OSSLT Identifying the Main Idea 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A letter to the editor criticizes the town's new parking policy, arguing it will hurt local businesses, increase traffic congestion, and discourage shoppers. What is the main idea?
- Parking policies should never be changed by local governments.
- The new parking policy will harm the town's businesses and traffic flow. (Correct answer)
- Shoppers prefer towns with free unlimited parking.
- Local businesses need government subsidies to survive.
Correct answer: The new parking policy will harm the town's businesses and traffic flow.
The letter's central claim is that the parking policy will be harmful, with businesses, traffic, and shoppers as the three supporting points.
Question 2: A passage states: 'Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves mood, and boosts energy levels.' Which sentence best expresses this passage's main idea?
- People who exercise have better heart health than those who do not.
- Exercise provides multiple significant benefits to overall health and well-being. (Correct answer)
- Mood improvement is the most important reason to exercise regularly.
- Energy levels decline without consistent physical activity.
Correct answer: Exercise provides multiple significant benefits to overall health and well-being.
The sentence that captures all three benefits—heart, mood, and energy—best reflects the passage's broad central point.
Question 3: On the OSSLT, when a question asks for the 'main idea' of a reading selection, what should you avoid choosing?
- A statement that covers the entire passage
- A specific detail mentioned only once in the text (Correct answer)
- A claim supported by multiple paragraphs
- A sentence that appears in the introduction
Correct answer: A specific detail mentioned only once in the text
A detail mentioned only once is a supporting point, not the central idea that ties the whole passage together.
Question 4: A poem describes seasons changing, leaves falling, and days growing shorter, leaving the reader with a sense of loss. What is the main idea?
- Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year.
- The passage of time brings inevitable change and a feeling of loss. (Correct answer)
- Falling leaves are a symbol of death in most cultures.
- Winter is approaching and will be harsh this year.
Correct answer: The passage of time brings inevitable change and a feeling of loss.
The seasonal imagery collectively conveys a theme of change and loss, which is the poem's central idea.
Question 5: A student writes: 'The headline grabbed my attention. It mentioned pollution. The article was long.' Which sentence best states what is wrong with this summary?
- The summary uses too many sentences to describe the article.
- The summary lists surface observations without capturing the main idea. (Correct answer)
- The summary should begin with the author's name and credentials.
- The summary focuses too much on the article's length.
Correct answer: The summary lists surface observations without capturing the main idea.
An effective summary must identify the central message, not just list disconnected observations about the text.
Question 6: Two paragraphs discuss the benefits of libraries: one focuses on free book access, the other on community programs. What is the likely main idea of the full passage?
- Libraries should replace schools as centres of learning.
- Libraries serve communities in multiple valuable ways. (Correct answer)
- Free book access is the most important library service.
- Community programs cost taxpayers too much money.
Correct answer: Libraries serve communities in multiple valuable ways.
Both paragraphs support the broader point that libraries provide diverse, valuable services to their communities.
Question 7: Which strategy best helps a reader identify the main idea of a long informational passage on the OSSLT?
- Read only the first and last paragraphs and skip the middle.
- Read the full passage, then ask 'What is this mostly about?' (Correct answer)
- Count which topic appears in the most sentences.
- Choose the most surprising or unusual fact as the main idea.
Correct answer: Read the full passage, then ask 'What is this mostly about?'
Reading the full passage and then summarizing it in a single question helps readers identify the unifying central idea accurately.
OSSLT Identifying the Main Idea 3
A letter to the editor criticizes the town's new parking policy, arguing it will hurt local businesses, increase traffic congestion, and discourage shoppers.
What is the main idea?