RÈN LUYỆN KỸ NĂNG TÌM ĐẠI Ý (MAIN IDEA) CỦA ĐOẠN VĂN TRONG BÀI THI ĐỌC HIỂU IELTS

READING COMPREHENSION TECHNIQUES

MAIN IDEA EXERCISES
By E. Morton
(Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG)



RÈN LUYỆN KỸ NĂNG TÌM ĐẠI Ý (MAIN IDEA)
CỦA ĐOẠN VĂN TRONG BÀI THI ĐỌC HIỂU IELTS
Written by E. Morten
Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG
Kỹ năng tìm đại ý của đoạn văn là một trong những kỹ năng quan trọng
trong thi IELTS phần đọc hiểu bởi vì nó giúp làm bài đọc hiểu phần ghép TIÊU
ĐỀ với ĐOẠN VĂN (headings) nhanh hơn và hiệu quả hơn. Khi làm dạng bài
này người đọc đọc kỹ và nhanh chóng tìm đại ý đoạn văn sau đó lựa chọn các
tiêu đề cho trước để chọn làm tiêu đề cho đoạn văn. Sự khác nhau giữa đại ý và
tiêu đề là đại ý luôn là một câu nhưng tiêu đề có thể chỉ là cụm từ mà thôi.
ĐẠI Ý (MAIN IDEA) LÀ GÌ?
Đại ý của đoạn văn chính là mục đích của đoạn văn viết về, là ý nghĩ
hay thông điệp chính mà tác giả muốn gửi đến người đọc. Nói cách khác, đại ý
có thể làm tiêu đề cho cả đoạn văn. Chỉ cần đọc tiêu đề là người đọc biết đoạn
văn về cái gì.
ĐẶC ĐIỂM CỦA ĐẠI Ý ĐOẠN VĂN
Tất cả thông tin trong bài đọc (như ví dụ minh họa, lý do, số liệu minh
chứng, nghiên cứu và thực tế) đều phải gắn liền và phục vụ cho việc chứng
minh và làm rõ thêm đại ý của bài đọc mặc dù một số thông tin có thể không
quan trọng.
XÁC ĐỊNH ĐẠI Ý CỦA ĐOẠN VĂN
- Đọc kỹ toàn bộ đoạn văn.
- Gạch chân phần thông tin (như ví dụ minh họa, các lý do, số liệu minh chứng,

nghiên cứu và thực tế) nhằm mục đích chứng minh và làm rõ thêm ý nghĩa của
đại ý.
- Phần còn lại là các key ideas (ý kiến quan trọng) - cần đọc kỹ và tổng hợp và
khái quát thành đại ý.
- Để tìm đại ý, sau khi đọc key ideas nên tự hỏi “Mục đích tác giả viết đoạn
văn này để làm gì?”
- Chú ý vào câu đầu và cuối của đoạn văn, thường chứa key idea.
Ví dụ:
“Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of
the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to
step off the lunar surface. In total there have been twelve men who have
walked on the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which
is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon walking.”


BÀI TẬP THỰC HÀNH: (nguồn: internet)
Exercise 1
Directions: Read each passage. Then circle the letter of the statement that
effectively sums up the main idea.
1. A number of recent books with titles like Raising Cain, Real Boys, and Lost
Boys all focus on the same issue: Today’s teenaged boys are feeling more
anxiety than ever before about their physical appearance. Bombarded by
advertising featuring well-muscled, semi-clad young men, teenage boys are
experiencing what teenage girls have been coping with for years. They are
afraid that they cannot possibly live up to the media’s idealized image of their
gender. Young boys below the average in height, weight, or both suffer the
most. Often, they are brutally teased by their brawnier peers. Some react to
the ridicule by heading for the gym and lifting weights. Yet even those who
successfully “bulk up” don’t like feeling that they are considered worthless if
they lose their hard-won muscle tone. Others, convinced that no amount of

body building can help, often withdraw from social contact with their peers.
This is their way of avoiding taunts about their size or shape. Still, they are
understandably angry at being badly treated because of their body type.
Although school psychologists generally recognize that boys today are having
severe body image problems, they are at a loss about what to do to solve
those problems.
Main Idea
a. More than in previous generations, teenaged boys are getting into body
building.
b. Teenaged boys today are showing more anxiety about their physical
appearance than did boys of previous generations.
2. In 1997, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reported that
skateboarding injuries were up by 33 percent. Mountain climbing injuries were

