RI 6.2: DETERMINING CENTRAL IDEA

Flush toilets were first used in India and Pakistan over 2,700 years ago. There were also toilets in ancient Egypt and China. In the Roman Empire, toilets were part of some public bath houses for men and women. Then, in 1775, Alexander Cummings invented part of the flush toilet called the S-trap. This part used standing water to seal the outlet of the bowl. This kept the smell from the sewer from escaping. The S-trap is still used today.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• A. Alexander Cummings invented the flush toilet.

• B. The Roman Empire had public bath houses.

• C. Ancient Egypt and China had flush toilets.

• D. Flush toilets have been around for a long time.

The Naismith Award is given to the nation's best college basketball player. Voters found room on their ballots this year for Illinois guard Frank Williams. His team is not playing well, even though he is. They also nominated Maryland's Lonny Baxter. Baxter is playing well but averages only 15.3 points a game. The most surprising name on the list was Kansas forward Nick Collison. Collison is having a fine year for one of the nation's top teams. He is probably only his team's third-best player.

For some reason, the sportswriters voting on this award did not pick Kansas player Kirk Hinrich. That is hard to understand. It is possible that no one has been more valuable to the Kansas team than him. This includes player of the year candidate Drew Gooden. Hinrich is at least one of the twenty best players in college this season. He may even be one of the ten best.

What is the central idea in this passage?

• A. Kansas player Kirk Hinrich is one probably of the ten best college basketball players in the entire country.

• B. The people who nominated players for the Naismith Award are actually sportswriters from around the country.

• C. Kansas is one of the nation's top college basketball teams, and it has at least three great players on the team.

• D. The list of players nominated for the Naismith Award is surprising because of who it includes and who is missing.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is a city on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The climate here makes the city an ideal place for a summer beach getaway.It has two separate bays that are each more than five miles long.It is divided in half at a point that is known as Punta Santiago. This area is a good place to snorkel or scuba dive.The two bays come together to form a shape that is similar to the number three.The northern bay, known as the Bay of Santiago, is shaped like the top half of the number three. The southern bay, known as the Bay of Manzanillo, is shaped like the bottom half of the number three.This bay is larger than the Bay of Santiago.

Because of Manzanillo’s closeness to the Sierra Madre Mountains, temperatures do not get as hot as they do in some other popular beach destinations along the Pacific coastline.The temperatures reach around 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months. Daytime temperatures stay in the 80s year round. The months of June through October are considered the rainy season. In Manzanillo, rain falls about five times a month during this time period. This rain helps to keep the vegetation green, adding to the beauty of the city. When planning a summer outing to the beach, checking the weather forecast for rain would be wise.

Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that Manzanillo is a nice place to visit during the summer?

• It has two separate bays that are each more than five miles long.

• The two bays come together to form a shape that is similar to the number three.

• This bay is larger than the Bay of Santiago.

• Because of Manzanillo’s closeness to the Sierra Madre Mountains, temperatures do not get as hot as they do in some other popular beach destinations along the Pacific coastline. T

• When planning a summer outing to the beach, checking the weather forecast for rain would be wise.

President Barack Obama did not have an easy trail to the White House. One year before Obama was elected president, most people did not think he had any chance of being the Democratic Party's candidate for president. Barack Obama, however, worked hard to prove them wrong.

Obama got people who were not used to voting to volunteer to work for him. These people became a part of the huge team of Obama supporters that stretched across the country. They made millions of phone calls and explained why Obama would make a good president. They convinced people to vote for him. In early 2008, Obama won his first small election contest. He proved that Hillary Clinton and the other candidates had to take him seriously. His volunteers were making a difference.

During the entire campaign, Obama's supporters never stopped making phone calls. They constantly told people why they should vote for him. Those millions and millions of people helped get Obama elected, and Obama told them all that he couldn't have become president without them.

What is the central idea of the first paragraph?

• A. People thought Obama would lose to Hillary Clinton.

