1. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 1 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) Read the following paragraph and underline the main idea. Then answer the questions on the following screens. In recent years, contemporary music has become more and more international in scope. One noteworthy example is the music associated with cellist YoYo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. The group, influenced by the flow of ideas along the ancient trade road between Europe and Asia, has selected and performed traditional music from countries such as Turkey, Armenia, and China. Selections are typically performed on Western instruments blended with traditional instruments from the countries where the compositions originated. The resulting music, a mix of old and new, is intended to draw people from diverse cultures together.

2. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 2 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) Main Idea: In recent years, contemporary music has become more and more international in scope. One noteworthy example is the music associated with cellist YoYo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. The group, influenced by the flow of ideas along the ancient trade road between Europe and Asia, has selected and performed traditional music from countries such as Turkey, Armenia, and China. Selections are typically performed on Western instruments blended with traditional instruments from the countries where the compositions originated. The resulting music, a mix of old and new, is intended to draw people from diverse cultures together.

3. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 3 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) 1. What is the purpose of this passage? 2. How do the supporting details develop the main idea?

4. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 4 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) 1. What is the purpose of this passage? The purpose of this passage is to show how Silk Road Ensemble is a good example of contemporary music. 2. How do the supporting details develop the main idea?

5. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 5 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) 1. What is the purpose of this passage? The purpose of this passage is to show how Silk Road Ensemble is a good example of contemporary music. 2. How do the supporting details develop the main idea? The supporting details develop the main idea by describing the type of music Silk Road Ensemble plays and the types of instruments they use.

6. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 6 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) 3. Are the supporting details relevant and sufficient?

7. Chapter 1 Characteristics of Good Writing 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 7 Activity 1A Finding the Main Idea (p. 6) 3. Are the supporting details relevant and sufficient? Yes, they give enough information to help the reader understand that Silk Road Ensemble is a good example of a group that plays international music. All the details relate back to the main idea.