Summarizing

1) What would it be like to have teeth like a shark? A shark can have up to 3,000 teeth at one time. Shark teeth grow in rows, one behind another. Most sharks have five rows of teeth. When a Shark loses a tooth, it is replaced by a tooth from the row behind it. I don't know about you, but I am glad that I don't have shark teeth!

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Sharks have thousands of teeth that grow in rows.

• A shark can have up to 3,ooo teeth at one time.

• When a shark loses a tooth, another tooth replaces it.

• I am glad I don't have shark teeth.

2) When Louis Braille was just three years old, he was in an accident that left him blind. When he was a teenager, Louis created a set of raised dots that blind people could use to read. In 1829, Louis published the first book using his system of raised dots, which is called the Braille system and is still used today.

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Louis Braille published a book using his system in 1829.

• The Braille system uses raised dots.

• Louis Braille invented a system to help blind people read.

• Braille is still used today.

3) Even though Mars is our planetary neighbor, Earth and Mars do not have much in common. Mars is smaller than Earth and much, much colder. Not only that, the atmosphere on Mars is mostly carbon dioxide, which is poisonous to humans. There is also no water on Mars. Would you want to visit Mars?

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Earth and Mars have little in common.

• Unlike Earth, Mars is a small, cold planet with poisonous air.

• Mars is smaller than Earth.

• Carbon dioxide is poisonous to humans.

4) Mickey Mouse is much older than he looks! He was created by Walt Disney in 1928. His first public appearance was in a black and white cartoon called Steamboat Willie. At that time, most cartoons were still silent. Steamboat Willie was one of the first cartoons with sound.

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney in 1928.

• His first cartoon was Steamboat Willie.

• Steamboat Willie was one of the first cartoons with sound.

• Mickey Mouse first appeared in a black and white cartoon in 1928.

5) If you didn't have bones, you would be more like a beanbag than a person. Your bones have two main purposes. First, they give your body structure so you can stand and move. Second, they protect soft organs like your heart and your lungs. When you grow up, your body will have 206 bones to do these jobs.

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Bones give your body structure and protect your internal organs.

• You have 206 bones.

• Bones give you structure.

• Bones protect soft organs like your heart and your lungs.

6) Dogs are not only good pets, they can also help solve crimes! Police dogs have been trained to help policemen and women do their jobs. For example, since dogs are good at picking up scents, some dogs have been trained to track criminals or missing people. They can also detect bombs and other explosives.

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Police dogs have been trained to help policemen and women do their jobs.

• Some dogs have been trained to track criminals or missing people.

• Police dogs can detect bombs and other explosives.

• Police dogs have been trained to follow scents to help solve crimes.

7) Not every animal has eyes. Blind cave fish don't need eyes because they live in total darkness. They live in lakes, pools, and rivers inside caves in Central America. Even though they cannot see, these small fish can detect light with a gland in their bodies. A blind cave fish will swim away as soon as it detects light.

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Even though they cannot see, these small fish can detect light with a gland in their bodies.

• Because they live in darkness, blind cave fish do not have eyes though they can detect light.

• Blind cave fish don't need eyes because they live in total darkness.

• A blind cave fish will swim away as soon as it detects light.

8) The tallest trees in the world are located in Northern California. Redwood trees can reach heights of 350 feet (107m) or more. That is about as tall as a 35-story building! the trunks of these trees are so big that in some places, people have carved tunnels through them big enough to drive a car through!

Which main idea statement best matches this passage?

• Redwood trees can reach heights of 350 feet (107m) or more.

• Redwood trunks are big enough to carve a tunnel in them that a car could drive through.

• Redwood trees in Northern California are the tallest trees in the world.

• Redwood trees made an appearance in the Hitchcock classic Vertigo.