Main idea quiz

The main idea is always expressed in one sentence.

• True

• False

A main idea has two parts: a topic and a claim.

• True

• False

When you try to find the main idea in a reading, you only need to pay attention to the first sentence.

• True

• False

What is the difference between a topic and a main idea?

• There is no difference.

• A topic is more narrow in scope, while a main idea is broad.

• A topic is a single word or phrase, while a main idea is a complete sentence.

• A topic includes specific details, while a main idea does not.

The main idea of a paragraph is

• The detail information of the paragraph.

• The least important idea.

• Repeated in the paragraph.

• The most important idea.

For many years, the newspaper was the main method for communicating news. Then came the radio, which could transmit the news through the air instead of through cables. The radio quickly became very popular. It had a huge impact on the news because people could now listen to live events. During World War Ⅱ, families everywhere listened to the news from Europe. They could hear the sound of war. Radio news made events seem closer and more real. What's the main idea of the paragraph?

• The newspaper was the main form of news.

• People could listen to the news on the radio during World War Ⅱ.

• The radio became the main way to convey news after the newspaper.

Throughout history, new ideas have often faced skepticism from society. Skepticism, however, has never stopped the creation of new inventions. Three important American inventors, Thomas Edison and Orville and Wilbur Wright, faced strong public doubt, but they persevered, and the results were the invention of the electric light bulb and the airplane. What is the topic?

• New invention

• Three important American inventors

• Skepticism of new ideas

Reorder the following sentences.

• Values are beliefs held in common by members of a group.

• For example, some historians assert that the settlement of the American West in the nineteenth century shaped many American values.

• These include the importance of hard work, optimism and individualism.