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Central Idea and Text Evidence

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 2hrs 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.

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.

4.
Most people think that gorillas are mean, but actually they are shy. It seems that such a huge animal with very large teeth would be aggressive. Hollywood movies help convey this image of the scary, ferocious gorilla. In fact, gorillas only attack if they are provoked. 
This author belives that:
a)
Gorillas are misunderstood as vicious animals.
b)
Gorillas are mean animals
c)
Gorillas don't like other animals.
5.
“The rain forest is home to many creatures. Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest. Butterflies and anteaters also live in the rain forest.”
What is the central idea?
a)
Sloths and tapirs are other creatures that live in the rain forest.
b)
The rain forest is home to many creatures.
c)
Monkeys, toucans and macaws live in the rain forest.
6.
There are several events that can change the Earth's surface very quickly. Volcanoes can erupt and spread lava, rock and ash for several miles.  Earthquakes can leave large cracks in the Earth's surface.
a)
Several events can change the Earth's surface.
b)
Earthquakes can cause large cracks. 
c)
Volcanoes can be dangerous.
7.
School uniforms are far cheaper than the currently popular fashions. Many students work long hours at a paying job instead of doing homework because they feel they have to "keep up appearances." If students wore uniforms, there would be no need for most of them to have jobs that take away from their study time.

This passage is mostly about?
a)
popular fashions being expensive
b)
school uniforms being a good idea.
c)
students working many hours at jobs.
d)
teens enjoying wearing uniforms.
8.

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.

a)

MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

b)

MTV offers interesting videos

c)

Watching MTV is a great way to see musicians

d)

MTV is a channel that is broadcasted around the world

9.

The central idea is the

a)

What the text is mostly about

b)

A long, detailed summary

c)

The moral of the story

d)

A minor detail in the text

10.

If I were answering the question: "Is Kayla a good student?", which of the following would be an important detail?

a)

Kayla is 13 years old.

b)

Kayla goes to a Catholic School.

c)

Kayla enjoys reading, and does her work to her full potential.

11.

To improve the quality of instruction, students should be able to grade their teachers.


Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

a)

Speaking to a local journalist, one student said, "Student assessments of teachers are necessary for quality instruction. I'm grateful that the administration adopted this much-needed program."

b)

In one school, almost all teachers reported that they would change their approach if student feedback indicated that it was not working.

c)

Several students surveyed about their teachers' effectiveness said that they questioned the anonymity of the survey and therefore were not completely truthful.

12.

What evidence best supports the idea: best friends are always there for you?

a)

Jessica and Jennifer always talk about Michelle when she isn't around.

b)

Jessica always makes sure to help Jennifer and Michelle when they ask for support.

c)

Jennifer and Michelle make sure to copy off Jessica's homework.

13.

Which piece of evidence could be used to BEST support this claim:

High school students should be required to wear uniforms.

a)

When adding everything up, a school uniform could end up costing more than $200.

b)

A student replied, "Allowing us to wear our own clothes gives us a chance to show our unique style and independence."

c)

School uniforms can be ordered online.

d)

At one school that recently required students to wear uniforms, attendance rates went up, and behavior incidents went down.

14.
What is an inference?
a)
 An inference is something that you think is true based on information that you have.
b)
An inference is directly written in the text