Reading Class Main Idea 02

Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachussets, by the name of James Naismith. Because of the terrible weather in winter, his physical education courses were indoors rather than outdoors. The students really hated the idea of boring, repetitive excercises and preferred the excitement and challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team members involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of American-style football.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• The life of James Naismith

• The history of sports

• Physical education and exercise

• The origin of basketball

• Basketball

In the first half of the nineteenth century, a New York newspaper. The New York Sun, successfully carried out a hoax to the American public. Because of this trick, readership of the paper rose substantially.

On August 25, 1835, the Sun published reports that some wonderful new discoveries had been made on the moon. The article described strange, never-before-seen animals and temples covered in shining jewels. Many people were fooled by the story, including some prominent members of scientific community.

The effect of the false story on sales of the paper was dramatic. Paper sales increased considerably as people eagerly searched out details of the new discoveries. Later, the newspaper company announced that it had not been trying to trick the public; instead, the company explained the moon stories as a type of literary satire.

Which of the following best states the topic of the passage?

• A nineteenth-century discovery on the moon

• The New York Sun

• A hoax and its effect

• The success of a newspaper

• A newspaper called The New York Sun

In the first half of the nineteenth century, a New York newspaper. The New York Sun, successfully carried out a hoax to the American public. Because of this trick, readership of the paper rose substantially.

On August 25, 1835, the Sun published reports that some wonderful new discoveries had been made on the moon. The article described strange, never-before-seen animals and temples covered in shining jewels. Many people were fooled by the story, including some prominent members of scientific community.

The effect of the false story on sales of the paper was dramatic. Paper sales increased considerably as people eagerly searched out details of the new discoveries. Later, the newspaper company announced that it had not been trying to trick the public; instead, the company explained the moon stories as a type of literary satire.

The main point of the passage is that...

• The New York Sun was one of the earliest American newspaper

• The Sun increased sales when it tricked the public with a false story

• A newspaper achieved success by writing about the moon

• In 1835 some amazing new dicoveries were made about the moon

• The newspaper drew public attention on the article about the hoax

Most of the ice on the Earth, close to 90 percent of it, is covering the surface of the Antartica. It does not snow very much, but whatever snow does fall, it remains there and gets thicker and thicker. In some areas of the southern continent, the ice has possibly been around for as long as a million years and now is more than two miles thick.

The main idea of the passage is...

• The Earth is a cold planet

• Most of the Earth’s ice is found in Antartica

• It snows more in Antartica than in other places on Earth

• Antartica is only two miles wide but it consists 90% ice

• The ice in Antartica

Most of the ice on the Earth, close to 90 percent of it, is covering the surface of the Antartica. It does not snow very much, but whatever snow does fall, it remains there and gets thicker and thicker. In some areas of the southern continent, the ice has possibly been around for as long as a million years and now is more than two miles thick.

The best title for the passage is...

• Snowfall in Antartica

• The Icy Earth

• The Cold, Cold Snow

• The Causes of Antartica’s Ice

• Ice on The Earth

Basketball is a popular sport. The game got its start over a hundred years ago. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher. He wanted a new game for his students to play. He came up with an idea. The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter. Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets. That is how the game came to be known as basketball. Dr. Naismith's first game had thirteen rules. Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same. For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891. Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball. They can run while dribbling the ball.
Which detail could be added to support the main idea of the passage?

• Young children want to play outside even during the cold season.
• The first basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Sports teach people how to get along and how to obey the rules
• Basketball, football, baseball, and volleyball are games that use a ball

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

Basketball is a popular sport. The game got its start over a hundred years ago. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher. He wanted a new game for his students to play. He came up with an idea. The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter. Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets. That is how the game came to be known as basketball. Dr. Naismith's first game had thirteen rules. Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same. For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891. Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball. They can run while dribbling the ball.
Which detail helps the reader understand what it was like to play basketball in 1891?

• Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets.
• Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball.
• He wanted a new game for his students to play.
• The game got its start over a hundred years ago.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

Basketball is a popular sport. The game got its start over a hundred years ago. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher. He wanted a new game for his students to play. He came up with an idea. The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter. Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets. That is how the game came to be known as basketball. Dr. Naismith's first game had thirteen rules. Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same. For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891. Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball. They can run while dribbling the ball.
Which detail tells why basketball was invented?

• The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter.
• Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same
• For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891.
• That is how the game came to be known as basketball

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

Basketball is a popular sport. The game got its start over a hundred years ago. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher. He wanted a new game for his students to play. He came up with an idea. The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter. Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets. That is how the game came to be known as basketball. Dr. Naismith's first game had thirteen rules. Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same. For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891. Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball. They can run while dribbling the ball.
What is the passage mostly about?

• The history of basketball
• How to play basketball
• The most popular sport
• How sports rules have changed

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

Basketball is a popular sport. The game got its start over a hundred years ago. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher. He wanted a new game for his students to play. He came up with an idea. The new game would let his students play inside during the cold winter. Players would throw a soccer ball into two peach baskets. That is how the game came to be known as basketball. Dr. Naismith's first game had thirteen rules. Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same. For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891. Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball. They can run while dribbling the ball.
Which sentence tells the main idea of the second paragraph?

• For example, a player could not run with the ball in 1891.
• There were thirteen rules in Dr. Naismith's first game.
• Today, players still cannot run while holding the ball
• Some of the rules have changed, but others remain the same.

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