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Main Idea

Total questions: 10

Worksheet time: 37mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Jenny visited her grandmother in the hospital. She saw how kind and helpful the nurses were to her grandmother. Now she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. She wants to help sick people get well.

What is the main idea of this passage?

a)

Jenny got sick.

b)

Jenny wants to be a nurse.

c)

Her grandmother was in the hospital.

d)

Jenny was glad the nurses were being kind to her grandmother.

2.

Many people have not heard giraffes make noises. Giraffes do not use sounds to “talk” with each other. When hurt, giraffes make a low moo, something like a cow. When frightened, they make a short, high sound.

What is the main idea of this passage?

a)

Giraffes do make noises

b)

Giraffes talk all the time.

c)

Cows and giraffes talk to each other.

d)

Lots of people have heard giraffes talk.

3.

There are several ways to determine if a snake is poisonous or not. First, poisonous snakes usually have triangular shaped heads while nonpoisonous snakes have rounded heads. Second, poisonous snakes have pupils that look like slits. Nonpoisonous snakes have pupils that are rounder. Finally, the snouts of poisonous snakes are sometimes upturned, while nonpoisonous snakes have rounded snouts.


What is the main idea of this paragraph?

a)

Where snakes live

b)

How to tell if a snake is poisonous or not

c)

How poisonous snakes smell

4.
Elephants use their trunks for many things. Elephants use their trunks to smell. In fact, elephants can smell better than bloodhounds. Baby elephants sometimes suck their trunks to soothe themselves the way human babies suck their thumbs. Elephants do not drink with their trunks. They use their trunks to suck up water and then pour it in their mouths. Elephants also greet each other with their trunks the way humans do by shaking hands.
a)
 How much water elephants drink
b)
Where elephants live
c)
How elephant use their trunks
5.

Hannah was giving her dog Fluffy a bath. Fluffy hated baths! Hannah had just finished lathering Fluffy up with shampoo when fluffy jumped out of the tub! She ran all other the house getting water and suds everywhere!


WHY did Fluffy jump out of the tub?

a)

She hated baths.

b)

She got too cold.

c)

She got water and soap suds all over the house.

d)

She wanted to play fetch instead.

6.

The clown did a trick on his bicycle. He went very fast and stood up on his seat. I am a good bike riders, but not that good. When I tried the trick, I fell off my bike.


WHAT happened in this passage? (MAIN IDEA)

a)

I am a good bike rider.

b)

I fell off my bike.

c)

The clown went very fast.

d)

I was doing tricks.

7.

Jessica wanted to be a dancer. She knew that dancers must work every day. She took dance lessons every Tuesday. She practiced a few hours each day.


WHAT: Jessica practiced every day.

WHY?

a)

She worked hard on Tuesdays.

b)

She took lessons every day.

c)

She wanted to be a dancer.

d)

She liked dancing.

8.

Mark went on a fishing trip with his father. His father caught three fish. Mark caught two fish. Mark's fish were so little that he had to throw them back.


WHAT happened?

WHY: Mark's fish were very small

a)

He went fishing with his father.

b)

His father's fish were very little.

c)

He had to throw them back.

d)

They ate the fish together that night.

9.

The three men traveled on horseback. It was a long journey. They rode all day long. It was dark when they reached the camp.


What happened: It was dark when the men reached camp.

Why did this happen?

a)

They left at dawn.

b)

The journey was long.

c)

The horses were tired.

d)

It was already dark outside.

10.

Which two words do we use when we want to find the MAIN IDEA of a passage?

a)

What & Who

b)

When & Where

c)

What & Why

d)

Why & How