PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Main Idea 7 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student reads a paragraph about dolphins. The first sentence says, 'Dolphins are highly intelligent marine animals.' The remaining sentences give examples of dolphins solving puzzles, communicating with each other, and learning tricks. What role does the first sentence play?
- It is a supporting detail that adds extra information
- It is the main idea that the rest of the paragraph supports (Correct answer)
- It is a conclusion that wraps up the paragraph
- It is a transition sentence connecting two ideas
Correct answer: It is the main idea that the rest of the paragraph supports
The first sentence states the central point — that dolphins are highly intelligent — and all other sentences provide specific examples that support this claim, making it the main idea.
Question 2: Which of the following is the best way to check whether you have correctly identified the main idea of a passage?
- Count how many times a word appears in the passage
- See if the other sentences in the passage support or explain your chosen main idea (Correct answer)
- Choose the longest sentence in the passage
- Pick the sentence that appears in the middle of the passage
Correct answer: See if the other sentences in the passage support or explain your chosen main idea
A true main idea is supported by the other sentences in the passage; if the details logically connect to and explain your chosen idea, you have identified it correctly.
Question 3: A passage has five paragraphs. Each paragraph discusses a different challenge faced by sea turtles, such as pollution, habitat loss, and fishing nets. What is most likely the main idea of the entire passage?
- Sea turtles are fascinating creatures that live in warm oceans
- Sea turtles face many serious threats to their survival (Correct answer)
- Fishing nets are the most dangerous threat to sea turtles
- Sea turtles lay their eggs on sandy beaches every year
Correct answer: Sea turtles face many serious threats to their survival
Since every paragraph focuses on a different challenge or threat, the unifying main idea is that sea turtles face many serious threats — this idea ties all the paragraphs together.
Question 4: What is the difference between a topic and a main idea?
- A topic is a full sentence; a main idea is just one word
- A topic names what the passage is about; a main idea states a specific point about that topic (Correct answer)
- A topic is always found in the last paragraph; a main idea is in the first paragraph
- A topic and a main idea mean exactly the same thing
Correct answer: A topic names what the passage is about; a main idea states a specific point about that topic
The topic is the broad subject (e.g., 'recycling'), while the main idea makes a specific claim about that subject (e.g., 'Recycling helps reduce waste and protect the environment').
Question 5: A student reads a passage and notices that most paragraphs give reasons why reading every day improves vocabulary, comprehension, and academic performance. Which of the following would be the best main idea statement for this passage?
- Reading every day has many important benefits for students (Correct answer)
- Some students do not enjoy reading as much as others
- Libraries are a great place to find books to read
- Comprehension is only one small part of reading skills
Correct answer: Reading every day has many important benefits for students
Because all the paragraphs focus on benefits of daily reading, the main idea must capture that overarching point — that reading every day provides multiple important advantages.
Question 6: While reading a passage, a student finds a sentence that includes a surprising fact but does not connect to the other sentences in the paragraph. What does this sentence most likely represent?
- The main idea of the passage
- A supporting detail that proves the main idea
- An off-topic or minor detail that does not support the main idea (Correct answer)
- The concluding sentence of the entire passage
Correct answer: An off-topic or minor detail that does not support the main idea
If a sentence does not connect to or support the other sentences, it is likely a minor or off-topic detail rather than the main idea, which must be supported by the majority of the passage.
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Main Idea 7
A student reads a paragraph about dolphins.
The first sentence says, 'Dolphins are highly intelligent marine animals.' The remaining sentences give examples of dolphins solving puzzles, communicating with each other, and learning tricks.
What role does the first sentence play?