Floods can cause a tremendous amount of damage. They can ruin houses, roads, and buildings, and they can take down trees and cause mudslides. These floods often leave behind mud and debris. It can take a length of time to clean up after a major floods, and a lot of money is invested.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have nine thousand 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.

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April Fools' Day is celebrated around the world, although it varies somewhat from country to country. In the United States, for example, it's a day to play practical jokes. In France, where the holiday is known as Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish, people secretly tape paper fish on their friends' backs. A common April Fools' prank in Portugal is to throw flour on someone; in Scotland, the most popular trick involves sending someone on a useless errand. Denmark celebrates April Fools' Day on April 1, but some people there celebrate again in May. Maj-kat, on May 1, is yet another day for jokes and pranks in the spring.

The lights on tall communication towers warn pilots to avoid the towers when flying at night. Unfortunately, the steady red lights often used on towers have the opposite effect on birds: the bright beams attract and confuse them. Instead of avoiding the lights, the birds fly directly toward them, crashing into the towers or becoming entangled in power lines. Millions of birds have died this way. However, there is a solution. Unlike steady lights, flashing or blinking lights don't attract birds. In response to demands from conservation groups, the Federal Aviation Administration in 2016 began requiring communication towers in the U.S. to use blinking lights instead of steady ones.

In 2016, Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael, California, became the first U.S. school to replace all of its ordinary desks with raised desks that students stand at. Speaking to a reporter from TIME for Kids magazine, one student at the school gave the standing desks high praise. "You feel happier, you're less tired, and you're more active," she said. According to several studies, children working at standing desks burn more calories and are more focused on tasks. However, some teachers and parents are opposed to the change. They are concerned that standing for long periods of time could cause fatigue, strain on the legs and feet, or posture problems. In addition, standing desks are more expensive than seated desks. Only time will tell whether standing desks will prove to be the next big trend or a failed experiment.

Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A and are good for general eye health. However, carrots will not improve night vision. That myth goes back to British propaganda during World War II. In 1940, the German Luftwaffe, or air force, began bombing Britain at night. In response, the British government ordered people to turn off their lights; the government wanted to make it difficult for German pilots to hit their targets. A new technology, radar, allowed the British air force to track and shoot down the German planes without light. To keep the technology secret, the government told the media that their pilots could see the German planes because they consumed so many carrots. Consequently, people began to believe that eating carrots would help them see better in the dark.

The Crimean War was fought in the 1850s between Russia on one side and Britain, France, and Turkey on the other. Although it was a major conflict, it is perhaps best remembered as the first war in which journalists were present on the battlefield. News dispatches from William Howard Russell, a reporter for the Times of London, exposed military blunders and revealed the filthy conditions that existed in military hospitals and camps. Photographers such as James Robertson and Roger Fenton made hundreds of photographs of soldiers on the battlefield. These news reports and photographs provided an uncensored look at life on the frontlines. The Crimean War marked the first time in history that people back home were exposed to the horrors of war.

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

What is the Central Idea of the passage?

What's that humming sound? Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird.

Which sentence is a supporting detail that recycling is important?

Which sentence is a supporting detail that you should get enough sleep?

Select the supporting detail that doesn't fit.

Topic Sentence:My cat is afraid of everything.

Which of the following statements is true about SUMMARIZING?

Which best describes a summary?

For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.

The best summary of this passage is:

As soon as she arrived at grandmother's house, Jessica ran into her bedroom to look at the blue quilt. It covered her grandmother's bed and was Jessica's favorite. It had patches of dark blue, medium blue, and light blue, with pictures of birds and flowers on every other patch. Jessica liked to take naps with the quilt wrapped around her. She loved the way it felt so soft and warm against her skin. Whenever she was visiting grandma, just looking at the quilt made Jessica happy. The best summary of this passage is...

March 2nd was a great day at the New York Public Library. More than 250 first and second graders wore red-and-white-striped stovepipe hats. They were celebrating The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday. Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat picture book has been published for 50 years now. The famous feline danced with children racing around him. At the same time, pink, purple, and white confetti rained down.

Serena Williams, the tennis champion, read The Cat in the Hat to second graders. They sat on brightly-colored rugs around her. Two lucky second graders from PS 152 in Manhattan sat next to Williams on a big red chair. Pink and purple umbrellas hung from the ceiling. The students giggled while Williams made her voice change from deep to high for the many characters in the story.

After reading the book, Williams shouted, "Tip your hat to the Cat!" The students took off their hats and waved them excitedly.

Which sentence should be included in the summary of the passage above?

What is the central idea of the passage?

Millions of acres of tropical rainforest have been destroyed. Many animals and people lose their homes when the rain forest is cut down. Today, people are destroying the forests so quickly that the animals are unable to adapt. Many of these animals, such as the leopard, need miles and miles of untouched rain forest in order to live. Furthermore, as more of the rainforest is destroyed, the risk of air pollution and loss of oxygen increases.

What is the central idea of the passage?

Thomas Edison’s life span is known as “The age of Edison.” If it wasn’t for Thomas Edison, we might not have electric lights, telephones, movie cameras, or computers! Think of all the ways these great products affect our lives today. Edison held over 1,000 patents and received dozens of awards during his lifetime for his inventions and contributions to science.

What is the central idea of the passage?

In 1969, Apollo 11’s successful landing on the moon was seen on TV all around the world. At last, men had walked on the moon for the first time ever! Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin became famous American heroes. This mission was a great achievement for the U.S. space program, and led to six more Apollo flights in the years to come. The mission's success also led to further deep space explorations by the United States and other countries around the world.

What is the central idea of the passage?

The law was not exactly fair in the Middle Ages in Europe. Back then, you could blame someone in your town for committing a crime. The “criminal” could then challenge you to a fight to prove his guilt or innocence. If you lost the fight, you were charged as a liar and the criminal was believed to be innocent. If you won, the criminal was believed to be guilty.

What is the central idea of the passage?

In 1981, a new television channel was introduced to showcase musicians performing their songs in music videos. This channel was called MTV, or Music Television. Since the channel first went on the air, viewership has increased, and the channel has expanded to countries all over the world. Today, MTV not only shows music videos, but a variety of other television programming as well.

What is the central idea of the passage?

In training to be a knight, a person was expected to study hard and learn good manners. They were taught to play musical instruments, sing, and recite poetry. They also studied reading, writing, geometry, and strategy games. Another knight would then teach the person to shoot a bow and arrow, fight with a sword, and ride a horse. To say the least, knights had a well-rounded education.

What is the central idea of the passage?

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. Many beautiful three-dimensional creations are made with this art. Starting with only one square of paper, you can fold and fold and fold, until you’ve created amazing models. With practice, you can learn to make abstract designs or recognizable animals such as cranes (a type of bird) or even dinosaurs.

What is the central idea of the passage?

William Shakespeare was a very prolific writer. By the time of his death at 52 years of age, he had written 37 plays, 154 poems, and two long, narrative poems. No other writer of his time produced as many high-quality works as Shakespeare. Among his most popular works are Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His words have inspired many writers to this day!

What is the central idea of a text?

What are the details in a text?

Repeated words in a text are important because..

Why are illustrations in a text important?

Rereading is a great strategy to use to help in finding the central idea.