Main Idea and Details READ the PASSAGE Stop After Each Paragraph and Tell Yourself What It Is Mostly A

Name: WEEK 7 Main Idea and Details DAY 1

READ THE PASSAGE Stop after each paragraph and tell yourself what it is mostly about.

Life on Jupiter’s Icy Moon Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is made up of many different kinds of gases. It is so big that 1,300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter! And it has 63 moons. Some of its moons are like small planets, and others are pieces of frozen rock and ice. Studying Jupiter’s moons has helped scientists learn more about the solar system. But the moon that scientists are most interested in is Europa (yur-OH-pa). The conditions on Europa make it the most likely place other than Earth to have life in our solar system. It is covered in a layer of ice, and some scientists believe a liquid ocean lies beneath the icy surface. If this is true, Europa may have simple forms of life in these oceans. The creatures on Europa would probably be too small to see without a microscope. But the idea of anything at all living on Europa is very exciting. Right now, we cannot explore Europa because it is too cold and too far away to send people there. The spacecrafts and robots we have are not sturdy enough to land on the surface. But scientists have big plans. In the future, they hope to send one robot to melt some of the ice on Europa’s surface, and another robot to swim through its oceans. The information that these robots gather could change what we think about life beyond Earth.

SKILL PRACTICE Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer. 1. What is the passage mostly about? 3. What is the main idea of the last paragraph? A Jupiter’s many moons A Exploring Europa is very difficult. B life on Europa B People are better than robots. C scientists’ search for new life C Scientists want to discover new life. D the problem with exploring outer space D Life can only be discovered by machines. 2. Europa is best described as . 4. Which of these explains why scientists think A warm and full of life life could exist on Europa? B cold and uninteresting A The creatures would be too small to see without a microscope. C icy and mysterious B Europa is one of Jupiter’s 63 moons. D cool and dry C Europa has a layer of ice that may have liquid below it. D Jupiter is the solar system’s largest planet.

STRATEGY PRACTICE As you were reading, which paragraph was easiest to understand? Why?

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READ THE PASSAGE Think about the main idea of the passage. Picture the important details in your mind.

A Frog with . . . Claws? Animals have many ways of defending themselves. Some use poison or bad smells. Others hide or use camouflage to keep from being seen. But one animal with a really weird defense is the hairy frog. This tiny frog lives in Central Africa and has hair-like strands on the lower part of its body. But the strangest part about this frog is its claws! When the hairy frog is threatened, it will break the biggest of the three toe bones in each of its feet. The broken bone then juts out of the skin as a type of “claw.” It looks like a small thorn on the bottom of the frog’s foot. But this claw isn’t the same as the claw on a cat or dog. It is made of bone instead of keratin (KARE-uh-tin), the material that animal claws and your fingernails are made of. Also, the hairy frog can’t pull its claws back into the skin like most animals can. Instead, the skin and bone slowly heal. The hairy frog isn’t the only amphibian to use its bones as a weapon. The ribbed newt can cause its sharp ribs to poke out through its skin. To make things worse, the ribs are covered in poison! So, hungry fish or birds looking for a quick snack get a painful poke in the mouth instead. Who knew such tiny creatures could be so dangerous?

SKILL PRACTICE Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer. 1. What is the passage mostly about? 3. How does the hairy frog produce its claws? A the ribbed newt A It breaks its ribs through its skin. B the hairy frog B It grows claws like a cat or dog. C animals with claws C It has camouflage that looks like claws. D animals with broken bones D It breaks its toe bones through its skin. 2. What is the last paragraph mostly about? 4. Which detail supports the main idea of A an animal similar to the hairy frog the passage? B natural enemies of the hairy frog A Some animals use bad smells to protect themselves. C how bones protect animals B Some animals use poison to protect D why hairy frogs are better than themselves. ribbed newts C Some animals use their bones to protect themselves. D Some animals hide to protect themselves.

