Central Idea Practice 2

What is a topic?

• the writer's opinion about a text
• the general subject of a text
• the details that explain the text
• a retelling of the most important ideas

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.W.8.2A

What does the central idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story
• The conflict of the story
• What the story is about 
• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?

• Title
• Headings
• Pictures
• All of these

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

(1) Before Julia Child was a world-famous chef and the star of TV shows, she did top-secret work for the U.S. government. Child wanted to join the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, but couldn’t because she was too tall. She instead joined the OSS. The OSS was a government group that eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.).

(2) Child began her OSS career as a typist in Washington, D.C. Her education and experience soon got her a job as a top-secret researcher who worked for the head of the OSS. His name was William J. Donavon.

(3) She went on to work for a group that was working on a way to keep sharks away from torpedoes that were aimed at enemy submarines. She then worked for the OSS in Sri Lanka and China before marrying Paul Cushing Child, who introduced her to fine food, putting her on the path that led her to fame.

How does the author develop the main idea of this article?

• By explaining how Julia Child became interested in cooking

• By describing the kinds of work Julia Child did for the OSS

• By saying that William J. Donavon was the head of the OSS

• By mentioning that Julia Child starred on television shows

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

(1) Before Julia Child was a world-famous chef and the star of TV shows, she did top-secret work for the U.S. government. Child wanted to join the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, but couldn’t because she was too tall. She instead joined the OSS. The OSS was a government group that eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.).

(2) Child began her OSS career as a typist in Washington, D.C. Her education and experience soon got her a job as a top-secret researcher who worked for the head of the OSS. His name was William J. Donavon.

(3) She went on to work for a group that was working on a way to keep sharks away from torpedoes that were aimed at enemy submarines. She then worked for the OSS in Sri Lanka and China before marrying Paul Cushing Child, who introduced her to fine food, putting her on the path that led her to fame.

Which of the following best explains the central idea of this article?

• Julia Child worked as a top-secret researcher before becoming a famous chef.

• Julia Child was a typist for the OSS before she became a top-secret researcher.

• Julia Child’s husband, Paul Cushing Child, encouraged her to become a chef.

• Julia Child worked in different countries when she was a top-secret researcher.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

(1) Though forks were first used in China thousands of years ago, it took a long time for them to make their way to what is now the United States.

(2) Ancient Greeks began using forks after the Chinese. However, they did not use forks for eating. They used them for serving food. From Greece, forks moved to the Roman Empire. Romans first used long forks for cooking and serving. By the 300s, they began using table forks to feed themselves.

(3) The table fork spread from there to what is now the Middle East and Turkey, before arriving in Italy and becoming popular in the 1000s. It stayed popular in southern Europe, but was not used much in northern Europe until it first became popular in France and Spain in the 1700s.

(4) The table fork arrived in England from France before making its way to the North American colonies, where it first became popular shortly before the American Revolution.

What is the main idea of paragraph 2?

• Roman forks were longer than Greek and Chinese forks.

• Forks arrived in Greece after being invented in China.

• The fork changed after arriving in the Roman Empire.

• The Greeks began using forks long before the Romans did.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

(1) Though forks were first used in China thousands of years ago, it took a long time for them to make their way to what is now the United States.

(2) Ancient Greeks began using forks after the Chinese. However, they did not use forks for eating. They used them for serving food. From Greece, forks moved to the Roman Empire. Romans first used long forks for cooking and serving. By the 300s, they began using table forks to feed themselves.

(3) The table fork spread from there to what is now the Middle East and Turkey, before arriving in Italy and becoming popular in the 1000s. It stayed popular in southern Europe, but was not used much in northern Europe until it first became popular in France and Spain in the 1700s.

(4) The table fork arrived in England from France before making its way to the North American colonies, where it first became popular shortly before the American Revolution

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

• By showing why forks were always more popular in southern Europe

• By saying that Romans were the first people to use forks for eating

• By showing how forks spread from China to other parts of the world

• By explaining to the reader how the fork came to be popular in Italy

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.1

(1) Do you spend your days feeling slow and sluggish, still sleepy hours after getting out of bed?

(2) If you answered “yes” to that question, you need more exercise, not more sleep.

(3) The best way to get rid of that tired feeling that never seems to go away is to begin exercising as soon as you wake up. Now, you don’t have to do a weight lifting routine, go on a 15 mile bicycle ride, or do hundreds of sit-ups. All you have to do is get moving.

(4) One of the easiest ways to do that is to go for a walk as soon as you wake up. A walk will clear your head, get your muscles working, and remind you that there’s no chance of going back to bed. After your walk, you will not only be able to think clearly, but you will also have more energy and be prepared to tackle the rest of the day.

What is the central idea of the passage?

• People who exercise in the morning can only do one kind of exercise.

• People who feel tired all day should exercise as soon as they wake up.

• Walking is the best kind of exercise for people who wake up early.

• Morning exercise prevents people from getting back into their beds.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

(1) Do you spend your days feeling slow and sluggish, still sleepy hours after getting out of bed?

(2) If you answered “yes” to that question, you need more exercise, not more sleep.

(3) The best way to get rid of that tired feeling that never seems to go away is to begin exercising as soon as you wake up. Now, you don’t have to do a weight lifting routine, go on a 15 mile bicycle ride, or do hundreds of sit-ups. All you have to do is get moving.

(4) One of the easiest ways to do that is to go for a walk as soon as you wake up. A walk will clear your head, get your muscles working, and remind you that there’s no chance of going back to bed. After your walk, you will not only be able to think clearly, but you will also have more energy and be prepared to tackle the rest of the day

How does the author develop the central idea of this passage?

• By explaining ways in which exercise can be beneficial

• By claiming that the reader should try to get less sleep

• By describing the problems that come from being sleepy

• By telling the reader exercises he or she should avoid

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2