2


also up by 20 percent. Similarly, snowboarding injuries showed an increase of
thirty-one percent. By all accounts, many Americans are having a love affair
with risky sports; as a result, they are injuring themselves in ever greater
numbers. One reason for the growing participation in risky, or extreme, sports
has been put forth by Dan Cady, a professor of popular culture at California
State University. According to Cady, previous generations didn’t need to seek
out risk. It was all around them in the form of disease epidemics, economic
instability, and global wars. At one time, just managing to stay alive was risky,
but that feeling has all but disappeared, at least for members of the privileged
classes. To a degree Cady’s theory is confirmed in the words of adventure
racer Joy Marr. Marr says that risk has been “minimized” in everyday life,
forcing people to seek out challenges in order to prove themselves. (Source:
Karl Taro Greenfield. “Life on the Edge.” Time. September 6, 1999, p.29).

Main Idea
a. According to Professor Dan Cady if California State, many Americans
yearn for the days when just staying alive was a difficult task.
b. More and more Americans are taking up high-risk sports; as a result,
injuries from these sports are increasing.
Exercise 2
Directions: Read each passage. Then complete the main idea statement
begun on the blanks that follow the paragraph.
1. In several states across the nation, there has been successful drive to end
“social promotion.” In other words, children who do not achieve the required
score on a standardized test will no longer be promoted to the next grade.
Instead, they will have to repeat the grade they have finished. Yet despite the
calls for ending social promotion--many of them from politicians looking for a
crowd-pleasing issue--there is little evidence that making children repeat a
grade has a positive effect. If anything, research suggests that forcing children
to repeat a grade hurts rather than helps their academic performance. In
1989, University of Georgia Professor Thomas Holms surveyed sixty-three
studies that compared the performance of kids who had repeated a grade with
those who had received a social promotion. Holms found that most of the
children who had repeated a grade had a poorer record of academic
performance than the children who had been promoted despite poor test
scores. A similar study of New York City children in the 1980s revealed that
the children who repeated a grade were more likely to drop out upon reaching
high school. The call to end social promotion may have a nice ring to it in
political speeches. Yet there is little indication that it does students any real
good.
Main Idea: Across the country, many states have abolished the policy of
“social promotion”
2. During World War I, a number of severe shortages alerted the world’s
scientists to the need for synthetic, or man-made materials. Thus by 1934, a

3


research team headed by Wallace H.Carothers had developed the first
synthetic fiber, called nylon. As it turned out, the development of nylon had a
surprisingly profound effect on world affairs. True, it’s first use was in fashion,
and in 1939, the Dupont company began marketing sheer nylon hose for
women. Nylons were a spectacular hit and sold off the shelves almost
immediately. But they disappeared with the coming of World War II, as nylon
became essential to the war effort. It was used in everything from parachutes
and ropes, to insulation and coat linings. Sadly Carothers never witnessed the
impact of his creation. He committed suicide two years before the first pair of
nylons ever went on sale.
Main Idea: In 1934, Wallace H. Carothers developed nylon, the first synthetic
fiber
Exercise 3
Directions: Each paragraph is followed by a statement of the main idea that
is not quite accurate or precise enough. In other words, it almost—but not
completely—sums up the main idea. Revise each statement to make it more
effectively express the main idea.
1. Over the last two centuries, America’s soldiers have been given several
nicknames, among them “yanks,” “grunts,” “doughboys,” and “Johnny Reb.”
However, none of those nicknames has had the staying power of the
nickname “G.I.” Derived from the words “government issue,” the term “G.I.”
emerged in World War II and gave birth to its own masculine and feminine
forms, “G.I. Joe” and “G.I. Jane.” It was even attached to one of the most
famous educational bills in American history, the G.I. Bill. At one point, the
military tried to rid itself of the name G.I. claiming that it dehumanized the
people to whom it referred. Military manuals and pamphlets began

substituting the supposedly more favorable term “service members.” But the
public would have none of it. Newspapers, radio, television, and most
importantly, World War II veterans themselves clung to the nickname.
Particularly for the veterans of World War II, being a G.I. was a badge of
honor, and they were not about to give up the name.
Imprecise Main Idea: Throughout the last two centuries, America’s soldiers
have been given many different nicknames.
Revised Main Idea:

