Beach Park
Main Ideas and Details
Name _____________________________
Circle the correct answer.
Question #1:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
On June 11, 1897, a group of men led by Solomon
Andree attempted to fly over the North Pole in a
balloon. Their frozen bodies, undeveloped film, and
a journal were found 33 years later. The explorers
had died of starvation and cold.
how the exploration was attempted
why the explorers failed in their mission
how the fate of the Andree expedition was
learned
Question #2:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
Farming records show that nature is not always
more efficient than machinery.
Corn uses sunshine better than other plants, but
wastes most of the sunlight
that reaches it. If plants were as efficient as
machinery, it would be possible to
raise 3 tons of corn on a single acre of land in one
day!
which plants use sunshine most efficiently
the importance of farming records
how plants and machinery compare in
efficiency
Question #3:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
Kites served a useful purpose for shipwrecked
people during World War II. A person in a life raft
could crank a generator to get an electric current
for broadcasting. A kite was then attached to a
radio by a wire, which acted as an antenna.
Stranded people sent SOS messages over the
airwaves.
why sailors liked radios
how kites helped shipwrecked people
the importance of broadcasting in the wars
Question #4:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph. Sacajawea
was a famous Native American girl who became an
important guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition
from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. She
made friends with other Native Americans along
the way who were also very helpful. No one knows
where or when the famous guide died.
Sacajawea made many friends during her
travels.
Sacajawea was a famous Native American
guide.
Sacajawea died without anyone knowing.
Question #5:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
Desert plants usually have long root systems that
quickly soak up available water. Unlike the thin
leaves of other plants, desert plants have thick
leaves that store water for use during the driest
parts of the year.
root systems of desert plants
how desert plants get and store water
how leaves store water
Question #6:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
The largest known single open space below the
surface of the earth is found in Carlsbad Caverns of
New Mexico. This giant room is so large that a 28
story skyscraper could fit inside. There are still
parts of the cavern that remain unexplored.
open spaces beneath the surface of the
earth
exploring Carlsbad Caverns
describing the size of Carlsbad Caverns
Question #7:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
Sleigh bells were once a necessary part of winter
traffic. In days when there were no sidewalks,
people walked on the roads. Sleighs drawn through
the snow were fast and silent. Without bells to
alert pedestrians, the roads were dangerous.
the importance of sleigh bells in winter
traffic
the development of sidewalks in rural
America
how sleighs move in winter
Beach Park
Main Ideas and Details
Name _____________________________
Circle the correct answer.
Question #8:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
England was established as a great naval power
during an important sea battle in 1588. The Spanish
Armada of more than 100 ships was defeated by
the English fleet. The battle took place in the
English Channel off the coast of France.
famous battles of the French Revolution
the importance of the Spanish Armada
how England became an important naval
power
Questions #9:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
Earthquakes sometimes follow a pattern of
foreshocks, main shocks, and aftershocks.
Foreshocks can be very strong or very weak. The
main shock is larger than the rest. Aftershocks can
continue for many days.
describing earthquake patterns
measuring the strength of an earthquake
measuring damage caused by earthquakes
Question #10:
Choose the main idea of this paragraph.
The word "Waterloo" has been used as a synonym
for defeat. This is because the French Army, led by
Napoleon Bonaparte, was defeated at Waterloo, a
town in Belgium. The battle was so disastrous to
Bonaparte that the term Waterloo became
synonymous for defeat.
How Waterloo, Belgium, became famous.
How the term Waterloo developed.
How the French Army was defeated.
Question #11
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
The ice cream cone was born at the St. Louis
World's Fair in 1904. Mr. Hamini was selling sugar
waffles. When an ice cream vendor ran out of
dishes, Mr. Hamini offered his waffles as crude
dishes to hold the ice cream.
