Central Idea Practice

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?

• What is the main event?

• What is one important detail?

• What point about the topic is the author trying to make?

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What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?

• Title

• Headings

• Pictures

• All of the above

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What is the story mainly about?

Microchips provide the power for wristwatches. They are also the brains in our computers, and they control robots. These chips are used in video games and space shuttles. They make our cameras, radios, and televisions small and light.

• How computers work.

• Why televisions are small.

• How microchips are used.

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What is the central idea?

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer. Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.

• Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.

• Soccer players learn how to control the ball so they can score.

• Soccer players learn how to dribble.

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What is the central idea?

“The rain forest is home to many creatures. Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest. Butterflies and anteaters also live in the rain forest.”

• Sloths and tapirs are other creatures that live in the rain forest.

• The rain forest is home to many creatures.

• Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest.

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What is this passage mainly about?

Were you born after 1985? If so, how long do you expect to live? Most people born after 1985 can expect to live more than 70 years. Of course, this is just a guess based on past records.

• Why people live to be 70.

• How long you might be expected to live.

• Past records give you information.

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What is the central idea of the passage?

Thomas Edison’s life span is known as “The age of Edison.” If it wasn’t for Thomas Edison, we might not have electric lights, telephones, movie cameras, or computers! Think of all the ways these great products affect our lives today. Edison held over 1,000 patents and received dozens of awards during his lifetime for his inventions and contributions to science.

• The light bulb was an important invention

• Thomas Edison was an important inventor

• Thomas Edison was an excellent student

• Creating inventions is a difficult process

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Depression is a common illness that is easy to treat. Unfortunately, many people don't take their symptoms seriously and don't talk to their doctors about their problems. They don't know that depression has a physical cause; it is not a sign of weakness or a mood that will just go away.

Which of the following details would best support the main idea of this passage?

• Jorge doesn't feel like himself anymore.
• Girls are more likely to suffer from depression than boys.
• Depression often runs in families.
• Many people try to hide their depression and avoid getting help.

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Recycling things like paper, plastic, and metal is beneficial for our environment by cutting down on trash. Yet many people throw away their water bottles, shipping boxes, and cans instead of recycling them. An increased focus on getting more people to recycle is leading people to develop creative ways to make it easier for Americans. One way is to put bright colored recycling containers in more places. Seeing more recycling bins helps people remember to use them. Another idea that has been developed is reverse vending machines. These machines are the opposite of traditional vending machines since you give it a recyclable good and it gives you money or reward in return. Hopefully more places will introduce new and unique ways to get people to start recycling. What is the central idea of the passage?

• People need to start recycling in order to protect our environment.

• Bright colored collection bins will help encourage people to protect the environment.

• The amount of people who recycle will increase if innovative methods are implemented.

• Reverse vending machines that gives money for recyclable goods is a creative recycling solution.

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A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams, was on the frontline of the settlement house movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the daughter of a wealthy Illinois businessman, Jane Addams did not have to worry about money. Despite her wealth and privilege, she was concerned about the poor. After college, Addams found her true calling in London. It was during a trip to Europe that Addams visited Toynbee Hall, a settlement house in London on the city’s East End that provided much-needed services to poor industrial workers. Addams vowed to bring that model to the United States, which was in the early years of industrialization and immigration. Inspired by what she saw in London, Addams founded a settlement house of her own, Hull House, in Chicago in 1889. Hull House was one of the first centers of its kind in the United States. The house provided services for the immigrant and poor population living in the Chicago area. The center also offered classes, child care, food, and help with finding jobs. What is the central idea of the article?

• Addams was the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

• The Hull House provided help for the poor and immigrant population in Chicago.

• After a trip to Europe, Addams was inspired to start a settlement house in the US leading her to found the Hull House.

• Addams was impressed and inspired by Toynbee Hall, a settlement house in London on the city’s East End that provided much-needed services to poor industrial workers.

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