Special Work English 6 Mrs. Martinez

Main idea:  Read the paragraph and then select the main idea for the paragraph

1. It was backward day at school. The students had to do things backwards. Some of them wore their t-shirt backward. They took a test before they studied the lesson! Dessert was served first instead of last at lunch. They tried to walk home backward, but they kept bumping into each other and fell down. What is the main idea in this paragraph? A) Dessert is supposed to come last. B) Students had a backwards day. C) It is hard to do things backwards. D) Students failed their test. 2. Jon held the ball in his hands. He bounced it slowly on the ground. Once. Twice. He crouched low and then jumped. The ball flew into the air. Up, up, up it went. Then down, down, down into the basket. "Yes!" he yelled. "Nothing but the net!" What is the main idea in this passage? A) Jon likes basketball. B) Jon makes a basket. C) How to throw a basketball. D) Jon can jump high. 3. Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. What is the main idea in this paragraph? A) We will be able to talk to robots and they will be able  to respond. B) Someday we will have robots that will be our personal servants. C) Robots will look and behave much like real humans. D) Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. 4. The frog sat on the side of the pond. He was very still. His green color made him hard to see. A bug flew near him. His tongue zipped out, and he gobbled it up. Then the frog was still again. He waited for the next bug. What is the main idea in this paragraph? A) Frogs are green. B) Frogs do not move. C) Frogs eat bugs and sit on lily pads. D) Frogs live in ponds. 5. Please come home soon! I miss you so much Maria. I can't sleep when you are gone. I need to hear your soft sweet voice and see your quiet brown eyes. I miss the special way you like to eat your spaghetti with your fingers. Please come home soon! What is the main idea in this paragraph? A) Maria, I have lost my appetite. B) Maria, I miss you. C) Maria, you need to clean your room. D) Maria, you have bad manners. 6. The first people to wear sunglasses were the Inuit (Eskimos) in North America. They needed sunglasses because the sun and the snow were too bright for their eyes. They made them out of the skin and bones of animals. What is this passage mainly about? A) The History of Sunglasses B) Eskimos C) Inuits D) Islanders 7. Patty loves to play games. Her favorite game is Chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Patty also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. She prefers Monopoly because it requires lusk and skill. if she's alone, Patty likes to play action videos as long as they aren't too violent. What is this paragraph mainly about? A) Patty loves to play games B) Patty loves to play monopoly the most C) Patty likes action videos as long as they aren't too violent D) Patty likes games that require lusk 8. Sonny watches too much television. A toddler shouldn't spend hours sitting in front of a television screen. Worse yet, some of his wild behavior has been inspired by those awful cartoons he watches. His parents should spend more time reading or playing games with him and pull the plug on the TV! A baby needs more attention than just keeping them occupied and quiet. What is the main idea of this paragraph? A) Books are good to read to a toddler. B) All cartoons are bad. C) Watching a lot of television is bad for Sonny. D) Watching a lot of television is good for a baby. 9. Many people claim that they do not have time to work exercise into their daily schedules. However, exercise can be easily worked one’s daily routine. For instance, one can do stretches while taking a shower. While standing in line at the grocery store, one can flex the abs or clench the rear. One can even do calf raises while talking on the phone. More ideas: try walking around the building during lunch breaks and always take the stairs. What is the main idea in this passage? A) Many people claim that they do not have time to work exercise into their daily schedules. B) Exercise is good for you C) One can even do calf raises while talking on the phone D) Exercise can be easily worked into one’s daily routine 10. There are a number of activities that can be used to enhance your emotional growth. First, you can keep a daily journal. Writing down thoughts is an effective way of achieving better self-understanding. Second, you can join a support group. Sharing experiences creates an environment that will support your efforts to grow as a more interesting person. Third, take an assertiveness training course. Last, seek counseling. What is the main idea of this paragraph? A) There are a number of activities that can be used to enhance your emotional growth. B) Writing down thoughts is an effective way of achieving better self-understanding. C) Sharing experiences creates an environment that will support your efforts to grow as a more interesting person. D) Third, take an assertiveness training course.