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Worksheets

Author's Purpose and Central Idea

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 1hrs 2mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Ted was anxious to try out for the basketball team. He had practiced and knew he was ready. Tryouts made him a little nervous, but when he found out he made the team he knew that all the work had paid off.

What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you with a story about a boy who worked hard

b)

to teach how to play basketball

c)

to persuade you to try out for the basketball team

d)

to explain the rules of basketball

2.
It's important to go to school. What you learn in school will help you later in life. It will also help you get a job. If you work hard in school and make good grades, you may be able to go to college and have a career.
What is the author's purpose?
a)
to entertain with a story about school
b)
to teach you how to get good grades
c)
to persuade you to work hard in school
d)
to explain the best colleges
3.

Do you want to be an artist? Just enroll in "The Awesome Artists" program. Don't let this opportunity or your talent slip away. We guarantee you will be painting like the masters in two weeks for a low cost of $59.95.

What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you with a story about artists

b)

to inform you how all artists become famous

c)

to persuade you to attend an art program

d)

to explain how to paint a sunset

4.

Beth and her mom went to the circus. This was a special day because she had never been to a circus before. They bought peanuts and went to their seats. She saw clowns, jugglers, and people on trapezes. There were elephants, lions, and tigers. It was a very exciting day for Beth.

What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you with a story about a girl who enjoyed the circus

b)

to teach you about the animals in the circus

c)

to persuade you to visit the circus

d)

to explain how much it costs to attend the circus

5.

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and fangs that inject venom. Spiders have primarily four pairs of eyes on the top-front area. What is the author's purpose?

a)

To persuade you to stay away from spiders.

b)

To entertain readers on the habitat of a spider.

c)

To inform you about the characteristics of a spider.

d)

To compare spiders with other insects.

6.

Cobras typically live in hot, tropical areas but are also found in savannahs, grasslands, forests and farming areas in Africa and Southern Asia. They like to spend time underground, under rocks and in trees. You can also find cobras in the water. What is the author's purpose?

a)

To entertain you with why cobras live in hot areas.

b)

To inform you about the different places cobras can be found.

c)

To describe how cobras interact with other snakes.

d)

To persuade readers to be aware and careful of cobras

7.

Caroline Bartlett Crane was born in 1858 in Hudson, Wisconsin. After working as a teacher, she became a journalist and an ordained minister. Crane was an activist who worked toward women’s voting rights in the United States. Her tireless efforts at improving sanitation in large cities—especially in the slums where the poorest residents lived—earned her the title “America’s Housekeeper.” What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade you to like Caroline Bartlett Crane

b)

to inform you about who Caroline Bartlett Crane was and what she did

c)

to entertain you with stories about Caroline Bartlett Crane

8.
Rules are very important. They help keep things running smoothly. Rules let you know what you can and cannot do whether you are playing a game or explaining how to act in class. You should follow rules; they help people get along.
What is the author's purpose?
a)
to entertain with a story about people who follow the rules
b)
to inform about the rules of games
c)
to persuade people to follow the rules
d)
to explain the rules of chess
9.

Driving west from Capital Park, turn left onto Maple Avenue. Continue for three blocks until you come to Trumbull Street, and then turn right. The library will be on your left. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade you to visit the library

b)

to entertain you with a story about how to get to the library

c)

to inform you how to get to the library

10.

The elderly lady stood, teetered a bit, and reached out for the pole near her seat. As the bus pulled to a stop, she began the long walk to the door. She finally made it to the door and stepped onto the road. She was ready to rob the bank. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you with a story about an old woman robbing a bank

b)

to inform you about the appearance of an elderly woman

c)

to persuade you to read the rest of the story

11.