2. While she lived, the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was known mainly as the
wife of the famed muralist Diego Rivera. Yet in the decades since her death,
Kahlo has become hugely famous in her own right and is probably now better
known than her husband. In 1990, Kahlo became the first Mexican artist to
break the one million mark at an auction. The vivid, self-portraits that Kahlo
created in the thirties and forties continue to be widely sought after by
collectors willing to pay high prices for her paintings. Although Kahlo is often
4


described as a painter intent on exploring her own personal reality, many of
her paintings include references to Mexico’s political and social history. It’s not
surprising, then, that in 1985, the Mexican government publicly proclaimed
her work a national treasure.
Imprecise Main Idea: Unfortunately, the painter Frida Kahlo spent her life in
the shadow of her famous husband, the muralist, Diego Rivera.
Revised Main Idea:

Exercise 4
Directions: In the blanks that follow each paragraph, write out what you think
is the main idea.

1. In the 1870s, the Welsh explorer Henry Morton Stanley navigated the
Congo river under the sponsorship of King Leopold of Belgium. Wherever he
stopped, he made treaties with the African chiefs he encountered. As a result,
when Stanley returned to Europe, King Leopold was able to take possession
of an area eighty times the size of Belgium. Leopold promptly called the area
the Belgium Congo and turned it into his own private goldmine, almost
destroying the Congo in the process. Under Leopold’s rule, the Congolese
were faced with impossibly high taxes and forced into slave labor. Agents of
the Belgian government would give each Congolese family a basket to fill with
rubber. If members of the family did not return the basket with the required
number of pounds of rubber, their home would be burned to the ground.
Anyone who rebelled would be put in prison. Meanwhile, Leopold grew
enormously rich, squandering his blood money on yachts, mansions, and
mistresses. To keep the Belgian people quiet, he also expended enormous
sums on public works. Nevertheless, public opinion against Leopold and his
vicious ways grew stronger. Ultimately he was forced to give up his
stranglehold on the Congo, but not before millions of people had been
imprisoned and thousands had died.
Main Idea:

2. Computerized axial tomography, also known as the CAT scan, was
developed in 1971. In its importance, the development of the CAT scan ranks
with Roentgen’s discovery of X-Rays. The word “tomography” comes from the
Greek word “tomos” meaning section or slice. In effect, the CAT scan allowed
doctors to see into the body almost as if layers of it had been sliced away for
better viewing. For the first time, it was possible to view soft tissue inside the
skull, chest and abdomen without resorting to surgery. Thanks to the CAT
scan, radiologists could now distinguish normal from clotted blood. They could
also examine the ventricles of the heart without inflicting pain. Prior to the
creation of the CAT scan, it had been necessary to pump air into the

5


ventricles of the heart, causing the person undergoing the procedure intense
pain.
Main Idea:
============================================================
Main Idea: Answer Key
Exercise 1
1.b; 2.b
Exercise 2
1. Across the country, many states have abolished the policy of “social
promotion,” even though there is no hard evidence that making children
repeat a grade has a positive effect.
2. In 1932, Wallace H. Carothers developed nylon, the first synthetic fiber,
which had a dramatic effect on world events.
Exercise 3
1. No nicknames for soldiers of previous generations have earned the
popularity of the term GI.
2. Since her death, Frida Kahlo’s reputation has overtaken her husband’s.
Exercise 4
1. King Leopold of Belgium exploited the Congo for personal gain and all but
ruined the country.
2. The invention of the CAT scan was as important a discovery as the
development of X-Rays.

