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Worksheets

Main Idea

Total questions: 46

Worksheet time: 32mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

What is the main idea?

a)

There are many fun things to do at the beach.

b)

It is also fun to look for shells.

c)

Some people simply like to sunbathe.

d)

Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

2.

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer. Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.

What is the main idea?

a)

They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.

b)

Soccer players learn how to dribble.

c)

They learn how to work together as teammates.

d)

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.

3.

What is the main idea?

a)

Its the authors point of view

b)

Is what the passage is mostly about

c)

It is the sequence of the story.

4.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

What is the passage mostly about?

a)

who uses pemmican today

b)

what can be put into pemmican

c)

how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.

d)

why people eat pemmican today

5.

Were you born after 1985? If so, how long do you expect to live? Most people born after 1985 can expect to live more than 70 years. Of course, this is just a guess based on past records. By the way, females can expect to live about six years longer than males. That’s taken from past records too!

What is the paragraph mostly about?

a)

how long you might expect to live

b)

about the health of females

c)

why people live to be 70

d)

tells that people live to be 100

6.

Mrs. Gonzales likes to paint. She likes the pretty colors. She draws a picture first. Then she uses her paints. She gives her pictures to her son.

a)

Mrs. Gonzales does not paint well.

b)

Painting is fun.

c)

Mrs. Gonzales paints pictures.

7.

Aaron and Angel are friends. They look alike. They talk alike. Sometimes the dress alike. People think Aaron is Angel. People think Angel is Aaron. The boys think it is funny.

a)

Aaron and Angel are alike in many ways.

b)

Aaron is older than Angel.

c)

Angel is bigger than Aaron.

8.

An important farm crop in the United States is cotton. Cotton is used for making clothing. Cotton is still a popular choice for clothes because it is easy to clean and last a long time.

a)

Cotton is the most important U.S. crop.

b)

Cotton is not used today.

c)

Cotton is important for making clothes.

9.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN 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 bulls buck them off, 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. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

a)

Sometimes clowns can mean serious bussiness.

b)

Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

c)

Cowboys and Rodeo Clowns are constantly in danger.

d)

A Rodeo bull's attention is easily caught by Rodeo clowns.

10.
Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?
a)
Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is
b)
Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way
c)
Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short
d)
They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area
11.

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length. Seaweeds are also of other colors. Some are red. Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet! These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter. What is the main idea?

a)

Why some seaweed grows so large

b)

What seaweed is like

c)

Why seaweed is red

12.
Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a)
King Midas loved gold.
b)
King Midas sold lots of gold.
c)
King Midas had a heart of gold.
d)
King Midas hated gold.
13.

The range of a bird refers to the area over which it flies. some birds are able to fly great distances, and range over almost the whole world. Other birds have a very small range. they travel over areas smaller than one hundred miles. What is the main idea?

a)

Where to find a bird range

b)

Why birds like to travel

c)

How bird ranges differ

14.

Not all animals that live in the water are fish. Frogs and tadpoles, for example, spend part of their lives in water. They are amphibians, not true fish. Whales and seals are warm-blooded mammals. Some snakes live partly in water too. What is the main idea?

a)

Why just fish live in water

b)

Why whales live in water

c)

Which animals live in water

15.

Some people say that the White House has ghosts. The most famous ghost is Abraham Lincoln. He is often seen standing in his room looking out the window. Even Eleanor Roosevelt said that she saw him. There is a legend that old Abe walks back and forth all night before something terrible is about to happen. This paragraph mainly tells:

a)

what Lincoln's ghost is like

b)

when Eleanor Roosevelt's ghost walked

c)

hwo many ghosts the White House has

d)

how ghosts show when something will happen

16.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN 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 bulls buck them off, 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. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

a)

Sometimes clowns can mean serious bussiness.

b)

Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

c)

Cowboys and Rodeo Clowns are constantly in danger.

d)

A Rodeo bull's attention is easily caught by Rodeo clowns.

