Main Idea

Please come home soon! I miss you so much Maria. I can't sleep when you are gone. I need to hear your soft sweet voice and see your quiet brown eyes. I miss the special way you like to eat your spaghetti with your fingers. Please come home soon!

What is this selection mainly about?

• Maria, you have bad manners

• Maria, you need to clean your room.

• Maria, I miss you.

• Maria, I have lost my appetite.

I have a dog named Boots. I taught him lots of tricks. When I tell him to, Boots will sit or lie down. He can also wave his paw to greet people. When I say, “Dance Boots”, he will stand up on two legs and walk. I don’t know of many dogs that can do such amazing tricks.

The main idea of this paragraph is

• a. c. Boots is very smart.

• b. Most dogs can’t dance.

• c. Boots can sit.

You can learn a lot about people by simply watching or talking to them. Looking at the floor can also give you information about people. You can tell where people walk most frequently because of the worn carpet. The next time you're riding in someone's car, notice the music on the radio. The kind of music played on the radio station can tell you a lot about that person.

What is this selection mainly about?

• a. There are many ways to learn where people walk.

• b. There are many ways to learn about people.

• c. There are many ways to listen to the radio.

Jim's family bought a new car. Jim is very excited about it. His father and mother will take him for a ride in it tomorrow. Jim hopes it will be a long ride. He hopes that his friends will see him in the new car.

What is this selection mainly about?

• a. Jim learns how to drive.

• b. Jim is happy about the new car.

• c. Jim goes for his first car ride.

The alarm clock rang. John pulled the covers over his head. He did not want to get up. His eyes were shut. In a few minutes John heard Mother call him. He had to get up.

The main idea of this paragraph is "John did not want to get up." What detail supports this main idea?

• a. John pulled the covers over his head.

• b. The alarm clock rang.

• c. John gets up at six o'clock.

The clock rang and rang. John pulled the covers over his head. He did not want to get up. His eyes were shut. In a few minutes John heard Mother call him. He had to get up.

The main idea of this paragraph is "John did not want to get up."

What detail below does NOT support the main idea?

• a. John pulled the covers over his head.

• b. The clock rang and rang.

• c. John gets up at six o'clock.

Microchips provide power for watches. They are also the brains in our computers and they control robots. These chips are used in video games and space shuttles. They make our cameras, radios, and televisions small and light.

What is this selection mainly about?

• a. how cameras work

• b. how computers work

• c. how microchips are used

Joy sat on the bench at the baseball field and waited. She didn’t like waiting alone. All of the other kids have been picked up by their parents. Where was her mother? Suddenly, her mother came running up to her. “Oh, Joy, I am so sorry. Next time I will make myself a note to help me remember.”

The main idea of this paragraph is

• a. Joy’s mother forgot to pick her up.

• b. Joy hated waiting alone.

• d. Joy’s mother writes notes.

Tommy ran down the street chasing his dog. “Max! Max!” he yelled. He knew he should have checked the gate before letting Max into the backyard. His mother has told him this a hundred times. How could he have forgotten? If he had closed the gate, Max would still be in the backyard.

This passage is mostly about..

• a. Tommy’s mother told him to close the gate.

• b. Tommy forgot to make sure the gate was closed.

• c. Tommy was forgetful.

Tim and his family went fishing today. They stopped on the way to the lake and bought all their favorite snacks. When they got to the lake, they ate and then started fishing. Tim caught four fish and his brother caught three. They laughed and gave each other a high-five every time they caught a fish. The whole family had a great time.

This passage is mostly about...

• a. Tim caught four fish.

• b. The family bought their favorite snacks.

• c. The family had a great time.