6


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea 1
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty
thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for
World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double die
penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and
letters. If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. Before you put on that Angry Birds costume and exhaust yourself roving from door to door
pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on the tradition in which you are taking part.
Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000
years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts, so
they celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon
fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be candy fueled costume
ball that we know today.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. When one hears the term “reality” applied to a television show, one might expect that the
events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted, but this is not always the
case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film
crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be “reality.”
Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by
producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of “reality” television claim that the
participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations

floating around, it’s no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s,
the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to
end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production. Over 64 million
Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s
staple product, chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the
United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it initiates a process that causes the vehicle to stop
in motion. You literally trust automotive braking systems with your life every time you get into a vehicle
or cross at a busy intersection, but how does this process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At
this moment brake fluid is released into the area where the braking mechanisms are. As the fluid collects,
this creates a leverage, which causes a friction to be applied. If the braking system is functioning
properly, this friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop and allow you to reach your
destination safely.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the
platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Males carry a venom cocktail in their ankle
spurs that incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal

that uses electroreception. What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity
produced by the muscular movements of its prey. The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey
while hunting but, rather, pursues it through electroreception. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only
mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The platypus is an odd creature indeed.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
7. Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state
of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of
the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea
level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at
least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308
feet.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea 2
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. Being a clown isn’t all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger
every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding
competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In
this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see,

sometimes clowning around can be serious business.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. The wolverine, a medium sized mammal weighing no more than 50 lbs., has earned its
reputation for ferocity with its documented ability to kill prey many times its size. The reason
why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals (including wolves, cougars, and even
bears) is probably because of the wolverine’s preferred hunting style. Rather than chasing down
or tricking its prey like most hunters, the wolverine prefers to take its meals directly from other
hunters. So while a polar bear or a lone wolf might be enjoying a hard earned carcass, a hungry
wolverine may try to take his lunch. This keeps the wolverine in plenty of fights.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a gym teacher at the YMCA College in
Springfield, Massachusetts was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He wanted a
vigorous game that would keep his students moving. After rejecting a few other ideas because
they were too rough or not suited for the walled-in gym, Naismith wrote out the rules for a game
with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith’s students played against one
another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn’t a part
of the original game, and it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the
bottoms of the baskets were removed, but this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in
America today. Can you guess which one?
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. What’s that humming sound? Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward
flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds.

Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward
and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in
position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off
with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can
both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you’ve seen a
hummingbird in flight, it’s unlikely that you’ll mistake them for another bird.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to
making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your
cookie recipe thoroughly before baking. Make sure that you have all of the necessary ingredients
before you continue. Next, use good tools and utensils. Sometimes, the craftsperson is only as
good as his or her tools. By using good tools you can minimize mistakes and improve the
quality of your product. Lastly, you should use top quality ingredients. Unlike in the fairytales,
you can’t turn lead into gold. If you use poor quality materials, you’ll create an inferior product.
So, to make perfect cookies you should use the highest quality materials available. Bon apatite!
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. The term “machine gun” is commonly applied to any gun that is designed to fire repeatedly
and in rapid succession for as long as the trigger is held down. During the course of warfare, the
trigger of some machine guns may be held down almost continuously for hours to create
suppressant fire (rounds fired not necessarily to kill an enemy, but to prevent them from
attacking). All of this firing can generate a lot of heat, which may cause the weapon to overheat
and malfunction. But this situation has been addressed in a number of ways. For one, practically
all machine guns fire from an open bolt, which allows air to cool the breach between bursts of
fire. Additionally, some machine guns have removable barrels, which allow hot barrels to be
replaced. And some advanced machine guns even have sophisticated barrel cooling systems,
which maintain a functional heat level within the weapon. As you might have concluded, a lot of

