Identifying Key Details & Main Ideas

The main idea of a story is a statement that summarizes the author's point using key details from the reading. 

Read the passage and select the main idea which best fits. "There are many good reasons to learn a second language. A second language can improve your understanding of your native language, open the door to new job opportunities, and help you learn about other cultures. Yet American students are less likely than European students to study foreign languages in school. To address this gap, several states have begun doing more to encourage biliteracy—the ability to read and write in two languages. California, New York, and Illinois are among the states that have passed laws establishing a state "Seal of Biliteracy." A Seal of Biliteracy shows that a student has achieved proficiency in a second language. Supporters of the seals say that they honor the importance of second-language learning. The seals also provide colleges and future employers with evidence of students' abilities."

Review the details below.

• To recycle a broken umbrella with metal parts, remove the shaft, runner, stretchers, and ribs so that they can be processed with other scrap metal.
• Older electronics can often be recycled at local drop-off locations and even at some electronics stores.
• Rinsed-out metal cans can be recycled by the local sanitation department or a steel-can recycling facility.

Choose the sentence which best summarizes this information:

Read the passage. Making Towers Bird-Friendly "The lights on tall communication towers warn pilots to avoid the towers when flying at night. Unfortunately, the steady red lights often used on towers have the opposite effect on birds: the bright beams attract and confuse them. Instead of avoiding the lights, the birds fly directly toward them, crashing into the towers or becoming entangled in power lines. Millions of birds have died this way. However, there is a solution. Unlike steady lights, flashing or blinking lights don't attract birds. In response to demands from conservation groups, the Federal Aviation Administration in 2016 began requiring communication towers in the U.S. to use blinking lights instead of steady ones." What is the main idea of the passage?

Explain how you would work to identify the main idea of a passage.