Main Idea and Summarizing — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Elephants live in family groups led by the oldest female. They communicate with deep rumbles that travel miles underground. What is the main idea?
A) Elephants are the largest land animals.
B) Elephants are social animals that communicate in remarkable ways.
C) Female elephants are stronger than males.
D) Sound travels through the ground.
The correct answer is B) Elephants are social animals that communicate in remarkable ways. Both details -- living in family groups and using underground rumbles -- show that elephants are social and have unique ways of communicating.
2. Which sentence would NOT belong in a summary of a passage about the life cycle of a butterfly?
A) A caterpillar hatches from a tiny egg.
B) The caterpillar forms a chrysalis and becomes a butterfly.
C) The scientist who first described butterflies wore glasses.
D) Adult butterflies lay eggs to continue the cycle.
The correct answer is C) The scientist who first described butterflies wore glasses. What a scientist wore has nothing to do with the butterfly life cycle, so it is an unrelated detail that does not belong in the summary.
3. A passage says: "The Great Wall of China stretches over 13,000 miles. It was built over many centuries to protect against invasions." What is the main idea?
A) China has a long history.
B) The Great Wall is a massive structure built for defense over centuries.
C) Walls are made of stone and brick.
D) Thirteen thousand is a large number.
The correct answer is B) The Great Wall is a massive structure built for defense over centuries. The passage gives two facts -- its huge length and its purpose of stopping invasions -- and both support the idea that it is a massive defensive structure.
4. A student's summary says: "The article explains that the ocean is blue, has waves, and contains salt." What is the biggest problem with this summary?
A) It is too long.
B) It lists details without stating the main idea of the article.
C) It uses words that are too difficult.
D) It includes the author's opinion.
The correct answer is B) It lists details without stating the main idea of the article. The summary only names random facts about the ocean but never tells the reader what overall point the article is making.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When the main idea is spread across several sentences, the reader must piece it together.
The answer is "piece." When no single sentence states the main idea outright, you have to piece together clues from several sentences to figure it out.
2. A good summary captures the essence of the passage without extra detail.
The answer is "essence." Capturing the essence means keeping only the core message so the reader gets the most important information in fewer words.
3. Comparing two paragraphs on the same topic helps you see if they share the same main idea or present different ones.
The answer is "main." Comparing paragraphs lets you see whether each one supports the same main idea or introduces a different perspective on the topic.
4. Signal words like "in conclusion" or "most importantly" can point to the main idea.
The answer is "main." Words like "in conclusion" and "most importantly" signal that the author is about to state or restate the main idea.
5. A summary of a historical event should include the who, what, when, where, and why.
The answer is "why." Including the why explains the reasons behind the event, which helps the reader understand its importance, not just what happened.