brain power has gone into keeping those guns firing.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea with Robots 3
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. What do you get when you cross a robot and an astronaut? A Robonaut! Robonauts are robot
helpers designed to work side-by-side with astronauts. Work on the first Robonaut began in
1997, and by 2002 Robonaut B was revealed to the public. Robonaut B may have featured
interchangeable lower bodies, like four-wheel mode or hydraulic legs, but scientists and
engineers continued to improve Robonaut. In February of 2010, Robonaut 2 was released to the
public. Robonaut 2 moved four times faster than the first Robonaut. An advanced version of
Robonaut 2 was finally tested in outer space in 2011. Robonaut functioned exactly as designed.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words
automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good
thing. Because of automation, clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at
good prices and in large supply. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of
automation, there are over 700,000 robots in America alone that do jobs once performed by
humans. The way of automation may not be best for humanity, but it is the course we are taking.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. From airplanes to forklifts, hydraulic power is the strength behind many amazing
technologies that affect our daily lives, even the breaks on your school bus, but how do they
work? First, fluid is rapidly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid collect, the
valve is slammed shut which causes a pressure spike. Because the chamber is sealed, the
pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism channels the pressure and provides great
power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, Grandma can stop a car with one foot.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. Many people use the words cyborg and android interchangeably when, in fact, they have
different meanings. Both terms refer to beings powered by robotics, but an android is powered
entirely by robots. Though androids are completely mechanical, they are designed to look like
humans. They may have synthetic skin, hair, and other features, but no human organs. On the
other hand, cyborgs are part human and part machine. They may have robotic hands, legs, or
eyes, but all cyborgs have surgically implanted technologies that enhance their abilities.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. It is widely acknowledged fact that machines are stronger than people, but is it possible for
them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of
technological singularity. In a nut shell, the theory of technological singularity says that when a
computer becomes capable of improving its own capabilities, even in just the slightest way, it
will go into an infinite loop, getting progressively smarter, which would inevitably lead to
machines becoming smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available
intelligence might lead to huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured
and so forth. On the other hand, it could lead to the total domination of mankind by robots,
which would be bad. I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. Fellow Members of the Springfield Robotics Club: It has come to my attention that the
workshop has been left an absolute mess on at least two separate occasions. Remember, that this
is a shared space, so we must clean up behind ourselves after every meeting. It is in the spirit of
keeping our club meeting space that we establish this rule: when you take a tool off the rack, put
it back. If everyone puts their tools back immediately after they are done using them, there will
be minimal mess to clean up, and we won’t get kicked out of the spot. So, if you like having a
meeting place, put your tools back.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea Worksheet 4
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. It’s hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist.
During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to
trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you
were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all of the things that you
wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your
rice. Isn’t it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it?
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. Money is pretty old but nobody knows exactly how old it is. Perhaps the oldest evidence of
people using money is in the Code of Ur-Nammu. The Code of Ur-Nammu is a system of laws
written around 2050 BC. That’s like 4,000 years ago! Many of Ur-Nammu’s laws carry fines,
such as one stating that if a man is proven innocent of sorcery, his accuser must pay 3 shekels.
This ancient document shows me two things: Ur-Nammu didn’t tolerate false witch-hunts, and
money is very old.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. One particular problem that the U.S. faced when rebelling against the British was currency.
While under British control, colonists mainly used British paper money and foreign coins, but
after forming a new nation the Americans needed their own currency, so they created
Continental currency. Congress issued over 240 million Continental Dollars during the
Revolution. Unfortunately, these dollars soon dropped in value, giving rise to the popular
expression, “not worth a Continental.” By the end of 1778, Continentals were worth 1/5th of their
face value. By 1780, they were worth 1/40th. In the 1790s, the U.S. bought back Continentals for
1% of their printed value. One reason for this decline was economic warfare. During the war the
British hired artists to counterfeit Continental Dollars. Large amounts of these counterfeit notes
were funneled into the American economy and the value of the Continental Dollar crashed.
When people start complaining about today’s inflation rates, I tell them about Continentals.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. Hyperinflation refers to when the value of money drops rapidly. During World War I, Germany paid
for the war by borrowing. The German Mark steadily lost value as the war went on and German people
could buy less and less. After losing the war, Germany was required to make large payments to the Allies.
They paid all of the debts that they could by printing more money. Soon the German Mark was worthless.
When the war had started, the U.S. Dollar was worth around four German Marks. By November of 1923,

