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Getting the Main Idea G2

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

a)

The Cheerful Children

b)

The Lonely Children

c)

The Angry Children

2.

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?

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.

3.
What might be the main idea of a book titled "Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables?"
a)
Tomatoes are good for you.
b)
Strawberries have seeds on the outside.
c)
It's important to eat vegetables and fruit.
d)
Spinach is good for your bones.
4.
What is the main idea?
bananas, oranges, lemons, apples
a)
yellow things
b)
fruit
c)
my favorite foods
d)
sports
5.
What is the main idea?
green, blue, purple, red
a)
colors
b)
things
c)
animals
d)
people
6.

Lisa's birthday is soon. She wants to have a party. She will ask 6 friends to come. They will play games. They will eat cake and ice cream. It will be fun.


The main idea is:

a)

Many people came to Lisa's house.

b)

Lisa got many presents.

c)

Lisa wants to have a birthday party.

7.
Dolphins are very smart animals.  They even have their own language.   They talk to each other with clicks, whistles, and grunts.  Scientists have been studying this dolphin language.  They hope that in the future, people and dolphins will be able to talk to each other.This paragraph mainly tells:
a)
how dolphins talk to people
b)
how smart dolphins are 
c)
how dolpins are different from fish
d)
which scientists are studying languages
8.
If the details are:
T. Rex was as big as a bus!  He had very sharp teeth, perfect for eating meat.  His teeth were as big as bananas!  
a)
T. Rex was a very dangerous animal!
b)
Velociraptors were a very smart dinosaur.
c)
Dinosaurs lived a long time ago. 
9.
If the main idea is...
Trees help humans in many ways.
What could a supporting detail be?
a)
Trees need water to grow.
b)
Trees give us food.
c)
Trees are in danger.
d)
Birds live in trees.
10.
What is the main idea?
Rachel's Birthday Party
Rachel has her seventh birthday party today.  Her parents blow up lots of balloons and bought a cake.  Rachel has invited ten friends from school.  She also has gift bags to give out to all of her friends.
a)
Her parents blow up lots of balloons.
b)
Rachel invited ten friends from school.
c)
She has gift bags for all of her friends.
d)
Rachel has her seventh birthday party today.
11.
What is the main idea?
  Ways to Get to School
There are many different ways to get to school. Some children walk to school. Other children take a bus. Some children ride their bikes. Some children are driven to school by their parents.
a)
Some children walk to school.
b)
Some people ride the bus.
c)
There are different ways to get to school.
d)
Some people like to sing.
12.
What is the main idea?
Bears eat many types of food. They eat fish. They also eat berries. They even eat insects and insect nests!
a)
They eat fish.
b)
Bears eat many types of food.
c)
They also eat berries.
d)
They even eat insects and insect nests!
13.
What is the main idea?
Puppies need special care.  They need to be fed twice a day.  You have to watch them closely or they will chew on almost anything.  Puppies need to go outside many times a day to learn how to go to the bathroom outside.  
a)
They need to be fed twice a day.
b)
You have to watch them closely.
c)
Puppies need special care.
d)
Puppies need to go outside many times a day.
14.

Identify the main idea of the passage.


Fruits are important in our diet because of the vitamins and minerals they contain. Fruits are eaten in a number of ways. Fruits can be eaten fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. Fruits are made into jellies and jams. Fruit juices can be canned or frozen.

a)

Fruits can be eaten in many ways.

b)

Everyone must eat fruit every day.

c)

All fruits contain the same vitamins.

15.

Identify the main idea of the passage.


One lemon tree can grow as many as 3,000 lemons in one year. The lemon is related to the orange. However, the lemon tree is harder to grow. The lemon is used in more ways than most other fruits. About half the lemons in the world are grown in California.

a)

The lemon has many uses.

b)

Lemons grow in warm climates.

c)

Oranges and lemons can grow in the same place.

16.

Identify the main idea of the passage.


One kind of fish that looks a lot like a snake is the eel. It is a very long, thin fish with fins running along most of the top and bottom of its body. Eels come in a variety of sizes - from about two feet long to six feet long.

a)

The eel looks somewhat like a snake.

b)

The eel is a dangerous fish.

c)

The eel is related to the snake.

17.

Identify the main idea of the passage.


Lizards can be as little as two or three inches long and as long as 12 feet long. Lizards can come in different shapes and colors as well. Of the 3,000 kinds of lizards, there are only two that are poisonous. Lizards can live on the ground, underground, in water, or in trees.

a)

All lizards are poisonous.

b)

Lizards are helpful to man.

c)

There are many kinds of lizards.

18.

Identify the main idea of the passage.


The hamster is an ideal pet. This tiny animal is related to the mouse and rat. A hamster weighs about one quarter of a pound and is about five to six inches long. Hamsters are clean. They can live in a small cage or pen. They eat vegetable scraps and grain.

a)

The hamster is a small rat.

b)

Hamsters are used for laboratory tests.

c)

The hamster is a popular pet.

19.

The main idea is what the book or passage is mostly about.

a)

True

b)

False

20.

Pictures, captions, and titles can help give clues to the main idea of a book.

a)

True

b)

False