Benjamin Franklin loved the city of Philadelphia. He started the city’s first hospital and fire department. Ben also started Philadelphia’s first public library. Benjamin Franklin worked very hard to make Philadelphia a better place to live. What is the central idea?

a)

Benjamin Franklin worked hard to make his city a great

place to live.

b)

Benjamin Franklin worked for the fire department.

c)

Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about books.

d)

Benjamin Franklin went to school in Philedelphia.

12.

Texting is the preferred method of communication for most teens 12-17. In fact, the number of texts sent daily increases with age. Twelve year olds typically send 20 text messages per day, most often just to "say hi'". That number increases to 50 messages per day, on average, for teens 14-17 years old. Girls in the 14-17 age group average over 3,000 texts per week. Given these facts, it's no wonder unlimited texting is a a must-have with a teen in the house.

What is the central idea of this paragraph?

a)

Teens like to text so they don't have to talk to each other in person.

b)

That number increases to 50 messages per day, on average, for teens 14-17 years old.

c)

Teens should stop texting because it makes them anti-social.

d)

Texting is a very popular form of communication among teens.

13.

The paths you choose today can shape you forever. It’s both frightening and exciting that we have to make so many vital decisions when we’re so young and full of hormones, but such is life. Imagine an eighty-foot rope stretched out before you. Each foot represents one year of your life. Teenagehood is only seven years, such a short span of rope, but those seven affect the remaining sixty-one, for good or bad, in such a powerful way.


What is the main idea of the following text?

a)

Life is short so don't mess up.

b)

Life is short like an eighty-foot rope.

c)

The paths you choose today can shape you forever.

14.

Baseball has been a part of Americans’ lives for over 100 years. In 27 out of 50 American cities, there are 29 professional teams and thousands of minor league teams. Most Americans attend more baseball games than any other professional sport games. Baseball is not only part of American life but also part of slang, fashion, music, and movies.

What is a possible central idea for this passage?

a)

Baseball isn't as popular as it used to be.

b)

Baseball has a long history in the United States and still has a huge presence in our culture today.

c)

Baseball is the best sport to watch and play in the United States.

15.

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.

What is a possible topic for this passage?

a)

The platypus is a very unique and dangerous creature.

b)

The platypus is not that interesting.

c)

The platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs.

d)

The platypus has venom that can hurt its victims.

16.

It's no surprise that exercise increases energy. The physical challenge prepares your body in a variety of ways. Blood sugar is more quickly converted to fuel, more oxygen is supplied to your cells, and fight-or-flight hormones are released. Instead of leaving you exhausted, exercise energizes. Do it in the morning for an all-day high or later in the afternoon for a pick-me-up.


What is a possible central idea for this passage?

a)

Exercise increases your energy by preparing your body for various physical challenges.

b)

Exercise in the morning for an all-day high or later in the afternoon for a pick-me-up.

c)

Exercise can leave you exhausted and make it hard to function.

d)

Blood sugar is more quickly converted to fuel, more oxygen is supplied to your cells, and fight-or-flight hormones are released.

17.

Do you carpool to school? Do you take a bus? It should be a requirement for everyone to either share a ride or walk to school every day. If we are serious about saving the planet, we must take steps to conserve energy and reduce fossil fuel emissions. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade the reader to share a ride or walk to school in order to conserve energy

b)

to inform the reader to share a ride or walk to school in order to conserve energy

c)

to entertain the reader with a story about energy conservation

18.

Do you want to be an artist? Just enroll in "The Awesome Artists" program. Don't let this opportunity or your talent slip away. We guarantee you will be painting like the masters in two weeks for a low cost of $59.95.

What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you with a story about artists

b)

to teach you how all artists become famous

c)

to persuade you to attend an art program

d)

to explain how to paint a sunset

19.

Today, it is not uncommon to see women wearing high-heeled shoes. However, the first high-heeled shoes were actually made for men back in the 1500s. The heels helped soldiers keep their feet in the stirrups of their saddles as they rode into battle. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to inform the reader about the history of different kinds of shoes

b)

to inform the reader about the history of high heels

c)

to entertain readers with a story about high heels

20.

