Central ideas and text summaries

Where did Snowbell cause Stuart to get stuck?

• house

• mouse hole

• window shade

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.
The Summary of this passage is:

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.
• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
•  Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.
•  There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

Mrs. Baker ______________ camping.

• hated
• loved
• didn't mind
• had never been

What does Mother do to provide a greater chance for her family to be sponsored?

• She sells her ring.

• She agrees to work for Cowboy.

• She changes their religion.

• She agrees to split the family up.

Benjamin Franklin loved to write.  When he was twenty-two, he set up his own printing shop and started a newspaper.  He also printed a book called Poor Richard’s Almanac.  It had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings.

• Benjamin Franklin loved to write stories and books.
• Benjamin Franklin worked very hard when he was young.
• Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about the weather.
• Benjamin Franklin was very poor.

A summary should..(select all that apply)

• Be shorter than the original text

• The same length as the original text

• Include the main ideas

• Include all details

11. How did Itchoua die?

• 11. A) He drowned while fighting off the rats.

• 11. B) He was attacked by sharks.

• 11. C) He succumbed to infection from rat bites.

• 11. D) He suffered a heart attack.

Another thing that should not be included in an objective summary:

• Small details about the text

• The title of the text

• What happens in the middle of the text

• Basic facts about 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.

The summary of this passage is:

• 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 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 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.

All of the following would be included in a paraphrase except

• main idea

• new information

• supporting details

• all details