Main Idea and Context Clues

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this paragraph?

• The surface of the moon is dusty.

• The Apollo rocket circled the moon.

• Armstrong became the first man on the moon in 1969.

• The world likes to watch astronauts on television.

Based on context clues in the passage below, eliminate means ______.

Please eliminate the blank lines between the pictures. They are not supposed to be there.

• delete

• find

• color

• add

Which of the following is an example of a main idea of a book?

• Sparky, a dog who fights fires.

• I read a story about Duke, a police dog.

• Slap Jake is my favorite comic book hero.

• Superpup is a brave beagle that fights crime in New York.

Which question would be most helpful for figuring out the main idea of a book?

• What is the main thing the author wants to say?

• Who is the author?

• What is my opinion?

• What else do I know about the subject?

I have a dog named Boots. I taught him lots of tricks. When I tell him to, Boots will sit or lie down. He can also wave his paw to greet people. When I say, "Dance, Boots", he will stand up on 2 legs and walk. I don't know of many dogs that can do such amazing tricks. What's the MAIN IDEA?

• Boots is my dog.

• Boots can sit.

• Boots is very smart.

• Most dogs can't dance.

Yesterday was my birthday. When I woke up, I noticed my brother Todd hung up a big sign that said, "Happy Birthday, Joey!" Mom made spaghetti for dinner. It's my favorite food in the whole world. My friend Dave came over and handed me a wrapped gift. I wondered what it was. It was a new basketball! I had a great day. What's the MAIN IDEA?

• Todd had a great birthday.

• Joey had a great birthday

• Todd got lots of gifts.

• Joey got lots of gifts.

Peter's parents bought a new carpet for the living room. Now, he has to take his shoes off when he enters the house. He's also not allowed to eat or drink in the living room any more. Peter's furry dog isn't allowed to play ball in there either. When his parents got the new carpet, there were lots of new rules. What's the MAIN IDEA?

• Peter cannot go in the living room.

• Peter's parents don't like the carpet.

• Peter likes to make a mess.

• Peter's parents made new rules so the new carpet stays clean.

What the passage/text is mostly about; will have details that help support it

• Summary

• Theme

• Main Idea

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this passage?

• A) The library is a quiet place to study.

• B) Many people visit the library every day.

• C) Libraries offer a variety of resources for learning.

• D) The library has a large collection of books.

Based on context clues in the sentence below, **abundant** means ______. *The garden was so abundant with flowers that it looked like a sea of colors.*

• A) scarce

• B) plentiful

• C) dull

• D) empty