Main Idea and Summarizing — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A passage about how trains changed travel has the main idea that trains made transportation faster and easier.
The answer is "transportation." Trains replaced slower methods like horses and wagons, so the passage's main idea is that trains made transportation faster and easier.
2. The last sentence of a paragraph sometimes wraps up the main idea.
The answer is "last." Authors often place a closing thought at the end of a paragraph to remind readers of the main idea one final time.
3. When you summarize a story, include the setting, characters, problem, and solution.
The answer is "solution." A story summary needs the solution because it shows how the characters resolved the problem, which is a key part of the plot.
4. An informational text about recycling might have the main idea that reusing materials protects natural resources.
The answer is "main." The passage about recycling centers on one big point -- reusing materials protects natural resources -- and that is its main idea.
5. A summary should not change the meaning of the original text.
The answer is "meaning." If a summary changes the meaning, it no longer represents what the author actually wrote, so it becomes inaccurate.
6. Details that repeat the same information are called redundant and should be left out of a summary.
The answer is "redundant." Redundant details say the same thing twice, so including them wastes space without adding new information to the summary.
7. Photographs and captions in an article can give clues about the main idea.
The answer is "main." Photographs and captions highlight the most important topics in an article, which helps you figure out the main idea.
8. A summary of a science experiment should describe the question, the method, and the results.
The answer is "results." Without the results, the reader would not know what the experiment discovered, so the summary would be incomplete.
9. A strong reader checks whether each detail is related to the main idea before including it in a summary.
The answer is "related." Only details that connect to the main idea belong in a summary; unrelated details distract from the key message.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
A passage about why sleep is important for kids
→ Getting enough sleep helps children grow, learn, and stay healthy.
Bicycles evolved from simple wooden frames to modern geared machines over two centuries.
A passage explaining how volcanoes erupt
→ Magma rises through cracks in the Earth's crust and erupts as lava.
Arctic animals and people adapt to extreme cold and long winters.
A passage about the history of the bicycle
→ Bicycles evolved from simple wooden frames to modern geared machines over two centuries.
Magma rises through cracks in the Earth's crust and erupts as lava.
A passage describing life in the Arctic
→ Arctic animals and people adapt to extreme cold and long winters.
Getting enough sleep helps children grow, learn, and stay healthy.
Each main idea captures the big-picture point of its passage: sleep helps kids grow and stay healthy, volcanoes erupt when magma pushes through cracks, bicycles changed over two centuries, and Arctic life revolves around surviving extreme cold.