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Worksheets5(D) Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 2hrs 33mins
Which of the following is included in a summary?
A. key points
B. personal opinions
C. background information
D. minor examples
What is the best summary of the following passage?
The Elk River flows from the far northern part of the state all the way to the southern tip. All kinds of animals rely on it for drinking water, people eat the fish they catch in it, and farmers in the state depend on it for irrigating their crops. Since there is very little rain in this state, the Elk River gives animals and humans the water they need to stay alive. Even though the river is not nearly the biggest in the nation, it is very important to the people and animals that live near it.
The Elk River is a small river.
The Elk River starts in the northern part of the state.
The Elk River is very important to people and animals.
People catch fish in the Elk River.
For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.
The Summary of this passage is:
Jenny likes bright colors.
Jenny was going to paint her room.
Jenny was picking out colors and materials to decorate her room.
Yellow is a good color to paint your walls.
Read the passage below and choose the best paraphrase/summary:
The storm that blew through Wichita, Kansas, last night dropped buckets of rain before turning more severe. Between 9 PM and 1 AM, Wichita Airport reported six inches of rain. Reports from residents in surrounding counties recorded the rainfall up as high as eight inches in the same time period. Reports of tornados were not correct. However, very strong winds were experienced all over the area.
Around 11 PM, some residents on the western edge of the city reported large hail. The hail was originally reported to be the size of dimes or nickels. Within an hour, reports were received describing hail the size of golf balls or tennis balls. Millions of dollars in damage are expected to be announced. This includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses at several local car dealerships.
The severe storm last night in Wichita, Kansas, brought hail that caused millions of dollars in damage and reports of tornadoes that were not correct.
Last night's severe storm caused millions of dollars in damage including hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage at local car dealerships.
The severe storm that struck Wichita, Kansas, last night dropped between six and eight inches of rain and caused millions of dollars in damage.
A severe storm in Wichita, Kansas, last night brought strong wind, rain, and hail that caused millions of dollars in damage.
Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.
Jet lag is a problem suffered by many flight attendants, pilots, and frequent flyers. When people travel rapidly across numerous time zones, as they do when flying long distances, they sometimes develop a condition called jet lag. These long trips disturb normal body rhythms. After a trip, travelers may have trouble falling asleep at night and staying awake during the day. Experts advise travelers flying eastbound to go to bed later than usual before traveling and those flying west to go to bed earlier than usual. These changes should help minimize the effects of jet lag.
Which statement best summarizes all the main points in this paragraph?
Flight attendants, pilots, and frequent flyers often suffer from jet lag.
Jet lag is a problem for people who fly a lot. To prevent jet lag, people can change the time they go to sleep before they take a trip.
People who suffer from insomnia often get jet lag because people's body rhythms get thrown off by travel.
Long-distance travel is unsafe because of a condition known as jet lag from traveling across many time zones.
Small newspaper seeks writers. Writers must work well under pressure and focus on details. Good writing skills are necessary. Related experience preferred. Must be flexible with hours. May need to work overtime, nights, and weekends. Call 555-1234 for information.
What is the best summary of this advertisement?
Most newspapers want flexible workers. They want people who are able to work nights, weekends, and overtime.
A small newspaper is looking to hire writers. They would like someone who is detail-oriented, can work under pressure, and have flexible hours.
Writers at newspapers work long hours. They often have to work at night or on weekends. They also have to deal with stress.
You need experience to get a good job. For example, in order to get a writing job, it is helpful to have some writing experience.
When you imagine a desert, what do you see? If you are like most people, you probably picture sand, sand, and more sand. But did you know that only one-fifth of the world's largest non-polar desert, the Sahara, is covered by sand? The rest of the 3.5 million square miles of the desert, in Africa, is made up of rock and rubble. Most people think the Sahara is covered by sand because of the many pictures of the sand dunes of the desert. The sand dunes are very expansive—they measure over one hundred miles wide and two hundred feet tall. These great sand dunes, called whalebacks, are what photographers and filmmakers focus on when they film the Sahara. So, naturally, the image of the Sahara as a sand-covered wasteland is what most people picture.
Which of the following best summarizes this paragraph?
Many people think the Sahara Desert is covered by sand, but it is not. The Sahara is made mostly of rock and rubble, though it has hundreds of miles of sand dunes.
The Sahara Desert is an interesting place to photograph. Photographers and filmmakers especially like to focus on the hundreds of miles of sand dunes.
The sand dunes of the Sahara are called whalebacks. They are called this because they look like the backs of whales barely peeking out from the ocean.
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. It is over 3.5 million square miles large, and people usually picture it as a sand-covered wasteland.
A summary is...
Using an author's exact words
Rewording an author's words into new ones
To retell the main idea of a text in your own words
anything words you write in quotation marks
Paraphrasing means
writing down exactly what a passage says
putting information
into your own words
"I don't want a babysitter. I am eleven years old. My babysitter is only three years older than I am," she loudly yelled to her Mom. Now, she really wished she had somebody with her as she heard the clicking, scratching noises outside of the living room window. "This is silly. It's probably the storm," the girl said. She regretted watching the horror show she had been tuned into for the last half hour. As she searched for the remote to turn off the vampire movie, the front door blew open with a thunderous noise. Carla whirled around to see a dark image."
Carla didn't want a babysitter because:
She believes she is old enough to take care of herself.
She wants to watch scary movies.
Carla's mother leaves her alone all the time.