• B. It was not easy for Obama to get elected president.

• C. Obama would not have become president without others' help.

• D. People who were not used to voting volunteered for Obama.

What would you do if you loved to surf, but lived nowhere near the ocean? Well, in Wales, a country in Great Britain, the world's first public artificial wave pool has been built. What was once an aluminum factory has been turned into the longest man-made surf wave in the world, using rainwater from a nearby reservoir to fill the lagoon. The pool is able to produce a 6ft-tall barrel of water that peels for 490 feet and runs for 16 seconds. So, living in a landlocked city doesn't have to keep people from enjoying the water. An artificial beach or lagoon could solve this problem, especially if they are built indoors.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• A. Artificial lagoons are regularly created from old ponds of water that are no longer needed to support wildlife.

• B. Man-made lagoons and beaches can provide a place for people to surf even without an ocean nearby.

• C. Artificial beaches are found in many cities around the world, especially those close to the coast.

• D. Man-made lagoons and beaches allow the opportunity to reuse rainwater from reservoirs.

Building a Strong Body Image

As kids become teenagers and start going through puberty, it can be hard for them to deal with all the changes their bodies are going through. It is important that teens be taught the importance of building not only strong and healthy bodies but also strong and healthy body images.

Because of society's emphasis on being thin, studies have found that many teens develop poor self-esteem when they start going through puberty. When a body is growing, weight gain can sometimes happen quickly, but some teens do not understand what is happening and panic. They may try to eat less, which will get in the way of the body's development. Bodies are race cars and need to be cared for in order to perform well. If teens treat their bodies like rental cars, though, trouble will arise. Unlike rental cars, bodies cannot be returned, and teens who try to combat a poor body image by starving themselves will disrupt their development.

These days, kids as young as seven or eight are going on diets. Yes, obesity is a real problem, and it should be addressed. Sometimes, young kids may need to change their eating habits for the sake of their overall health and quality of life. However, many kids who are perfectly healthy are trying to diet too. Kids need to be taught that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes, like fruit off a tree. No two apples look exactly the same, and neither do any two bodies.

Which phrase from "Building a Strong Body Image" best illustrates the idea that misunderstanding body changes can slow or stop growth?

• it can be hard for them to deal with all the changes their bodies are going through.

• studies have found that many teens develop poor self-esteem when they start going through puberty.

• teens who try to combat a poor body image by starving themselves will disrupt their development.

• many kids who are perfectly healthy are trying to diet too.

The idea of human rights is the belief that everyone should have certain rights. They are entitled to these rights just because they are human. The idea is not a new one. It has been developing since the beginning of man's history. A strong commitment to human rights is considered a good measure of a country's potential for being a good neighbor and contributing to world peace. The use of threats and violence is an indication that a government cannot be trusted and may be a threat to world peace. In 1948 the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration lists the rights that individuals should have. One of those rights is the right to take part in government. Others have to do with working and living conditions.

Which best describes the central idea of the passage?

• A. This idea has been developing since the very beginning of man's history.

• B. The declaration lists the rights that individuals around the world should have.

• C. The use of threats and violence is a sign that a government cannot be trusted.

• D. The idea of human rights is the belief that everyone should have certain rights.

What would you do if you loved to surf, but lived nowhere near the ocean? Well, in Wales, a country in Great Britain, the world's first public artificial wave pool has been built. What was once an aluminum factory has been turned into the longest man-made surf wave in the world, using rainwater from a nearby reservoir to fill the lagoon. The pool is able to produce a 6ft-tall barrel of water that peels for 490 feet and runs for 16 seconds. So, living in a landlocked city doesn't have to keep people from enjoying the water. An artificial beach or lagoon could solve this problem, especially if they are built indoors.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• A. Man-made lagoons and beaches can provide a place for people to surf even without an ocean nearby.

• B. Artificial beaches are found in many cities around the world, especially those close to the coast.

• C. Artificial lagoons are regularly created from old ponds of water that are no longer needed to support wildlife.