STRATEGY PRACTICE On a separate piece of paper, sketch the foot of a hairy frog as you visualized it from the passage.

48 Daily Reading Comprehension • EMC 3454 • © Evan-Moor Corp.

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READ THE PASSAGE Make sure you understand the facts about fungi (FUN-geye or FUN-jeye).

Fascinating Fungi Do you like pizza with fungus on it? You do if you eat mushrooms on your pizza. Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and so are molds. They are living things that grow best where conditions are damp and warm. Unlike plants, fungi do not make their own food. Fungi take what they need from whatever they are growing on. Fungi are not particular about where they feed. A peach that’s getting soft is a perfect place for mold to grow. Mold will settle on the peach and attach itself with fine threads. These spread rapidly and form black, white, pink, or green fuzz. A moist shower curtain may not sound as tasty as a peach, but to mold it’s just as nutritious! And in the woods, fungi flourish. They are everywhere and help dead plants and animals break down and rot. There is no one shape or color of fungi. Many fungi have names based on the types of mushrooms they produce. Small yellow buttons of fungi are called fairy cups. Shiny globs of slimy fungi are known as witches’ butter. Red mushrooms trimmed with tiny fibers are called eyelashes. But no matter what they are called, all fungi are fascinating!

SKILL PRACTICE Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer. 1. What is the main idea of the passage? 3. Why might a soft peach have green fuzz? A People eat fungi on pizza and other foods. A A soft peach is wet and cold. B Fungi grow in warm and damp places. B Mold is living on the peach. C Fungi are interesting living things that C The peach is making some mold. eat almost anything. D The peach is a living thing. D Fungi help things in the forest rot. 4. Based on the passage, which one is true 2. Based on the passage, which one is true about mushrooms? about fungi? A Mushrooms are types of mold. A All fungi are good toppings for food. B All mushrooms are brown or tan. B Fungi grow mostly in areas where C Mushrooms help break down dead trees. it snows. D Like plants, mushrooms use the sun C Some shiny fungi are used as butter. to make their food. D Fungi grow on both living and nonliving things.

STRATEGY PRACTICE In your own words, write three facts about fungi.

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READ THE PASSAGE Stop often to make sure you understand the main idea and important details.

Red Cow and Purple Whale Imagine a zebra with horizontal stripes and plaid legs. Picture a red cow with a large square body and bright green legs. Think about a giraffe that looks like a huge, fat, yellow pencil. These animals actually exist. They’re just some of the figures on a fantastic carousel, or merry-go-round, in a park in Harlem, New York. The ride is called Totally Kid Carousel because the animals were designed by kids. An artist named Milo Mottola was hired to make the merry-go-round. He invited children to the park. Dressed in armor made of foam rubber, he explained that carousels go back to the time of knights. He gave drawing lessons to the kids and told them to let their imaginations loose. Milo had a tough time choosing the winning drawings. Once he did, he made the animal figures look exactly as they had been drawn. “I wanted the merry-go-round to be as magical as the children who ride it,” said Mottola. Each original drawing hangs in a frame over its animal figure on the carousel, and the kids’ signatures are carved into the wooden floor. So if you visit the carousel, climb onto the bright orange swordfish, or tickle the giant purple whiskers of the pink cat. The Totally Kid Carousel is a totally fun ride.

SKILL PRACTICE Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer. 1. What is the passage mostly about? 3. What is the second paragraph mostly about? A a park with an unusual carousel A how the carousel got its name B the kids who created a carousel B how the figures were made C an artist named Milo Mottola C how the animals were chosen D a carousel designed by kids D how Mottola got kids involved 2. Which one is true about the carousel? 4. The animals on the carousel . A No one knows who made the drawings. A look just like the kids’ drawings B The animal figures are colorful and B can do magic creative. C are all bright orange C The animals look real. D come from the time of knights D Mottola made the figures out of rubber.

STRATEGY PRACTICE Draw one of the animals on the carousel that you visualized.

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