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English Home Language · Reading and Viewing · Short story comprehension

Reading for meaning: main and supporting ideas

0 of 4 questions answered0%

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the central idea and supporting details in a short text.
  • Make a simple inference from evidence in the text.
  • Use context to explain the meaning of a word.

Read the passage

The garden test

During a hot week, the soil in Mhlabeni Primary School's vegetable garden dried by lunchtime. Naledi's group covered one garden bed with dry leaves and left another bed uncovered. They gave both beds the same amount of water.

Two days later, the covered soil still felt damp while the uncovered soil was dry. The group concluded that the leaf covering helped the soil retain water and planned to share the result with the gardening club.

Look for what the whole passage is mainly about, then find details that prove it.

1What is the central idea of the passage?
2Which detail best supports the group's conclusion?
3Why did the group give both beds the same amount of water?
4What does retain mean in the passage?

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