Main Idea
Students will read short passages and identify the main idea of each.
- 1.Adults tend to eat a lot of pre-made food, but it’s not always healthy. For instance, a Big Mac has 530 calories with 28 grams of fat and a large order of fries has 450 calories and 22 grams of fat. Add a large soda and a meal comes close to 1,000 calories. What is the main idea?
- A.
1,000 calories is a lot
- B.
Pre-made food is not always healthy
- C.
Adults eat a lot of premade food
- 2.Parents who have parents to help with childcare are lucky. But the two generations may have very different ways of thinking about the proper way to raise a child. These differences can lead to tension, stress, and family fights. Which is the main idea?
- A.
There are generational differences when it comes to childcare
- B.
Parents are lucky to have help with childcare
- C.
Generational differences often lead to family fights
- 3.The traditional household with a stay-at-home mom and working dad has become the exception rather than the rule. Increasingly, Americans are waiting longer to marry and have children, and many are not marrying at all. What is the main idea?
- A.
A traditional household has a stay-at-home mom
- B.
Americans are postponing marriage
- C.
The traditional household is no longer the norm
- 4.People like to make plans: for a party, a vacation, or a family reunion. But when it comes to planning our financial future, many of us don’t know where to start. Fortunately, a little discipline and a sharp pencil are all you need to get on the road to financial security. Which is the main idea?
- A.
People love dinner parties
- B.
Financial planning isn't hard
- C.
The road to financial security is bumpy
- 5.Using credit cards is as American as apple pie. Unfortunately, so is debt. The average American charged more than $4,000 on credit cards last year. For many of us, the convenience of using charge cards instead of cash makes it easy to spend more than we have. What is the main idea?
- A.
Many Americans have credit card debt
- B.
Credit cards are convenient
- C.
Americans love apple pie
- 6.The cold, probably the most common illness known, has no safe or effective cure. This is because a cold is produced by any one of more than 200 different viruses, making it nearly impossible for scientists to find a single remedy. Which is the main idea?
- A.
The cold is a common illness
- B.
There is no cure for the cold
- C.
Colds are caused by more than 200 viruses
- 7.In contrast to western medicine, alternative approaches to healing emphasize the treatment of the whole person: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the patient. What is the main idea?
- A.
Alternative medicine treats the whole person
- B.
Alternative medicine treats the spirit
- C.
Western medicine has a good track record
- 8.For a growing number of kids, an active lifestyle is the exception rather than the rule. The attraction of television, computers, and video games keep children spending far more time sitting at home than running around in the great outdoors. Which is the main idea?
- A.
Children love television
- B.
An active lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle
- C.
Children are less active than they used to be
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