Central Idea & Objective Summaries w/"Out of the Death Zone"

A central idea of a text is...

• something that backs up the main idea

• the literary terms authors add to make their writing good

• one of the main points the author is making

A central idea can always be supported with details from the text.

• TRUE

• FALSE

• I HAVE NO IDEA!

When trying to determine the CENTRAL IDEA, you should look at the...

• title

• subheadings

• first and last sentence in each section

• all of the above

Reread the section “The First Attempts.” Check the box next to the statement that BEST expresses the central idea of this section.

• Everest was first summited in 1953.

• In recent years, more and more people have tried to summit Everest.

• Over the years, it has become more challenging to climb Mount Everest.

Read a central idea of the section “The Risks” below in red. Then read the lines from the article listed as answer options. Check the detail that does NOT support the central idea.

Climbing Mount Everest is dangerous.

• “An avalanche of snow, ice, and rock can barrel down the mountain and bury climbers.” (p. 7)

• . “Climbers have been known to get so tired that they sit down—and never get up again.” (p. 7)

• “An increasing number of teenagers have been attempting to reach the summit, most famously Jordan Romero . . .” (p. 7)

• “Altitude illness can cause the brain to swell and the lungs to bleed.” (p. 7)

"I could see my goal above me...I could not turn back." (p. 9)

“For the next few hours, they pressed on, higher and higher into the freezing air. Wind whipped at their bodies. But Poorna kept going, thinking of her family and friends back home, who were rooting for her . . .” (p. 9)

“But on Everest, stopping can mean the difference between living and dying. ‘Keep going,’ she told herself. ‘Just keep going." (p. 5)

"I had to prove that girls could do anything.” (p. 8)

“Since her Everest feat, she has climbed six more mountains and plans to climb a seventh soon.” (p. 9)

All of these details support the CENTRAL IDEA that Poorna Malavath is...

• a courageous and determined person.

• a quiet person that prefers adventures by herself.

• a person that will go out of her way to help others.

• a super talented rock climber.

Objective means...

• the main point.

• the other side of the argument.

• not influenced by personal feelings or interpretation.

A summary is...

• a short statement that gives the main points or ideas of something.

• a long explanation about what happened in a piece of text.

• a short statement that tells the tiny details that are easily forgotten.

• the readers' opinion on the piece of text.

An objective summary is...

• a long statement that includes the readers' thoughts and opinions.

• a short statement or paragraph that tells what something is about and includes the readers' personal connections.

• a short statement or paragraph that tells what something is about but does not include irrelevant details or your opinions.

An objective summary should not be written...

• in the first person (“I”) voice.

• in the third person ("He" "She") voice.