Main Idea

Practice 1

Main Idea

Directions: Choose the number of the sentence that expresses the topic sentence in each of the selections.

 

1. Value: 10 (1)Sleep, we all love it, especially when we wake up from a great night's sleep. (2)In the past, sleep was often ignored by doctors and surrounded by myths, but now we are beginning to understand the importance of sleep to overall health and well–being. (3)In fact, there are a number of health benefits of a good night's sleep. (4)For one, sleep keeps our hearts healthy. (5)Lack of sleep has been associated with the increase of blood pressure and cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. (7)Another benefit of sleep is stress reduction. (8)Relaxation and sleep counter the effects of stress. (9)Sleep also bolsters our memory. (10)Getting more quality sleep will help us remember and process information better.   a. 1  b. 3  c. 5  d. 10

2. Value: 10 (1)Facebook is the most popular social networking site today. (2)Millions of people use it everyday. (3)Facebook does, however, present several disadvantages for students. (4)The most common negative disadvantage is that it can be very addicting. (5)Students decide to check their accounts and end up killing an hour or more, neglecting any school work they must finish. (6)In addition, students interrupt their study to check for a message and lose their train of thought. (7)Another disadvantage is that it may make too much of a person's personal information available to unscrupulous people. (8)Finally, unscrupulous users can now make false identifications and profiles and use them to harass other people or solicit private information from them.  a. 1  b. 2  c. 3  d. 4

3. Value: 10 (1)Healthy eating doesn't have to mean a rigid and limited diet. (2)A healthy diet can be as simple as smaller portions and no seconds. (3)One could add a variety of greens and complex carbohydrates such as kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, dried beans and brown rice, quinoa, millet, and other grains. (4)Deeply colored vegetables like carrots are often sweet but nutritious. (5)Another example is to limit one's favorite treats to only certain times during the week. (6)For example, try to have a moderate–sized bowl of ice cream no more than once or twice a week. (7)But be careful to change one's diet slowly. (8)Do not suddenly impose a strict regimen on oneself. (9)Try to include small portions of comfort food from time to time. (10)There are many ways a person can train oneself to eat a more healthy diet without depriving him/herself of enjoyment.  a. 10  b. 1  c. 7  d. 8

 

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