Central Idea

A Helping Hand

Animals, like horses, can help people do their work. Some animals are strong. They can carry people and things. Horses were brought to America by the Spanish in the 1500s. Horses became an important way to travel. A person could ride on a horse. This was much faster than walking. A horse also could pull wagons. The wagons could hold many things at one time.

How do the sentences in the passage support the central idea?

• They show that horses have been around for a very long time.

• They show that horses can pull things and carry people.

• They show that people could do more with the help of animals

• They show that people could travel more often with animals.

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is an amazing place to visit. Almost five million people visit the canyon each year. The canyon is very large and wide. It is 277 miles long and 18 miles wide. The canyon opens up a mile deep. From its South Rim, people can look deep into the canyon. Some people hike across the canyon, using the trails. Others travel by water. Because the Grand Canyon is so large, it is hard to run out of things to see.

How do the sentences in the passage support the central idea?

• They show that people hike across the Grand Canyon.

• They show that many people visit the Grand Canyon.

• They show that the Grand Canyon is too large to visit.

• They show that the Grand Canyon is a great place to visit.

Ducks

(1) Ducks are a kind of bird. Ducks were made to live near water. Duck feathers have a special oil that helps ducks float. Ducks' beaks are called bills. When some ducks eat, they dip their bills underwater. Their bills let the water pour out of their mouths but leave food inside their mouths. This way of eating is called dabbling.

(2) There are different types of ducks around the world. Wood ducks live in North America. Pink-eared ducks, which

are also called zebra ducks, live in Australia. Mandarin ducks live in Asia and Europe. Mallard ducks make their homes all over the world.

What is the central idea of the first paragraph?

• Many kinds of ducks are made for living near water.

• A special oil helps ducks to float in the water

• Ducks dabble when they dip their bills underwater.

• Ducks have special beaks that are called bills.

White-sided dolphins are fun to watch. They can jump high over the water. They can tumble in the air. They are very quick learners. They can learn new tricks easily. You can see them do tricks at places like Sea World. They are often the stars of the show. They like to show off for people.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• White-sided dolphins are fun to watch.

• White-sided dolphins learn tricks quickly.

• White-sided dolphins can jump into the air.

• White-sided dolphins show off for people.

Raccoons

Raccoons are wild animals. Many people think raccoons are only found out in the country. This is not true. Raccoons can be found almost anywhere. They live in fallen logs and inside trees. They will find a way to crawl inside of a house. They are even found in busy cities. Raccoons will happily live any place where they can find food and stay safe.

Which of these is a central idea in the selection?

• Raccoons live in many different places.

• Raccoons can be found living in logs.

• Raccoons live inside people's houses.

• Raccoons enjoy living in the country.