Main Idea
Main Idea
Predict the definition of the term main idea.
Model
Clearly, the term main idea means
____________ because ____________.
Main Idea
A main idea is most important, or central
thought, for an entire paragraph.
Main Idea
For each of the following passages, determine the main
idea. Then, in a reflective sentences, justify your answer
with evidence. Utilize the following model in order to
compose a vivid response.
Model
1. (Letter choice). Clearly, (insert the correct main idea)
proves to be the passages main idea because the author
states (insert your evidence here).
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following 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 ultrarare. 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.
A. The effects of inflation upon the United States economy
B. The development of American currency
C. The evolution of the penny throughout American history
D. The worth of specific types of collector pennies
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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.
A. The proliferation of Angry Birds costumes
B. The development of Halloween throughout history
C. The morality of Halloween
D. The origin of Halloween
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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.
A. The authenticity of reality television
B. The popularity of reality television
C. The morality of The Jersey Shore
D. The origins of reality television
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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!
A. The amount of candy manufactured by several American
companies
B. The most popular American candy
C. The history of the Brach's candy company
D. The origins of Tootsie Rolls
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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.
A. The history of automotive breaks
B. The most popular American cars
C. The operation of modern braking systems
D. The braking system of a semi-truck
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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.
A. The habitat of the platypus
B. The eccentricity of the platypus
C. The development of the platypus
D. The hunting habits of a platypus
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
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.
A. Plateaus located in Yellowstone National Park
B. Waterfalls located in Yellowstone National Park
C. A synopsis of Yellowstone National Park
D. Animal species residing in Yellowstone National Park
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
8. 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.
A. A history of clowns
B. An overview of a clown's routine
C. An analysis of a person's fear of clowns
D. The serious nature of clown performances
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
9. 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.
A. An analysis of the X-Men
B. The wolverine's habitat
C. An analysis of wolverine ferocity
D. A summary of a wolverine battle with a bear
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
10. 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?
A. A description of the weather when basketball was invented
B. A synopsis of Naismith's original ideas concerning basketball
C. A tribute to James Naismith
D. The origin of basketball
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
11. 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.
A. A description of different bird species flight mechanisms
B. A synopsis of the hummingbird's habitat
C. An analysis of the hummingbird's flight mechanism
D. An evaluation of hummingbird diet
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
12. 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!
A. People should strive to be perfect
B. A synopsis of the requirements to create perfect cookies
C. An analysis of proper cookie cooking temperature
D. An evaluation of proper cooking tools
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
13. 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.
A. A description of machine gun invention
B. The scientific explanation explicating why machine guns overheat
C. An analysis of several military strategies
D. The engineering of a machine gun
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
14. 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.
A. The mechanics of Robonauts
B. The reasoning behind creating Robonauts
C. The specific jobs of Robonauts
D. An overview of Robonauts
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
15. 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.
A. The Pros and Cons of Automation
B. The benefits of Automation
C. The disadvantages of Automation
D. An mechanic analysis of Automation
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
16. 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.
A. A description of airplane technology
B. A synopsis of forklift technology
C. Instructions for break maintenance
D. The mechanics of breaks
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
17. 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.
A. The strengths of cyborgs
B. A comparison and contrast of cyborgs and androids
C. The weaknesses of androids
D. The argument that cyborgs prove more powerful than androids.
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
18. 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.
A. An analysis of the pros and cons of artificial intelligence
B. A synopsis of artificial intelligence
C. Propaganda concerning artificial intelligence
D. The origin of computing technology
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
19. 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.
A. A request for members to replace their tools
B. A synopsis of the Robotics Club's duties
C. The machination of robots
D. The origins of robotic technology
Main Idea Review
Determine the main idea of the following passage:
20. 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?
A. The evolution of currency
B. Present bartering economies
C. A summary of bartering
D. The exchange rate from rice to candy
Main Idea Writing Activity I
For each of the following informational texts,
determine the passage's main idea.
Analyze the text; then, present your assertion in a
well developed paragraph utilizing the CERCA
method.
Model
Clearly, in (insert the article title) by (insert the
author), the article's main idea proves to be (note the
article's main idea). For example, the author states
(record an example of evidence). Moreover, obviously,
if this evidence remains valid, then (restate the main
idea). While some may disagree, overwhelmingly,
(restate the main idea).
Main Idea Writing Activity I
1.
“Pro-Russia Militants Expand Control in Several Ukrainian Cities”
by Sarah Eberspacher
In an eerily similar scenario to last month's Crimea takeover, masked, proRussia militants expanded their control in several cities across Ukraine today.
Gunmen took over police headquarters in Donetsk, a small northern city, and
other militants attacked nearby government buildings. While the scope of
today's action was much smaller than in Crimea, it involved simultaneous
attacks and modern weapons, which officials say suggests a coordinated
operation.
