Main Idea

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Finding
Main Idea
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Main Idea This lesson contains several short
stories. Read carefully. After each story you
will be asked the main idea of the selection.
Read each answer before choosing your final
response. Are you ready?
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Mr. Marvel lived in a small town with not a
lot of things to do. He spent most of his time
reading. He grew very smart and became a great
storyteller. Children would
The Storyteller
come from miles around just to hear one of Mr.
Marvels stories. He read with great enthusiasm
and sometimes when he spoke his jowls would sway
from side to side creating quite a picture. His
voice could change from a very deep voice to a
very dainty squeak of a voice. His stories were
so intense that he would collapse from exhaustion
at the end of each story. Children sat in awe of
this wonderful storyteller.
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Main Idea
1.A storyteller must be very smart.
2. Mr. Marvel is a very smart man because he
loved to read.
3. Mr. Marvel was a great storyteller who totally
captured his audience with his great skills.
4. Storytelling is very exhausting.
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The Plaything
Trapped inside the den of the lion, the
small mouse pleaded for his life. The lion
appeared to be unaffected by his plea. He pawed
at the mouse as if he were just a toy. The mouse
scurried away from the heavy paw and attempted to
hide. Finding nowhere to go the mouse continued
to run from side to side stalling to avoid what
appeared to be a certain death. He breathed
heavily and was becoming exhausted. Soon he
decided that he could scurry no more. He
collapsed in a dead heap. (cont.)
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The lion pawed softly at the lump on the ground
but the mouse would run no more. Once again he
attempted to arouse the mouse with no success.
The mouse stayed still. With a sigh of great
disappointment the lion stood up. The lion
strolled out of his den looking for his next
adventure. The small mouse could not believe his
good fortune and quickly slithered to safety from
his accepted demise.
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Main Idea
1. A mouse can sometimes outsmart a lion.
2. Lions play with their food.
3.A lion can be very gentle.
4. Surviving the capture of a lion is no easy
task.
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A Sheeps Life Growing up on a farm is not always
easy. Everyday an animal is slaughtered for
dinner. A great big tractor chops up the ground
around your home killing anything that lies
in its way. The rooster always startles you
awake with his ghastly noise pollution.

Today, the farmer
was secretly preparing for tomorrows activities.
All the animals were talking and guessing what
could be happening. Not knowing was just
killing me and sleeping was just impossible.
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Tossing and squirming about in my bed, I dreamt
of the farmer coming after me. It was a very
sleepless night and then came that darn rooster.
As I opened my eyes, the nightmare came true.
There in front of me was the farmer. In his hand
was a very large knife. I stammered, Wwwhat
do you wwwwant?
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The farmer simply nodded his head and slipped
a rope with a loop around my neck. He prodded an
unwilling candidate to a nearby pen where the
farmers son was waiting to help. Then flashed
the knife and with a quick sweep, off came the
first mass of wool. Well, better that than my
head, I thought. On and on it continued until I
stood there looking like a bald eagle. The
farmer nodded to his son that he was finished and
signaled him to take me back and get the next
victim. I strolled back home with a certainty
that I would sleep better tonight although I did
feel somewhat nippy.
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Main Idea
1.It takes a very big knife to sheer a sheep.
2.For a sheep being sheered of their wool can be
a stressful experience.
3.Many different things happen on a farm.
4.All animals live in fear on a farm.
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The End