World's Fair
ice cream cones
sugar waffles
Question #12:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Our national highway system is one of the safest in
the world. Cars traveling in opposite directions are
separated by a wide strip of land. Drivers can travel
for miles without stopping because the highways
are lifted above road obstacles.
travel
highways
road obstacles
Question #13:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
The lamprey is a water animal that resembles an
eel. It has smooth shiny skin but dull color and a
round mouth. The lamprey attaches its mouth to
the body of a fish and sucks its blood.
lampreys
eels
water animals
Question #14:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
The blizzard of 1888 is still famous. Four feet of
snow fell on New England in four days. Snowdrifts
piled as high as 60 feet. Many people could climb
out of second story windows.
blizzard
snowdrifts
snow
Question #15:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
The phoenix was a beautiful huge bird, according to
myth. It lived for many years but died in a
tremendous fire. From the ashes of the fire came
another phoenix.
fire
phoenix
bird
Beach Park
Main Ideas and Details
Name _____________________________
Circle the correct answer.
Question #16:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
We must be patient as we try to reach our goals.
Have you heard the expression, "Rome wasn't built
in a day"? It means that it is difficult to accomplish
something worthwhile in a short period of time.
The larger the task, the more time needed to
accomplish it.
accomplishing worthwhile things
reaching goals
goals
Question #17:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
There were no horses living in the New World when
Columbus landed in America. The explorer, Cortez,
is believed to have brought horses from Mexico in
1519. Some horses escaped and roamed free. These
horses became known as mustangs.
Cortez
horses
Columbus
Question #18:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Salmon use the sun and stars to navigate the ocean.
They use their nose to identify the place of their
birth. They can remember the smell of their home
river from their infancy.
navigation
senses
salmon
Question #19:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Trees use a great amount of water. They also give
off a tremendous amount of water into the air.
Water is taken in by roots and released by leaves.
An average tree may evaporate 80 gallons of water
in a day.
evaporation
water use of trees
tree leaves
Question #20:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Broken bones can be called either a simple or a
compound fracture. Fracture means break. The
difference between simple and compound fractures
is that the bone pierces the skin in a compound
fracture.
break
bones
bone fractures
Question #21:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Rob Roy was a famous Scottish outlaw know as the
"Robin Hood of Scotland." His real name was
Robert MacGregor. He narrowly escaped capture
many times, but gave himself up in 1722.
Scotland
Rob Roy
outlaws
Question #22:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
The first hydrogen-filled balloon was launched in
Paris in 1873. Fifteen miles away, it landed in a
small village and terrified the peasants. They
thought it was a monster and fired shots at it and
stabbed it with pitchforks.
hydrogen balloons
Paris
monsters
Question #23:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Have you ever heard of a "silent sound"? These are
sounds that humans cannot hear with ears. They
are caused by very few vibrations per second on
the eardrum. Ultrasonic is a word that means silent
sounds.
human hearing
vibrations
silent sound
Beach Park
Main Ideas and Details
Name _____________________________
Circle the correct answer.
Question #24:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Which plants on earth do you think are tallest?
Would you choose the giant redwoods of
California? These can reach 400 feet in height.
However, seaweed that grow in the ocean grow
taller. They can reach 700 feet in height.
tall plants
redwoods
seaweed
Question #25:
Which word(s) best describes the content of this
paragraph?
Our planet once consisted of only rock and water.
Soil developed when water and ice pressure ground
the rocks into particles. Although earthworms
produce a lot of soil, it is soil that came originally
from rock.
rocks
soil
earthworms
Beach Park
Main Ideas and Details
Answer Key
1. how the fate of the Andree expedition was
learned
2. how plants and machinery compare in efficiency
3. how kites helped shipwrecked people
4. Sacajawea was a famous Native American guide.
5. how desert plants get and store water
6. describing the size of Carlsbad Caverns
7. the importance of sleigh bells in winter traffic
8. how England became an important naval power
9. describing earthquake patterns
10. How the term Waterloo developed.
11. ice cream cones
12. highways
13. lampreys
14. blizzard
15. phoenix
16. reaching goals
17. horses
18. salmon
19. water use of trees
20. bone fractures
21. Rob Roy
22. hydrogen balloons
23. silent sound
24. tall plants
25. soil