In Slavyansk, a city about 50 miles north of Donetsk, pro-Russia gunmen took
over the police station and began constructing barricades around the city.
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deschytsia called Russia's foreign
minister, Sergei Lavrov, demanding an end to the "provocative activity."
NATO estimates 40,000 Russian troops are stationed on their side of the
border, near the affected Ukrainian cities. Moscow maintains its stance that
those forces are merely conducting military exercises.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
2.
“NSA and White House Deny Prior Heartbleed Intelligence”
by Sarah Eberspacher
Both the National Security Agency and White House issued statements denying prior
knowledge of online security bug Heartbleed, following a Bloomberg report on Friday
claiming otherwise.
"(The) NSA was not aware of the recently identified vulnerability in OpenSSL, the socalled Heartbleed vulnerability, until it was made public in a private-sector cyber
security report," Vanee Vines, an NSA spokeswoman, wrote in an email.
That statement contradicts two anonymous sources, who told Bloomberg that the NSA
not only knew about Heartbleed for at least the last two years, but that it had been
exploiting the security breach to gather intelligence. Researchers discovered the bug
last week, causing a panic as servers and websites scrambled to secure information.
Aligning with the NSA, White House national security spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden
also issued a statement denying early U.S. government intelligence on the bug, calling
reports to the contrary "wrong."
"This administration takes seriously its responsibility to help maintain an open,
interoperable, secure and reliable internet," Hayden said. "If the federal government,
including the intelligence community, had discovered this vulnerability prior to last
week, it would have been disclosed to the community responsible for OpenSSL."
Main Idea Writing Activity I
2.
“'Affluenza' Teen's Parents Will Not Have to Pay the Full Cost of His Rehab
Treatment”
by Sarah Eberspacher
Fred and Tonya Couch, whose son, Ethan, caused a 2013 Texas crash that killed four
people, will not pay the full cost of Couch's court-ordered rehabilitation treatment.
Couch, who turned 17 on Friday, began treatment at the North Texas State Hospital in
February. The state-owned, in-patient mental health facility's rehab costs $715 per day,
but the court ordered Couch's parents to pay just $1,170 per month — less than two
days' worth of treatment — based on a "sliding scale."
The case garnered nation-wide attention due largely to Couch's defense. Driving under
the influence of alcohol and Valium, Couch veered off the road on June 15, smashing
into a stalled SUV's driver and three other people at the scene. His attorneys argued
the coddled teen suffered from "affluenza," and thus was not fully able to comprehend
the repercussions of his reckless behavior. State District Judge Jean Boyd sentenced
Couch to 10 years of probation and an in-patient rehabilitation program.
"As a taxpayer, I probably feel exactly like you do," Greg Coontz, a civil attorney for
relatives of one of the four killed, told the Star-Telegram. "It seems like maybe that
ought to be a little different and should be addressed if there's the ability to pay. Most
time, I don't know that there is. Clearly, sometimes that ability is there."
Main Idea Writing Activity I
3.
“Brazilian police evict 5,000 squatters”
by Sarah Eberspacher
Ahead of this summer's World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, officials
have been trying to stamp out host city Rio de Janeiro's many favelas. More
than 20 percent of the city's 6.3 million residents live in these slums, occupying
abandoned land and buildings, often answering to armed drug gangs that
operate under their own set of economic and organizational structures.
On Friday, police got the go-ahead to clear one such favela, housing 5,000
squatters in a series of abandoned buildings.
The eviction did not go smoothly.
People began protesting, throwing rocks at police and shouting, "We want
houses!"
The officers responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and grenades. Below,
images of an eviction in a city that still has many left to carry out.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
4.
“The NSA Reportedly Knew about the Heartbleed Bug for 2 Years
— And Exploited It”
by Jordan Valinsky
Two anonymous sources tell Bloomberg that the National Security
Agency knew about the dangerous Heartbleed bug for at least two
years and regularly exploited it to gather intelligence for their own
needs.
Heartbleed is one of the biggest internet security flaws of all time,
affecting as many as two-thirds of the world's servers and leaving many
websites once considered secure open to data breaches by hackers.
Researchers discovered the bug earlier this week, which prompted a
mass panic and calls for everyone to change their passwords.
The NSA supposedly used the bug to obtain passwords and other data
that are the "building blocks of the sophisticated hacking operations at
the core of its mission," according to Bloomberg.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
5.
