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Central Idea and Theme

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 38mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
 It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year.  Brach's, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end.  That's a lot of candy corn, but that's nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production.  Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day!  But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry's staple product, chocolate.  Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year.  Now that's a mouthful! 
a)
 This central idea is about chocolate. 
b)
 The central idea is how Tootsie Rolls are better than candy corn. 
c)
 The central idea is about how to circle the earth 4.25 times. 
d)
 The central idea is about how many popular candies are produced each year.
2.
Where is the Grand Canyon? Most people think it is in Arizona. However, many other states have their own grand canyons, too. The Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. People in North Dakota think of the Painted Canyon in that state as their grand canyon. And Californians use the nickname for a canyon on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. This underwater grand canyon is officially called the Monterey Bay Canyon. 
a)
The central idea is about how cool canyons are. 
b)
The central is about how other states have their own grand canyons. 
c)
The central idea is about Californians. 
d)
The central idea is about the Pacific Ocean's grand canyon. 
3.
As young Americans mature into adults, they are tempted by the allure of easy credit.  Credit card companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away “free” headphones or sports towels in return for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through undisciplined spending.  They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts.  It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether.   
a)
The central idea is about how certain young people should always get free sports towels. 
b)
The central idea is about how certain young people should stay away from headphones. 
c)
The central idea is about how certain young people can become burdened with debt.
4.
 In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.  But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut 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.  When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history. 
a)
What is the theme of the story? Growing four inches helps you become a better basketball player. 
b)
What is the theme of the story? Coaches can be unfair to short basketball players.
c)
What is the theme of the story? Never give up. Persistance pays off.
5.
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.  He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later.  Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it.  She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late.  Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school.  When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work.  That weekend was horrible for Sammy.  He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments.  The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure.  At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A."  Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either.
a)
What is the theme of the story? Deadlines are for losers. 
b)
What is the theme of the story? Mr. Morton liked Tammy better than Sammy. 
c)
What is the theme of the story? Reading class is hard. 
d)
What is the theme of the story? It is better to do things right the first time.
6.

What is Theme?

a)

The main idea of the story

b)

The pattern of a book

c)

The classification or category a book falls under, based on the content of it's text

d)

The moral or lesson an author wants you to learn from reading a story.

7.

What question can we ask ourselves which will help us identify the theme of a story?

a)

How did the character(s) grow, or change, during the story?

b)

What is the story mainly about?

c)

What genre is this book?

d)

What are the sequence of events?

8.

How can we prove the theme in a story?

a)

By giving a character analysis

b)

Using accurate quotes from the text and explaining how the quote reveals the theme

c)

Inferencing

d)

Telling the main idea

9.

Everyone knows the story of the 3 Little Pigs. What would a good theme be for the story, The 3 Little Pigs?

4 lines
10.

What is the text structure that uses this graphic organizer?

a)

Main idea and key detail

b)

Cause and Effect

c)

Sequential

d)

Problem and Solution

e)

Compare and Contrast

11.

What text structure uses this graphic organizer?

a)

Compare and Contrast

b)

Main idea and key detail

c)

Cause and effect

d)

Sequential

e)

Problem and Solution

12.

What text structure uses this graphic organizer?

a)

Main idea and key detail

b)

Problem and Solution

c)

Sequential

d)

Compare and Contrast

e)

Cause and effect

13.

What text structure uses this graphic organizer?

a)

Main idea and key detail

b)

Problem and solution

c)

Cause and Effect

d)

Sequential

e)

Compare and contrast

14.

What is central idea?

a)

The idea that always comes to your mind

b)

The category or classification a text falls under, based on the content of the text.

c)

The sequence of events

d)

What the story is mainly about, or main idea of a story.

15.

How can we prove the central idea in a text?

a)

Explaining what the the title means

b)

Inferencing

c)

Using key details and accurate quotes that support what the book is mainly about

d)

Talking about how the characters changed through the story.

16.

Determine the Central Idea of the following passage

Blooms in Death Valley

In March 2016, Death Valley National Park in California experienced a rare occurrence: thousands of yellow wildflowers covered the region in a "super bloom." Why was this unusual? Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America. The area's average yearly precipitation is just two inches, making it a challenging place for flowers to grow. However, in October 2015, the valley had received more than three inches of rain in some areas. As a result of the unusually wet season, wildflower seeds that had been lying dormant underground suddenly began to grow, producing an abundance of golden blooms.

a)

Because of the hot, dry conditions in Death Valley, it is difficult for flowers to grow there.

b)

Because of an unusual amount of rain, thousands of wildflowers grew in Death Valley in 2016.

17.
Central idea is a synonym for............
a)
setting
b)
 character
c)
point of view
d)
main idea
18.

The mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves from their enemy, the cat. They wished to find a way of knowing when she was coming, so they could have time to run away. They lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared to leave their dens, day or night.