one U.S. Dollar was worth 4,210,500,000,000 German Marks. At this point the money had more value as
a fuel than as a currency, and people burned it to stay warm.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Counterfeiting is the act of making phony money that looks official. It is a very old crime but recent
advances in the printer industry have made it possible for even amateurs to produce decent counterfeits.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can detect counterfeits. The first and most telling
inspection is to pay attention to how the money feels. It is difficult to reproduce the texture of real money.
If the money feels suspect, look carefully at the microprinting on the bill. Many features along the portrait
and border of a genuine bill contain writing that is too small to reproduce in most printers. If you are still
suspicious, hold the bill up to the light and look for the strip that says the value of the bill. With a little
diligence, you can keep yourself from becoming a victim of this rising trend.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. Currencies have changed and developed over the course of history, but one of the newest forms of
payment doesn’t even really exist, at least in the physical world. Bitcoin is an entirely digital currency.
Users of Bitcoin send payments to one another over computer networks. These payments are
nonrefundable. In other words, once the money is sent, you can’t get it back. The value of a Bitcoin has
risen rapidly since its introduction in 2009, when each Bitcoin was worth around 30 cents. At the time of
this writing, it would cost you around 900 U.S. Dollars to get one Bitcoin. That’s quite a jump. On the
downside, if the value of Bitcoin ever crashes, you won’t be able to heat your home by burning it.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
7. As young Americans mature into adults, they are tempted by the allure of easy credit. Credit card

companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away “free” headphones or sports towels in return
for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through
undisciplined spending. They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate
of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts. It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Main Idea Worksheet 5
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he
noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always
fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s
center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth
through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton
formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
2. In the summer of 1939, a few months before World War II started, Albert Einstein and a group
of Hungarian scientists wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this letter they warned
Roosevelt that the Nazi’s were conducting atomic research and that the consequences would be
dire if the Nazis were to win the race to build an atom bomb. They recommended that U.S.
become involved in uranium research. As a result of this letter, the U.S. joined the atomic race

and poured billions of dollars into the development of weaponry. The U.S. won the race and
became the first country to build an atomic bomb. The bomb was then used in Japan, killing
hundreds of thousands of civilians. In 1954, a year before his death, Einstein would refer to the
moment that he signed the letter to President Roosevelt as the greatest mistake of his life.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
3. For most of human history, people thought that the Earth was the center of the universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus changed how people understood the universe when he theorized that it was
heliocentric, or sun-centered. Interestingly, Copernicus had most of this theory worked out some
time before 1514, and his work was fully articulated by 1532, yet publication of this text was not
completed until 1543 as he lay dying. Some scholars believe that Copernicus delayed publishing
this work because it contradicted the Catholic Church’s view that the Earth was at the center of
the universe. Copernicus’s may have been smart in doing so because the Church did not formally
accept his view of the universe until 1822, almost 300 years later.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


4. Galileo Galilei was an influential scientist and one of the early developers of the refracting

telescope. In 1632 Galileo published a book called Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World
Systems, in which he compared the Copernican view of a heliocentric universe, one where the
sun is at the center, with the geocentric view, one in which the Earth is at the center. The Church
took offense as to how Galileo portrayed the geocentric view using a character named Simplicio,
which has undertones of simpleton in the Italian language, and he was put on trial before the
Roman Inquisition. The Inquisition ordered Galileo to recant his ideas, his book was banned, he
was forbidden from publishing anything else, and he was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of
his life. I guess it’s not just what you say that’s important but how you say it.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
5. Nikola Tesla was an inventor and physicist who is best remembered for his contributions to the

AC power system and radio, but he may have also built a death ray. At a 1937 luncheon in his
honor, Tesla claimed to have created a weapon that could shoot a concentrated beam of energy
capable of bringing down fleets of airplanes. He further claimed to have built, demonstrated, and
used this weapon. When Tesla entered negotiations with the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the
Soviet Union to sell his device, Tesla claimed that one of these parties had sent people to break
into his room and steal his invention, but that this theft was impossible since the blueprint for the
weapon was entirely in his mind. Unfortunately, Tesla died with the blueprint in his mind before
anyone could get one. On second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________
6. Marie Curie not only the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize, she is also the only person to
win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. Most notably, however, Marie Curie discovered
radiation. She was also the first person to use radiation to treat tumors. Curie experimented
extensively with radioactivity during her scientific career. Unfortunately the damaging effects of
radiation were not known then. Her exposure to radiation most likely was the cause of her
blindness and early death. Still today her scientific papers are considered too dangerous to handle
without protective equipment. These documents are stored in lead-lined boxes. Even her
cookbook is radioactive. She must have made some really hot food in her lifetime.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________


Name: ________________________________

Valentine’s Day Main Idea and Text Structure Review
Directions: Read each passage and on a separate sheet of paper…
1. Write a sentence explaining the main idea of the text
2. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea.
3. Put information from the passage into a graphic organizer representing the text structure.
Structures: cause and effect, chronological, compare and contrast, sequence / process writing,
problem and solution, or spatial /descriptive writing.
1. There are many thoughtful ways to express your love for another person without spending money: you
could write a song or cook a meal, but perhaps the best way to express yourself is to create a card.
Creating a card is easy if you have the proper materials. Get yourself some nice, thick resume paper or
cardstock and fold it in half. Draw some imagery of love on the front of the card; if you're not good at
drawing, you can clip out pictures. If you decide to use markers, be careful not to let them bleed through
the paper and ruin the other side. Lastly, write a poem or heartfelt statement on the inside to your beloved
and you're done. Now isn't that a much better way to express your love than a rose from the gas station?
2. Some people think that some holidays celebrating love are nothing but clever ploys by marketers to get
consumers to buy candy, flowers, and stuffed animals, but who cares? In America, we celebrate two love
themed holidays: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the winter, while
Sweetest Day is celebrated in the fall. Valentine's Day is more focused on bringing lovers together, while
Sweetest Day is for all of the friends, relatives, and associates whose kindness we've enjoyed. Both
occasions, however, are great times to remember what's most important: the people about whom we care.
3. Money moves most things in our world. For example the National Confectioners Association, a
collection of over seventy major candy manufacturers, wanted to sell more candy. Apparently, when
people buy candy, they make money. Anyway, they wanted to make more money; so in 1921 they
created a "holiday" called Sweetest Day. They've since spent millions of dollars trying to convince
consumers that this holiday exists and that consumers should celebrate this very real and meaningful
occasion by purchasing candy. Card dealer Hallmark has also heavily promoted this specter of
commercial interest, prompting the notion that Sweetest Day is a "Hallmark Holiday." That reminds me:
have you ever heard of Give Me a Dollar Day?
4. Every Valentine's Day millions of school children slip each other cards: some sloppily assembled for

classmates and friends, others more heartfelt and carefully composed, but most students have no idea how
far back this practice dates. The earliest Valentine's Day card dates back to the 1400s. When postage
rates dropped in the early 1800s, mailing them grew in popularity. Then, in the 1840s, the first Valentine's
cards were mass produced. Today, the Valentine's Day card continues to evolve. In 2010, an estimated
15 million e-valentines were sent. But some things never change: Will you be mine? Click "Y" or "N."
5. Some people have a hard time remembering to get their loved ones appropriate gifts on Valentine's
Day. This can lead to painfully long talks about "where the relationship stands." Perhaps the best way to
avoid these talks is by taking the moral highroad. Instead of forgetting these holidays, choose not to
celebrate them. Inform your loved one that you don't want to buy into the materialism and
commercialism of these manufactured holidays. Tell that person that you want to have a relationship with
them, not the marketers, and that you want to celebrate your love everyday, not just one day a year. It's a
tough pitch, but if you can make the sale then you'll be in the clear for life.
6. Jimmy didn't have any money, but he wanted to show Jane that she meant a lot to him, so he decided
to make her a Valentine's Day card. He got some nice, thick cardstock paper and folded it in half. He cut
it into the shape of a heart and drew a cherub on the front of it. Then, he wrote a thoughtful message on
the inside. When he gave it to Jane, she was so touched that she cried and her tears stained the front of
the card. Thinking the card ruined, Jimmy was so offended that he broke up with her calling her a
"crybaby" as he left. The moral of the story is that young people shouldn't date.