• D. Man-made lagoons and beaches allow the opportunity to reuse rainwater from reservoirs.

The Rhinoceros

There are several species of rhinoceroses, some of which are found in Asia and others in different parts of Africa. The four varieties of rhinoceroses are the black rhinoceros, having a single horn; the black species having two horns; the long-horned white rhinoceros; and the common white species, having a short, stubby horn.

The largest of the African species is the long-horned, white, or square-nosed rhinoceros. When full-grown, it sometimes measures eighteen feet in length and about the same around the body. Its horn frequently reaches a length of thirty inches.

The black rhinoceros, although much smaller than the white and seldom having a horn over eighteen inches long, is much fiercer than the white species and possesses a wonderful degree of strength.

The form of the rhinoceros is clumsy, and its appearance is dull and heavy. The limbs are thick and powerful, and each foot has three toes, which are covered with broad, hoof-like nails. The tail is small, and the head is very long and large. Taken altogether, the rhinoceros is the most unattractive of all animals. The eyes are set in such a manner that the animal cannot see anything exactly in front of it, but the senses of hearing and smell are so keen that sight is not required to detect an enemy. The skin of the African rhinoceros is smooth and has only a few hairs here and there. It is, however, very thick and tough.

The largest known species of the rhinoceros is found in Asia. It lives chiefly in the marshy jungles and on the banks of lakes and rivers in India. Some of this species are over five feet in height and have horns three feet in length and eighteen inches around the base.

The food of the rhinoceros consists of roots and the young branches and leaves of trees and shrubs.

Though clumsy, the rhinoceros is a very active animal when attacked or otherwise alarmed and moves at a great speed. It is very fierce and savage, and when attacking an enemy, it lowers its head and rushes forward.

Which statement showing two central ideas is supported by details from the passage?

• A. African rhinoceroses eat only plants, roots, and leaves and have sharp eyesight, and Asian rhinos have a sharp sense of hearing.

• B. The African rhino is the largest of all, and the Asian rhino is the smallest rhino.

• C. There are four kinds of rhinoceroses, and though they look clumsy, they are very strong and can defend themselves fiercely.

• D. The skin of the African rhino is smooth, but the skin of the Asian rhino is rough.

When the Spanish Conquistadors, or "conquerors," visited Central America in the 16th Century, they had a rare opportunity to watch the Aztec people play an unusual ballgame. On a narrow field surrounded by stone walls, two teams passed a hard rubber ball back and forth. The objective was to keep the ball in the air. If a player let the ball bounce twice before passing it to the other team, he or she lost a point.

Though the Conquistadors didn't know it at the time, the game they were watching had been around for thousands of years. In fact, modern-day archaeologists have discovered ancient stone courts and rubber balls throughout Central America. Some of these discoveries date as far back as 1400 B.C.E! The ball courts vary considerably in size, but most have the following characteristic in common: long narrow alleys with stone side-walls against which the rubber balls could bounce. The game seems to have originated in Southern Mexico, where rubber trees were plentiful.

While the rules of the ballgame are a mystery to us today, it's a good bet that the game was similar to volleyball, where the aim is to keep the ball in play. In the most widespread version of the game, players could only use their hips to hit the ball back and forth. In later years, a vertical stone ring was added to the ball courts as an additional way to score points, making the game similar to basketball. Other variations of the game permitted using forearms, rackets, or bats to hit the ball back and forth.

Thankfully, the game has not been entirely forgotten. A modern version of the game, called ulama, is still played in a few places in Mexico by the local indigenous population.

Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that there were many different versions of the Aztec game?

• A. "If a player let the ball bounce twice before passing it to the other team, he or she lost a point."

• B. "Other variations of the game permitted using forearms, rackets, or bats to hit the ball back and forth."

• C. "A modern version of the game, called ulama, is still played in a few places in Mexico by the local indigenous population."

• D. "In the most widespread version of the game, players could only use their hips to hit the ball back and forth."