Central Idea Practice Quiz for Donna O'Meara

What is central idea?

• the topic of a text

• the message or lesson about life

• the most important point the author makes about a topic in informational texts

• an idea about a text

What is the purpse of paragraph 3?

• 1. To explain how scientists predict volcanic eruptions.

• 1. To show that Donna O’Meara likes to experience frightening situations on volcanoes.

• 1. To explain that Donna O’Meara has been stranded on top of a volcano for 25 years.

• 2. To transition from the anecdote about one experience Donna O’Meara had on a volcano to the main topic of the text.

Based on paragraph 3, what is a topic of the text?

• Donna likes frightening experiences with volcanoes.

• Donna thinks scientists don't know how to study volcanic eruptions.

• Donna studies volcanoes to help scientists better predict eruptions.

• Donna has been studying volcanoes for 25 years.

Reread paragraph 4 and answer the following questions.

Part A: Which of the following statements best portrays the central idea of paragraph 4?

• Donna O’Meara has always been interested in extreme weather, science, photography and writing.

• 1. Donna O’Meara grew up in the countryside away from volcanoes.

• Donna O’Meara wasn’t interested in volcanoes because she didn’t study it in college.

• 1. Donna O’Meara wanted to become an artist, photographer and writer.

The central idea of paragraph 4 is: Donna O’Meara has always been interested in extreme weather, science, photography and writing.

Which line from paragraph 4 best supports the central idea? (Hint: There are 2 possible answers.)

• In school, her favorite classes were earth science and biology.

• There are no volcanoes in Connecticut, but in the spring and summer there were fierce thunder and lightning storms that thrilled Donna.

• However, instead of turning her love for science into a career after graduation, she became an artist, photographer, and writer.

• As she worked on different magazines and books, she gradually began to realize that something was missing in her life.

Reread paragraph 8 and answer the following questions.

Part A: Which of the following statements best portrays the central idea of paragraph 8?

• 1. VWI is an organization that Donna and Steve work for.

• 1. Donna and Steve created VWI to help people understand how active volcanoes work.

• People need to understand how earth's active volcanoes work.

• The first volcano Donna studied was Kilauea.

Part A: What is the central idea of the article “Donna O’Meara: The Volcano Lady”?

• Active volcanoes are dangerous and can hurt people and change the earth so they need to be studied.

• Donna enjoys, and is interested by, studying and documenting active volcanoes to help scientists  she is willing to risk her safety to do it.

• After Donna gets stranded on Mt Stromboli she becomes interested in volcanoes and begins studying them.

• 1. Stratovolcanoes have a common cone shape that people usually imagine when they think of volcanoes because they are formed from eruptions and rocks.