Summarizing Quiz

Select all things that are true about summaries.

Why is this a weak summary of a novel? Select all that apply.

In the novel Life Is a Stage, Becca, Jay, and Chen are friends. They met in first grade and stayed friends until high school. Chen and Jay are neighbors.

Remember: Strong summaries should only contain the most important details. In the following passage, which detail do you think is the most important?

Juan stood in the batter's box, his bat resting on his shoulder. His jaw dropped as he watched Rowan's ball soar over the fence—a home run! He breathed a deep sigh of relief and his chest deflated. The pressure was off. Juan no longer felt it was his responsibility to win the game for his team.

Evaluate the summaries below. Then, pick the summary that is the strongest.

The following sentence states the central idea of an informational text. Select all of the key details that would appear in a summary with this central idea.

Central idea: Dry Tortugas National Park attracts visitors interested in both history and nature.

Which detail should be included in a summary of the article about Mary Anning?

Mary Anning was born May 21, 1799, in Lyme Regis, a small seaside community in Great Britain. The cliffs of Lyme Regis contain many dinosaur fossils. Mary's father, Richard, searched for fossils as a hobby. He passed on this passion to Mary and her brother Joseph. After their father died in an accident, Mary and Joseph supported their family by selling fossils to tourists, museums, and scientists. In 1811, Joseph discovered the skull of a large dinosaur that once lived in the ocean. A year later, Mary found the rest of the skeleton. The Annings' discovery made them famous.

Which sentence best summarizes this paragraph from the article about the Anning family?

After their father died in an accident, Mary and Joseph supported their family by selling fossils to tourists, museums, and scientists. In 1811, Joseph discovered the skull of a large dinosaur that once lived in the ocean. A year later, Mary found the rest of the skeleton. The Annings' discovery made them famous.

Paraphrasing is defined as...

Summarizing is defined as...

For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.

Which sentence best summarizes the passage?