★Informational Main Idea
Grade 3 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the answer.
Read this first
How Sea Otters Live in Cold Water
Sea otters live in cold ocean water along the coast. They have special ways to stay warm, eat, and rest in the sea.
Sea otters do not have a thick layer of fat like seals. Instead, they have very thick fur. Their fur traps tiny bubbles of air close to the skin. The air keeps the cold water away from their bodies.
Sea otters also have a smart way to eat. They dive to the sea floor to find clams and crabs. Then they float on their backs and use a rock to crack the hard shells. An otter may keep a favorite rock in a loose pocket of skin under its arm.
When it is time to sleep, sea otters float on the water. Some wrap themselves in long seaweed called kelp. Others hold paws with a friend. These tricks stop them from drifting away while they rest.
Thick fur, clever tools, and safe ways to sleep all help sea otters live in the ocean.
What is this text mostly about?
- how sea otters stay warm, eat, and rest in the ocean
- how sea otters crack open clam shells with rocks
- how seals use a layer of fat to stay warm
What is the main idea of paragraph 2?
- Seals have a thick layer of fat.
- Sea otters dive for clams and crabs.
- Thick fur keeps sea otters warm.
Which detail supports the idea that sea otters have a smart way to eat?
- Their fur traps tiny bubbles of air.
- They use a rock to crack hard shells.
- They wrap themselves in long kelp.
Which sentence is true but too narrow to be the main idea of the whole text?
- Sea otters have special ways to live in the sea.
- Sea otters sleep on the sandy sea floor.
- An otter may keep a rock under its arm.
Which is the best summary of this text?
- Sea otters use thick fur, tools, and floating tricks to live in cold water.
- Sea otters dive for clams and crabs, then float on their backs to eat them.
- Sea otters hold paws at night so that their friends never swim away.
Which is the best title for this text?
- Seals of the Cold Coast
- Life in the Sea for an Otter
- An Otter's Favorite Rock
What is paragraph 4 mostly about?
- how sea otters rest without drifting away
- how sea otters find food on the sea floor
- how long seaweed grows in the ocean
Which sentence is NOT a detail from this text?
- Sea otters float on their backs to eat.
- Some sea otters wrap themselves in kelp.
- Sea otters build nests on the beach.
Why does the author say sea otters do not have fat like seals?
- to show that seals and otters eat the same food
- to explain how seals sleep in the water
- to show why their thick fur matters so much
What does the last sentence of the text do?
- It tells where to find otters.
- It adds a new fact about seals.
- It sums up the main idea.
