Central Idea
What is the central idea of a text?
what the text is mostly about; what an informational text is mostly about; same as main idea
To paraphrase is to...
put into your own understanding or words
"The oceans play a major role in controlling our climate" is an example of what type of figurative language?
Personification
Noun
A person, place, or thing
When a question says "according to the author" , do you need to include textual evidence?
Yes
What is the central idea of the text?
Space exploration should be postponed in favor of ocean exploration.
Prolonged means to...
take a long time; lengthy
"Take the oceans, about which we know much less than the dark side of the moon" is an example of what type of figurative language?
Allusion
The toadfish's ability to regenerate its central nervous system is of much interest to neuroscientists.
Which words are nouns?
toadfish's, ability, central nervous system, neuroscientists.
Why is including textual evidence important in every answer?
To help explain your answer choice and double check that it is correct
What helps the reader locate the central idea?
Context clues: title, pictures, subheadings, text structure, and repeated words
Excretes means to...
expel toxins or waste
"Robots are much easier to feed" is an example of which type of figurative language?
Metaphor
Verb
Something that can be done
What evidence best backs up the central idea?
Answers vary
What is the difference between central message and central idea?
Central message is the theme and central idea is the main idea
Paraphrase can ALSO mean to...
Infer, compare, contrast, understand, extract, classify, cite, summarize, relate, interpret
"If the oceans do not make your heart go pitter-patter, how about..." is an example of which type of figurative language?
Onomatopoeia
The toadfish's ability to regenerate its central nervous system is of much interest to neuroscientists.
Which words are verbs?
regenerate, interest
What evidence best supports the author's claim that mars can wait?
Answers vary
What author's purpose is most accurate for the text's main idea?
Persuade - the author wants to persuade the reader to join his fight for ocean exploration and focus over the pointless adventures in space. Using information as a tool
Our new centers are based on...?
Academic language for question comprehension
"We can send R2D2 to explore it and still keep a whole pile of dough for important and inspiring exploration missions right here on Earth, starting at the beach nearest you." Is an example of which type of figurative language?
Allusion ; Idiom
Give an example of a sentence with a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb used correctly.
EX: They quickly completed their fun game.
What piece of evidence best supports the need for ocean exploration?
Ninety percent of the ocean floor has not even been charted, and while we have been to the moon, the technology to explore the ocean's floors is still being developed.