Find the Central Idea

What is the central idea of the passage?

Millions of acres of tropical rainforest have been destroyed. Many animals and people lose their homes when the rain forest is cut down. Today, people are destroying the forests so quickly that the animals are unable to adapt. Many of these animals, such as the leopard, need miles and miles of untouched rain forest in order to live. Furthermore, as more of the rainforest is destroyed, the risk of air pollution and loss of oxygen increases.

• Leopards are losing their homes

• The destruction of the rain forest is harming humans and animals.

• The destruction of the rain forest is an interesting subject

• Forests provide oxygen for humans and animals

What is the central idea of the passage?

Thomas Edison’s life span is known as “The age of Edison.” If it wasn’t for Thomas Edison, we might not have electric lights, telephones, movie cameras, or computers! Think of all the ways these great products affect our lives today. Edison held over 1,000 patents and received dozens of awards during his lifetime for his inventions and contributions to science.

• The light bulb was an important invention

• Thomas Edison was an important inventor

• Thomas Edison was an excellent student

• Creating inventions is a difficult process

What is the central idea of the passage?

In 1969, Apollo 11’s successful landing on the moon was seen on TV all around the world. At last, men had walked on the moon for the first time ever! Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin became famous American heroes. This mission was a great achievement for the U.S. space program, and led to six more Apollo flights in the years to come. The mission's success also led to further deep space explorations by the United States and other countries around the world.

• Apollo 11’s landing was an important moment in history

• Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are heroes

• People were surprised about Apollo 11's success

• Millions watched the Apollo 11 moon landing

What is the central idea of the passage?

The law was not exactly fair in the Middle Ages in Europe. Back then, you could blame someone in your town for committing a crime. The “criminal” could then challenge you to a fight to prove his guilt or innocence. If you lost the fight, you were charged as a liar and the criminal was believed to be innocent. If you won, the criminal was believed to be guilty.

• Laws were unfair in the Middle Ages

• Fighting is a good way to decide guilt or innocence.

• Most people lied about crime in the Middle Ages.

• Those who were innocent of crimes often won

What is the central idea of the passage?

In training to be a knight, a person was expected to study hard and learn good manners. They were taught to play musical instruments, sing, and recite poetry. They also studied reading, writing, geometry, and strategy games. Another knight would then teach the person to shoot a bow and arrow, fight with a sword, and ride a horse. To say the least, knights had a well-rounded education.

• Knights learned a variety of subjects while training

• Knights were very talented individuals

• Knights were very hard working

• Sword fighting was the most important subject a knight learned

What is the central idea of the passage?

There are a lot of myths flying around about bats. One of these myths is that bats are blind. Bats can actually see quite well, some even better then people! Another myth is that bats are dirty. This is also untrue, as bats are very clean animals. Like cats, they spend lots of time grooming themselves.

• Bats are misunderstood animals

• Bats are interesting animals.

• Bats can be very dangerous animals

• Bats live in caves

What is the central idea of the passage?

In 1981, a new television channel was introduced to showcase musicians performing their songs in music videos. This channel was called MTV, or Music Television. Since the channel first went on the air, viewership has increased, and the channel has expanded to countries all over the world. Today, MTV not only shows music videos, but a variety of other television programming as well.

• MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

• MTV offers interesting videos

• Watching MTV is a great way to see musicians

• MTV is a channel that is broadcasted around the world

What is the central idea of the passage?

Jackie Robinson did something nobody had ever done before. He was not only a three-sport athlete at UCLA. He was the first African-American to play on a Major league baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson had to deal with racism all over the country. He was treated very poorly by the by other players and fans in the stadiums he visited. But, whenever things got difficult, his courage and determination kept him going. Today his number 42 is retired on every team in major league baseball, and he is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Jackie Robinson is an important figure in American History

• Jackie Robinson played many different sports

• Jackie Robinson is in the Baseball Hall of Fame

• Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers

What is the central idea of the passage?

Before the Industrial Revolution, most cloth was hand-made in people’s homes. They used spinning wheels and weaving looms to make their own clothes. This took a lot of time and hard work! But during the Industrial Revolution, machines were built that made great quantities of cloth very quickly. Before long, machines were built to make other products, such as paper and even cars! This saved people much time and energy.

• The Industrial Revolution allowed goods to be made faster and easier

• Cloth was difficult to make before machines

• The Industrial Revolution helped the world prosper

• Spinning wheels were used to make cloth before machines

What is the central idea of the passage?

William Shakespeare was a very prolific writer. By the time of his death at 52 years of age, he had written 37 plays, 154 poems, and two long, narrative poems. No other writer of his time produced as many high-quality works as Shakespeare. Among his most popular works are Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His words have inspired many writers to this day!

• Shakespeare was a talented writer

• Many people enjoyed Shakespeare’s plays

• Shakespeare would have created many other works if he hadn’t died so young

• Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet