Main Idea
Cornfields can be for more than growing corn. Some farmlands have mazes—paths cut into cornfields. People pay to enter them.
Mazes take planning. Farmers grow corn, and they mow the paths weekly. The farmer’s preparations are worthwhile. People have fun, and the farmer makes money.
What is the main idea?
The farmer's preparations are worthwhile.
Cornfields can be for more than growing corn.
People have fun, and the farmer makes money.
Cornfields can be for more than growing corn.
s
Have you ever seen a small red beetle with black dots on its back? It was most likely a ladybug. Ladybugs do not bite or sting humans. They do not harm plants or carry diseases. In fact, they are very helpful. Farmers like to see ladybugs on their plants. Why is that? It is because of what ladybugs eat.
Ladybugs eat tiny insects called aphids. Aphids are harmful to plants. Aphids suck the juices from plant leaves. This causes the leaves to shrivel up and die. But, a ladybug's favorite food is an aphid. A ladybug can eat 50 aphids in one day. Some people buy ladybugs to set free in their gardens.
Ladybugs are a natural way to stop aphids. If you have ladybugs, you do not have to use bug spray on plants. Many people think it is better not to use bug spray.
So when you see a ladybug, think how helpful it can be. It might save your favorite plant one day!!
Clare is taking notes for her report on ladybugs:
ladybugs
-small red beetle with black dots
-are helpful in the garden
-don't bite or sting humans
Which best fits in her notes?
like the garden store
suck the juices from plants
eat aphids
favorite flower is the sunflower
eat aphids
Beavers build their houses on water. They use their teeth to cut down trees and limbs. Then they use their strong mouths to drag the trees to their building site. Next, they pile the wood to build walls. Once the walls are built, beavers gather mud. They use the mud to hold everything together. This makes their home very strong.
What is the first step to building a beaver home?
piling wood
cutting trees
gathering mud
cutting trees
Mason picks flowers in his backyard. Some of the flowers look pretty, but they don't smell sweet. His mom likes flowers that smell sweet, so he only chooses those. He puts them in water and gives them to his mom.
How are the flowers Mason picks alike?
They are old.
They are yellow.
They smell sweet.
They smell sweet.
READING BUDDIES NEEDED
Who are reading buddies? Third grade students
What do reading buddies do? Help second graders become great readers
Where do they meet? The school library
When do they meet? Tuesday after school; Reading buddy training is on the first day.
Why do we need reading buddies? Some second graders need help reading. Other second graders want to read harder books. You can help!
What are reading buddies?
students who work for the school library
anyone who wants to learn to read harder books
third graders who help second graders with reading
third graders who help second graders with reading
Some scientists have studied laughter. It seems that when people laugh, they feel better. Their bodies relax. Laughter seems to make people feel hopeful and have more energy. Laughing with friends and family is good, too. People feel closer and happier with each other. It seems true. People need humor.
What is the main idea of this passage?
Laughing is good for you.
Scientists have studied laughter.
It is important to relax sometimes.
Laughing is good for you.
Walking is great exercise. It keeps your heart strong and helps you stay fit and healthy. It also makes you feel happy. You should take a walk everyday.
The author says that walking keeps your heart strong. How does this detail support the main idea of the passage?
It explains why walking is good for you.
It explains why walking makes you feel happy.
It explains why having a strong heart is important.
It explains why walking is good for you.
BANANA MUFFINS
3 bananas
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup melted butter
DIRECTIONS
First, heat the oven to 350°F. Next, mash bananas in a bowl. Then, add sugar and the egg. Stir in melted butter. Lastly, stir in flour and baking soda.
Spoon mixture into muffin pan.
Bake 20 minutes.
What should be stirred in last?
butter
bananas
baking soda
baking soda
There is an insect called a froghopper. It is very good at jumping. A froghopper can jump over two feet into the air. This helps it move from one plant to another. A flea is another insect that can jump almost as high. But it is not as good a jumper. A froghopper weighs sixty times more than a flea, but still jumps higher.
How is a froghopper different from a flea?
A froghopper is an insect that can jump high.
A froghopper weighs more and can jump higher.
A froghopper can jump from one plant to another.