17.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was teaching gym at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was raining, and Dr. Naismith was trying to keep his students active. He wanted them playing a rough game that would keep them moving. He didn't like a few ideas that were too rough. Then Naismith had his breakthrough. He wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game. Also it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed. But this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one?

a)

The most popular sport in America

b)

Dr. James Naismith's career in teaching

c)

The invention of Basketball

d)

How to get students active

18.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

a)

The origins of Halloween

b)

The New Celtic Year

c)

Primitive traditions

d)

Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween

19.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

You might think that all automobile fuels are the same, but they aren't. Automobiles can run on one of three types of fuel: gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel. All these fuels are burned inside of the engine, which creates the heat and energy that is used to power the car. But there are important differences between these fuels. Gasoline and diesel are more common than biodiesel. But each burns differently. Diesel fuel is heavier and less flammable than gasoline, so it has to be compressed before it will burn. Gasoline may be lighter than diesel, but both fuels are made from crude oil. On the other hand, biodiesel fuel is made from vegetables. Both biodiesel and diesel fuels must be burned in diesel engines, which only use diesel fuel. If gasoline is pumped into a diesel engine, it will have to be pumped out. These fuels may look pretty similar at the gas station, but remember that there are important differences between them or it may cost you.

a)

Which fuel is best to use for your car

b)

Gasoline, diesel, and biodiesels area all fuels, but they have important differences in how they are made and used.

c)

The benefits of biodiesel

d)

How fuels change the way we drive

20.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.

a)

The life of Issac Newton

b)

Issac Newton studies the Earth's forces

c)

A falling apple inspired Newton to think about gravity

d)

What do you get when you contemplate the universe.

21.

Explain the differences between the Main Idea and a Summary.

4 lines
22.

Recognizing Main Ideas and Supporting Details

The ​ ​ (a)   of a paragraph is ​ (b)   in the paragraph--what the paragraph is all about.

Choose from the below words
main idea
most important
23.

Read each Paragraph and select the main idea.

Lantern fish live near the bottom of the ocean where it is very dark, so they carry their own lights. The lights look like tiny glowing pearls. They are called photophores. A lantern fish can flash its photophores on and off. A lantern fish gives off enough light to light up a dark room.

a)

Lantern Fish live near bottom of the ocean.

b)

Lantern fish produce light only in the daylight.

c)

Lantern fish give off light.

d)

Lantern fish are like glowing pearls.

24.

Read the paragraph then select the main idea.

A backswimmer has a rounded back and its underside is flat. When it floats on its back, it looks like a little boat. It rows itself along in the water using its two hind legs like oars. The backswimmer is an insect that spends most of its time upside down.

a)

Upside down insect

b)

The Backswimmer swims upright.

c)

Backswimmers swim upside down.

d)

Backswimmers eat oars.

25.

Read the paragraph then select the main idea.

During parties in Mexico, children are blindfolded and given a stick. They use the stick to try to break a piñata. The piñata decorated container filled with candy and small treats, is an important festival tradition. Piñatas are made in many shapes. The special containers are suspended by ropes. As children take turns trying to hit the piñata, the rope is used to raise and lower it, to make breaking it even harder. When the piñata is broken, children scramble for the goodies.

a)

The Piñatas

b)

Piñatas are special Mexican party items.

c)

Mexican party items.

d)

Party items that are used in Mexico.

26.

Match the following

a)

Topic

1.

the person or thing the passage is about--usually one or two words

b)

Main Idea

2.

the central or most important idea about a topic that the writer wants to communicate to readers.

c)

Conclusion

3.

an ending or wrap-up for your writing

d)

Analogy

4.

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

e)

Subject

5.

The topic of a text. What the text is about.

27.

information or facts that support or add more to the main idea

a)

Supporting Details

b)

Details

c)

Facts

d)

objective summary

28.

Match the following

a)

Explicit Main Idea

1.

The most important point the writer is trying to make is DIRECTLY stated.

b)

Implicit Main Idea

2.

not stated directly in the text; implied

c)

essential

3.

Important to the highest degree

d)

opinion

4.

