Chapter 5: Review Test 6

Identifying Topic Sentences and Central Ideas

A. Identify the topic sentence in each paragraph. One paragraph has two topic sentences: one at the beginning and one at the end.


		1. ¹The endangered leatherback sea turtle is finally thriving in Florida. ²Early in the 2001 nesting season, leatherback sea turtles laid eggs in the largest number of nests in decades. ³By June of that year, these turtles, which can end up weighing 700 pounds, had filled 18 nests along the coast of Volusia County, Canaveral National Seashore, and Flagler County. ⁴At last, 30 years after the Endangered Species Act was passed, these turtles have made a comeback. Topic sentence(s):

		2. ¹On a typical summer day, dark clouds quietly rise and gather unnoticed until they block out the sun in the afternoon sky. ²A wind begins to blow until it surges to 35 miles per hour. ³Lightning sparks a fire by striking a group of trees. ⁴Another bolt of lightning pierces the roof of a house, leaving a smoldering hole in both the roof and the kitchen ceiling. ⁵A summer thunderstorm can pose serious danger. Topic sentence(s):

		B. Identify the central idea of each passage. 3. Food Myths ¹The number of myths about physical fitness and nutrition or diet grows every year. ²One myth concerns which foods are best to help increase the body's ability to perform. ³The public often thinks of winning athletes as experts and looks to them for advice. ⁴Some star athletes may therefore try to convince people that a certain food or drink is at the root of their success. ⁵The truth is, there are no miracle foods to improve physical fitness. ⁶People who exercise on a regular basis have specific nutritional needs and must adjust their diet. ⁷A common example of a myth about food deals with strength training. ⁸Some people believe that extra amounts of protein are needed for muscle growth. ⁹In fact, many bodybuilders take in large amounts of protein to add to their normal diet. ¹⁰However, research has shown that the protein needed by most bodybuilders is met by a normal, well-balanced diet. ¹¹Therefore, body builders should meet their protein needs by healthy eating from the food pyramid, not from simply adding protein to their diets. Central idea:

		4. Insect Species ¹The total number of insect species is greater than the total of all other species put together.²Almost a million insect species are known today. ³At least twice as many as this may exist (mostly in tropical forests) but have not yet been discovered. ⁴The following are brief descriptions of two of the most common insect orders. ⁵The grasshopper is a member of the Orthoptera group, which has about 30,000 species.⁶Other examples are crickets, katydids, locusts, cockroaches, walking sticks, and praying mantises. ⁷These insects have biting and chewing mouthparts, and most are herbivorous. ⁸Among the meat-eating species is the praying mantis, which uses its forelegs to grip prey. ⁹Some of these insects lack wings, but most have two pairs: a pair of forewings and a pair of hindwings. ¹⁰The forewings are often thick. ¹¹The Odonata group includes about 5,000 species of dragonflies and damselflies. ¹²These insects have two pairs of similar wings. ¹³They have biting mouthparts and are meat eaters. ¹⁴They often catch and eat other insects while flying. ¹⁵The larvae of the larger species sometimes eat tadpoles and small fish. Central idea: