Central Idea
Learning how to ride a bike is no easy task. Most people learn as children and mount their first bicycle with training wheels mounted on the sides of the back tires. Those training wheels eventually come off. When that happens, usually someone runs behind the bicycle, holding the back of the seat as the rider learns to balance on two wheels. As the runner runs back and forth down the street, the rider eventually picks up on how to lean to stay up on two wheels. Eventually, the runner lets go of the seat, and the rider rides off on his or her own.
What is the central idea of this passage?
the process of learning to ride a bike
What is the central idea?
the main focus of the text
Is the statement objective or non-objective?
Earth's atmosphere is made mostly of nitrogen and has plenty of oxygen for us to breathe.
objective
What is wrong with this objective summary?
A girl goes to visit her grandma who is really a wolf. Everything turns out okay in the end. Except for the wolf.
it does not have enough details to understand the story
What are supporting details?
part of a paragraph provides facts, examples, or reasons that support the main idea.
University of California Berkeley scientists confirmed that a cluster of fossilized bones found in Silicon Valley are likely the remains of a mammoth. The giant beast would have roamed the area between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago. A pair of elephant-like tusks, a huge pelvic bone and the animal's rib cage were found by an amateur naturalist who was walking a dog along a canal near San Jose's Guadalupe River. It could be the remains of a Columbian mammoth, according to paleontologists who expect to study the site.
What is the central idea of the above passage?
Mammoth fossils have been found in the Silicone Valley.
What is an objective summary?
a summary of the text that omits personal thoughts or opinions
Is the statement objective or non-objective?
Earth is special because it is an ocean planet.
non-objective
What is wrong with this objective summary?
Dogs are not only friends to humans, but they are also helpers. Dogs have had important relationships with humans for thousands of years.
it is not long enough
In the sentence, "Exercise is important because it strengthens muscles and improves heart health," what are the two supporting details?
"strengthens muscles" and "improves heart health"?
To work intelligently, one needs to know the effects of a multitude of variations that could be incorporated in the surfaces of flying machines. The pressures on squares are different from those on rectangles, circles, triangles, or ellipses; arched surfaces differ from planes, and vary among themselves according to the depth of curvature; true arcs differ from parabolas, and the latter differ among themselves; thick surfaces differ from thin, and surfaces thicker in one place than another vary in pressure when the positions of maximum thickness are different; some surfaces are most efficient at one angle, others at other angles. The shape of the edge also makes a difference, so that thousands of combinations are possible in so simple a thing as a wing.
What is the central idea?
there are many different variables that factor into how or whether a wing will work.
What would be included in an objective summary?
the title of the article, the author, the central idea, and key details
Is the statement objective or non-objective?
Earth is the third planet from the Sun in our solar system.
objective
What is wrong with this objective summary?
Dogs have helped humans for a long time. Dogs are great.
it includes someone's opinion
Which of the following is the best supporting detail for the main idea "Reading every day improves vocabulary"?
A) Watching TV helps with learning.
B) Books have many words.
C) Readers often learn new words from context.
"Readers often learn new words from context"?
Archaeology is the study of past human life and culture through systematically examining and interpreting the material remains left behind. These material remains include archaeological sites (e.g., settlements, building features, graves), as well as cultural materials or artifacts such as tools and pottery. Through the interpretation and classification of archaeological materials, archaeologists work to understand past human behavior. In some countries, archaeology is often historical or art historical, with a strong emphasis on culture history, archaeological sites, and artifacts such as art objects. In the New World, archaeology can be either a part of history and classical studies or anthropology.
The exact origins of archaeology as a discipline are uncertain. Excavations of ancient monuments and the collection of antiquities have been taking place for thousands of years. It was only in the 19th century, however, that the systematic study of the past through its physical remains began to be carried out in a manner recognizable to modern students of archaeology.
What is the central idea of this passage?
the study of the origin of archaeology.
What are supporting ideas?
the details and facts that support the essential idea
Which statement would not be included in the objective summary?
Girls are more likely to report feeling lonely.
Technology could be one of the factors increasing loneliness.
Loneliness is a growing trend among teens in industrialized nations.
Parents should limit their teen’s access to technology in order to cut down on the reports of loneliness.
parents should limit their teen’s access to technology in order to cut down on the reports of loneliness. (4)
Would you consider this paragraph objective and why?
The kitchen table is rectangular, seventy-two inches long and thirty inches wide. Made of a two-inch-thick piece of oak, its top is covered with a waxy oilcloth patterned in dark red and blue squares against a white background. In the right corner, close to the wall, a square blue ceramic tile serves as the protective base for a brown earthenware teapot. A single white placemat has been set to the left of the tile, with a knife and fork on either side of a white dinner plate, around nine inches in diameter. On the plate are two thick pieces of steak.
objective
If the main idea is "Dogs are great pets because they provide companionship," which of these details does NOT support that idea?
A) Dogs can be trained to do tricks.
B) Dogs can sense human emotions.
C) Dogs help people feel less lonely.
"Dogs can be trained to do tricks"?
Earthquakes are thought to be unpredictable forces of nature, but that may be changing. The number of earthquakes in the central U.S. has increased dramatically over the past decade, and man might be behind the escalation. According to research into the escalation of earthquake activity, human activity is shown to have induced earthquakes in locations not known for seismic activity in states like Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and even Texas.
Just like earthquakes caused by nature, human-induced earthquakes can be deadly and dangerous. These earthquakes happen far from the edges of tectonic plates, where most naturally occurring earthquakes originate. According to data, half of the human-induced earthquakes were due to extraction of mining products, groundwater, or oil. Removal of material changes the stress, which can cause faults to move. Another quarter were caused by loading the Earth’s surface where it was not loaded before, such as reservoirs held behind dams, which can add stress to faults. The last quarter of these types of earthquakes happen when fluids produced from the Earth are injected back into it, like in a disposal well, where wastewater from oil or gas production changes the pressure conditions, sometimes causing the fault to slip. Due to the dangers, companies are now hiring engineers to study earthquakes and learn how to minimize them.
What is the central idea?
some earthquakes are due to human activity
What is a summary?
a brief statement of the text in your own words
Which statement would most likely be included in an objective summary of a passage and why?
A) I really enjoyed the story because it was exciting.
B) The main character was super cool and brave.
C) The article explains the causes and effects of climate change.
D) This book is boring and hard to understand.
C) The article explains the causes and effects of climate change.
Would you consider this paragraph objective and why?
Our lives at home converged around the pleasantly-shaped kitchen table. It was the magnet that drew our family together quite warmly. Cut from the sturdiest oak, the table was tough, smooth, and long enough for my mother, my two sisters, and me to work or play on at the same time. Our favorite light blue ceramic tile, stationed in the right corner, was the table's sole defense against the ravages of everything from a steaming teapot to the latest red-hot gadget from the Sears catalogue. More often than not, however, the heat would spread quickly beyond the small tile and onto the checkered oilcloth, which just as quickly exuded a rank and sour odor. Yet no matter how intensely the four of us competed for elbow room at the table, none dared venture near the lone dinner place arranged securely to the left of the tile. There was no telling when HE would get home from work, but, when he did, he expected the food to be ready--steaming hot. He liked to eat right away--steak mostly--two bloody but thick pieces.
non-objective
Read the paragraph:
"Many people enjoy gardening because it is relaxing. Working with plants can reduce stress and create a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, spending time outdoors can improve mental health."
Which sentence is the main idea, and what are the supporting details?
"Many people enjoy gardening because it is relaxing" (main idea), and "Working with plants can reduce stress" & "Spending time outdoors can improve mental health" (supporting details)