West B Test Reading: Main Idea and Details 3

Question 1

Read the following: 'The Amazon rainforest produces 20% of Earth's oxygen. It is home to 10% of all species on the planet and contains medicinal plants used to treat cancer and malaria. Despite this, deforestation continues at an alarming rate.' What is the main idea?

Accepted Answer

The Amazon rainforest is a vital and irreplaceable resource that is under threat

Answer

The paragraph presents the Amazon's enormous value and then highlights the threat it faces — that contrast is the main idea.

Question 2

Which question is MOST helpful for identifying the main idea of a paragraph?

Accepted Answer

What is the author mainly trying to say about this topic?

Answer

Asking what the author is mainly trying to say focuses the reader on the central message rather than peripheral details.

Question 3

A passage about electric vehicles includes these details: lower fuel costs, reduced emissions, government tax credits, and quieter operation. A good main idea sentence for this passage would be:

Accepted Answer

Electric vehicles offer numerous advantages for consumers and the environment

Answer

Only option B is broad enough to encompass all four supporting details listed in the passage.

Question 4

A topic sentence states: 'Regular physical exercise benefits both the mind and the body.' Which detail does NOT support this main idea?

Accepted Answer

Many people prefer outdoor exercise to indoor gyms

Answer

Preference for outdoor versus indoor exercise is about personal choice, not about exercise benefiting mind and body.

Question 5

A passage contains many specific examples but no clear topic sentence. To identify the main idea, the reader should:

Accepted Answer

Look for the idea that all examples have in common

Answer

When a main idea is implied rather than stated, readers find it by identifying what all examples share.

West B Test Practice Test

West B Test Practice Test

West B Test Reading: Main Idea and Details 3