A personal judgement or belief about a person or thing

e)

emphasize

5.

give special importance or prominence to (something) in speaking or writing

29.

What's another name for the main idea?

a)

plot

b)

subject

c)

central idea

d)

conflict

30.

Hurricanes are large, intense storms that begin over the ocean, where they gather heat and energy from the water. Hurricanes move slowly toward land, usually moving 10-20 miles per hour for more than one week. The most dangerous part of the hurricane is the storm surge, when it reaches land and causes flooding. Wind and waves also contribute to the damage caused by these surges.

What is the main (central) idea?

4 lines
31.

Match the following

a)

Supporting Details

1.

information or facts that support or add more to the main idea

b)

Details

2.

Facts, statistics, examples, stories, quotations, definitions, reasons, comparisons which support yo

c)

Support

3.

to bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for*any material that serves to prove a claim

d)

Facts

4.

something that actually exists and can be proven true

e)

objective summary

5.

a summary free from opinions or bias.

32.

What is the author trying to tell you about the topic?

4 lines
33.

What word would you circle as your topic?

4 lines
34.

Which option below is the correct main idea?

a)

Bees

b)

The queen lives in the hive and her only job is to fill the hive with eggs.

c)

3 types of bees

d)

There are different types of bees each with their own jobs.

35.

Think About It! Write a sentence describing the single overall feeling you get from this photograph. Does the amount of clothes in the street surprise or concern you? Explain

4 lines
36.

Hide and Seek is a great game to play outside. One player counts while the other players hide. After the counter is done, they try to find all of the other players. Another game to play outside is tag. Tag allows players to run around and catch one another.

a)

Explicit

b)

Implied

37.

There are many streaming services that make it easier to watch movies at home. One example of a streaming service is Netflix. Netflix has many original movies and TV shows. Another example of a streaming service is Hulu. Hulu has TV shows that are sure to make your Friday night more enjoyable.

a)

Explicit

b)

Implied

38.

Explain the strategy for identifying an Explicit Main Idea.

4 lines
39.

What does explicit mean?

a)

Not stated in the passage

b)

Clearly stated in the passage

40.

What is an essential reading skill to find the implied main idea?

a)

note-taking

b)

rereading

c)

inferencing

d)

Reading

41.

How do you find the implied main idea in a passage?

a)

find the general topic

b)

identify supporting details

c)

decide how the details relate to the topic

d)

all of the above

42.

How can a reader locate the main idea of a passage?

a)

summarize the passage

b)

remember what was read

c)

tell the story in your own words

d)

ask the question who or what the passage is about

43.

Read the passage and select the Implied Main Idea

One How do migrating animals find their destination? They navigate in a variety of ways. Fish use their sense of smell to recognize their migration paths and are guided by changing water temperatures. Birds use the position of the sun to orient themselves. Some birds have magnetic particles in their ear mechanisms that act as a compass. Mammals rely on their memory. Some elephant trails have been used for hundreds of years. Source: Adapted from The Complete Book of Questions and Answers, Columbus, OH: American Education Publishing, 2002, p. 120.

a)

How do migrating animals find their way?

b)

Fish and birds have special methods for finding their way.

c)

Migrating animals navigate in a variety of ways.

44.

Explain how to identify Implicit Main Idea.

4 lines
45.

Create a poster that explains the differences between Implied Main Idea vs Explicit Main Idea

46.

Read the paragraph then identify the Implied Main Idea.

When tigers hunt, they hunt alone. In contrast, lions hunt in groups; they work together to drive their prey into an ambush. Cheetahs are known for their speed when they chase prey. Leopards are able to climb trees when they are prowling for prey. Surprisingly, jaguars often hunt in water. There is great diversity in the hunting habits of large cats. There is also great diversity in the places in which they hunt.

a)

There is also great diversity in the places in which they hunt.

b)

When tigers hunt, they hunt alone, but in contrast, lions hunt in groups.

c)

There is great diversity in the hunting habits of large cats, and there is also great diversity in the places in which they hunt