PARCC Reading Main Idea Practice Questions Story 8

8. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Bamboo has at least 2,000 uses.

B. Bamboo grows at an amazing rate and is found primarily in Asia.

C. Bamboo is an amazing grass that can be used in multiple ways.

D. There are at least 1,000 types of bamboo.

E. Bamboo could be considered a flower in some cases.

Correct! Wrong!

8. C: The many uses of bamboo, and the fact it is a grass, are the main focus. "1,001 uses" is a non-literal colloquial expression meaning a great many; the passage never states factually that bamboo has at least 2,000 (A). Bamboo's growth rate and its location in many parts of the world, especially Asia (B), and the number of types (D), and the fact that it occasionally flowers (E), are details supporting/informing the main idea.