Reloop: Central Idea & Objective Summary

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

People often refer to taxes in terms of theirs being much too high. In reality, they are probably even higher than you think, because in addition to the federal income tax we are now studying, there are many other Federal, State, and local taxes, including sales taxes,

inheritance taxes, state income taxes, personal property taxes, real estate taxes, and others.

These are just some of the most obvious ones.



• Taxes are much too high.

• We pay more taxes than we may realize.

• Inheritance taxes and real estate taxes are unfair.

• Some taxes are hidden.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

The fact that electronic computers are now used for data processing has led the general public to believe that it is a mysterious, complicated science and that the computers are giant brains. Both of these ideas are false. A computer is basically just a high-speed adding machine that performs the functions it is told to. If the input data are varied even a little, the computer is unable to operate until it is programmed to accept the variations. The business operations it performs are impressive only because of the extremely high speed of manipulation, but most of these operations have been used for decades. Unlike man, the computer performs repetitive calculations without getting tired or bored.

• A computer is a high-speed adding machine.

• A computer is a mysterious giant brain.

• A computer is impressive because of its high speed.

• A computer is superior to man in many ways.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

The Louisiana Purchase proved to be one of the shrewdest business pacts in the entire history of the United States. The purchase doubled in the area of the country and provided territory from which fourteen new states were created either wholly or in part. It also gave us control over the mouth of the Mississippi River and opened up the way to foreign trade. Prior to the purchase, the waterway had been blocked by the Spanish, probably with the approval of Napoleon. The land that was bought was rich in timber, minerals, and natural resources of many kinds. Finally, the cost of the transaction was unbelievably low; the total of $15 million amounted to about four cents an acre.

• The Louisiana Purchase was a very good business deal for the U.S.

• The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was rich in minerals

• The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was very cheap.

• Most Americans were very pleased with the purchase.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

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.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

In earlier days those who had overseas business which they believed should be discussed personally, took ship and set out across the briny deep. Once aboard they transacted their affairs, engaging in commercial and social matters or conducting government business. Today ships and passengers continue to sail the seven seas, and airplanes soar overhead. But above them all, words speed through the sky – telephone conversations quickly bring together in the most personal fashion people who are separated by thousands of miles.

• Overseas telephone service today is ruling out all need for overseas travel.

• Nothing can take the place of person-to-person conversation in settling business, social, and government problems.

• Many conversations which once required overseas travel can now be conducted by telephone.

• Even with modern overseas telephone service people continue to travel abroad by ship or by plane.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

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.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have 9,000 taste buds just on the tongue alone. There are also taste buds on the roof of your mouth. You even have taste buds on the back of your throat.

• Why we can taste only sweet things.

• that we taste through our nose

• Taste buds are found in different places.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes. However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.

• Coyotes prefer rabbits to lambs.

• Scientists are trying to protect sheep and coyotes.

• Killing coyotes upsets nature's balance.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business

• Being a clown isn't all fun and games.

• Rodeos are exciting.

• Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

• Clowns are good at riding bulls.

Directions: Read the following passage and identify the central idea that best fits the passage.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting.

• who uses pemmican today

• how pemmican was made by Native Americans

• what can be put into pemmican