Back to the lesson and practice
ActivityPractice worksheet
Do it🖨️ On paper✏️ On screen
New copyMake a new one

Works with a finger, a stylus or a mouse. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Write your answers with a finger, mouse or stylus. Switch to Scroll to move around the page. A stylus always writes.

eurekami

Main idea of a short academic text (SAT)

11th grade (Year 12 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: RI.11-12.2, RL.11-12.2 · England: SAT Reading and Writing (Central Ideas and Details), ACT Reading

Name

Date

Score/ 16

  1. Question 1

    Before the printing press, books were copied by hand, which could take months. Printing made books far cheaper and faster to produce, helping ideas spread across Europe. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Books took months to read.
    • B. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.
    • C. Copying by hand was a popular hobby.
    • D. Europe had few books.

  2. Question 2

    The poet Lucille Clifton wrote in short lines, often without capital letters, using everyday words. Some readers have mistaken this style for simplicity. Many critics argue that her plain language was a deliberate choice that made complex ideas about family, history and survival feel immediate and personal. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Clifton never used capital letters in any of her letters.
    • B. Clifton's plain style, sometimes mistaken for simplicity, is better understood as a deliberate and powerful choice.
    • C. Short lines are easier to write than long ones.
    • D. Critics never agree about poetry.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 3

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. AI will soon replace all artists.
    • B. Photography destroyed painting.
    • C. Only trained artists should make images.
    • D. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 4

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • B. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • C. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • D. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.

  1. Question 5

    The composer Florence Price became the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra, in 1933. Her music blended European classical forms with African American spirituals. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Florence Price was a groundbreaking composer who combined different musical traditions.
    • B. Orchestras only played European music.
    • C. Symphonies are very long.
    • D. Florence Price was a famous singer.

  2. Question 6

    In many cities, the hottest neighbourhoods are those with the fewest trees and the most paved surfaces. Researchers in several countries have found that planting street trees and adding green roofs can lower local summer temperatures by several degrees, reducing health risks during heatwaves. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Heatwaves only happen in large cities.
    • B. Paved surfaces are cheaper than trees.
    • C. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.
    • D. Green roofs are difficult to build.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 7

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Photography destroyed painting.
    • B. Only trained artists should make images.
    • C. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • D. AI will soon replace all artists.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 8

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • B. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • C. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • D. Beavers only live in Scotland.

  1. Question 9

    Some species of trees share nutrients through underground networks of fungi. Through these networks, larger trees can pass sugars to young seedlings growing in the shade. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Sugar is bad for trees.
    • B. Trees can share nutrients with each other through fungal networks.
    • C. Seedlings prefer the shade.
    • D. Fungi are a type of tree.

  2. Question 10

    In many cities, the hottest neighbourhoods are those with the fewest trees and the most paved surfaces. Researchers in several countries have found that planting street trees and adding green roofs can lower local summer temperatures by several degrees, reducing health risks during heatwaves. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Green roofs are difficult to build.
    • B. Heatwaves only happen in large cities.
    • C. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.
    • D. Paved surfaces are cheaper than trees.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 11

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Photography destroyed painting.
    • B. AI will soon replace all artists.
    • C. Only trained artists should make images.
    • D. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 12

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • B. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • C. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • D. Beavers only live in Scotland.

  1. Question 13

    Honeybees perform a 'waggle dance' to tell other bees where food is. The angle of the dance shows the direction of the food relative to the sun, and the length of the waggle shows the distance. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Honeybees communicate the location of food through a dance.
    • B. Bees dance for fun.
    • C. Honeybees like the sun.
    • D. Food is often far from the hive.

  2. Question 14

    Archaeologists once believed that the people of a Neolithic village abandoned it because of war. New analysis of seeds and pollen in the soil, however, shows a sudden drop in rainfall at the time. The researchers now argue that drought, not conflict, is the more likely explanation. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Neolithic villages were often at war.
    • B. New environmental evidence suggests drought rather than war led people to leave the village.
    • C. Archaeologists dislike changing their minds.
    • D. Pollen can survive for thousands of years.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 15

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Only trained artists should make images.
    • B. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • C. Photography destroyed painting.
    • D. AI will soon replace all artists.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 16

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • B. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • C. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • D. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

Write your answers right on the page. · Free from eurekami.com

All done? Check your answers
  1. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.
  2. Clifton's plain style, sometimes mistaken for simplicity, is better understood as a deliberate and powerful choice.
  3. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
  4. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
  5. Florence Price was a groundbreaking composer who combined different musical traditions.
  6. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.
  7. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
  8. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
  9. Trees can share nutrients with each other through fungal networks.
  10. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.
  11. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
  12. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
  13. Honeybees communicate the location of food through a dance.
  14. New environmental evidence suggests drought rather than war led people to leave the village.
  15. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
  16. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.