Free Printable Central Idea & Inference

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.

Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes. However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.

This story mainly tells.....

a)

Coyotes prefer rabbits to lambs.

b)

Killing coyotes upsets nature's balance.

c)

Scientists are trying to protect sheep and coyotes.

3.

Which is the correct definition for the following vocabulary word: SUPPORTING DETAILS

a)

Based on or influenced by personal feelings

b)

A brief statement or account of the main points of something

c)

What or who the text is about

d)

Details that explain the central idea

4.

For hopeful professional football players, the prospect of being drafted can seem overwhelming because the odds are often against them. One way for players to stand out is to be in top physical condition. Potential football players have to be able to show coaches their power and abilities. Athletes have to show how strong and fast they are and should be able to show coaches and scouts the ways they can take advantage of their size. Opportunities for athletes to showcase their abilities include the 40-yard dash and the vertical jump. The vertical jump requires players to jump from a standing position and some top athletes can jump over 40 inches.

What is the central idea of this passage?

a)

It is difficult to become a professional football player.

b)

The vertical jump is a challenging task that involves jumping after standing still.

c)

Hopeful football players have to be in peak physical shape.

5.

What is the difference between explicit and implicit meanings?

a)

Explicit meanings are indirectly stated and implicit meanings are directly stated.

b)

Explicit meanings are directly stated and implicit meanings are indirectly stated.

c)

Both

d)

None of the Above

6.

Which statement in explicit?

a)

Your home has an unusual smell.

b)

Opening a window may be good for the house.

c)

Would you for me to bring some air freshener to your house?

d)

Your house stinks.

7.

Which statement is the implicit statement?

a)

I want to break up with you.

b)

I would prefer it if we saw other people.

c)

I don't want to be with you anymore.

d)

We are over.

8.

Eleanor's father was deeply confused by her change in appearance. She had abandoned her jeans and ball caps for pastels, and perfume, and floral print dresses. She'd been acting strangely ever since the Dudley family had moved down the street.

What can be inferred about Eleanor's change?

a)

Eleanor has a crush on a boy from her neighborhood and changed her way of dress to attract him.

b)

Eleanor changed her way of dress because she has become more mature.

c)

Eleanor's friends are influencing the way she wants to dress.

d)

None of the Above

9.

Eleanor's father was deeply confused by her change in appearance. She had abandoned her jeans and ball caps for pastels, and perfume, and floral print dresses. She'd been acting strangely ever since the Dudley family had moved down the street.

Which piece of textual evidence supports the inference that Eleanor had been a tomboy?

a)

"Eleanor's father was deeply confused by her change in appearance."

b)

"She'd been acting strangely ever since the Dudley family had moved down the street."

c)

"She had abandoned her jeans and ball caps for pastels, and perfume, and floral print dresses."

d)

All of the Above

10.

When the internet first became popular in the United States, Wi-Fi was not an option. Computers all across the country used phone lines to connect to the internet, which was known as dial-up internet. In hindsight, there were lots of problems with dial-up internet, but at the time it was the only option many people had to access the internet. Dial-up internet required an open phone line, so if someone’s parents were on the phone, then getting on the internet to do homework would have to wait. When someone called, the internet connection was often lost. Once internet service became popular, a lot of people had trouble connecting and would have to wait to log on to the internet. While there were many drawbacks to dial-up internet, the benefits outweighed them at the time.

What inference can be made about phone lines?

a)

You could not use the internet and make a call from the same phone line.

b)

The phone lines were not connected to the internet

c)

You could use the internet and make a call from the same phone line.

11.

Joseph and Caitlin were choosing the players for their teams. It was Caitlin's turn to choose, and only Jason was left. Caitlin said, "Jason."

We can infer that…

a)

Jason was the best player.

b)

Caitlin wanted Jason on her team.

c)

Jason was not a very good player.

d)

Caitlin had a hard time choosing a team member.

12.

Which sentence suggests that Joanna rode her bike to school?

a)

Joannaʼs hair was a little messy when she got to school.

b)

Joanna crossed three streets on her way to school.

c)

Joanna went four blocks on her way to school.

d)

Joanna had to put her helmet inside the classroom closet.

13.

Mike had fun hiking in the woods and doing crafts. He also really enjoyed the campfire sing-a-long and had made a lot of new friends. Still, he was glad that tomorrow he would be going home.
Where is Mike?

a)

at camp

b)

at a slumber party

c)

on a picnic

d)

in California

14.

I have a head and a tail. People often say I am #1. I am made of copper. I am lucky if you pick me up. What am I?

a)

four leaf clover

b)

leaf

c)

penny

d)

dime

15.

As I walked in the door, I was amazed at the beautiful colors and smells. I knew it would be hard to decide what I would buy with my $3. The chocolate truffles looked delicious, but they were expensive. The jelly beans were not only cheaper, but so colorful! With so much to choose from, I knew I would be here a long time. Where am I?

a)

Gas station

b)

Candy store

c)

Grocery store

d)

Shoe store

16.

The desert is a very hot, dry place. How might a coyote stay cool?

a)

Sleep in a cavern during the day and hunt at night

b)

Take a bath in the lake

c)

Grow thicker fur

d)

Build a new home out of cactus

17.

Mia stamps her feet and crosses her arms. How do you think she feels?

a)

Joyful

b)

Angry

c)

Lonely

d)

Tearful

18.

“It’s important to limit your video game playing. First, playing video games isn’t good for your mind. It exposes young people to violence. Violent video games have been linked to aggression in kids. Also, it isn’t good for your health. The more video games you play, the less physical activity you are getting. Obesity and levels of video game playing are linked in research. Finally, playing video games limits the important social interactions you have in real life with friends and family. We miss talking with you around here because you’re always playing games!”
Which of the following is evidence for the claim below?
"It exposes young people to violence. "

a)

"Violent video games have been linked to aggression in kids."

b)

"We miss talking with you around here because you’re always playing games!”

c)

"Obesity and levels of video game playing are linked in research."

d)

“It’s important to limit your video game playing."

19.

“It’s important to limit your video game playing. First, playing video games isn’t good for your mind. It exposes young people to violence. Violent video games have been linked to aggression in kids. Also, it isn’t good for your health. The more video games you play, the less physical activity you are getting. Obesity and levels of video game playing are linked in research. Finally, playing video games limits the important social interactions you have in real life with friends and family. We miss talking with you around here because you’re always playing games!”
What could the author add to strengthen the idea that videos are not good for your mind?

a)

A study on childhood obesity

b)

A field study of a video game that shows the impact of video games on young children

c)

Research that relates family relationships to video games

d)

An interview with a video game creator

20.

Life was different 200 years ago. At first, women in America did not have many rights. Property ownership was often given to the male of a family even when a spouse died. Women were often thought of as being feeble and unable to learn or conduct business as men. Few women were able to work outside of the home, and society during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries limited the types of jobs that women could complete. At early adolescence, young ladies often took sewing classes to learn how to sew for their families. The stitches they learned enabled them to create tablecloths and clothing for the members of their families.
How did the societal perceptions about women in the 17th and 18th centuries affect them?

a)

Gender roles affected the daily lifestyles of women.

b)

Women were expected to assist with wage earning.

c)

Tasks in adolescence were challenging for them.

21.

By the mid-1800s, many groups sought fair and equal rights. Abolitionists spoke about the injustices of slavery. Factory workers sought for the enactment of child labor laws to protect children. Collective groups of women sought equal treatment and the right to vote, suffrage. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were vocal leaders in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. As they gained more supporters, they created an organization. Their viewpoints were considered troublesome by many community leaders, and they faced intense pressure to stop seeking equal treatment.
Which detail proves Stanton and Mott were gaining greater support?

a)

Many groups sought fair and equal rights.

b)

Community leaders were upset .

c)

They created an organization.

22.

Michael woke up with a start. Someone was banging at the front door. Heavy footsteps clomped over the bare boards of the hallway. A shouting of voices. Jacko's familiar growl, then the front door slammed shut. Michael shivered and pulled the thin blanket closer around his shoulders. Through the cracked glass of the curtainless window, the sky looked gray and dirty. A groan from the other mattress told him that Toby was awake as well.

With whom is Michael Living?

a)

The Jonas Brothers

b)

Jacko and Toby

c)

Michael and Toby

d)

Jacko and Michael

23.

Michael woke up with a start. Someone was banging at the front door. Heavy footsteps clomped over the bare boards of the hallway. A shouting of voices. Jacko's familiar growl, then the front door slammed shut. Michael shivered and pulled the thin blanket closer around his shoulders. Through the cracked glass of the curtainless window, the sky looked gray and dirty. A groan from the other mattress told him that Toby was awake as well.

