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Main Idea and Details

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 29mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?
a)
Who is the main character?
b)
What is the main event?
c)
What is one important detail?
d)
What point is the author trying to make?
2.
What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?
a)
Title
b)
Headings
c)
Pictures
d)
All of these
3.
Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.
a)
Floods can cause a lot of damage.
b)
Floods cause mudslides.
c)
Floods damage houses and roads. 
4.
What is the main idea?
  Shells
Susan likes to swim with her family at the beach. The best part of going to the beach is collecting shells. She likes to use shells to make jewelry. Collecting shells is fun.
a)
Susan is a good swimmer.
b)
Susan likes to collect shells.
c)
Jewelry is fun to make.
d)
Susan likes to go fishing.
5.
Jake's family went on a camping trip. They went to a park by the ocean. They rode their bikes around the park and cooked their food over a fire outside. They saw some deer. They came home Sunday afternoon. 
What is the main idea? 
a)
They saw some deer
b)
Jake's family likes to camp
c)
Jake's family went on a camping trip
d)
They cooked their food outside
6.
Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent. 
What is the main idea? 
a)
Juan dislikes violence
b)
Juan likes to think
c)
Juan enjoys Monopoly
d)
Juan enjoys playing games
7.
Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal assistants. They will look and behave much like humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. 
What is the main idea? 
a)
Someday we will all have robots to be our personal assistants
b)
We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers
c)
They will look and behave much like real humans
d)
Robots of the future will be able to learn from experience
8.
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 main idea?
a)
They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.
b)
Soccer players learn how to dribble.
c)
They learn how to work together as teammates.
d)
Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.
9.
Where in the text can you sometimes find the main idea?
a)
Beginning/end
b)
Middle 
10.
Which sentence is a supporting detail that you should get enough sleep?
a)
Many people sleep later on the weekends.
b)
Caffeine keeps some people awake at night.
c)
Dark rooms are best for sleeping.
d)
Seven to nine hours keeps you refreshed the next day.
11.
Which supporting detail best supports this topic sentence?
It takes a lot of hard work to become a professional athlete. 
a)
The pros live the good life.
b)
People like professional football players make a lot of money.
c)
Professional athletes spend countless hours practicing their sports.
d)
All of us can be professional athletes. 
12.

All About Sharks Teeth

Which detail below does not support the main idea above?

a)

Sharks have very sharp teeth.

b)

Sharks hunt other living creatures for food.

c)

Sharks have an unlimited supply of teeth that always grow back when one is lost.

d)

A shark can go through as many as 20,000 teeth in it's lifetime.

13.

Milk

Cry

Bottle

Diaper

Sleep

Rattle

Blanket


These words all fit with which main idea below?

a)

Child

b)

Night

c)

Baby

d)

Food

14.

Bed

Doctor

Nurse

Wheelchair

Surgeon

Medicine

Patient

Illness


Which of the following words below would be the best main idea?

a)

Science

b)

House

c)

Reading

d)

Hospital

15.

If you were to describe what main idea is to someone else, which of the following phrases would you use to help them understand?

a)

"Lots of details that make up a story."

b)

"What it's ALL about!"

c)

"Only look at the title."

d)

"The last sentence in a paragraph."

16.
Please read the following details and determine the main idea of these words.
-football
-soccer
-volleyball
-baseball
-tennis
a)
school
b)
games
c)
something hard
d)
sports
17.
Please read the following details and determine the main idea of these words.
-pencils
-paper
-glue
-scissors
-notebooks
a)
school supplies
b)
circus
c)
ice cream flavors
d)
cities
18.
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.
19.
Key details give important information to support the main idea.
a)
True
b)
False
20.
The main idea does not need supporting details.True or False?
a)
True
b)
False