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theme/central idea/summary

Total questions: 38

Worksheet time: 2hrs 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What is the best definition of THEME?
a)
A universal truth, moral, or idea that the author wants to express. 
b)
The location and time of the story
c)
The events that occur in the story
d)
The author's reason for writing a story
2.
What is the main difference between THEME and CENTRAL IDEA. 
a)
Theme is a universal lesson and main idea is what a story is about.
b)
Theme is what a story is about and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.
3.
Mark wanted to be a great skater. But he didn't want to spend the hours practicing. He wished he could just do the tricks easily. Mark's dream was to have everyone stop and stare when he entered the skate park. He  wanted them to say, "Mark is the best skater in the whole world."
What is the objective summary?
a)
Mark wants everyone to think he's a great skater without doing the hard work.
b)
Mark practices very hard to become a great skater.
c)
Mark is the best skater at the park.
d)
Mark wants to learn how to skate so he can compete.
4.
If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!
What is the central idea?
a)
Sometimes people feel sad.
b)
You should do good things for others.
c)
We're not always happy.
d)
There are many ways to make yourself feel better. 
5.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil. It will be the 20th year of the World Cup. Brazil was chosen in October of 2007 to host the 2014 competition. Earlier in the year, South America had been chosen as the continent for the contest. Brazil was the only country to put in a bid. This is the second time Brazil will host the World Cup. The country hosted it in 1950. It is the first World Cup to be held in South America since 1978, when Argentina hosted. No other South American country has hosted the World Cup more than once.


The summary of this passage is:

a)

The 20th World Cup will take place in 2014. In 2007, it was decided that the competition would be held in South America. It is the first World Cup in South America since 1978.

b)

In October 2007, Brazil was chosen to host the 20th World Cup. Brazil has already hosted the World Cup before. 1978 was the last time a South American country hosted the World Cup.

c)

The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil. It is the second time Brazil has been chosen to host the World Cup. Brazil is the only South American country to host the World Cup twice.

d)

Early in 2007, South America was chosen as the continent for the 20th World Cup. Brazil was the only country that put in a bid. Brazil hosted the World Cup before in 1950.

6.

Turn over a bag of potato chips. Is the label interesting? A simple food recipe may use several ingredients. These come from the soil and from chemistry labs around the world. Surprises also show up in the labels on clothing and other products. Look at the label on a package of lipstick. The tube seems small and shiny, but inside lipstick there is soap, oil, fish scales, and wax!


Which is the best way to summarize this passage?

a)

A bag of potato chips seems like a simple recipe. There are many ingredients from the soil and from chemistry labs.

b)

Clothes and other products have many ingredients as well. Lipstick alone has soap, oil, wax, and fish scales.

c)

Labels show what goes into food, clothing, and other products. A simple product may have many ingredients.

d)

Lipstick seems small and shiny. Look at the label sometime. It has at least four different ingredients.

7.
A theme should always be written as...
a)
A sentence or statement
b)
A phrase
c)
One or two words
d)
A brief summary of 5-8 sentences. 
8.
When determining a theme, the reader should first consider...
a)
the illustrations
b)
the subject or topic
c)
the title
d)
the length of the story 
9.
A novel can have more than one theme.
a)
TRUE
b)
FALSE
10.
What is the central idea here
A penny for your thoughts?  If it's a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars.  In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare.  Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny.  These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it's uncirculated, it'd easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that's a pretty penny.  
a)
The 1943 penny is worth 50 thousand dollars.
b)
the 1943 penny is more rare than the 1955 penny.
c)
Some pennies are rare and worth a lot of money.
d)
None of these options
11.

A summary should include

a)

3-5 sentences

b)

the main W's and How

c)

the most important information

d)

all of the above

12.

True or False?

When determining either central idea or theme, you should be able to find text evidence to support your statement.

a)

True

b)

False

13.

An objective summary does not include...

a)

Central Idea

b)

Supporting Details

c)

Title

d)

Opinion

14.

Which is not included in a summary of a nonfiction text?

a)

Title

b)

Opinion

c)

Central Idea

d)

Supporting Details

15.

What is a summary?

a)

Rephrasing the entire passage in your own words.

b)

Briefly restating the important ideas in your own words.

c)

The point the author wants you to remember most

d)

A minor detail

16.

When information is directly stated...

a)

explicit text (explicitly)

b)

determined

c)

summary

d)

inference

17.

An objective summary includes

a)

Who? What? when? Where? Why? and facts

b)

Opinions

c)

Long version of the story and main ideas

d)

just the main idea

18.

An inference is when...

a)

a reader copies information directly word for word

b)

a reader gains extra knowledge for a theme

c)

a reader only uses the text to determine it

d)

a reader uses what they know + clues from the text to come up with a conclusion

19.