What can you infer about Jacko's mood?

a)

scared

b)

happy

c)

excited

d)

grumpy

24.

Michael woke up with a start. Someone was banging at the front door. Heavy footsteps clomped over the bare boards of the hallway. A shouting of voices. Jacko's familiar growl, then the front door slammed shut. Michael shivered and pulled the thin blanket closer around his shoulders. Through the cracked glass of the curtainless window, the sky looked gray and dirty. A groan from the other mattress told him that Toby was awake as well.

What can you infer about the place they are living?

a)

happy and clean

b)

dull and uncared for

c)

brand new

d)

bright and colorful

25.

Descriptive words that appeal to the senses

a)

hyperbole

b)

onomatopoeia

c)

metaphor

d)

imagery

26.

An obvious exaggeration to make a point or add excitement

a)

assonance

b)

repetition

c)

hyperbole

d)

onomatopoeia

27.

Giving human qualities to non-living objects

a)

personification

b)

metaphor

c)

simile

d)

hyperbole

28.

A comparison of two seemingly unlike things

a)

simile

b)

metaphor

c)

personification

d)

hyperbole

29.

Words or phrases that are repeated in writings to give emphasis

a)

alliteration

b)

repetition

c)

assonance

d)

consonance

30.

A word that spells out a sound

a)

assonance

b)

hyperbole

c)

imagery

d)

onomatopoeia

31.

The repetition of two or more of the same beginning consonant sound close together

a)

simile

b)

imagery

c)

consonance

d)

alliteration

32.

"Buzz - says the great buzzing bee."

a)

metaphor

b)

simile

c)

hyperbole

d)

onomatopoeia

33.

"The air is like a butterfly"

a)

methaphor

b)

simile

c)

repetition

d)

onomatopoeia

34.

"To the swinging and the ringing of the bells, bells, bells..."

a)

metaphor

b)

simile

c)

repetition

d)

onomatopoeia

35.

"There was a Young Lady whose nose, Was so long that it reached to her toes;"

a)

metaphor

b)

hyperbole

c)

alliteration

d)

repetition

36.

The crazy car is colorful.

a)

simile

b)

alliteration

c)

personification

d)

repetition

37.

"The eerie silence was shattered by her scream." This is an example of ___________________________.

a)

Theme

b)

Plot

c)

Alliteration

d)

Imagery

38.

The poem "There was a child went forth" by Walt Whitman is about how everything we experience in life changes or shapes us. This idea is the poem's ___________________.

a)

Style

b)

Rhythm

c)

Theme

d)

Plot

39.

"The sunlight kissed her head as the gentle breeze whispered in her ear." This is an example of ___________________________.

a)

Hyperbole

b)

Simile

c)

Style

d)

Personification

40.

The best definition of theme is...

a)

The lesson the author is teaching.

b)

The message the author is sending.

c)

A word that summarizes the story.

d)

The character's main problem.

41.

Which of the following is an example of THEME?

a)

Carry your laptops with two hands at all times.

b)

Cereal is the healthiest food you can eat.

c)

You can severely break your leg while crossing the street.

d)

Life is short; make the most of it.

42.

Can theme be found in fiction and nonfiction?

a)

True

b)

False

43.

What is the theme of this story?

a)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

b)

Don't steal.

c)

Respect your elders.

d)

Slowly but surely wins the race.

44.

What is the theme of this story?

a)

Eat your vegetables.

b)

Don't brag. Be modest.

c)

Don't talk to strangers.

d)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

45.

A story can have more than one theme.

a)

true

b)

false

46.

The message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from the story is called the

a)

thesis

b)

summary

c)

theme

d)

plot

47.

What is the theme of this story?

a)

Don't steal.

b)

Don't judge others. You don't know what they are capable of.

c)

Being beautiful is the most important thing.

d)

Swans are prettier than ducks.

48.

What is the theme of this story?

a)

Respect your elders.

b)

Don't steal.

c)

Don't be lazy.

d)

Help others because what goes around comes around.

49.

An author usually does not state the theme in the story. You must use clues and infer his idea.

a)

True

b)

False

50.

Tara was babysitting for her neighbor. Suddenly, the smoke alarm went off and she saw smoke coming from the bedroom. Tara grabbed the baby and went outside immediately. Once outside, she called 911.
What is the theme?

a)

friendship

b)

honesty

c)

cooperation

d)

bravery

Central Idea & Inference

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 1hrs 8mins

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