A froghopper weighs more and can jump higher.
Community gardens are gardens that neighbors share. The gardens are in cities and towns. Neighbors choose the foods to grow. They enjoy time outside. They plant and care for the growing fruits and vegetables. When the foods are ripe, neighbors harvest the fresh foods and enjoy them.
What do the neighbors do when the foods are ripe?
They harvest the foods.
They choose what to grow.
They plant more vegetables.
They harvest the foods.
Baby alligators might look scary, but they need to be kept safe. Other animals might try to get to them. Babies stay close to their mother. When they go somewhere, the mother carefully carries them in her mouth. Sometimes a baby rides on her head. The baby clings to the head and off they go.
What is the main idea?
Alligator babies need to be kept safe.
Alligator babies stay close to their mother.
Alligators carry their babies in their mouths.
Alligator babies need to be kept safe.
Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth. They grow up to 100 feet long and weigh more than 200 tons. Their hearts weigh as much as a car! To live, they eat thousands of tiny sea animals everyday.
“Their hearts weigh as much as a car!” How does this sentence support the main idea of the passage?
It explains why blue whales need to eat so much.
It makes it clear that blue whales are wonderful animals.
It gives an example to show the huge size of blue whales.
It gives an example to show the huge size of blue whales.
Washing dishes is a great way to help out. First, fill the sink with warm water. As the sink is filling up, add some dish soap. Turn off the water while you scrub the dishes. Once a dish is clean, rinse it off with cold water. Then, set the dish on a towel to dry.
What should you do while filling up the sink?
Rinse the dishes.
Add some dish soap.
Set the dishes on a towel.
Add some dish soap.
Chipmunks and ground squirrels are both small-bodied animals. Ground squirrels are larger than chipmunks. Both animals have stripes down their backs. But, only chipmunks have stripes on their heads. Ground squirrels and chipmunks eat nuts and seeds. Chipmunks have larger cheek pockets in their mouths. This lets them carry more food.
How are ground squirrels and chipmunks different?
Chipmunks are larger than ground squirrels.
Ground squirrels have stripes on their heads.
Chipmunks have extra room in their mouths for food.
Chipmunks have extra room in their mouths for food.
Mars
Scientists are discovering that the planet Mars is similar to our planet. There might even be life on Mars!
Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth. It is even close enough for us to see without a telescope. Because the rocks and soil of Mars are red, Mars looks like a bright red star in the night sky. For this reason, Mars is sometimes called the "red planet."
Mars is like Earth because both planets have water. All life needs water, but water is very rare in the universe. Scientists looking for life in outer space study places with water like Mars. Today, all the water on Mars is frozen into ice. However, there are valleys on Mars that look like they were shaped by water. Because water might have flowed on Mars, scientists think Mars might once have had life like we see on Earth. For now, nobody knows if there was ever life on Mars.
We will keep exploring Mars for a long time to come. In the future, we might discover life there. Until then, we can look up into the night sky and wonder what else we will find someday on the "red planet."
Copyright 2004-2014, Renaissance Learning, Inc.
According to the passage, what has already been found on Mars?
telescopes
a solar system
water
red aliens
water
Choose the best title for the following selection.
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1817. He escaped to the north when he was a young man and became educated. He organized black soldiers to fight for the Union army during the Civil War and later worked toward voting rights for blacks. He made many great speeches that changed people's opinions about the evils of slavery.
The Black Soldier During the Civil War
Frederick Douglass as a Child
Frederick Douglass: A Fighter For Freedom
War and Battles
Frederick Douglass: A Fighter For Freedom
The beach is a fun place to visit. People can fly kites and play in the sand. On warm days, swimming is fun. Visitors should keep the beach clean. Then everyone can enjoy the beach!
The beach is a fun place to visit. Which detail from the passage shows this?
People can fly kites and play in the sand.
Visitors should keep the beach clean.
Then everyone can enjoy the beach!
People can fly kites and play in the sand.
Which sentence gives a cause and effect statement?
George went to play outside with Laura.
When I went to school we sat together.
Which sentence gives a cause and effect statement?
George went to play outside with Laura.
When I went to school we sat together.
