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Worksheets

Controlling Idea

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 1hrs 29mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Niagra Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagra River halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagra Falls is located on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high. 
Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail? 
a)
The American Falls is 167 feet high
b)
The Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high
c)
Niagra Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America
d)
It is located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie
2.
The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot tall statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become the universal symbol for freedom.
Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail? 
a)
The Statue of Liberty is an amazing statue
b)
The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall
c)
Thousands of people visit the Statues of Liberty each year
d)
It was a gift of friendship from France
3.
Which sentence is a supporting detail that recycling is important?
a)
There are many landfills available for waste.
b)
Recycling paper saves trees from being cut down.
c)
Clean jars before recycling them.
d)
Separate your paper, cans, and glass jars before recycling.
4.
We often let others know what we are thinking without using words. The name that we give for this kind of communication is body language. Body language includes gestures, facial expressions, and posture. Body language does not always mean the same thing to everyone.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?
a)
We sometimes use words to express ourselves.
b)
Body language may not mean the same thing to everyone.
c)
We use body language to communicate with others.
d)
Body language includes gestures, facial expression, and posture.
5.

What is the CONTROLLING IDEA of this paragraph?

You’ve probably heard that older men die before older women virtually everywhere in the world. In the United States, women are expected to live an average of 80.4 years, while men live only 75.2 years. Sociologists attribute many factors to this trend. For example, men have higher testosterone levels than women, which may make men more likely to abuse alcohol and tobacco, drive aggressively, and engage in other life-threatening behaviors. Men also choose riskier types of work and become involved in wartime aggression, which are connected to men’s decreased life expectancy. Studies also show that women are less likely to experience life-threatening illnesses and health problems than men are.

a)

Women are generally in better health than men.

b)

Men engage in more risky behaviors than women.

c)

Men have more testosterone than women.

d)

Men's life expectancy is shorter than women's.

6.

What is the CONTROLLING IDEA of this paragraph?

Many people look back to the 1950s as the golden age of the traditional family, but was it really? Many families were unable to survive the traumas of war and its aftermath, and the divorce rate rose from one in six in 1940 to one in four marriages in 1946. Although many families prospered in the years following World War II, many others suffered from economic hardship. In 1948, Newsweek reported that most of the 27 million schoolchildren in the United States were badly in need of medical or dental care, while more than 900 thousand children were malnourished.

a)

The families in USA went through a lot of divorces in the 1950s.

b)

The families in USA faced many problems in the 1950s.

c)

The 1950s were the golden age for families in USA.

7.

Which is a SUPPORTING DETAIL for the main idea? (There is more than one answer.)

The United States has a severe fire problem that if not addressed, will continue to worsen drastically. Fire statistics show that our nation, one of the richest and most technologically sophisticated countries in the world, lags behind its peer nations in fire security. Nationally, there are millions of fires, thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars lost each year—figures which far exceed comparable statistics for other industrialized countries. In 2001, for example, the direct value of property destroyed in fires was $11 billion ($44 billion if the World Trade Center loss is included). More recently in 2004, direct property losses from fires were estimated at over $9.8 billion.

a)

In 2001, for example, the direct value of property destroyed in fires was $11 billion ($44 billion if the World Trade Center loss is included).

b)

The United States has a severe fire problem that if not addressed, will continue to worsen drastically.

c)

More recently in 2004, direct property losses from fires were estimated at over $9.8 billion.

d)

Fire statistics show that our nation, one of the richest and most technologically sophisticated countries in the world, lags behind its peer nations in fire security.

8.

Which is a SUPPORTING DETAIL for the main idea? (There is more than one answer.)

The star system has been the backbone of the American film industry since the mid 1910s. Stars are the creation of the public, its reigning favorites. Their influence in the fields of fashion, values, and public behavior has been enormous. “The social history of a nation can be written in terms of its film stars,” Raymond Durgnat has observed. Stars confer instant consequence to any film they appear in. Their fees have staggered the public. In the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin were the two highest paid employees in the world. Contemporary stars such as Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise command salaries of many millions per film, so popular are these box-office giants. Some stars had careers that spanned five decades: Bette Davis and John Wayne, to name just two.

a)

The star system has been the backbone of the American film industry since the mid 1910s.

b)

Stars are the creation of the public, its reigning favorites.

c)

In the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin were the two highest paid employees in the world.

d)

Some stars had careers that spanned five decades: Bette Davis and John Wayne, to name just two.

9.

Which is a SUPPORTING DETAIL for the main idea? (There is more than one answer.)

For decades, we have looked at our steadily increasing life expectancy rates and proudly proclaimed that Americans’ health has never been better. Recently, however, health organizations and international groups have attempted to quantify the number of years a person lives with a disability or illness, compared with the number of healthy years. The World Health Organization summarizes this concept as healthy life expectancy. Simply stated, healthy life expectancy refers to the number of years a newborn can expect to live in full health, based on current rates of illness and mortality and also on the quality of their lives. For example, if we could delay the onset of diabetes so that a person didn’t develop the disease until he or she was 60 years old, rather than developing it at 30, there would be a dramatic increase in this individual’s healthy life expectancy.

a)

For decades, we have looked at our steadily increasing life expectancy rates and proudly proclaimed that Americans’ health has never been better.

b)

Simply stated, healthy life expectancy refers to the number of years a newborn can expect to live in full health, based on current rates of illness and mortality and also on the quality of their lives.

c)

The World Health Organization summarizes this concept as healthy life expectancy.

d)

For example, if we could delay the onset of diabetes so that a person didn’t develop the disease until he or she was 60 years old, rather than developing it at 30, there would be a dramatic increase in this individual’s healthy life expectancy.