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.

20.

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.

21.

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.

22.
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.
23.
Depression is a common illness that is easy to treat. Unfortunately, many people don't take their symptoms seriously and don't talk to their doctors about their problems. They don't know that depression has a physical cause; it is not a sign of weakness or a mood that will just go away.

Which of the following details would best support the main idea of this passage?
a)
Jorge doesn't feel like himself anymore.
b)
Girls are more likely to suffer from depression than boys.
c)
Depression often runs in families.
d)
Many people try to hide their depression and avoid getting help.
24.

Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have 9,000 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.

What does the author want you to learn about the passage?

a)

Why we can taste only sweet things.

b)

that we taste through our nose

c)

Taste buds are found in different places.

25.
 It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year.  Brach's, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end.  That's a lot of candy corn, but that's nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production.  Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day!  But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry's staple product, chocolate.  Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year.  Now that's a mouthful! 
a)
 This central idea is about chocolate. 
b)
 The central idea is how Tootsie Rolls are better than candy corn. 
c)
 The central idea is about how to circle the earth 4.25 times. 
d)
 The central idea is about how many popular candies are produced each year.
26.

What is the CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text?

a)

What the text is MOSTLY about.

b)

A full paragraph SUMMARY of a text.

c)

The type of CONFLICT used throughout a text.

d)

The universal truth, moral lesson, or message that the author intends for the audience.

27.

What is the central idea of the passage?


The law was not exactly fair in Europe during the Middle Ages. 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.

a)

Laws of the Middle Ages were unfair.

b)

Fighting was a good way to determine guilt or innocence during the Middle Ages.

c)

Most people lied about crime in the Middle Ages.

d)

Individuals that were innocent of crimes often won the fighting challenges.

28.

Most people want to think that they are in control of their pets. However, a study by Karen McComb at the University of Sussex found that cat owners are controlled by their cats. Cat owners probably won’t have too much trouble believing this. Cats make a fairly loud noise by mixing a purr with a cry. The sound seems to be less annoying to humans than straight meowing. Using this sound, cats tell humans when they want to eat and when they want the door opened. The purr part of the sound keeps humans from becoming too annoyed, so the cat gets exactly what he or she wants.


Which sentence from the paragraph SUPPORTS the central idea that CATS HAVE A SMART WAY OF GETTING WHAT THEY WANT?

a)

"Most people want to think that they are in control of their pets."

b)

"Cat owners probably won't have too much trouble believing this."

c)

"The purr part of the sound keeps humans from becoming too annoyed."

d)

"Cats make a fairly loud noise by mixing a purr with a cry."

29.

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.

30.

Summaries should include every detail from a story or passage.

a)

True

b)

False

31.

Tomorrow is Jill's birthday. She is excited because she gets to pick where she will eat dinner. Will it be Mexican food at the Big Enchilada House? Or will it be fried chicken at the Chicken Shack, or a big cheeseburger at Al's Hamburger Palace. She just couldn't decide. Then there was always the Pizza Shop with that great pepperoni pizza. How would she ever decide? Maybe she would just flip a coin.


The summary of this passage is:

a)

Jill has many restaurants to choose from for her birthday.

b)

Jill loves Mexican food.

c)

The Pizza Shop has the best pizza in town.

d)

Jill will choose a place by flipping a coin.

32.

What could be an example of a theme?

a)

Friendship

b)

Being prepared often leads to success.

c)

How to bake chocolate chip cookies

d)

Helping others

33.
One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.
What is the theme?
a)
share with your neighbor
b)
work before you play
c)
be respectful
d)
don't be greedy
34.
Jim was stacking boxes at work.  There was a certain height he had to reach.  He stretched his body, but could not reach to place the final box at the top.  Bill happened to see Jim struggling and came to his rescue, since he was a foot taller.
a)
teamwork can accomplish a goal
b)
tall people are the best
c)
work hard to reach a goal
d)
people can be like boxes
35.
One way you could figure out the theme is to...
a)
Skim through the story
b)
Just read the beginning of the story
c)
Think about what the character has learned
d)
Read the ending of the story
36.

Which of the following could be a theme of a story?

a)

A 35-year-old woman named Essie and her brother.

b)

A small apartment in Marfa, Texas.

c)

Telling the truth may cause you pain, but in the end, it's better than lying.

d)

Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.

37.
a)
Feed the homeless.
b)
When people work together, more can be accomplished.
c)
Helping others makes people feel good.
d)
When people donate to worthy causes, much can be accomplished. 
38.
a)
There are more important things in life than being popular.
b)
Popularity will make you inconsiderate of other's feelings.
c)
Cliques shouldn't be allowed.
d)
Friends can sometimes let one another down.