Quiz - Central Idea

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.

This passage contains a pop-out sentence that lets the reader know the central idea. Which sentence is the pop-out sentence?

• "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."

• "Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean."

• "As a mammal, dolphins breathe oxygen, even though they live in water."

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Central idea is ALWAYS STATED in a passage.

True or False?

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Children are a dentist's best friends. 4 out of 5 children eat an average of 16 pounds of processed sugar a year. As a result, many children take an inordinate amount of trips to the dentist's chair. In addition to eating so much sugar, 80% of children under ten years old do not brush their teeth properly. This has led to a 300% increase in the number of dentist visits by children in the last ten years.

The central idea of this passage is that children make up the majority of patients that dentists treat. How does the author DEVELOP this central idea in the passage?

• The author uses quotations from experts to develop and support the central idea.

• The author uses true stories to develop and support the central idea.

• The author mostly uses numbers and statistics to develop and support the central idea.

• The author doesn't support the central idea with any details.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Meerkats in Africa live in large groups of 20 to 50 members. The group works together to survive. All members of the group care for the baby meerkats. They take turns babysitting and will protect the young ones from danger. Members of the group also take turns watching out for threats from other animals while the group finds food. If any dangerous animal comes toward the group, the meerkat will bark a warning.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• Meerkats like to babysit.

• Meerkats live in groups to help each other.

• Meerkats come from Africa.

• Meerkats are good at finding food.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

One of the most mysterious things about the Venus flytrap is that scientists still don't understand how the trap closes. The flytrap does not have the muscles, tendons, or nervous system necessary for movement. Scientists guess that the trap might close using some electrical impulses and pressure changes. The longer they study the Venus flytrap, the more likely scientists are to discover how it functions.

Which sentence from the paragraph best show's the text's central idea?

• "One of the most mysterious things about the Venus flytrap is that scientists still don't understand how the trap closes."

• "The flytrap does not have the muscles, tensons or nervous system necessary for movement."

• "Scientists guess that the trap might close using some electrical impulses and pressure changes."

• "It should be no mystery, however, why this unusual plant has captured the imaginations of so many people."

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The Corpse Flower

by Stacia Alonzo

Why would thousands wait in line to see a flower that smells like rotting flesh? In May 2003, over 16,000 visitors did just this when Titan arum bloomed in Bonn, Germany. Titan arum's nickname of "corpse flower" emphasizes it unusual smell - like a decomposing body - when in bloom.

Scent isn't these flowers' only unique trait. They also grow at an impressive rate. The Bonn corpse flower reached a height of nine feet in full bloom. They bloom for only one to two days at a time, and their leaves open to reveal the dark red color of raw flesh. When a corpse flower blooms, people flock to witness the unforgettable sight of a man-size flower ripe with the color and scent of death.

This rare flower was first discovered in Sumatran rainforests in 1878. While corpse flowers still grow there, they are endangered. To learn about the flowers, biologists cultivate them in botanical gardens. Some flowers never bloom, and others only bloom once. When a flower opens, biologists have only one or two days to observe the process.

Biologists have learned that these plants can grow up to six inches a day and reach six feet tall. The rotting flesh scent lures in nocturnal insects for pollination. Biologists analyzed the scene to determine how close the chemical compounds are to those of real rotting meat. Here's one fact they learned: the human nose can't detect a difference in the scents. Given Titan arum's strange traits, who wouldn't jump at the chance to see the world's worst smelling flower?

What is the central idea of this ENTIRE PASSAGE?

• The corpse flower smells like rotting flesh.

• The corpse flower can grow up to six inches a day and reach a height of six feet.

• The corpse flower is a unique plant that fascinates people.

• The corpse flower only blooms for one to two days at a tiime.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Examples, true stories, numbers/statistics and quotes from experts are all...

• types of central idea.

• types of text evidence or details an author uses to develop/support a claim or central idea.

• things that do not help us understand an author's claim or central idea.

• words

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

The central idea of a passage is...

• something you have to deal with in ELA class.

• the information an author uses as text evidence.

• annoying.

• the main point the author is trying to make in a passage; what a passage is mostly about.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

When reading a longer nonfiction text, such as an article or chapter book, what can you look at for hints about the central idea?

• the text

• the author's biographical information

• Title, Headings, Subheadings, Pictures, Captions

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Pizza is, by far, America's favorite food. 87% of Americans surveyed say that pizza is the number one food they would like to be stranded with on a desert island!! 16-year-old Ben Mears of Phoenix, Arizona, stopped by Vito's Pizzeria after school every day last week. When one of the servers gave Ben a comment card asking which food on the menu should be the restaurant's specialty, Ben wrote, 'pizza, pizza, pizza!!!'

The central idea of this passage is that Americans love pizza above all other foods. How does the author develop this central idea?

• Numbers/Statistics and a True Story

• Examples and Numbers/Statistics

• a True Story and Examples

• Quotes from an expert and Numbers/Statistics

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2