Carla's babysitter is only three years older than Carla.
"In short, adoption is a ubiquitous social institution in American society, creating invisible relationships with biological and adoptive kin that touch far more people
than we imagine.”
Which one is the best paraphrase of this sentence?
In America, more people are adopted than was originally thought.
Adoption touches a surprising number of people throughout American society.
Because adoptees are “invisible,” their circumstances are hard to imagine.
Relationships between biological and adoptive kin have international scope.
Read the following passage and choose the best summary: "Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a wise old man who helped everyone with their problems. People from all around would come to seek his advice, and he always had a solution."
The old man was wise and helped people with their problems.
A wise old man lived in a village and solved problems for people who came to him.
People had many problems in the village.
The village was small and had a wise old man.
Which of the following is the best summary of the text: "The sun was setting, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The children played in the park, their laughter echoing through the air."
The sun set while children played in the park.
The sky was orange and pink.
Children laughed in the park.
The sun was setting and the children were at home.
Retell the main idea of this passage: "A young girl named Lily loved to read books. Every day after school, she would visit the library and immerse herself in stories of adventure and magic."
Lily disliked school but loved the library.
Lily enjoyed reading books about adventure and magic.
Lily visited the library to meet friends.
Lily read books at school.
What is the best summary of the text?
The Titanic was a great ship that did not carry lifeboats. It didn't carry lifeboats because the ship was supposed to be unsinkable. One night, the Titanic hit an iceberg, and it sank.
The Titanic was a well-built ship that was mistakenly thought to be unsinkable.
The Titanic was a large ship that many people thought would be unsinkable. Unfortunately, it hit an iceberg and sank.
Although it was considered to be an unsinkable ship, the Titanic did not have enough lifeboats to save its passengers when it hit an iceberg and sank.
The Blackpole Warbler is a tiny bird that takes a really long trip. This little songbird lives in the forests of North America in the summer. However, when the weather turns cold in North America, the Blackpole Warbler takes flight.These small birds fly all the way to the Caribbean, where they spend the winter on warm tropical beaches. How far does the warbler fly for this tropical getaway? Scientists have tracked the Blackpole Warbler and say these amazing birds can fly over 1,700 miles!
Which is the best summary of this text?
The blackpole warbler is a small bird. It is also asongbird. It can fly.
The blackpole warbler is a small songbird that can flyover 1,700 miles.
The blackpole warbler is a small songbird that flies fromNorth America all the way to the Caribbean. The bird fliesover 1,700 miles.
Birds often migrate to warmer places in the winter.
Rosa Parks has been called the "mother of the civil rights movement." She is one of the most important people of the 20th century. In December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was sent to court. She was found guilty of breaking the law.
Her act sparked a boycott of the bus system by blacks. Blacks refused to use the buses for more than a year. The boycott introduced the country to a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. People all over the country came to know King. Soon, the U.S. Supreme Court made segregation on city buses against the law.
Over the next forty years, Rosa Parks helped make Americans aware of the history of the civil rights struggle. She earned many honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize. She is an example of courage and strength. She inspires all Americans to live free.
The summary of this passage is:
Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Then, the buses were boycotted, and Martin Luther King, Jr., became very well known. He had a prize named after him.
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. The bus driver had her arrested, and then she was found guilty of breaking the law. She was important to American history.
Rosa Parks boycotted the bus system. This boycott brought Martin Luther King, Jr., to the front of the civil rights movement. People all over the country got to know Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rosa Parks was an important person of the 20th century. She refused to give up her seat on a bus, which led to a boycott of the bus system. She earned many honors for her work in the civil rights movement.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil. It will be the 20th year of the World Cup. Brazil was chosen in October of 2007 to host the 2014 competition. Earlier in the year, South America had been chosen as the continent for the contest. Brazil was the only country to put in a bid. This is the second time Brazil will host the World Cup. The country hosted it in 1950. It is the first World Cup to be held in South America since 1978, when Argentina hosted. No other South American country has hosted the World Cup more than once.
The summary of this passage is:
The 20th World Cup will take place in 2014. In 2007, it was decided that the competition would be held in South America. It is the first World Cup in South America since 1978.
In October 2007, Brazil was chosen to host the 20th World Cup. Brazil has already hosted the World Cup before. 1978 was the last time a South American country hosted the World Cup.
The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil. It is the second time Brazil has been chosen to host the World Cup. Brazil is the only South American country to host the World Cup twice.
Early in 2007, South America was chosen as the continent for the 20th World Cup. Brazil was the only country that put in a bid. Brazil hosted the World Cup before in 1950.
Turn over a bag of potato chips. Is the label interesting? A simple food recipe may use several ingredients. These come from the soil and from chemistry labs around the world. Surprises also show up in the labels on clothing and other products. Look at the label on a package of lipstick. The tube seems small and shiny, but inside lipstick there is soap, oil, fish scales, and wax!
Which is the best way to summarize this passage?
A bag of potato chips seems like a simple recipe. There are many ingredients from the soil and from chemistry labs.
Clothes and other products have many ingredients as well. Lipstick alone has soap, oil, wax, and fish scales.
Labels show what goes into food, clothing, and other products. A simple product may have many ingredients.
Lipstick seems small and shiny. Look at the label sometime. It has at least four different ingredients.
Which best describes a summary?
a really long detailed piece of writing
the entire text told in your own words
a dumb thing that teachers make you write
the main ideas and important details of the beginning, middle, and end of a passage.
