Determine the main idea of a passage

Read the passage.

Baby Kangaroos

A female kangaroo has a special fold of skin that forms a pouch. The pouch is like a large pocket on its stomach. When a baby kangaroo, or joey, is born, it climbs into its mother's pouch. At birth, a joey is only about one inch long. It needs to stay in the pouch so it can grow more. After several months, the joey has grown enough to leave the pouch for short periods of time. By the time the joey is ten months old, it is ready to leave the pouch for good.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Female kangaroos have pouches on their bellies for carrying their young.

• A baby kangaroo stays in its mother's pouch until it's strong enough to live on its own.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Read the passage.

It's Simple! It's Magic!

A good magic trick makes people believe they are seeing something amazing. But magic doesn't have to be hard to look real. One easy trick is to "bend" a spoon. First, hold the spoon's handle inside your hands with the end of the handle under your thumbs. Push the spoon's bowl down on the table. Next, let the handle slide down inside your hands. Since your hand is covering part of the handle, it will look like the spoon is bent.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• All magic tricks can be easy.

• It's easy to make a spoon appear to bend.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.2.2

Read the passage.

Learning from Pen Pals

Pen pals are friends who live far apart but write letters to each other. It's exciting for pen pals to get letters in the mail from another city or country. More importantly, pen pals learn about each other's lives. They may share ideas about their families, pets, and favorite foods. They also may tell each other about special places and events in their towns. Through words and pictures, pen pals make each other's worlds a little bit bigger.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Pen pals send letters and pictures to each other through the mail.

• Having a pen pal is a good way to learn about life in another place.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Read the passage.

Where Do Bats Sleep?

Bats are known for flying around at night and sleeping during the day. You may have seen pictures of bats sleeping upside down in caves. Bats have other daytime resting places, too. They sleep in trees, in old buildings, and even under bridges. More than a million bats sleep under one bridge in Austin, Texas. This colony, or group, contains about as many bats as there are people in the city!

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Bats sleep in many different kinds of places during the day.

• A huge group of bats sleeps under a bridge in Austin, Texas.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Read the passage.

Wild West Boomtowns

In 1848, a few builders discovered gold in California. Hearing the news, many people moved out West in a hurry. This push west for gold was called the Gold Rush. Thanks to the Gold Rush, small towns grew into big and busy ones almost overnight. These fast-growing towns were called boomtowns. Only a few people got rich searching for gold. Others made money by selling things like food and clothing to people in the boomtowns.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• During the Gold Rush, most people got rich.

• The Gold Rush turned small California towns into boomtowns.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Read the passage.

Smartphones

Smartphones are phones that are used for more than making calls and sending messages. People count on them for getting directions and finding information on the internet. People also have fun listening to music, taking pictures, and playing games on their phones. On the other hand, smartphones have some downsides. They can make it hard to keep your mind on important things, like studying. Some people even text during meals, or when spending time with their family. Driving while using a phone puts people in danger. Smartphones are useful, but they can cause problems if not used safely and politely.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• There are many good things about smartphones.

• Smartphones can be used in both good and bad ways.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.2.2