6. Applying reading skills
Each paragraph has a main idea. The main idea is what the paragraph is about. Finding the main idea of a paragraph is a key reading skill.
A. Look back at the reading, and find the correct paragraph for each main idea.
Main idea Paragraph
Lewis Gordon Pugh is an outstanding ice swimmer.
Ellen Langer was interested in why housekeepers were not more fit.
Three examples show the mind-to-body relationship.
B. Circle the letter of the best main idea for each paragraph.
1. Paragraph 2
a. Tiger Woods’s father created distractions to help Tiger prepare.
b. Tiger Woods’s parents helped him develop mental focus.
c. Tiger Woods’s parents both wanted him to play golf.
2. Paragraph 4
a. Lewis Gordon Pugh prepares himself physically for the cold-water swim.
b. Lewis Gordon Pugh imagines how cold the water will be.
c. Lewis Gordon Pugh prepares mentally for his challenging swims.
3. Paragraph 5
a. Pugh sounds like a normal athlete.
b. Pugh is able to control his body temperature.
c. Pugh dives into very cold water and doesn’t even shiver.
4. Paragraph 7
a. The housekeepers in the experiment worked very hard.
b. Langer’s experiment showed that the mind can affect the body.
c. The housekeepers believed that very were getting a lot of exercise.