Grab bag
Main Idea
Signal Words
Passages- Difficult
Passages- Easy
100
What is listing?
100
What is main idea?
What is the main point or message of a passage?
100
first, next, then, before, after, finally, following, dates, and times
What is chronological order?
100
One problem with every modern Olympics is that is has become very big and expensive to operate. The city or country that hosts the games often loses a lot of money. A stadium, pools, and playing fields must be built for the athletic events and housing is needed for the athletes who come from around the world. In 1984, Los Angles solved these problems by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the games. Companies like McDonald’s paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. Many buildings that were already being built in Los Angeles were also being used. The Coliseum where the 1932 games were held was used again and many colleges and universities in the area became playing and living areas.
What is problem and solution?
100
How to make coffee: first, fill the pot with water. Then clean and replace the filter. Next, get fresh coffee, measure just the right amount, and pour it into the filter. Finally, press the "on" button.
What is process?
200
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!
What are the six questions you should ask yourself when trying to summarizing?
What is: who?, what?, where?, when?, why?, and how?
200
What do you need to have when finding the main idea?
What are two or more supporting details?
200
same as, similar, alike, as well as, also, both, instead of, on the other hand, different from, and as opposed to
What is compare and contrast?
200
The Olympic games began as athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. The most important festival was held in the valley of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. It was the festival that became the Olympic games in 776 B.C. These games were ended in 394 A.D. by the Roman emperor in Greece. No Olympic games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then the modern Olympics began is 1896. Almost 300 male athletes competed in the first modern Olympics. In the games held in 1900, female athletes were allowed to compete. The games have continued every four years since 1896, except during World War II and they will most likely continue for many years to come.
What is chronological order?
200
Willow Creek is very different from New York City. There are no tall skyscrapers in Willow Creek. All you can see are fields and sky. Instead of taxicab horns and fire truck sirens, it is so quiet at night that you can hear the crickets chirping. The MAIN text structure used in this paragraph is . . .
What is compare and contrast?
300
What is process?
300
What is the main idea?
There are many ways to learn about people. You can learn a lot about people by simply watching or talking to them. Looking at the floor can also give you information about people. You can tell where people walk most frequently because of the worn carpet. The next time you’re riding in someone else’s car, notice the music on the radio. The type of music played on the station can tell a lot about the person!
What is how to learn about people?
300
item, thing, next, first, second, most important
What is enumeration/listing?
300
DAILY DOUBLE
Every spring, shortly after the tulips bloom, farmers in Holland go through the tulip fields and cut the blooms off the tulips. This seems strange, because it leaves a field full of green stems. However, it makes the colorful tulip blooms grow back even bigger and stronger later that spring. The MAIN text structure used in this paragraph is . . .
What are cause and effect?
300
The music was blasting so loud, Marco thought his ears would burst. The stage was filled with bright blue laser beams and a shower of yellow and green paper streamers. All around him, the crowd was singing and dancing wildly. The MAIN text structure used in this paragraph is . . .
What is description?
400
What is something summaries do not need to include?
What are minor details, unimportant details, or opinions?
400
What is the main idea?
The diamond is a hard element that can cut through almost any metal. That is why it is often used for industrial purposes. Whole diamond stones are set into tools. Dust from crushed diamond stones is used for coating the edges of tools. Care must be taken when exposing diamonds to extreme heat because heat can turn them into graphite. Graphite is the soft material used in the manufacture of lead for pencils.
What is how diamonds are used in industry?
400
so, because, since, therefore, if/then, this led to, as a result, a reason why, may be due to, consequently, for this reason
What is cause and effect?
400
The modern Olympics are very unlike the ancient Olympic games. Individual events are different. While there was no swimming in the ancient games, for example, there were chariot races. There were no female contestants and all athletes competed in the nude. Of course, the ancient and modern Olympics are also like in many ways. Some events, such as the javelin and the discus throws are the same. Some people say that cheating, professionalism, and nationalism in the modern games are a disgrace to the Olympic tradition. But according to the Greek writers there were many cases of cheating, nationalism, and professionalism in their Olympics, too.
What is compare and contrast?
400
Joey lost his science book. He knew he would be in big trouble if he was unable to study for the final. What should he do? He thought for a few worried moments, and then decided to retrace his steps. He remembered putting the book in his backpack that morning. He had taken it out at school when his friend Kim asked to look something up. Now he remembered - Kim still had his book! The MAIN text structure used in this paragraph is . . .
What is problem and solution?
500
What organizational pattern is used below?
Most animals usually hunt by themselves and do not interact with others of their species often. However, this is not the case for wolves or lions. Wolves live in groups called packs and were once thought to have an alpha leading them. This is not true, it turns out wolves just live in family groups and the "alphas" are just the parents of the other wolves. Lions live in groups called prides. These groups are made up of many lionesses and one male lion. While their group structures are different, both animals hunt in groups.
What is compare and contrast?
500
What is the main idea?
Imagine testing glass by throwing chickens at it?
Sometimes fast moving airplanes fly through flocks of birds. If the birds hit the windshield of a plane, the glass could shatter and cause a crash. Airplane manufacturers have made a chicken cannon that fires rubber chickens at glass windshields. If the windshield doesn’t break when the rubber chicken hits it, the designers know that the glass can withstand the force of a real crash.
What is how a chicken cannon tests glass?
500
for instance, in fact, also, contains, characteristics, makes up
What is generalization/description or concept/definition?
500
There are several reasons why so many people attend the Olympic games or watch them on television. One reason is tradition. The name Olympics and the torch and flame remind people of the ancient games. People can escape the ordinariness of daily life by attending or watching the Olympics. National pride is another reason, and an athlete’s or a team’s hard earned victory becomes a nation’s victory. There are national medal counts and people keep track of how many medals their country’s athletes have won.
What is enumeration/listing
500
The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. The rings represent the five continents- Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, and South America- from which athletes come to compete in the games. The rings are colored black, blue, green, red, and yellow. At least one of those colors is found in the flag of every country sending athletes to compete in the Olympic games.
What is concept/definition?