Main Idea Reading Practice

According to the passage, which of the following occurred?

• A. The main character refused to join the group in the car.

• B. The main character’s mother purposely neglected her.

• C. The main character resembled her new friends’ look and attitude

• D. The main character continually rejected all offers of friendship.

Answer explanation

The story ends before we know what happens, so option A cannot be correct. Nicole thinks she may be neglected, but the key word in option B is purposely, suggesting the mom’s two jobs are an excuse to avoid her daughter, which is likely not true. The passage suggests the mom is just too busy to be involved in her life. For option D, the character rejects the friendship from those at her first lunch table, but accepts the girls she didn’t know (the word all makes this choice incorrect). Lines 62-63 state that Nicole would imitate her new friends’ style, and proof of that lies when she uses a gruff voice (lines 69-70) and wears a hoodie (line 82).

The word assimilate in paragraph six (lines 53-64) most nearly means

• A. conjoin

• B. coordinate.

• C. comply.

• D. conform.

Answer explanation

Lines 63-64 provide EXAMPLE clues to the meaning of assimilate. She wishes to conform to her new friends.

All of the following were clearly identified in the passage as the reactions the main character experiences during and preceding her meeting with her new friends EXCEPT:

• A. sweaty hands

• B. nervous trembling

• C. genuine appreciation.

• D. reduced pace.

Answer explanation

She was not trembling. Line 2 clearly states that she was “on the edge of shaking.” Evidence for option A is in line 86. The key cannot sweat, so it was obviously from her hands. Evidence for option C is at the end of paragraph 3. Line 24 provides information about her reduced pace.

Which of the following statements best describes the main point of the passage?

• A. Teens in high school face rejection and prejudice regularly.

• B. Teens from divorced families face greater challenges with socialization than those with conventional families

• C. The attractions of making new friends and feeling wanted can cause teens to do things out of character.

• D. Groups of teenagers gather at night to commit illegal activities.

Answer explanation

Options F and J explore only parts of the story (teen rejection & teen mischief), while option G only deals with the aspect of divorce and its impact on kids. These are all too narrow and do not reveal the true point of the story as shown in option H.

As it is used in line 81, the word rupturing most nearly means:

• A. dispersing

• B. disintegrating.

• C. disrupting.

• D. circumventing.

Answer explanation

The GENERAL IDEA here is that the night is quiet and calm until the bass disrupts it. Disperse and disintegrate mean similar things, but you need to choose the most precise word meaning.

The primary purpose of paragraphs two, four, and six is to inform the reader of:

• F. background information about the main character’s life

• G. the main character’s refusal to make friends at her lunch table.

• H. information about the main character’s family

• J. events that have defined the main character.

Answer explanation

Options G and H provide supporting details that exist only in specific paragraphs. While option J suggests past events that have shaped her character, the primary purpose of the paragraphs in question is to provide background information about her life and not just about the events that shaped her character.

The passage mentions all of the following as reasons for the main character’s lack of friends EXCEPT:

• A. her antisocial nature.

• B. her poor grades.

• C. her concern about others’ opinions

• D. her own opinion of others.

Answer explanation

Paragraph 4 mentions options A, C, and D, and even though it is stated that the character’s grades are bad, there is nothing to suggest this has anything to do with a lack of friends.

According to the passage, which of these is NOT mentioned as part of the main character’s after school routine?

• F. completing her homework.

• G. playing with her dog

• H. choosing her own dinner

• J. using her house key to let herself in.

Answer explanation

At first glance, all of the options may seem correct, but looking back at paragraph 2 reveals that she only makes it look like she does her homework by opening her books.

The main idea of the last paragraph (lines 80-87) is to illustrate how:

• A. the main character successfully conformed to the others in the group

• B. the use of rhetorical questions can strengthen the reader’s understanding of a situation

• C. the main character’s dog is her only friend

• D. the main character is uncomfortable about her next step

Answer explanation

Options A and C are only details in the paragraph. Option B argues for rhetorical questions, and though they are used in the paragraph, do not lead to the main point.

10. When the author describes the main character as “a closed door” (lines 42-43), he most nearly means that she:

• F. keeps her door locked when friends come to visit her at her home.

• G. consistently refuses to let others get to know her

• H. half-heartedly rejects friendly advances.

• J. challenges others to become acquainted with her.

Answer explanation

This is a metaphor EXAMPLE, so use the information around it as well as the literal meaning of a closed door to put the pieces together. A closed door stops people from coming in freely, which is similar in nature to the character’s rejection of others. She refuses to let people into her life