Main Idea 1
Although animals and people both have the gift of sight, their vision differs significantly. For example, dogs can only recognize shades of gray, blue, and yellow; however, they possess sharp nigh vision. Horses have eyes on the sides of their heads which allows them to see almost 350 degrees around but with a blind spot between them. Dragonflies are known for being able to detect movements in slow motion. They also see nearly 360 degrees.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Dragonflies have strong night vision
b. Humans have better vision than animals
c. Both humans and animals have strong night vision
d. Animals see things in different ways than humans
d. Animals see things in different ways than humans
When temperatures drop, water changes from a liquid to a solid. it becomes ice. When water freezes, the particles spread out. This makes the water expand. Expanding water can cause certain complications. For example, pipes can freeze and break apart quite messily in winter. In nature, water gets into the holes of rocks. The holes get bigger when the water freezes. This makes the rocks break apart.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Water expands when it freezes
b. Ice gets smaller when it melts
c. Water freezes when it is in a freezer
d. We need stronger water pipes in winter
a. Water expands when it freezes
All mammals rely on their mother's milk for sustenance and long-term growth, At birth, mammal mothers instinctively produce milk for their babies. For instance, rabbits drink milk until they are three weeks old. Cheetahs drink milk for much longer than rabbits. They drink milk until they are three or four months old. Humans also drink their mother's milk as infants in order to develop properly and stay healthy over time. Clearly, drinking milk helps mammals grow healthy and strong.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Humans drink milk every day
b. Some mammals drink milk for a long time
c. All baby mammals drink their mother's milk
d. Humans are different from other mammals
c. All baby animals drink their mother's milk
The use of nature to make clocks have a long history, with sundials and water clocks being among the most commonly used. Sundials were the first ancient clocks, taking advantage of shadows in order to indicate the time. Unfortunately, they weren't effective during thunderstorms or at night, so people looked for other options that would work regardless of weather conditions or darkness. Therefore, people started to use water clocks. Water clocks were created by filling containers with water and allowing it to drip out slowly through an opening. As the water level decreased, marks on the containers showed the time.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Ancient buildings were often used to tell time
b. The position of the sun and its shadow told the time
c. Ancient people in West Asia could not tell time at night
d. Ancient people used sundials and water clocks to tell time
d. Ancient people used sundials and water clocks to tell time
Color therapy is a form of natural healing that dates back to ancient times. It uses colors to help people heal. Warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow have energizing effects. Cool colors such as blue, violet, and green promote relaxation. Warm colors can help improve blood circulation and counter fatigue or sickness. On the other hand, cool colors can help relieve headaches and help you have a good night's sleep. It would be interesting to conduct some experiments with different colors to see how we feel about colors!
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Color therapy is very old
b. Color can cause bad feelings
c. Color can be used to help heal our bodies and minds
d. Warm colors have a longer-lasting effect than cool colors
c. Color can be used to help heal our bodies and minds
As a valuable commodity throughout human history, the need to find sources of an adequate amount of salts became necessary. With the shift to crops such as wheat and rice, people had less access to red meat, thus requiring a new means of procuring this precious commodity. In China, it was first collected from surrounding lakes. Later, in Central Asia more advanced techniques were utilized - including mining and evaporation. Finally, the Chinese developed a method by boiling seawater to produce their own supply of essential salts. Because these methods took a long time, salt was so valuable that it was used as money. It has become cheaper today, but it still remains an important part of our diet.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Salt is very important because we need it to live
b. Salt is expensive because of the difficult production process
c. Salt has been an important and valuable mineral throughout history
d. Salt used to be more valuable before people started farming
c. Salt has been an important and valuable mineral throughout history
Hearing sounds around us results from the vibrations of air molecules. These vibrations travel to our ear, and our nerves send a signal to the brain which interprets it as audible noise. For sound to travel to our ear so that we hear it, it needs a medium. We can see this with an experiment using a bell in a bottle. When there is less or no air in the bottle, we will only hear a soft sound or no sound from the bell.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. We hear sound when the vibrations of a medium travel to our ear
b. The experiment shows that there is no sound in outer space
c. We cannot hear if we don't have a brain
d. Air is the best medium to carry sound
a. We hear sound when the vibrations of a medium travel to our ear
Animals' skins are incredibly essential to their survival, shielding from potential dangers in nature. Different species employ various techniques when it comes to protection. For example, the sweat from the hippo's skin guards against harsh sunlight as well as bacteria and insects. Additionally, the striped pattern of a zebra's coat offers camouflage and serves to confuse predators. With the non-poisonous king snake, the color pattern of its skin mimics that of the deadly coral snake to fool predators. All of these functions of the skin help animals survive in their environment.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Animal skin changed over a million years ago
b. An animal's skin is an amazing organ
c. Animal skin works in different ways to give protection
d. Animal skin is more amazing than human skin
c. Animal skin works in different ways to give protection
Superstitions connected to money vary in different parts of the world. In Russia, its believed that money must be given with the right hand and taken with the left. People also believe that having an empty wallet is an omen of poverty. In Greece, having no coins or funds in one's wallet or bank account is looked down upon and is considered bad luck. In Japan, people keep snake skin in their wallet for good fortune. Seeing a white snake means they will always have good luck, but killing a snake means they will lose all their money.
