PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Main Idea 6

Question 1

A student reads a paragraph about sea turtles. The paragraph mentions nesting habits, migration patterns, and threats from pollution. Which of these is most likely the main idea?

Accepted Answer

Sea turtles face many challenges throughout their lives.

Answer

The main idea is the broad point that ties all the details together. Since the paragraph covers multiple aspects of sea turtle life — nesting, migration, and threats — the unifying idea is that sea turtles face many challenges, not any single specific detail.

Question 2

Which of the following is the best way to check whether you have correctly identified the main idea of a passage?

Accepted Answer

See if the supporting details in the passage relate to and support your chosen main idea.

Answer

If you have correctly identified the main idea, the supporting details should all connect to and support it. Checking whether the details back up your main idea is the most reliable way to verify your choice.

Question 3

A title of a passage reads: 'How Volcanoes Shape the Land Around Them.' Based on the title alone, what is the passage most likely about?

Accepted Answer

The ways in which volcanic activity changes and forms the surrounding landscape.

Answer

Titles often signal the main idea of a passage. The title directly states that the passage is about how volcanoes shape land, making option B the most accurate prediction of the main idea.

Question 4

A student summarizes a passage with this sentence: 'Honeybees are important.' Her teacher says the summary is too vague to capture the main idea. What should the student do to improve it?

Accepted Answer

Rewrite the summary to include the central point the passage makes about honeybees.

Answer

A good main idea statement captures the central point of the entire passage, not just a vague topic. The student should revise her summary to reflect the specific argument or point the passage makes about honeybees.

Question 5

Two students read the same passage about rainforests. Student A says the main idea is 'Rainforests are found in South America.' Student B says the main idea is 'Rainforests are vital ecosystems that support thousands of species.' Which student is more likely correct, and why?

Accepted Answer

Student B, because a main idea must be broad enough to cover the whole passage.

Answer

A main idea must be broad enough to encompass the entire passage. Student A identified a specific detail, while Student B stated a central idea that could logically be supported by many details throughout the passage.

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Main Idea 6