Summary and Main Idea Worksheet 1 with highlighted text and instructions for summarizing passages.

Let’s go step by step to solve this worksheet.

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Step 1: Understand the task

You are given two short passages. For each, you must:

1. Create a title that matches the main idea.
2. Write a summary in your own words — include all key ideas, no opinions or personal info.
3. Highlight or underline key ideas (we’ll do that mentally since we’re typing).

We’ll start with the first passage about circus trains.

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Step 2: First Passage – Circus Trains

Key facts from the text:

- Before circus trains, circuses had to move animals, performers, and equipment using over 600 horses — slow and rough.
- W.C. Coup partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to use locomotives (trains) for moving their shows.
- This let them reach big cities only — small towns weren’t profitable anymore.
- Profits went into making bigger, better shows (more rings, etc.).
- Today, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey still use circus trains — now they use two.

Main Idea:
Circus trains changed how circuses traveled — faster, farther, more profitable — leading to bigger shows and focusing on large cities.

Title Suggestion (must relate to main idea):
“How Circus Trains Changed the Show Business”
*(Note: The student wrote “How was a circle train before” — that’s not quite right. It should be about what changed because of the train, not just “before.”)*

Summary (in student’s own words, but corrected for accuracy):
One of the first people to use a train for a circus was W.C. Coup. He teamed up with P.T. Barnum in 1871. Before trains, they used hundreds of horses to move everything, which was slow and hard. With trains, they could only go to big cities, but those shows made more money. They used the profits to make bigger, better circuses. Today, major circuses still use trains — now they use two.

*(Student’s original summary had some errors: “circle train” → should be “circus train”; “W C Coun” → should be “W.C. Coup”; “bnil-n” is unclear — probably meant “big ones” or “better ones.” We fix those.)*

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Step 3: Second Passage – TGV Train in France

Key facts from the text:

- TGV = Train à Grande Vitesse = French for “very high speed.”
- On April 3, 2007, a test TGV set a world record: 357.2 mph.
- In mid-2011, regular passenger TGVs reached 200 mph — fastest in the world at the time.
- Shocking fact: TGV runs on electric power, NOT petrol (gasoline).

Main Idea:
The TGV is France’s super-fast train — it holds speed records and runs on electricity, not gas.

Title Suggestion:
“France’s Super-Fast Electric Train: The TGV”

Summary (in simple words):
The TGV is France’s high-speed train. Its name means “very high speed” in French. In 2007, a test version went 357.2 miles per hour — a world record for wheeled trains. By 2011, regular TGVs were going 200 mph — the fastest passenger trains in the world. Even more surprising? They run on electricity, not gasoline.

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Final Answers (Corrected and Complete)

#### For Passage 1 (Circus Train):

Title: How Circus Trains Changed the Show Business

Summary:
W.C. Coup started using trains for circuses in 1871 with P.T. Barnum. Before that, they used over 600 horses to move everything, which was slow and difficult. Trains let them travel only to big cities, where shows earned more money. They used those profits to build bigger, better circuses with more rings. Today, major circuses like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey still use circus trains — now they use two.

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#### For Passage 2 (TGV Train):

Title: France’s Super-Fast Electric Train: The TGV

Summary:
The TGV is France’s national high-speed train. Its name means “very high speed” in French. In 2007, a test TGV hit 357.2 mph — a world record. By 2011, regular TGVs were running at 200 mph — the fastest passenger trains globally. Surprisingly, they run on electricity, not petrol.

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Final Answer:

Passage 1 Title: How Circus Trains Changed the Show Business
Passage 1 Summary: W.C. Coup started using trains for circuses in 1871 with P.T. Barnum. Before that, they used over 600 horses to move everything, which was slow and difficult. Trains let them travel only to big cities, where shows earned more money. They used those profits to build bigger, better circuses with more rings. Today, major circuses like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey still use circus trains — now they use two.

Passage 2 Title: France’s Super-Fast Electric Train: The TGV
Passage 2 Summary: The TGV is France’s national high-speed train. Its name means “very high speed” in French. In 2007, a test TGV hit 357.2 mph — a world record. By 2011, regular TGVs were running at 200 mph — the fastest passenger trains globally. Surprisingly, they run on electricity, not petrol.