Main Idea Mania Part 1 – Test Preparation Questions

24. People used to think that golf was a sport for older people. Today that is no longer true. People of all ages enjoy this sport. The golf player tries to hit a small ball into sunken cups. The object of the game is to use as few strokes as possible. The Main Idea is: a.Golf is a sport for people of all ages. b.Golf is a simple sport to play. c.Golfing equipment is expensive.

The Main Idea is: a. Golf is a sport for people of all ages. 24.

25. Everything that is living needs to have food. Different kinds of living things need different kinds of food. Plants make their own food. Some animals eat plants. Others eat smaller animals. Man in an example of an animal that may eat both plants and animals. The Main Idea is: a.All livings things need food. b.Animals make their own food. c.Plants eat other plants.

The Main Idea is: a. All living things need food. 25.

26. Lynn’s first trip in an airplane was exciting. She was flying from California to New York to see her grandparents. The plane was a 747 jumbo jet. Lynn liked the inside of the plane. It was comfortable. Lynn enjoyed the trip but was glad to get back down on the ground. The Main Idea is: a.Lynn disliked the airplane. b.The airplane trip was enjoyable to Lynn. c.Airplane trips are always fun.

The Main Idea is: b. The airplane trip was enjoyable to Lynn. 26.

27. Earthworms are the most important food in a mole’s diet. The mole finds the earthworm as it tunnels through the earth. The mole is only 6 inches long with a pig-like nose and furless tail. The mole spends most of its life in darkness. The Main Idea is: a.To describe the mole. b.To describe the earthworm’s importance. c.To describe underground creatures.

The Main Idea is: a. To describe the mole. 27.

28. The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean. It covers about a third of the earth. The Pacific Ocean is also the deepest ocean. It touches the shores of 5 of the world’s 7 continents. Throughout the Pacific, there are thousands of islands. The Main Idea is: a.To discuss the importance of the Pacific. b.To compare the Pacific to other oceans. c.To describe the Pacific Ocean.

The Main Idea is: c. To describe the Pacific Ocean. 28.

29. The person who leads a marching band is called the drum major. This person wears a special costume with a very tall hat. The job of the drum major is to give the band the beat of the music. The drum major uses a whistle and a baton to signal steps in the march. The Main Idea is: a.The drum major is important to a marching band. b.The drum major must be tall so everybody can see him. c.Only a boy can be a drum major.

The Main Idea is: a. The drum major is important to a marching band. 29.

30. Forests are valuable to man. There are many products we use in everyday life which come from the forest. Wood, paper, turpentine, tar, fruits, and nuts are among the most common. To protect the forest from its worst enemy, fire, forest rangers watch over our forests. The Main Idea is: a.Forest are found only in the North. b.The United States has only a few forests. c.Forests provide many important products.

The Main Idea is: c. Forests provide many important products. 30.

31. Aluminum is a strong, lightweight metal. It is used in construction and transportation. Aluminum is used all over the world. More aluminum is made than any other metal. The United States makes almost half of the world’s aluminum. The Main Idea is: a.Aluminum is very valuable. b.Aluminum is scarce. c.Aluminum has many uses.

The Main Idea is: c. Aluminum has many uses. 31.

32. Jane wants to be a world famous swimmer. She wants to go to the Olympics and win a gold metal. Jane knows that this means she will have to practice 5 to 6 hours every day till she goes to the Olympics. To help her be an even better swimmer, she has a coach watch her and see how she can swim faster. The Main Idea is a.It takes much practice to be an outstanding swimmer. b.Jane has a swimming pool in her backyard. c.Jane has won a medal at the Olympics.

The Main Idea is: a. It takes much practice to be an outstanding swimmer. 32.

33. Sam’s favorite game is ping pong. In Sam’s basement there is a ping pong table. Sam often plays against his brother, Tom. Many times he and Tom will make a team and play against 2 other friends. Both Sam and Tom are good ping pong players. The Main Idea is a.Ping Pong is a game for 1 person. b.Ping Pong is a game for only two people. c.Two or four may play ping pong.

The Main Idea is: c. Two or four may play ping pong. 33.

34. The Alps are a good place to vacation at any time of the year. Winter sports are the most popular tourist attraction. People from all over the world come to ski the well known mountain slopes. Also popular are bobsledding and ice skating. The Main Idea is a.The Alps are most popular for winter sports. b.The Alps are very dangerous. c.The Alps are crowded with tourists.

The Main Idea is: a. The Alps are most popular for winter sports. 34.

35. One of the oldest and most important jobs in the world is that of a farmer. We all depend on the farmer for our food. Modern farming is very different than it was years ago. Today’s farmer has many machines to help do the work faster and better. The Main Idea is a.Because of machine, we do not need farmers. b.Everyone should be a farmer so we would have more food. c.Farming is still an important job.

The Main Idea is: c. Farming is still an important job. 35.

36. Pirates were robbers who attacked and robbed ships. There are still a few pirates in the world today, but most pirates lived between 1550 and Many pirate ships flew a black flag with a skull and crossbones on it. Pirates were interested in treasure and rarely hurt anyone. The Main Idea is a.There are many pirates today. b.Pirates were robbers at sea. c.There were no female pirates.

