights, and made wheelchair-friendly. Today, a person can tour its many rooms without even breaking a sweat.

(3) Spider Cave is another of the 118 caves, but don’t mistake its level of difficulty. It’s not a leisurely stroll. People who explore Spider Cave will find no lights, no sidewalks, and no mercy. A trip through Spider Cave is a series of tight, dirty crawls followed by high, sweaty climbs. Spider Cave is a limestone maze that gives even experienced cavers trouble!

(4)If you’re planning a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, be prepared. You never know what you might get yourself into.

What is the main idea of the article?

• People who are in good shape are more likely to enjoy a visit to Spider Cave.

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers visitors different ways to experience the caves.

• Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 different caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

• The people who run Carlsbad Caverns do not want visitors to be lost in the dark.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

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(1)Carlsbad Caverns National Park has changed since Jim White first explored its caves with his homemade ladder. Today, a person can explore its caves in comfort or, if he or she chooses, do it the way old Jim did.

(2)Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 caves that make up Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the most famous and the easiest to explore. Over the years, it has been paved, lit with electric lights, and made wheelchair-friendly. Today, a person can tour its many rooms without even breaking a sweat.

(3) Spider Cave is another of the 118 caves, but don’t mistake its level of difficulty. It’s not a leisurely stroll. People who explore Spider Cave will find no lights, no sidewalks, and no mercy. A trip through Spider Cave is a series of tight, dirty crawls followed by high, sweaty climbs. Spider Cave is a limestone maze that gives even experienced cavers trouble!

(4)If you’re planning a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, be prepared. You never know what you might get yourself into.

Which key detail supports the main idea of the passage?

• The descriptions of how you can experience and go through different caves

• The fact that Carlsbad Caverns is wheelchair-friendly

• The information about Jim White’s explorations

• The way experienced cavers feel about Spider Cave

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(1)The words “Goth” and “gothic” have had many meanings since they were first used to describe people who terrorized Europe in the first century.

(2) People who use those words today aren’t talking about those Goths, though. Since the 1600s, the word has been used to describe a building style that became popular in the 1200s. It was originally used as an insult by people who didn’t like buildings built in what is now known as the “gothic” style.

(3)However, people grew to like gothic buildings, and many authors even used them as settings for books. In the 1700s, people began using the word “gothic” as a name for these over-the-top stories that mixed horror and romance. Frankenstein and Dracula are both gothic novels.

(4)Most people now simply refer to those kinds of novels as “horror.” Today, people use the word “gothic” to describe a kind of music. Gothic rock is known for its moody sound and dark themes. Fans of the music are often called “Goths.” They are nicer than the first Goths.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• People would have forgotten that Goths ever existed if the meaning of the word “Goth” never changed.

• “Goth” and “gothic” are used to describe things that are similar to the original Goths.

• The word “gothic” is often used to describe a style of building that has been unpopular since the 1200s.

• The meanings of the words “Goth” and “gothic” have changed over the years.

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(1)The words “Goth” and “gothic” have had many meanings since they were first used to describe people who terrorized Europe in the first century.

(2) People who use those words today aren’t talking about those Goths, though. Since the 1600s, the word has been used to describe a building style that became popular in the 1200s. It was originally used as an insult by people who didn’t like buildings built in what is now known as the “gothic” style.

(3)However, people grew to like gothic buildings, and many authors even used them as settings for books. In the 1700s, people began using the word “gothic” as a name for these over-the-top stories that mixed horror and romance. Frankenstein and Dracula are both gothic novels.

(4)Most people now simply refer to those kinds of novels as “horror.” Today, people use the word “gothic” to describe a kind of music. Gothic rock is known for its moody sound and dark themes. Fans of the music are often called “Goths.” They are nicer than the first Goths.

How do the key details in each paragraph support the main idea?

• They show how confused people continue to use the words “Goth” and “gothic” incorrectly.

• They show how people have chosen to use the words “Goth” and “gothic” in different ways.

• They show that people still use the words “Goth” and “gothic” to describe ancient Europeans.

• They show that new meanings have given the words “Goth” and “gothic” more popularity.

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