My computer froze; therefore, I had to restart it.
The trees look beautiful in the fall.
The trees look beautiful in the fall.
My computer froze; therefore, I had to restart it.
Eagles and hawks have much in common. They are both raptors. They make their homes in large nests. Their bodies are nearly alike, but most eagles are larger and stronger. Eagles and hawks have special eyesight. This is why they are good at hunting from the air.
Eagles are different from hawks _____.
in where they build their homes
in how they hunt for food
in size and strength
in size and strength
Caves
A cave is a hollow area in the earth. Some caves are large enough for a person to enter. The inside of a cave is dark and damp. Some caves have just one room, others have many rooms and passages.
Scientists who study caves have found underground lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. They have also found rocks called "stalactites" and "stalagmites."
Stalactites look like icicles, only they are made of rock. They hang from the ceiling of a cave, just like icicles hang from rooftops. Stalagmites are rocky points that rise from the floor of a cave.
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed by water that comes in through cracks in the cave. Each drop of water contains bits of rock. As the water seeps into the cave, the water dries up, leaving the rock behind. Over thousands of years, the rock builds up to form stalactites and stalagmites. It is important when scientists study caves to be very careful. If a scientist breaks a stalactite or stalagmite, it cannot be fixed.
What would happen if water did not enter the cave?
The cave would exist forever.
All of the living creatures inside would die.
The cave would have many rooms and passages.
Stalactites and stalagmites would not form.
Stalactites and stalagmites would not form.
Trees grow in many sizes and shapes. Some lose their leaves, and others keep them year round. Some trees grow really high. A person standing at the bottom of the tree cannot see the top. These trees extend many feet beyond the tops of other trees. A redwood tree in California is 369 feet tall!
What is the main idea?
Trees grow in many sizes and shapes.
Some trees keep their leaves year round.
A redwood tree in California is 369 feet tall!
Trees grow in many sizes and shapes.
Ladybugs
Have you ever seen a small red beetle with black dots on its back? It was most likely a ladybug. Ladybugs do not bite or sting humans. They do not harm plants or carry diseases. In fact, they are very helpful. Farmers like to see ladybugs on their plants. Why is that? It is because of what ladybugs eat.
Ladybugs eat tiny insects called aphids. Aphids are harmful to plants. Aphids suck the juices from plant leaves. This causes the leaves to shrivel up and die. But, a ladybug's favorite food is an aphid. A ladybug can eat 50 aphids in one day. Some people buy ladybugs to set free in their gardens.
Ladybugs are a natural way to stop aphids. If you have ladybugs, you do not have to use bug spray on plants. Many people think it is better not to use bug spray.
So when you see a ladybug, think how helpful it can be. It might save your favorite plant one day!
The author says that aphids are harmful insects. Which sentence supports that statement?
Aphids do not like spiders.
Aphids can eat 50 ladybugs each day.
Aphids suck the juices from plant leaves.
Aphids are found all across the U.S.
Aphids suck the juices from plant leaves.
Susan wanted to attend a concert, but her parents said they would only allow her to go if her grades were better before the date of the musical event. Susan successfully brought up her grades.
Choose the sentence that best shows this as a cause-and-effect relationship.
Susan got a good report card, and she got to go to the concert.
Because Susan got a good report card, she got to go to the concert.
Susan got a good report card, then she went to the concert.
Because Susan went to the concert, she had gotten a good report card.
Because Susan got a good report card, she got to to the concert.
Some people like to bicycle on forest, desert, or mountain trails. They use mountain bikes. Like road bikes, mountain bikes have two wheels. But a mountain bike has more spring and thicker tires. This is so it can ride on rough or rocky ground.
How are road bikes different from mountain bikes?
Road bikes have two wheels.
Road bikes have more spring.
Road bikes have thinner tires.
Road bikes have thinner tires.
In summer, a weasel's brown coat matches the ground. This color helps keep the weasel safe when it looks for food. Its brown coat helps it hide from larger animals. Later, in time for winter, the weasel's coat turns white. Then it will match the snow.
How does the weasel's coat help it hide?
It matches the ground.
It keeps the weasel safe.
It is warm and soft in winter.
It matches the ground.