The Main Idea is: b. Pirates were robbers at sea. 36.

37. The grapefruit gets its name because the fruit grows in clumps like grapes. Years ago, people grew grapefruit trees for decoration only. Now the grapefruit is a popular fruit because it contains vitamins and it’s good for us. It can be served as juice or eaten raw. The Main Idea is a.Grapefruits are used for decoration only. b.The grapefruit is a healthy food. c.Grapefruits can be yellow or pink.

The Main Idea is: b. The grapefruit is a healthy food. 37.

38. Lizards can be as little as two or three inches long and as large as 12 feet long. Lizards come in different shapes and colors as well. Of the 3,000 kinds of lizards, there are only two that are poisonous. Lizards can live on the ground, underground, in water, or in trees. The Main Idea is a.All lizards are poisonous. b.Lizards are helpful to man. c.There are many kinds of lizards.

The Main Idea is: c. There are many kinds of lizards. 38.

39. One of the most welcome sights in the desert is the cactus. The cactus is a plant that can store large amounts of water. It has a thick, tough skin to keep water in. There are many kinds of cacti. Some grow as tall as 50 feet. The Main Idea is a.The cactus grows in most parts of the world. b.The cactus is a beautiful-looking plant. c.The cactus is designed for storing water.

The Main Idea is: c. The cactus is designed for storing water. 39.

40. One of the most poisonous snakes that lives in the United States is the copperhead. It gets its name from the color of its head. The snake is about three feet in length. Copperheads will not attack if left alone. Copperheads eat frogs, small birds, and rodents. The Main Idea is a.There are many poisonous snakes in the United States. b.To describe the copperhead. c.Copperheads are found in all parts of the United States.

The Main Idea is: b. To describe the copperhead 41.

42. Tom jumped into the pool. The water was chilly, but Tom didn’t mind. Today was the day for his first diving lesson. He could do a few dives already, but he wanted to learn to do fancy dives correctly. He was anxious to learn the swan dive and the jackknife. The Main Idea is a.Tom wants to learn to dive. b.Tom is a diving teacher. c.Tom can do fancy dives.

The Main Idea is: a. Tom wants to learn to dive. 42.

43. Chocolate is a popular food. Today we think of it mainly as candy. Years ago, it started out as a drink. All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat. The Main Idea is a.Making chocolate is a long process. b.Chocolate is high in vitamins. c.Chocolate has few uses.

The Main Idea is: a. Making chocolate is a long process. 43.

44. The crop that gives the most food to humans and animals in the United States is corn. Most of the corn grown is for use as animal feed. The farmers of the United States produce about one half of all corn grown in the world. The Main Idea is a.Corn is grown as feed for humans and animals. b.Corn is grown all over the world. c.Corn is important as it is used for many things.

The Main Idea is: a. Corn is grown as feed for humans and animals. 44.

45. Cats are a popular house pet. Cats come in a variety of colors. Some cats have long hair and some have short. There are cats that have no tails. Cats can have eyes of many different colors. A cat can be a solid color, more than one color, or striped. The Main Idea is a.Cats make the best house pet. b.Cats are very similar. c.There is much variety in the cat family.

The Main Idea is: c. There is much variety in the cat family. 45.

46. Florida is known for its sunshine and flowers. Florida is known for other things as well. Many of the fruits we eat are grown in Florida. Examples are the grapefruit and orange. In fact, Florida grows more of these two fruits than any other state. The Main Idea is a.Disney World makes Florida important. b.Florida is known for many reasons. c.Florida is a very large state.

The Main Idea is: b. Florida is known for many reasons. 46.

47. John wants to be a boxer. In boxing, people fight others of the same weight and size. This makes for an even match. John goes to a gym several times a week to practice. He wears padded gloves to prevent injury. It is necessary to be in top shape to be a good boxer. The Main Idea is a.Boxing is an extremely dangerous sport. b.All boxers are the same weight and size. c.Boxing requires practice and safety measures.

The Main Idea is: c. Boxing requires practice and safety measures. 47.

48. Every fall, each oak tree drops a great quantity of acorns. Acorns are the seeds for new oak trees. Not all acorns become oak trees. Actually, only a few are lucky enough to grow into trees. These lucky acorns find good soil and the right amount of sun and water. The Main Idea is a.Acorns grow very slowly. b.All acorns become oak trees. c.An acorn must find the right place to grow.

The Main Idea is: c. An acorn must find the right place to grow. 48.

49. Surfing is a popular sport. It would probably be even more popular if good waves could be found at all beaches. Southern California and Hawaii are the most popular surfing places in the United States. Hawaii is where surfing started. Hawaii has some of the best surfing in the world. The Main Idea is a.All Hawaiians are good surfers. b.Surfing is dangerous. c.Surfing requires good waves.

The Main Idea is: c. Surfing requires good waves. 49.

50. Perhaps one of the largest flowers grown is the sunflower. These giants grow up to 10 feet high. The flower itself is very large. It gets its name from the way it follows the sun. The face of the flower moves from east to west so that it is always facing the sun. The Main Idea is a.To tell how the sunflower got its name. b.To describe the importance of the sunflower. c.To discuss large flowers.

The Main Idea is: a. To tell how the sunflower got its name. 51.