Samantha Power Urges U.N. to Fight Texting while Driving
by Jordan Valinsky
Apparently being saddled with a number of geopolitical crises wasn't enough
for the United Nations; now the global body wants to solve our texting and
driving problem, too. The U.N. General Assembly held a session yesterday
calling for global laws to fight the dangerous behavior.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power is cosponsoring a
"comprehensive resolution on road safety." More than one million people die
every year in motor accidents, most of them caused by "driver behavior" — like
texting. "Too many drivers simply don't understand the danger of taking their
eyes, even briefly, from the road. And while other behaviors are episodic, the
use of hand-held devices is chronic. No one should die — or kill — because of
a text message," she said.
It's unclear how a "push for such bans will fare," argues The Weekly Standard,
since driving is chaotic in less developed countries. But, perhaps a law like
Maryland's, in which strict penalties are enforced for those found causing an
accident while texting and driving, could be a template.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
6.
“The Government is Seizing Taxpayers' Refunds to Cover Old Family Debts”
by Catherine Garcia
Don't start dreaming about what you'll spend your IRS refund on just yet; several
taxpayers are saying that their refunds are being seized by the government to cover the
old debts of relatives.
The Washington Post shares the story of Mary Grice, a Maryland resident who had
both her state and federal refunds intercepted due to an alleged debt from dozens of
years ago. Her father died in 1960, and Mary's mother and four siblings received
survivor benefits from Social Security to help pay for everyday living expenses. Social
Security now says that in 1977, it overpaid a member of the Grice family (they don't
know who), and Mary was tapped to pay the price. "It was a shock," she said. "What
incenses me is the way they went about this. They gave me no notice, they can't prove
I received any overpayment, and they use intimidation tactics, threatening to report this
to the credit bureaus."
How did this happen? In 2011, a sentence was added to the farm bill that lifted a 10year statute of limitations on the government collecting old debts, and the hunt for
money owed began in earnest.
Grice was finally able to get close to $1,500 of her refund back, after The Post inquired
about her case. Although the Treasury said she owned $2,996, they initially held onto
her combined refunds of $4,462.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
7.
“Health Officials Concerned that Deadly Bird Flu Could Soon Pass Easily
between Humans”
by Catherine Garcia
All it would take is five gene mutations of the H5N1 avian influenza virus to potentially
create havoc on a global scale. Dutch researchers are reporting that if those mutations
happen, the virus would become transmissible via coughing or sneezing, just like
regular flu viruses. Currently, most cases of H5N1 arise after a person has had contact
with sick or dead infected poultry.
To give an idea of how deadly the avian flu virus is, scientists at one point stopped
conducting research on H5N1 over concerns that in the wrong hands it could be used
as a biological weapon by terrorists. Of the 650 people infected since H5N1 was first
identified in Hong Kong 17 years ago, 60 percent died because of the disease.
Health officials have feared that H5N1 would evolve, but they are not sure if the virus is
likely to mutate outside of a laboratory. "The biggest unknown is whether the viruses
are likely to gain the critical mutations naturally," says Richard Webby, a virologist at St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. "If they can appear readily, then it is
very worrisome. If not, then there's still a major hurdle that these viruses have to get
over to become human-transmissible."
Main Idea Writing Activity I
9.
“A Smelly California Sriracha Factory Has Been Declared a Public
Nuisance”
by Jordan Valinsky
The smell emanating from a Sriracha hot sauce factory in Irwindale, Calif., is
becoming too much for its neighbors to take in, and the town's city council is
taking action. Declaring the plant a public nuisance, the council gave The Huy
Fong Foods factory, which churns out 100 million pounds of the spicy sauce
annually, three months to mitigate the smell — or else.
Since at least the fall of last year, residents have complained to Irwindale that
the factory's odors burn their eyes and cause coughing fits throughout the day.
The city even won a lawsuit against the plant in November, forcing it to
"partially cease operations," but it looks like the council wants more done. The
unanimous vote last night was the equivalent of an ultimatum, giving the
factory 90 days to reduce the odor before officials order mandatory changes.
An attorney for the company said the city was "flexing its muscle and thumbing
Huy Fong in the eye." Nevertheless, they are working with air quality experts to
have the problem solved by June 1 — so no need to start stockpiling the sauce
just yet.
Main Idea Writing Activity I
10.
“White House Women Earn More Than Men”
by Jon Terbush
There was a big to-do earlier this week when The New York Times
reported that despite President Obama's condemnation of the gender
wage gap, the White House had its own such problem. According to the
Times, female staffers on average make 88 cents for every dollar male
staffers do.
Yet a subsequent investigation by Susan Crabtree at The Washington
Examiner determined that almost half of the 150 highest-paid White
House staffers were women. Moreover, those senior women made on
average about $8,000 more than men in the same tier.
The nuance in the White House numbers perfectly encapsulates why a
conversation about the gender pay gap should not be reduced to
single, quotable percentages. As our John Aziz explained this week,
that removes important context and allows for significant
misinformation.