ANSWERS TO MAIN IDEA EXERCISES
By Donald E. Morton
(Re-edited by TRAN MANH TRUNG)

Main Idea 1
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about rare and valuable pennies.
2.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about the origins of Halloween.
3.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how reality television isn't always

"real."

4.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how much of popular candies are
produced each year.

5.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how a braking system functions on an
automobile.

6.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about strange and uniques attributes of the
platypus.

7.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about physical featurs of Yellowstone Park.

1


Main Idea 2
1.
An appropriate title: Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in
danger.

2.
An appropriate title: The wolverine is very tough and takes its meals from other
animals.

3.

An appropriate title: This paragraph is about the invention of basketball.
4.
An appropriate title: The hummingbird flys in a totally unique and unusual way.
5.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains how to make perfect cookies.
6.
An appropriate title: Machine guns overheat and there are different ways to address
the issue.

Main Idea with Robots 3
1.
An appropriate title: Robonauts have improved over the years.
2.
An appropriate title: Automation is both good and bad for humanity.
3.
An appropriate title: This paragraph is about how hydraulics work.
4.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.

An appropriate title: This paragraph compares and contrasts androids and cyborgs.
2


5.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains the theory of technological
singularity.

6.
An appropriate title: This paragraph explains a new procedure for clean up for

members of a robotics club.

Main Idea Worksheet 4 | Answers
1.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph describes the barter system and some of its shortcomings.

An appropriate title: Bartering: A World Without Money
2.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph informs readers about one of the oldest records of money usage, the
Code of Ur-Nammu.

An appropriate title: Way Back When: Money in the Code of Ur-Nammu
3.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph is about the first American currency, the Continental Dollar, and why
it failed.

An appropriate title: The Dollar that Couldn't: The Continental Dollar and
Why it Failed
4.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph is about hyperinflation in Germany after World War I.

3


An appropriate title: Not Worth the Paper It's Printed On: Germany after
WWI
5.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph explains how to detect a counterfeit bill.

An appropriate title: Be Alert: Catching on to Today's Counterfeiting
Problem
6.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph describes a new form of electronic currency called Bitcoin.

An appropriate title: Bitcoin: Making Payments in the Future
7.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
This paragraph describes how certain young people can become burdened with debt.

An appropriate title: The Shakles of Debt: Beware of Student Credit Cards

Main Idea Worksheet 5 | Answers
1.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
A falling apple inspired Newton to think about gravity.

An appropriate title: Look out Below!
2.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Albert Einstein lived to regret recommending that the U.S. develop atomic bombs.

4


An appropriate title: Big Decisions, Big Consequences
3.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Copernicus figured out that the Earth revolved around the sun but was too scared to
talk about it.

An appropriate title: Master of the Universe: Looking at the World the Right
Way
4.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Galileo was punished severely by the Church for the tone that he took in a book.

An appropriate title: The Star Gazer's Fate
5.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Tesla may have built a death ray but he died before it could be completed.

An appropriate title: Mad Scientist: Tesla's Final Project
6.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main
idea.
Marie Curie did amazing work with radiation that caused her health problems later.

An appropriate
Extraordinaire

title: Radioactive

Woman:

5

Marie

Curie

Scientist


*********************************************************************

ANSWERS

Valentine's Day Main Idea and Text Structure Review
1.
Sequence / Process Writing: it describes step-by-step how to create a card.
Main Idea: This text explain how to make a Valentine's Day card.

2.
Compare and Contrast
Main Idea: This text is comparing and contrasting Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day.

3.
Cause and Effect
Main Idea: This text describes how the candy industry wanted money (cause) so they
created Sweetest Day (effect).

4. Chronological
Main Idea: This text describes the evolution of the Valentine's Day card.

5.
Problem and Solution
Main Idea: This text describes the problem of forgetting holidays and the solution of
claiming not to celebrate them.

6.
Chronological
Although it appears to be describing a process, this text tells the story of a young boy
making a card for a girl. Since it is a story, the events occur in chronological order.

6