Perhaps the most amazing organ of the human body is the heart. The heart is always pumping blood through the body. It pumps more than four quarts of blood in a minute. It must always keep pumping to bring a constant supply of blood to the tissues. The main idea is:

About 75 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed Earth. The dinosaur is in the reptile family. No scientist ever saw a dinosaur. We know about dinosaurs through fossils. Dinosaurs were probably small to begin with, but then grew larger and larger over many millions of years. The main idea is:

Memorial Day is a holiday that began as a day for remembering the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War. Today we honor all soldiers who died in wars. There are parades and special ceremonies on Memorial Day. It is the only federal holiday in May. The main idea is:

One of the worst household pests in the world is the cockroach. It can eat every kind of food. They are a health hazzard, as they spread disease and germs. The cockroach has lived for millions of years. They have changed very little over that time period. The main idea is:

"Will I be able to leave?" the words troubled Rena as much as they excited her. If she stepped into the cave, Rena would be able to find the magic fountain. But this also meant that she would leave all of her family. Entering into the cave was the only way Rena could save her land, she thought. What is a good summary of this paragraph?

Not all deserts are hot. When most people think of deserts, they imagine a sunny place that is filled with sand. This is not always the case. A desert is described as a place that just gets a small amount of yearly rainfall. Antarctica, one of the coldest places on Earth, is a desert. What is the best summary for this paragraph?

Homer sat up straight in his bed and tried not to hear the unusual sounds that were coming from the attic above. The home held so many secrets. Unmistakable footsteps clicked across the attic floor. Homer's mother was sleeping in the other room. Could it be Mr. Wizer's ghost? What would be the best summary of this paragraph?

Comets follow an orbit that is long and is shaped like an oval. Those in our solar system travel around the sun. Those that make their journey around the sun in less than two years are called short-period comets. As a comet approaches the sun, it begins to look brighter.

What would be the best summary for this paragraph?

In his sophomore year of high school, basketball legend Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play. The coach cut Jordan from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. The next year, Jordan made the varsity squad. He averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history. What is the theme of this passage?

Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog relaxing at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch. Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said between grunts, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish. Then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter, but he was weighed down by the large meal. Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter seized him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night, Mr. Dog returned to the scene. He caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trashcan. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to it. Mr. Dog happily ate. What is the theme of this pasage?

Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr. Morton wasn’t too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. Sammy did all his homework in his other classes. But he never bothered to complete Mr. Morton’s reading assignments. He figured that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton had assigned every night. She had to stay up a little later, but she knew that reading was the most important subject. She knew that if she learned to read well, then she could teach herself anything. So she always worked hard in her reading class. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Magic Castle amusement park. They were both so excited. But then Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother to report Sammy's grade. She grounded Sammy and that weekend was horrible for him. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night, yet he still couldn’t complete all the assignments. Meanwhile, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle. After that she stayed up late and watched movies. She enjoyed her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a C minus. Tammy earned an A. Yet, Sammy still hasn’t learned his lesson. He may not complete this activity either. What is the theme of this passage?

Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Mountain Boys to play with him every Saturday at the family’s private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn’t appreciate. Nothing was new or exciting to him. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness.

Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the drums. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist. Everyone on the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Soon she had everything that she had ever dreamed of having. She loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family, who had supported her through the hard times.

What is the theme of this passage?