Central Idea Quiz

Why are supporting details important in a text?

• Supporting details are only important in fiction texts.

• Supporting details provide evidence and examples.

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.

• Thomas Edison's inventions still impact society today

• The light bulb has become an essential invention

What is the central idea of the passage?

Millions of acres of tropical rainforest have been destroyed. Many animals and people lose their homes when the rain forest is cut down. Today, people are destroying the forests so quickly that the animals are unable to adapt. Many of these animals, such as the leopard, need miles and miles of untouched rain forest in order to live. Furthermore, as more of the rainforest is destroyed, the risk of air pollution and loss of oxygen increases.

• The destruction of the rain forest is harming humans and animals.

• Forests provide oxygen for humans and animals

The CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text needs to always be supported with...

• Concluding sentences

• Supporting details

What is the central idea of the passage?

Jackie Robinson did something nobody had ever done before. He was not only a three-sport athlete at UCLA. He was the first African-American to play on a Major league baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson had to deal with racism all over the country. He was treated very poorly by the by other players and fans in the stadiums he visited. But, whenever things got difficult, his courage and determination kept him going. Today his number 42 is retired on every team in major league baseball, and he is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Jackie Robinson played many different sports

• Jackie Robinson is an important figure in American History

What is the central idea of the passage?

The law was not exactly fair in Europe during the Middle Ages. Back then, you could blame someone in your town for committing a crime. The “criminal” could then challenge you to a fight to prove his guilt or innocence. If you lost the fight, you were charged as a liar and the criminal was believed to be innocent. If you won, the criminal was believed to be guilty.

• Fighting was a good way to determine guilt or innocence during the Middle Ages.

• Laws of the Middle Ages were unfair.

How can you summarize an informational text effectively?

• Focus on main ideas and key details, condense into a concise summary

• Write a lengthy summary without omitting any information.

4. Which of the following is a supporting detail of this paragraph?
Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started in Japan. It takes place in a ring. Two players try to score points by holding each other down or pushing each other out of the ring. Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans. The robot that scores the most points wins.

• Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans.

• Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests

What is one supporting details from the text?
Mother gorillas do a lot for their babies. They nurse their babies. They protect them from danger. And they teach the tiny gorillas how to get along with other gorillas.

• They teach the tiny gorillas how to get along with other gorillas.

• Baby gorillas need their mothers a lot.

Mark loves to walk in the woods. He enjoys looking at the trees and smelling the flowers. Mark also likes to watch the squirrels run through the trees.

What is the main idea of the text?

• Mark loves to walk in the woods.

• Mark enjoys playing baseball