Identifying Main Idea

Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent.

What is the main idea?

• Juan dislikes violence.

• Juan likes to think.

• Juan enjoys monopoly.

• Juan enjoys playing games.

Answer explanation

The first sentence of the paragraph states "Juan loves to play games."

Gravity is the force that makes things fall to Earth. You can't see or touch it, but without gravity, life on Earth would be quite different. Everything would simply float away. If you jumped up, you would fly off into space. If you threw a baseball, it would never come down. Gravity is also the force that keeps the Earth orbiting around the sun. So, without gravity, the Earth might float away, too.

What is the main idea?

• Life on Earth would be different without gravity.

• The Earth will float away.

• If you jumped up, you would float away.

• Baseballs would never come down.

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 milk like other mammals.

What is the main idea?

• Dolphins are smart.

• Dolphins are mammals.

• A dolphin mother feeds her baby milk.

Inside the volcano, there are hot liquid rocks called magma. It becomes lava when it comes out of the volcano. The lava that flows out of some volcanoes can reach up to 1100 degrees. It’s hot enough to burn you and in some cases, it can kill you. Other than lava, gases coming out of the volcano are poisonous to us.

What is the main idea?

• Volcanoes are hot.

• Lava comes out of a volcano.

• Volcanoes can burn you.

Steel is a very important metal which is used for many things. In the United States, the automobile industry uses the most steel. Steel is used in putting up buildings. Cans and containers are made from steel. Steel is used to make farm and factory machines.

What is the main idea?

• The U.S. produces the most steel in the world.

• The auto industry is the most important.

• Steel is used for many purposes.

There are about 2,000 kinds of bats. They come in many sizes. Bats are rather strange looking animals. They are soft and furry with large ears. Bats cannot run or walk. They usually eat insects. Bats are the only mammals that fly.

What is the main idea?

• Bats can't run or walk.

• Bats look like many other animals

• Bats are unusual mammals.

What is a main idea?

• What the text is mostly about.

• The topic/theme.

• The moral of the story.

What are supporting details?

• The lesson of the story.

• They tell you more about the main idea.

• What the passage is mostly about.

• Who the passage is about.