Many plans were discussed, but none were deemed good enough. Finally, a very young mouse suggested:

"I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful. All we have to do is hang a bell around the cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

The mice were surprised they had not thought of this plan before. But in the midst of their rejoicing, an old mouse asked:

"I agree that the plan of the young mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the cat?"

What is the central idea?

a)

A cat catches all the mice in the house and eats them. Then it finds a bell and decides that the bell was not as fun as the mice.

b)

A group of mice trap a cat and put a bell around its tail to keep the cat away from the mice.

c)

A group of mice plan to put a bell around a cat's neck to alert them when it's coming, but none of them is brave enough to do it.

d)

A group of mice lock a cat outside of their home.

19.

The central idea is...

a)

the focused idea of the text.

b)

a detail from the text.

c)

the first sentence of a paragraph.

d)

a quote you provide from the text.

20.
Why can't trust be a theme?
a)
There's nothing to learn about it.
b)
Trust is a theme
c)
It's only one word, which is a topic.
21.

Which of the following is a possible theme for the text?

a)

Even is something is cruel, people have the tendency to follow the crowd and participate.

b)

Sometimes a few people must be sacrificed to ensure the group's survival.

c)

Important decisions should not be made by lotteries.

d)

Traditions help people understand the past.

22.

What theme is it when Scrooge realizes he should have been nicer more during his life.

a)

Regret

b)

Greed

c)

Charity

d)

None of these

23.
These characters find that it is always best to tell the truth 
a)
honesty
b)
loyalty 
c)
kindness
d)
perseverance 
24.
"Superman is a man of steel." This is an example of...
a)
a metaphor
b)
an idiom
c)
an oxymoron
d)
onomatopoeia
25.

(1)The breeze felt like a refreshing drink of lemonade. (2)The night air was fuel for my work, and it was a beautiful night. (3)If I was going to finish writing this test, then it was going to be the longest night of my life. (4)Then like booming thunder, a light bulb went off in my head. (5) I searched for the perfect program where I could peruse several small suggestions swiftly. (6) Sadly, my time on Herculean efforts on Google reminded me of a crazy Spongebob Squarepants episode. (7) Even though I knew what I was searching for, it didn’t go well. (8) It seems that I will be working like a dog for tonight. (9) One good thing did happen, though: I finally discovered what one calls a super articulate dinosaur... a Thesaurus..., and next time a dinosaur drops by for lunch, I'll know how to properly invite him. "Tea, Rex?"


The underlined sentence shows which figurative language?

a)

metaphor

b)

simile

c)

alliteration

d)

personification

e)

gustatory imagery (sense of taste)

26.

This is an example of -

a)

a symbol

b)

an oxymoron

c)

onomatopoeia

d)

a cliche

27.
What is language that describes something that can be seen, heard, touched, tasted or smelled (five senses)?
a)
imagery 
b)
plot
c)
conflict
d)
point of view
28.

Which of the following sentences is an example of personification?

a)

The sugar cookies were covered in sprinkles.

b)

Those cookies were calling my name!

c)

The cookies came out of the oven as hot as lava!

29.

What is this type of craft, "Sally sells seashells by the seashore on Saturdays and Sundays?"

a)

Alliteration

b)

Idiom

c)

Hyperbole

d)

Personification

30.

What type of craft is this "Mary had a little lamb whose tail was white as snow?"

a)

Metaphor

b)

Personification

c)

Idiom

d)

Similie

31.

What type of craft is this, "You could hear the basketball go swish when it went smoothly through the net?"

a)

Onomatopoeia

b)

Personification

c)

Hyperbole

d)

Imagery

32.

Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?

a)

The thunder roared like a lion.

b)

Her smile was as bright as the sun.

c)

The wind whispered through the trees.

d)

The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.

33.

What is the central idea of the following passage?

In the world of confectionery, chocolate reigns supreme. While candy corn and Tootsie Rolls are popular, they pale in comparison to the sheer volume of chocolate produced each year. This highlights the enduring appeal and demand for chocolate among consumers.

a)

The central idea is about the health benefits of chocolate.

b)

The central idea is about the dominance of chocolate in the confectionery industry.

c)

The central idea is about the high production of Tootsie Rolls.

d)

The central idea is about the popularity of candy corn.

34.

Which sentence is an example of hyperbole?

a)

The leaves rustled in the gentle breeze.

b)

The sun set behind the mountains.

c)

She was so hungry she could eat a horse.

d)

The clock ticked loudly in the silent room.

35.

Which of the following sentences is an example of personification?

a)

The sun smiled down on us.

b)

The wind was a gentle whisper.

c)

The river was as clear as glass.

d)

The mountain stood tall and proud.

36.

What is the main purpose of using imagery in literature?

a)

To create a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

b)

To confuse the reader with complex language.

c)

To provide factual information.

d)

To summarize the plot of the story.

37.

Which of the following best describes a simile?

a)

A phrase that has a different meaning than its literal words.

b)

A direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as'.

c)

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

d)

A statement that contradicts itself.