Practice Main Idea

What is the main idea of the following passage?

Meerkats in Africa live in large groups of 20 to 50 members. The group lives together to survive. All members of the group care for the baby meerkats. They take turns babysitting and will protect the young ones from danger. Members of the group also take turns watching out for threats from other animals while the group finds food. If any dangerous animal comes towards the group, the meerkat will bark a warning.

• Meerkats live in Africa

• Meerkats bark warnings when danger is spotted

• Meerkats live in large groups and depend on one another for survival

• All members of meerkat groups babysit the young

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. Mammals are different than fish, reptiles or birds. As a mammal, dolphins breathe oxygen, even though they live in water. Because they are mammals, a dolphin mother gives birth to a live baby, unlike reptiles and birds who lay eggs. A dolphin mother also feeds her baby mile like other mammals.

• Mammals are different than fish, reptiles or birds.

• Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean.

• Dolphins give birth to live babies.

• Dolphin mothers feed their babies milk.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

The Constitution of the US has been amended several times to allow more citizens the right to vote. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, extended voting rights to former slaves. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave women the right to vote. In 1971, the 26th Amendment granted voting rights to those 18 years and older, changing the requirement that voters must be 21 years old.

• The Constitution has been amended several times to grant more citizens the right to vote.

• Women didn't vote until 1920 but men could vote since the founding of the country.

• Today, almost anyone can vote.

• The Constitution has been amended many times.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

Soccer is known in some countries as football. It is a popular sport across the world, with over 200 countries playing the sport. It is estimated that over 250 million people, both men and women, play soccer. The sport has been part of the Olympic games from 1900 to 1928 and from 1936 to today.

• Soccer is played at the Olympics.

• Soccer is also called football.

• Soccer is a popular game that is played worldwide.

• Soccer is played by men and women.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

The blue whale was once abundant in nearly all the oceans in the world until the end of the 19th century. It was driven to the brink of extinction by commercial whaling in the 19th century. Blue whales are protected from whaling by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. In 1970, the blue whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act.

• Blue whales are protected from hunting because they were once hunted to the point of extinction

• In 1970, the blue whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act.

• The blue whale was once abundant in nearly all the oceans.

• Blue whales was driven to the brink of extinction by whaling.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

• Children go door to door in costumes for candy on Halloween

• Halloween is believed to have started from an ancient Celtic festival that celebrated their New Year

• November 1st was the Celtic New Year

• The Celtic New Year marked the end of summer

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words, automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good thing. Clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at good prices and in large supply because of automation. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation there are over 700,000 robots in America that do jobs once performed by humans. The way of automation may not be best for humanity , but it is the course we are taking.

• Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor.

• Automation allows for products to be available at a lower cost.

• Automation accounts for the loss of jobs.

• Automation has pros and cons.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

That’s only a tiny portion of the amount grown every year, however. Worldwide, the annual potato harvest is over 6 billion bags. Each bag contains 100 pounds of potatoes, some of them as large as four pounds each. Here in the United States, farmers fill about 400 million bags a year. That may seem like a lot of “taters,” but it leaves the United States a distant third among world potato growers. Polish farmers dig up just over 800 million bags a year, while the Russians lead the world with nearly 1.5 billion bags.

• Six billion bags of potatoes are bagged around the world each year.

• Each bag contains 100 pounds of potatoes.

• Farmers in the US fill about 400 million bags a year.

• Russians lead the world with nearly 1.5 billion bags of potatoes.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

The first potatoes were grown by the Incas of South America, more than 400 years ago. Their descendants in Ecuador and Chile continue to grow the vegetable as high as 14,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains. (That’s higher than any other food will grow.) Early Spanish and English explorers shipped potatoes to Europe, and they found their way to North America in the early 1600s.

• The history of the potato and how they made their way to North America.

• The first potatoes were grown by the Incas

• The potato is still grown in the Andes Mountains as high as 14,000 feet up

• The potato is the only food that can be grown as high up as 14,000 feet

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main idea of the following passage?

People eat potatoes in many ways-baked, mashed, and roasted, to name just three. However, in the United States most potatoes are devoured in the form of French fries. One fast-food chain alone sells more than $1 billion worth of fries each year. No wonder, then, that the company pays particular attention to the way its fries are prepared.

• Potatoes can be eaten in many ways.

• One fast food chain sells more than 1 billion dollars worth of fries each year.

• Potatoes can be baked, mashed, and roasted.

• Most potatoes in the United States are eaten in the form of French fries.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2