Central Idea and Relevant Details

Most teenagers and young adults do not know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It is a big decision. There are a number of things you can do to narrow the choices. For example you can take an interest test, do some research on your own about a career, try volunteer work in the field in which you are interested, or "job-shadow", in which you spend a day with a person who is working in a field that interests you. These are just a few helpful ideas as you begin to choose a career.

What is the central idea?

• Occupational knowledge is paramount when choosing a career

• Teenagers should work part time so they know what they want to do later as adults.

• Adolescents can do many things when thinking about their future line of employment.

• Teenagers who don’t know what they want to do professionally will be jobless.

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Astronomer Carl Sagan was born on November 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the University of Chicago, where he studied planets and explored theories of extraterrestrial intelligence. He was named director of Cornell’s Laboratory for Planetary Studies in 1968 and worked with NASA on several projects. An anti-nuclear activist, Sagan introduced the idea of “nuclear winter” in 1983. He wrote one novel, several books and academic papers and the TV series Cosmos, which was reborn on TV in 2014, before his 1996 death.

What is the central idea?

• Prominent astronomer Carl Sagan explored many planetary theories and projects.

• Carl Sagan was a pacifist who warned against nuclear proliferation.

• Carl Sagan knows secret theories about aliens and extraterrestrial life.

• The University of Chicago owes much to astronomer, Carl Sagan.

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Which detail would be relevant to this central idea? Hummingbirds are quite unique and do some strange things.

• Hummingbirds have wings that are bright colors.

• Hummingbirds can actually fly backwards.

• Hummingbirds fly to warmer climates during the winter.

• Hummingbirds make tiny nests where they live.

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Which detail would be relevant to this main idea? If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things.

• Some people will go for a walk or listen to music when they are sad.

• Some people are always happy and in a good mood.

• You can't be happy all of the time.

• Some people are just angry about something all of the time.

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The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.98 million people ascended it in 2011. The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.

What is the central idea of the passage?

• The Eiffel Tower was erected as an entrance to the World’s Fair.

• The Eiffel Tower is both a global and Parisian cultural icon.

• No one would ever visit Paris and not go to see the Eiffel Tower.

• Gustave Eiffel is the most talented engineer to have created the Eiffel Tower.

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When a person decides to get a dog, he or she has many kinds to choose from. As a rule, short-haired dogs are best for cities. Beagles, Boston Terriers, and Dachshunds make good city pets. Great Danes are short-haired, too. However, they are too big for city living. It is hard in a city to give them all the exercise they need. Setters, Springer Spaniels, and Collies are especially good as country dogs.

What is the central idea of the passage?

• Dogs make better pets than cats.

• Short-haired dogs are better for cities.

• There are many breeds of dogs.

• Some breeds of dogs are better than others for city life.

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Which detail would be relevant to this central idea? Teeth can tell what kinds of food a mammal eats.

• Some mammals live and travel in groups.

• A mammal that eats meat will have sharp canine teeth.

• Mammals live in different parts of the world.

• Mammals are animals that are born similar to humans.

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Which detail would be relevant to this main idea? Weather reports need to be correct so that people can prepare for bad weather.

• I always keep an umbrella in my car in case it rains.

• It takes several years of schooling to become a weather reporter.

• Weather reporters use pictures to show the news about weather.

• Weather reporters study many satellite images before preparing their report on the news.

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Which detail would be relevant to this main idea? Amelia Earhart is famous for being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

• She went to the Iowa State Fair and saw a plane for the first time.

• She was able to cross the Atlantic Ocean in only 21 hours.

• She disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean.

• She first became a nurse and then a social worker before becoming a pilot.

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Many people are confused about why our economy went to shambles in 2008. The crisis was actually the result of a combination of many complex factors. First, easy credit conditions allowed people who were high-risk or unworthy of credit to borrow, and even people who had no income were eligible for large loans. Second, banks would bundle these toxic loans and sell them as packages on the financial market. Third, large insurance firms backed these packages, misrepresenting these high-risk loans as safe investments. Fourth, because of the ease of acquiring credit and the rapid growth in the housing market, people were buying two or three houses, intending to sell them for more than they paid. All of these factors created bubbles of speculation. These bubbles burst, sending the whole market into a downward spiral, causing employers to lose capital and lay off employees. Consumer spending then plummeted and most businesses suffered. The economy is like a big boat, and once it gets moving quickly in the wrong direction, it’s hard to turn it around.

What is the Central Idea?

• The Great Recession was worse than the Great Depression

• A great bubble is the cause of The Great Recession.

• The Great Recession was caused by banks and insurance companies supporting high risk loans.

• There will never be a Great Recession ever again.

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