Analyzing Central Idea and Author's Purpose

The Outsiders Excerpt

By S. E. Hinton

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman---he looks tough and I don't--- but I guess my own looks aren't so bad. I have light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes. I wish they were more gray, because I hate most guys that have green eyes, but I have to be content with what I have.My hair is longer than a lot of boys wear theirs,squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut.Besides, I look better with long hair.

What is the main idea?

• The narrator likes movies.

• The narrator wishes he was Paul Newman.

• The narrator is content with his appearance.

• The narrator looks better with long hair.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Sea of Monsters: Percy & the Olympians Excerpt

By Rick Riordan

My nightmare started like this.I was standing on a deserted street in some little beach town. It was the middle of the night. A storm was blowing.Wind and rain ripped at the palm trees along the sidewalk. Pink and yellow stucco buildings lined the street, their windows boarded up. A block away, past a line of hibiscus bushes, the ocean churned. Florida, I thought. Though I wasn’t sure how I knew that. I’d never been to Florida. Then I heard hooves clattering against the pavement. I turned and saw my friend Grover running for his life. Yeah, I said hooves.Grover is a satyr. From the waist up, he looks like a typical gangly teenager with a peach-fuzz goatee and a bad case of acne. He walks with a strange limp, but unless you happen to catch him without his pants on (which I don’t recommend), you’d never know there was anything unhuman about him. Baggy jeans and fake feet hide the fact that he’s got furry hindquarters and hooves. Grover had been my best friend in sixth grade. He’d gone on this adventure with me and a girl named Annabeth to save the world, but I hadn’t seen him since last July, when he set off alone on a dangerous quest—a quest no satyr had ever returned from.

What is the main idea of the dream?

• Grover is in danger.

• The main character is in danger.

• Florida is in the middle of a hurricane.

• The storm is building.

Author's Purpose:

Directions on how to put together a toy are written to:

• Persuade

• Inform

• Entertain

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.6.6

Advertisements are created to:

• Persuade

• Inform

• Entertain

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.8

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.8.8

In a non-fiction book, the author's purpose is to:

• Persuade

• Inform

• Entertain

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RI.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.K.6

What is the definition of Author's Purpose?

• Why a reading passage was written

• Descriptive details about a person, place, or thing.

• Figuring out something that is not directly stated in a reading passage

• Figuring out the meaning of unknown words from other words

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Choose the sentence that shows the correct use of punctuation.

• This week's activities include a basketball game and a student council meeting and a fund raiser.

• Mr. Burgess our teacher assigned each of us an individual research assignment.

• Many families choose to have a cat or dog in their home, however we have a pot-bellied pig.

• My sister, an accomplished ballerina, will be performing with an international ballet troupe.

Tags

CCSS.RF.3.3B

CCSS.RF.3.3C

CCSS.RF.3.3D

CCSS.RF.4.3A

CCSS.RF.5.3A

Select the TWO sentences that contain an inappropriate shift in verb voice.

• DeShon is an outstanding chess player, and he also competes on the Academic Bowl team.

• Mirette waited patiently for her turn, but patience was not shown by some of the other customers.

• Several students played basketball while others chose to watch a movie.

• During the school year our teacher assigned a research project, and weekly tests were also given.

• A local animal shelter and veterinary clinic worked together to promote animal adoption.

Choose the sentence that uses a verb in the passive form.

• The angered wolves rushed dangerously at the unsuspecting interlopers.

• We enjoyed a sumptuous brunch at the new bistro.

• As the winter winds blew, we snuggled by the fire.

• Twelve small kittens were removed from the abandoned apartment building.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RL.6.10

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

A cheetah can clock four strides a second, each stride five to seven yards long. A rudderlike tail guides the cheetah through quick turns and movements. Its heart, lungs, and even its nostrils are developed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed.

Choose the option that best shows how to rewrite the above information with the omission of some wording.

• A cheetah can clock four strides a second, each stride five to seven yards long ... its heart, lungs, and even its nostrils are developed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed.

• A cheetah can clock four strides a second, each stride five to seven yards long; its heart, lungs, and even its nostrils are developed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed.

• A cheetah can clock four strides a second, each stride five to seven yards long - its heart, lungs, and even its nostrils are developed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed.

• A cheetah can clock four strides a second, each stride five to seven yards long [and] its heart, lungs, and even its nostrils are developed to meet the rigorous demands of high speed.

Tags

CCSS.RF.3.3B

CCSS.RF.3.3C

CCSS.RF.3.3D

CCSS.RF.4.3A

CCSS.RF.5.3A