Have you ever wished you could contact all of your friends at once? Wouldn’t it be convenient to send a note to all your friends at the same time, rather than contacting each person individually? Download the FriendChat app today for your smartphone! In just minutes, you’ll be able to send messages to all your friends simultaneously. For only $1.99, you can save yourself a lot of time! What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade the reader to buy Friendchat

b)

to inform the reader about Friendchat

c)

to entertain the reader with a story about chatting with friends

21.

Sarah knew time travel was impossible. Everything she’d learned in science told her it couldn’t be done. But as she looked around the street, noting the horse-drawn carriages and the women dressed in long dresses and hats, she realized she was in the nineteenth century. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade the reader to believe in time travel

b)

to inform the reader about time travel

c)

to entertain the reader with a story about Sarah, a girl who travelled to the nineteenth century

22.

I was very concerned by the school board's recent announcement that lunch breaks will be shortened next year. This may seem like a good idea now, but in the long run it will only hurt students.

The current lunch break gives students a chance to exercise and breathe fresh air. More importantly, it lets them take a break from their hard work. Shorter lunches don't give students enough time for a real break. For the sake of all students, contact the school board today and let them know that breaks matter! What is the author's purpose?

a)

To persuade the reader to speak out against shorter lunch breaks

b)

To inform the readers about why lunch breaks are being shortened

23.

Hellen Keller was born in 1880 and died in 1968. Despite being deaf and blind, Keller was a political activist, a lecturer, an author, and a tireless advocate for those with disabilities. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade the reader to read more about Hellen Keller

b)

to inform the reader about Hellen Keller

c)

to entertain the reader with a story about Hellen Keller

24.

Many people buy vegetables in the grocery store without knowing where they were grown or how they arrived at the store. Supermarkets should be required to label each fruit or vegetable with a sign telling shoppers where and when the food was grown and how far it traveled to the supermarket. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade the reader to believe that supermarkets should have to tell their customers where their produce is from

b)

to inform people about where their produce is from

c)

to persuade people to shop local

25.

Before preparing food, clean all kitchen surfaces thoroughly and wash your hands with very warm water and antibacterial soap. Be sure to pull back your hair, and make sure your clothing has no straps or strings that could fall into a hot stove. What is the author's purpose?

a)

to persuade people to clean their kitchens

b)

to inform people what they should do before preparing food

c)

to persuade people to cook food

26.

Ted was anxious to try out for the basketball team. He had practiced and knew he was ready. Tryouts made him a little nervous, but when he found out he made the team he knew that all the work had paid off.

What is the author's purpose?

a)

to entertain you witha story about a boy who worked hard

b)

to teach how to play basketball

c)

to persuade you to try out for the basketball team

d)

to explain the rules of basketball

27.
A magazine article about JJ Watt is most likely to 
a)
Entertain the reader with a funny interview
b)
Inform the reader about JJ Watt's professional career
c)
Persuade you to watch the Texans
d)
Express JJ Watt's feelings about football 
28.

Most people think that Johann Sebastian Bach played the piano, but this is not true. The piano was not invented until just two years before he died. Bach's main instrument was the organ. He was a great organist. He wrote a lot of wonderful music for that instrument. He also played other keyboard instruments that were ancestors of the piano. Among these instruments was the harpsichord. Along with Mozart, Bach is considered to be one of the all-time great composers

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

a)

Mozart and Bach did not compose music for the piano.

b)

Johann Sebastian Bach was a great organist and writer.

c)

The piano had not been invented three hundred years ago.

d)

The harpsichord was a keyboard instrument before the piano.

29.

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.

30.

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. What is the central idea of this passage?

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.

31.
I am writing to..., obviously..., I believe..., Of course..., Do you really think..., Do you want to be part of..., You SHOULD
a)
persuasive words
b)
fiction/literary
c)
describe
d)
inform