WorksheetsLiteracy Strategies
Total questions: 42
Worksheet time: 30mins
What is the main idea?
Many people visit the beach for various reasons. Some enjoy swimming, while others like snorkeling. Beach volleyball is a popular sport. Collecting shells can be a relaxing activity. Sunbathing is also a common activity.
What is a common activity at the beach?
Hiking
Sunbathing
Skiing
Mountain climbing
The beach is a place where you can do various activities. Swimming and snorkeling are water-based activities. Beach volleyball is a fun sport to play. Collecting shells is a calming activity. Sunbathing is a way to relax.
Which activity involves being in the water?
Playing beach volleyball
Collecting shells
Sunbathing
Snorkeling
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?
There are many fun things to do at the beach.
It is also fun to look for shells.
Some people simply like to sunbathe.
Going to the beach to swim can be fun.
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?
They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.
Soccer players learn how to dribble.
They learn how to work together as teammates.
Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.
What is the main idea?
It's the author's point of view
It's what the passage is mostly about
It is the sequence of the story.
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?
who uses pemmican today
what can be put into pemmican
how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.
why people eat pemmican today
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?
how long you might expect to live
about the health of females
why people live to be 70
tells that people live to be 100
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.
Mrs. Gonzales does not paint well.
Painting is fun.
Mrs. Gonzales paints pictures.
Aaron and Angel are friends. They look alike. They talk alike. Sometimes they dress alike. People think Aaron is Angel. People think Angel is Aaron. The boys think it is funny.
Aaron and Angel are alike in many ways.
Aaron is older than Angel.
Angel is bigger than Aaron.
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 lasts a long time.
Cotton is the most important U.S. crop.
Cotton is not used today.
Cotton is important for making clothes.
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.
Sometimes clowns can mean serious business.
Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.
Cowboys and Rodeo Clowns are constantly in danger.
A Rodeo bull's attention is easily caught by Rodeo clowns.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?
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?
Why some seaweed grows so large
What seaweed is like
Why seaweed is red
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
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?
Where to find a bird range
Why birds like to travel
How bird ranges differ
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?
Why just fish live in water
Why whales live in water
Which animals live in water
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:
what Lincoln's ghost is like
when Eleanor Roosevelt's ghost walked
how many ghosts the White House has
how ghosts show when something will happen
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.
Sometimes clowns can mean serious business.
Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.
Cowboys and Rodeo Clowns are constantly in danger.
A Rodeo bull's attention is easily caught by Rodeo clowns.
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?
The most popular sport in America
Dr. James Naismith's career in teaching
The invention of Basketball
How to get students active
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.
The origins of Halloween
The New Celtic Year
Primitive traditions
Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween
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.
Which fuel is best to use for your car
Gasoline, diesel, and biodiesels are all fuels, but they have important differences in how they are made and used.
The benefits of biodiesel
How fuels change the way we drive
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.
The life of Issac Newton
Issac Newton studies the Earth's forces
A falling apple inspired Newton to think about gravity
What do you get when you contemplate the universe.
Do you wear glasses? Make sure your glasses fit well. The ear pieces should be at eye level. Don't try to adjust the earpieces yourself. Take your glasses for adjustments to the place you bought them. Keep your glasses in a case when you're not wearing them. This will prevent scratches. Keep the lenses clean. A soft cloth is best for cleaning.
Based on the clues in the paragraph, what is the main idea in Paragraph 5? Type your answer below.
People often refer to taxes in terms of being too high. In reality, they are probably even higher than you think, because in addition to the federal income tax we are now studying, there are many other Federal, State, and local taxes, including sales taxes, inheritance taxes, state income taxes, personal property taxes, real estate taxes, and others. These are just some of the most obvious ones.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
Taxes are much too high.
We pay more taxes than we may realize.
Inheritance taxes and real estate taxes are unfair.
Some taxes are hidden.
The fact that electronic computers are now used for data processing has led the general public to believe that it is a mysterious, complicated science and that the computers are giant brains. Both of these ideas are false. A computer is basically just a high-speed adding machine that performs the functions it is told to. If the input data are varied even a little, the computer is unable to operate until it is programmed to accept the variations. The business operations it performs are impressive only because of the extremely high speed of the manipulation, but most of these operations have been used for decades. Unlike man, the computer performs repetitive calculations without getting tired or bored.
A computer is a mysterious giant brain
A computer is impressive because of its high speed
A computer is a high-speed adding machine
A computer is superior to man in many ways
The Louisiana Purchase proved to be one of the shrewdest business pacts in the entire history of the United States. The purchase doubled in the area of the country and provided territory from which fourteen new states were created either wholly or in part. It also gave us control over the mouth of the Mississippi River and opened up the way to foreign trade. Prior to the purchase, the waterway had been blocked by the Spanish, probably with the approval of Napoleon. The land that was bought was rich in timber, minerals, and natural resources of many kinds. Finally, the cost of the transaction was unbelievably low; the total of $15 million amounted to about four cents an acre.
Most Americans were very pleased with the purchase
The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was rich in minerals
The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was very cheap
The Louisiana Purchase was a very good business deal for the U.S.
