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Central Idea

Total questions: 5

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Find the central idea
 Being a clown isn't all fun and games.  Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform.  When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention.  In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider.  So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business
a)
Being a clown isn't all fun and games.
b)
Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.
c)
Rodeos are exciting.
d)
Clowns are good at riding bulls.
2.
What is the Central Idea of the passage?
What's that humming sound?  Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight?  Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds.  Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern.  This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly.  And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously.  After you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird.
a)
Birds and hummingbirds are very different.
b)
Hummingbirds make a humming sound.
c)
Hummingbirds wings fly in figure eight patterns.
d)
The hummingbird flys in a totally unique and unusual way.
3.
Find the central idea
The term "machine gun" is commonly applied to any gun that is designed to fire repeatedly and in rapid succession for as long as the trigger is held down.  During the course of warfare, the trigger of some machine guns may be held down almost continuously for hours to create suppressant fire (rounds fired not necessarily to kill an enemy, but to prevent them from attacking).  All of this firing can generate a lot of heat, which may cause the weapon to overheat and malfunction.  But this situation has been addressed in a number of ways.  For one, practically all machine guns fire from an open bolt, which allows air to cool the breach between bursts of fire.  Additionally, some machine guns have removable barrels, which allow hot barrels to be replaced.  And some advanced machine guns even have sophisticated barrel cooling systems, which maintain a functional heat level within the weapon.  As you might have concluded, a lot of brain power has gone into keeping those guns firing.
a)
  Machine guns overheat and there are different ways to address the issue. 
b)
Machine guns are powerful weapons.
c)
Machine guns fire rapidly and repeatedly.
d)
None of these
4.
What is the central idea here
A penny for your thoughts?  If it's a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars.  In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare.  Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny.  These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it's uncirculated, it'd easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that's a pretty penny.  
a)
The 1943 penny is worth 50 thousand dollars.
b)
the 1943 penny is more rare than the 1955 penny.
c)
Some pennies are rare and worth a lot of money.
d)
None of these options
5.
What is the central idea?
 There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals.  Males carry a venom cocktail in their ankle spurs that incapacitates victims with excruciating pain.  Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception.  What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey.  The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey while hunting but, rather, pursues it through electroreception.  Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young.  The platypus is an odd creature indeed.  
a)
The platypus is an odd, poisonous creature.
b)
Platypus males have a poison ankle spur.
c)
Platypus can sense electricity
d)
None of these options