When the first rail lines were put in place across the United States in 1869, officials had a problem. Each town along the way set its clock by the noonday sun. So the time was never the same fom place to place. It was hard to have a reliable railroad schedule with this system. So in 1883, railroad owners, scientists and business men came up with four time zones across the country. This new system was called the Standard Railway Time. Today, these are the time zones in use across the United States. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: How railroads resulted in time zones. The Smithsonian opened in Washington, D. C., in 1855. It is the world's largest museum and covers 19 acres. It was founded because of the generosity of an Englishman named James Smithson. When Smithson died in 1829, he left his money to a nephew. If the nephew had no heirs, the money was to go to the U. S. government to start a museum. The nephew died in 1835, leaving no children. And, sure snough, 105 bags of gold arrived in the United States for the museum. Curiously, Smithson never actually visited this country. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph? : The origin of the Smithsonian. Many words have interesting stories about their origins. For example, the Cesar Ritz was a fancy hotel in Switzerland. So, the word "ritzy" came to mean, "very fancy." In Greek mythology, Atlas was a giant who had to hold the world on his shoulders. Today, an atlas is a book of maps. A vandal is someone who destroys things on purpose. This word comes from the Vandals who were known for attacking and robbing their neighbors in ancient Europe. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Interesting word histories. A census is a counting of a nations's population. The first census in the United States took place in 1790. Riders on horseback fanned out over the country for eighteen months to count inhabitants. They came up with almost four million people. Only twelve cities had more than 5,000 residents. New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Charleston had more than 16,000 each. The states with the highest populatons were Virginia and Pennsylvania. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Results of the first U.S. census. Many towns in the United States have landforms as part of their names. For example, there's Farmington Hills in Michigan and White Plains in New York. California has a town named La Mesa, while Kentucky offers Valley Station. There's also Council Bluffs in Iowa, Eden Prairie in Minnesota and Pine Ridge in Mississippi. And don't overlook Swampscott. That's in Massachusetts. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Places with landform names. When the first English settlers arrived in America, they were amazed at the foods they found. The Indians had developed techniques for growing corn, squash, watermelons and other crops. The settlers also found blueberries, cranberries, wild rice and pumpkin. They learned to eat lobster and crab as well as cod and striped bass. Still, other foods included nuts such as cashews, black walnuts, hickory nuts and pecans. Wild turkeys were also a first for the settlers. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Local foods found by English settlers. Many U. S. presidents have had nicknames. Calvin Coolidge was known as Silent Cal because he rarely spoke. The Little Magician was Martin Van Buren, who wore a tall silk hat. Grover Cleveland earned the nickname Veto President becaue he vetoed more bills than all previous presidents combined. Andrew Jackson's nickname was Old Hickory, while Theodore Roosevelt's was Rough Rider. The Great Emancipator was Abraham Lincoln, who wrote a proclamation that emancipated, or freed, slaves. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Many presidents have had nicknames.. Horses do almost all of their sleeping while standing up. Some horses stand for a month at a time! When standing, a horse's legs lock to provide a kind of sling for the weight of its body. The leg muscles are relaxed, and the horse doesn't have to exert energy to remain standing. Experts think that standing while sleeping began with wild horses as a means of defense. Speed was a horse's greatest asset in escaping an enemy. A horse was less likely to be caught by surprise when standing; it was ready to run. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Why horses sleep standing up. A surname is a family name. The U. S. Census Bureau reports that Smith is the most common surname in the country. Although Hispanic names such as Garcia and Martrinez are becoming more and more common, Smith has been at the top of the list for about fifty years. Originally, the name was given to someone who worked with metal, and many countries had such people. Schmidt, Schmitt, Smed, and Szmyt are just a few versions of Smith in other languages. Which of the following is the main idea of this paragraph: Smith: The most common name. As you read this story, try to think about what the main idea of each separate paragraph would be.A Woodcutter was hard at work beside a river. He chopped down a tree and chopped off the branches, one by one. He stacked the small branches in one pile and the large branches in another pile. It was hard work, and he grew tired. By accident, he dropped his axe into the deep river. He sat down on the river bank, and put his his head in his hands.The Woodcutter heard a sound in the nearby bushes. He lifted his head and was amazed to see a strange little man dressed all in green. He thought perhaps it was one of the Wood Gnomes of the fairy tales, and he was quite correct. “Why are you so upset?” asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter explained what had happened, and the Wood Gnome walked closer to the bank of the deep river and dived right in headfirst. In moments he climbed out, carrying a golden axe. “Is this your axe, sir?” asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter shook his head with sorrow. The Wood Gnome dived back into the river, and came up with a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” he asked. Again, the woodcutter shook his head, and again the Wood Gnome dived into the river.This time, the Wood Gnome came out of the river with the Woodcutter’s own axe, and the Woodcutter shouted out with joy. The Wood Gnome told the Woodcutter that he must keep the gold and silver axes as well as his own, as a reward for his honesty. The Woodcutter went home and told all of his friends what had happened, and showed them the gold and silver axes.The next day, one of those friends went to the place by the river that the Woodcutter had described. He threw his axe into the river, and sat down on the riverbank and cried. The Wood Gnome appeared, and asked the man why he was crying. The man said that he had dropped his axe into the river by mistake, and the Wood Gnome quickly dived into the river, and came up with a golden axe. “Is this your axe?” the Wood Gnome asked, and the man reached for it greedily, saying that it was the very axe he had lost. The Wood Gnome kept the golden axe, and left without going back into the river for the axe that the dishonest man had thrown there on purpose.What is the main idea of the first paragraph: A Woodcutter accidentally dropped his axe into the river.. The Woodcutter heard a sound in the nearby bushes. He lifted his head and was amazed to see a strange little man dressed all in green. He thought perhaps it was one of the Wood Gnomes of the fairy tales, and he was quite correct. “Why are you so upset?” asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter explained what had happened, and the Wood Gnome walked closer to the bank of the deep river and dived right in headfirst. In moments he climbed out, carrying a golden axe. “Is this your axe, sir?” asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter shook his head with sorrow. The Wood Gnome dived back into the river, and came up with a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” he asked. Again, the woodcutter shook his head, and again the Wood Gnome dived into the river.What is the main idea of the second paragraph of the story which is shown above: A Wood Gnome offered the Woodman a golden axe, then a silver axe, but the Woodcutter said they were not his.. This time, the Wood Gnome came out of the river with the Woodcutter’s own axe, and the Woodcutter shouted out with joy. The Wood Gnome told the Woodcutter that he must keep the gold and silver axes as well as his own, as a reward for his honesty. The Woodcutter went home and told all of his friends what had happened, and showed them the gold and silver axes.What is the main idea of the third paragraph which is shown above: The Woodcutter got his own axe back, and the gold and silver axes as well, as a reward for his honesty. The next day, one of those friends went to the place by the river that the Woodcutter had described. He threw his axe into the river, and sat down on the riverbank and cried. The Wood Gnome appeared, and asked the man why he was crying. The man said that he had dropped his axe into the river by mistake, and the Wood Gnome quickly dived into the river, and came up with a golden axe. “Is this your axe?” the Wood Gnome asked, and the man reached for it greedily, saying that it was the very axe he had lost. The Wood Gnome kept the golden axe, and left without going back into the river for the axe that the dishonest man had thrown there on purpose.What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph of the story which is shown above: The Woodcutter’s friend threw his own axe into the river on purpose, but this did not fool the Wood Gnome.
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