What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Wallets are used differently in different countries
b. Believing in superstitions could cause financial problems
c. People in different countries have different ways of saving money
d. There are different superstitions about money around the world
d. There are different superstitions about money around the world
One of the most widely-used materials today is plastics. Invented in 1862, Parkesine was the first man-made type of modern day plastics. Unfortunately, it was costly to produce so it didn't become a commercial success. In 1866, John Wesley Hatt chnaged the game when he created Celluloid - a much more viable alternative for ivory which until then had been used to make billiard balls. Bakelite was invented in 1909. It was the first plastic to be made entirely from artificial materials. Nowadays, petroleum is commonly used as a main ingredient in plastic production. Unfortunately, this is bad for the environment. Therefore, people are still looking for alternatives.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Plastic is harmful to many plants and crops
b. New materials are currently being created to replace plastic
c. Plastic has been developed and improved over a long period of time
d. Plastic was originally invented as a substitute for petroleum
c. Plastic has been developed and improved over a long period of time
The underwater world is being disturbed and negatively affected by human activities. Water travels, water sports, oil and gas drilling, and sound wave equipment are all sources of noise that disrupt the communication signals used by sea animals. When these noises interfere with their sense of direction as well as their ability to find food and mates, it can result in serious injury or death. We need to study the effects of noise pollution and take action as soon as possible.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Human activities underwater are important
b. There are some activities that make loud noises
c. Humans are disturbing the ocean world while making noise
d. Noise pollution is harming the people near the sea
c. Humans are disturbing the ocean world while making noise
When trekking in the mountains, it is important to be prepared. Three essentials are needed in case you become lost. Firstly, having fire is critical - not only will it keep you warm but it can also act as a deterrent for animals. You can either bring a long a lighter or matches, or create one by striking rock against steel. Second, you need water to survive. Look for a nearby stream or river to provide yourself with a clean source of water, Failing that, you may need to dig deep into the ground in an attempt to find underground water. Finally, find shelter to keep yourself dry and to block the wind. You should try to find a cave. If you can't, build a frame with branches and cover it with a blanket.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. People can find many natural things to eat in the mountains
b. Bad weather is the most dangerous thing hikers have to deal with
c. There are three basic necessities for surviving in the mountains
d. When lost in the mountains, there are ways to find your way home
c. There are three basic necessities for surviving in the mountains
The candy-making process starts by dissolving sugar in water. First, heat the mixture until it reaches a boiling point, then let it simmer until it reaches the desired temperature. This temperature will vary depending on which type of candy you are creating. To determine when your sugar mixture is ready, take a spoonful and drop it into a bowl of cold water. Observe the results to check the temperature. Once the sugar mixture is done cooking, flavorings can be added before pouring the mixture into molds and allowing it to cool.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. How sugar is made
b Reasons to make candy at home
c. How to tell the temperature of a candy mixture
d. The process of cooking sugar to make candy
d. The process of cooking sugar to make candy
Volcanic activity can have both disastrous and beneficial consequences. The destructive power of lava flows is undeniable as it can wipe out entire buildings, plants and animal habitats. Furthermore, the combination of hot gasses and ash that are released during an eruption can be incredibly hazardous to human life. Volcanic ash has been known to cause breathing problems or even lead to a collapse of homes. Volcanoes can have a destructive force, such as damaging jet engines, but there are also beneficial aspects to them. Tourists flock to certain volcanoes for their beauty and grandeur. In addition, volcanic eruptions provide an excellent source of natural fertilizer for farming. Finally, the heat generated from volcanic activity can be harnessed to create electricity.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. The history of the word "volcano"
b. Volcanoes as natural tourist attractions
c. How volcanoes affect people in different ways
d. The eruptions of volcanoes cause disasters
c. How volcanoes affect people in different ways
There are a lot of stars in the sky. All of them are generally similar, but they can be divided into three categories: dwarfs, giants, and neutron stars. The smallest type of star is the dwarf. This kind of star keeps its size consistent because the forces of fusion and gravity are in balance. However, when the fusion process ends in a giant star, gravity takes full power over again. The core of the star then becomes hot and the surrounding gas shell starts to bum and increase in size. Finally, neuron stars are those produced from massively large stars and become what remains after a supernova has occurred.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. An introduction to three types of stars
b. How dwarf stars and giants are similar
c. An overview of the lifespan of a star
d. A history of the solar system
a. An introduction to three types of stars