There is a common belief that while the dog is man's best friend, the coyote is his worst enemy. The bad reputation of the coyote traces back to his fondness for small animals; he hunts at night and is particularly destructive to sheep, young pigs, and poultry. Yet, it is sometimes wise to encourage coyotes. Provided valuable farm animals are protected, the coyote will often free the property of other animals, like rabbits, which are ruinous to crops and certain trees. He is especially beneficial in keeping down the rodent population. Where coyotes have been allowed to do their work without bother, ranchers and fruit growers have found them so valuable that they would no more shoot them than they would shoot their dogs.
Under certain conditions, the coyote is useful to man
The coyote is feared because of his fondness for small animals
Modern ranchers would no sooner shoot coyotes than they would shoot dogs
The coyote usually prefers rabbits and other rodents to sheep and poultry
The attitudes of Americans toward gambling are amazingly contradictory. You may find, for example, that horse racing is legal in your state, but that you can't legally play poker for money on your front porch. Bookies may be prosecuted by state law, but they are supposed to purchase a federal license nonetheless. One church condemns gambling, while another raises money by sponsoring Bingo games. Gambling laws are inconsistent from state to state or even from town to town and are very difficult to enforce.
Gambling laws are difficult to enforce
Gambling laws are inconsistent from community to community
Americans have negative attitudes towards gambling
Churches do not have uniform ideas about gambling
Melanie is in the fourth grade. Her favorite sport is soccer. She loves soccer because she gets to play with her friends. Scoring goals and celebrating with her team is what Melanie loves best. She also enjoys eating the oranges at half-time; they are delicious!
Melanie is in the fourth grade
Melanie loves eating oranges
She loves scoring goals
Her favorite sport is soccer
The sun is shining on a cool fall day, The students' backpacks are filled with new notebooks and pencils. They wait at the bus stop, talking with their friends who they haven't seen all summer. The teachers are happy as they greet the new students in the hallway on their way to class. Everyone is excited for the first day of school.
Everyone is excited about seeing their friends
Everyone is excited for the first day of school
The sun is shining on a cool fall day
The teachers are as happy as they greet the new students in the hallway on their way to class
BANG! The thunder crashes and the wind blows the leaves off of the trees. Summer thunderstorms can cause damage to yards and homes. Thunderstorms bring heavy rains that cause flooding in basements and sheds. Heavy winds and lightning can damage power lines, causing people to lose electric power in their homes.
The thunder crashes and the wind blows the leaves off the trees
Summer thunderstorms can cause damage to yards and homes
Heavy winds and lightning can damage power lines, causing people to lose electric power in their homes
Thunderstorms bring heavy rain and flooding
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Cockroaches are vile, disgusting insects with no redeeming qualities.
B. Cockroaches are genetically resilient insects with beneficial qualities.
C. Cockroaches are easy to breed and thrive under almost any conditions.
D. It’s obvious the world will be taken over by cockroaches.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Slavery is Abraham Lincoln’s legacy.
B. Abraham Lincoln’s tragic death overshadows his myriad accomplishments.
C. Abraham Lincoln was a better than average president.
D. Abraham Lincoln’s legacy is a combination of his personal traits and heroic accomplishments.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Home computers have many uses in the average American home.
B. Home computers contribute to violent video game usage.
C. Home computers are used for online social media and medical advice.
D. Parents and children alike enjoy home computers as they alleviate boredom.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Martin Luther King Jr. created the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B. Martin Luther King Jr. was a dream analyst.
C. Martin Luther King Jr. played a significant role in reshaping America’s race relations.
D. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in racial segregation.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Disco began in Paris and has since had brief resurgences of popularity.
B. Disco is the most accessible music in clubs around the world.
C. The French really know how to party.
D. A blend of many genres of music, disco was most popular in the 1970’s.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Occupational knowledge is paramount when choosing a career.
B. Teenagers who don’t know what they want to do professionally will be jobless.
C. Teenagers should work part time so they know what they want to do later as adults.
D. Adolescents can do many things when thinking about their future line of employment.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Big Macs are disgusting and bad for you.
B. Americans eat too much fast food as verified with the growing obesity epidemic.
C. People enjoy the perks of fast food as seen with the expansion of McDonalds.
D. Peabody, Massachusetts is a tourist trap for burger-loving vacationers.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It’s obvious had she lived, Anne Frank would be a famous author.
B. Anne Frank and her family were brave to have hidden from the Nazis.
C. Anne Frank’s diary was a voice for her struggles.
D. Anne Frank lived an all-too brief but profound life as recorded in her diary.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Dogs make better pets than cats.
B. Some breeds of dogs are better than others for city life.
C. There are many breeds of dogs.
D. Short-haired dogs are better for cities.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Kings are obsessed with wealth, as epitomized by King Midas.
B. King Midas was lucky and therefore had the Golden Touch.
C. King Midas had a heart of gold as evidenced by his generosity.
D. Although he loved gold, King Midas learned the hard way that wealth isn’t everything.