10.

Which is a SUPPORTING DETAIL for the main idea?

Are you “twittered out”? Is all that texting causing your thumbs to seize up in protest? If so, you’re not alone. Like millions of others, you may find that all of the pressure for contact is more than enough stress for you! Known as technostress, the bombardment is defined as stress created by a dependence on technology and the constant state of being plugged in or wirelessly connected, which can include a perceived obligation to respond, chat, or tweet.

a)

Like millions of others, you may find that all of the pressure for contact is more than enough stress for you!

b)

If so, you’re not alone.

c)

Are you “twittered out”?

d)

Known as technostress, the bombardment is defined as stress created by a dependence on technology and the constant state of being plugged in or wirelessly connected, which can include a perceived obligation to respond, chat, or tweet.

11.

What is a SUPPORTING DETAIL in the paragraph?

A century ago politicians used to say, “Vote early and often.” Cases such as West Virginia’s 159,000 votes being cast by 147,000 eligible voters in 1888 were not that unusual. Largely to prevent corruption associated with stuffing ballot boxes, states adopted voter registration laws around the turn of the century, which require individuals to first place their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote. Although these laws have made it more difficult to vote more than once, they have also discouraged some people from voting at all. Voter registration requirements in the United States are, in part, to blame for why Americans are significantly less likely to go to the polls than citizens of other democratic nations.

a)

A century ago politicians used to say, “Vote early and often.”

b)

Cases such as West Virginia’s 159,000 votes being cast by 147,000 eligible voters in 1888 were not that unusual.

c)

Largely to prevent corruption associated with stuffing ballot boxes, states adopted voter registration laws around the turn of the century, which require individuals to first place their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote.

d)

Although these laws have made it more difficult to vote more than once, they have also discouraged some people from voting at all.

12.
Which supporting detail best supports this topic sentence?
Dora the Explorer is an educational show for kids.
a)
She has a really cute monkey named Boots.
b)
Dora's purple backpack holds all of her tools.
c)
Dora helps teach kids Spanish words.
d)
She usually stops Swiper from swiping. 
13.

Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have 9,000 taste buds just on the tongue alone. There are also taste buds on the roof of your mouth. You even have taste buds on the back of your throat.

What does the author want you to learn about the passage?

a)

Why we can taste only sweet things.

b)

that we taste through our nose

c)

Taste buds are found in different places.

14.
“The rain forest is home to many creatures. Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest. Butterflies and anteaters also live in the rain forest.”
What is the central idea?
a)
Sloths and tapirs are other creatures that live in the rain forest.
b)
The rain forest is home to many creatures.
c)
Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest.
15.
Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer. Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the central idea?
a)
They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.
b)
Soccer players learn how to dribble.
c)
Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.
16.
4. Which of the following is a supporting detail of this paragraph?
Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started in Japan. It takes place in a ring. Two players try to score points by holding each other down or pushing each other out of the ring. Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans. The robot that scores the most points wins.
a)
Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests
b)
Robots sumo contests are better than human sumo contests.
c)
Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans.
d)
Watching robot sumo is boring.
17.
Camp David is a secure location where the President can get away from it all. Established in 1942 by President Roosevelt, Camp David is located in Maryland, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C. in a heavily wooded area. U.S. Marines patrol the area providing optimal security. The Marines are part of the Navy. Because Camp David is so close to Washington, the president can be back at the White House very quickly in the event of a crisis. 
Which sentence supports the idea that Camp David is secure?
a)
It was established by President Roosevelt.
b)
Camp David is in a heavily wooded area.
c)
Camp David is very close to Washington, D.C.
d)
U.S. Marines patrol the surrounding area.
18.
Select the supporting detail that doesn't fit.
Topic Sentence: There are many reasons people find clowns scary.
a)
Their face paint hides their true identity. 
b)
People often think of the creepy clowns they've seen on movies such as "It."
c)
There have been some bad clowns in the news lately.
d)
Clowns makes fun balloon animals. 
19.
Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph.
When you bake cookies, you first have to make sure you have all the ingredients. Then you have to mix them together. Finally, you have to put them in the oven.
a)
Baking cookies is really easy to do.
b)
My grandma has the best cookies recipe.
c)
There are a few steps you must follow when making cookies.
d)
Cookies are easier to make than cake.
20.
Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph.
Most people already know they should eat fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. It is also important to get exercise. It is equally important to get enough sleep at night.
a)
Being healthy requires a lot of work.
b)
There are many things you should do to stay healthy.
c)
Eating right is the best way to stay healthy.
d)
It is good to be healthy.