Non-Fiction Summaries

When writing a summary, it is okay to include any opinions or background knowledge you have on the topic.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

When writing a summary, it is important to remain objective and only include the main points of the original text. Including personal opinions or background knowledge can lead to a biased summary, which is not the purpose of summarizing. Therefore, it is not okay to include opinions or background knowledge when writing a summary.

When you determine the main idea and significant details of a text while condensing information into a short paragraph, you are _____.

• predicting

• summarizing

• evaluating

• judging

Answer explanation

The correct answer is summarizing. When you determine the main idea and significant details of a text and condense that information into a short paragraph, you are summarizing. Predicting, evaluating, and judging do not involve condensing information from a text into a brief paragraph.

March 2nd was a great day at the New York Public Library. More than 250 first and second graders wore red-and-white-striped stovepipe hats. They were celebrating The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday. Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat picture book has been published for 50 years now. The famous feline danced with children racing around him. At the same time, pink, purple, and white confetti rained down.

Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders. They sat on brightly-colored rugs around her. Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair. Pink and purple umbrellas hung from the ceiling. The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to high for the many characters in the story.

After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!" The students took off their hats and waved them excitedly.

Which sentence should be included in the summary of the passage above?

• After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!"

• Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair.

• The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to high

• Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is that Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders. This sentence provides a summary of the main event in the passage, which is the celebration of The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday at the New York Public Library. The other options focus on specific details that are not as important for a summary.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

Squirrels are small creatures that belong to the family of rodents. They have a bushy tail and pointed ears. Squirrels can be divided into three types: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. Ground squirrels live in holes that they make on the ground. They eat nuts, fruits, berries, and insects. Tree squirrels live in holes that they make in trees. They eat the bark of trees, fruits, flowers, nuts, and eggs. If needed, they also come down in search of food. Flying squirrels live in nests or in holes that they make in trees. They cannot fly, but they can glide through the air from one tree to another. They eat fruits, berries, nuts, eggs, and small animals.

Squirrels are very possessive about where they live. They make very protective mothers and become wild and violent to protect their babies from enemies. Baby squirrels are blind when they are born and completely depend on their mothers. However, as squirrels get older, they have very good eyesight. They can spot their food from a distance. Many people think that they eat only nuts, but they are actually omnivores. This means that they eat both plants and animals.

Squirrels are considered to be very intelligent. They can imitate the actions of different animals and also of human beings. They hide their food in different places to keep it away from their enemy's reach. Squirrels also use different tricks to protect themselves from their enemies. For instance, they chew the skin of a dead snake and then lick themselves so that they smell like a snake. They then hide in their burrows. When an enemy passes by their burrow, it thinks that the squirrel is a snake. There is so much to learn about squirrels.

• Squirrels have a bushy tail and pointed ears. These pointed ears help them to hear the sound of their enemies. They are intelligent as they use different tricks to protect themselves from their enemies.

• Squirrels are of three types. They are intelligent rodents because they know how to protect their homes and their young ones. They are very flexible and quick as they can move very fast from one place to another.

• Squirrels are rodents and eat fruits and nuts. They are intelligent and teach their babies to protect their food and homes. They also prepare themselves by storing food for the long winter months.

• There are three different types of squirrels, and they are all omnivores. They are protective about their homes and their babies. They use intelligent tricks to store food and keep enemies away.

Answer explanation

The correct summary highlights that there are three types of squirrels, all of which are omnivores. It also emphasizes their protective nature towards their homes and offspring, as well as their intelligence in storing food and keeping enemies at bay.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

Rosa Parks has been called the "mother of the civil rights movement." She is one of the most important people of the 20th century. In December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was sent to court. She was found guilty of breaking the law.

Her act sparked a boycott of the bus system by blacks. Blacks refused to use the buses for more than a year. The boycott introduced the country to a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. People all over the country came to know King. Soon, the U.S. Supreme Court made segregation on city buses against the law.

Over the next forty years, Rosa Parks helped make Americans aware of the history of the civil rights struggle. She earned many honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize. She is an example of courage and strength. She inspires all Americans to live free.

• Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. The bus driver had her arrested, and then she was found guilty of breaking the law. She was important to American history.

• Rosa Parks boycotted the bus system. This boycott brought Martin Luther King, Jr., to the front of the Civil Rights Movement. People all over the country got to know Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Then, the buses were boycotted, and Martin Luther King, Jr., became very well known. He had a prize named after him.

• Rosa Parks was an important person of the 20th century. She refused to give up her seat on a bus, which led to a boycott of the bus system. She earned many honors for her work in the Civil Rights Movement.

Answer explanation

The correct summary emphasizes Rosa Parks' importance in the 20th century, her refusal to give up her seat on a bus, the resulting bus boycott, and the honors she received for her work in the Civil Rights Movement. This choice captures all the key points from the original text and provides a comprehensive summary.

Which of the following sentences should be included in a summary of this text?

When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.

• Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.

• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.

• There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights the diverse landscapes and features of Texas, which is mentioned in the text. It describes mountains, piney hills, coastal harbors, and swamps, showcasing the varied parts of Texas. The other options focus on specific aspects or generalizations that do not capture the essence of the text.

Summaries help me...

• understand what I'm reading

• write about what I read

• include the key points of a text

• all of the above

Answer explanation

The question asks why summaries are helpful. The options provided are understanding what you're reading, writing about what you read, including the key points of a text, or all of these. The correct answer is 'all of the above', which means summaries help in understanding, writing about what you read, and including the key points of a text.

When writing a summary for a INFORMATIONAL text, what is a good thing to consider?

• characters

• solution

• details and facts

• conflict

Answer explanation

When summarizing an informational text, it's important to consider the 'details and facts' presented in the text. Unlike narrative texts, informational texts don't focus on characters or conflicts, but on presenting factual information. Therefore, 'details and facts' is the correct choice.

A summary is...

• A list of key details in the text that are placed in the correct order.

• A short paragraph in a fictional story that reveals the big idea, lesson, or moral.

• A short paragraph that you create which includes the main idea of the text and some key important details.

• A short paragraph that you find in the text which includes the main idea and some key details.

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'A short paragraph that you create which includes the main idea of the text and some key important details.' This is because a summary is a concise version of a text that highlights its main points. It is not just a list of details or a paragraph found in the text, but a new paragraph created by the reader to encapsulate the main idea and key details.

Which of the following statements would be most important to include in the summary of "Cesar Chavez"?

• like other migrant workers, Chavez moved from farm to farm.

• The Chavez family often slept in a tent or outdoors at night.

• "Yes! It can be done!" was Chavez's motto.

• Chavez brought about change in nonviolent ways.

Answer explanation

The question asks about the most important statement to include in the summary of 'Cesar Chavez'. The correct answer is 'Chavez brought about change in nonviolent ways.' This is because it encapsulates the essence of Chavez's approach and impact, highlighting his unique contribution to the cause he championed. The other options, while factual, do not capture the significance of his work as effectively.