Reading Comprehension Skills: Summarizing

What is a main idea?

What is a summary?

When you summarize a text, you identify the...

When summarizing a text, you should...

A summary contains...

Excerpt from Charlotte’s Web By E B White

Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. "Out to the hog house," replied Mrs. Arable. "Some pigs were born last night." "I don't see why he needs an ax," continued Fern, who was only eight. "Well," said her mother, "one of the pigs is a runt. It's very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it." "Do away with it?" shrieked Fern. "You mean kill it? Just because it's smaller than the others?" Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table. "Don't yell, Fern!" she said. "Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway." Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors. The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime. Fern's sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father. "Please don't kill it!" she sobbed. "It's unfair."

Which statement best summarizes the text?

Excerpt from Charlotte’s Web By E B White

Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. "Out to the hog house," replied Mrs. Arable. "Some pigs were born last night." "I don't see why he needs an ax," continued Fern, who was only eight. "Well," said her mother, "one of the pigs is a runt. It's very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it." "Do away with it?" shrieked Fern. "You mean kill it? Just because it's smaller than the others?" Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table. "Don't yell, Fern!" she said. "Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway." Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors. The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime. Fern's sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father. "Please don't kill it!" she sobbed. "It's unfair."

What is the main idea?

The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a large group of mountains on the North American continent. The Rockies are found in the western region of North America. They stretch from Canada in the north to the United States in the south. The southern part of the Rockies ends in the state of New Mexico. The Rocky Mountains also go through the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Rockies are the longest mountain range in North America. They have many high peaks. The highest is Mount Elbert in Colorado. It is nearly three miles high. Mount Elbert’s peak is fourteen thousand feet above sea level. In the summer, the Rockies are warm and dry, though it does rain sometimes. During the winter, the weather is wet and very cold. Heavy winter snow falls in the higher parts of the Rockies. Many people like to visit these mountains. Here they ride bikes, hike on trails, ski, or fish. A special area called Rocky Mountain National Park is in Colorado. The national park is reserved for people to visit. Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park are excited to see the wild animals that live there. Those animals include elk, moose, mountain goats, and mountain sheep.

What is the main idea of the passage?

The Rocky Mountians

The Rocky Mountains are a large group of mountains on the North American continent. The Rockies are found in the western region of North America. They stretch from Canada in the north to the United States in the south. The southern part of the Rockies ends in the state of New Mexico. The Rocky Mountains also go through the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Rockies are the longest mountain range in North America. They have many high peaks. The highest is Mount Elbert in Colorado. It is nearly three miles high. Mount Elbert’s peak is fourteen thousand feet above sea level. In the summer, the Rockies are warm and dry, though it does rain sometimes. During the winter, the weather is wet and very cold. Heavy winter snow falls in the higher parts of the Rockies. Many people like to visit these mountains. Here they ride bikes, hike on trails, ski, or fish. A special area called Rocky Mountain National Park is in Colorado. The national park is reserved for people to visit. Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park are excited to see the wild animals that live there. Those animals include elk, moose, mountain goats, and mountain sheep.

Provide one important idea from the passage.