Main Idea

Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, "What is the author doing in this paragraph?"
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty
thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for
World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double die
penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and
letters. If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a
minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic
festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the
end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal
skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew
to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

3. When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events
portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many
reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such
living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there
have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse
still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were
urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around,
it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

4. It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the
top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end.
That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64
million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy
industry’s staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate
in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

5. Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it initiates a process that causes the vehicle to stop
in motion. We literally trust braking systems with our lives every time we get into a vehicle or cross at a
busy intersection. How does this life-critical process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At this
moment brake fluid is released into the braking mechanisms. As the fluid collects, this creates a leverage,
which causes a friction to be applied. This friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop
and allow you to reach your destination safely. Beep! Beep!
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

6. There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the
platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Male platypus carry a venom cocktail in their
ankle spurs. This venom incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the
only mammal that uses electroreception. That means that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity
produced by the muscular movements of its prey. Electroreception is a sixth sense different from seeing,
hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs
rather than giving birth to live young. What an odd creature indeed.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

7. Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state
of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of
the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea
level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at
least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308
feet.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

Main Idea 2
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, "What is the author doing in this paragraph?"
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.

1. Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every
time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, rodeo clowns jump in front
of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an
alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do.
So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. Wolverines are medium sized mammals. They weigh no more than 50 lbs. Yet they have
earned their reputation for ferocity by killing prey many times their size. But why do they get in
so many fights? The reason why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals
(including wolves, cougars, and even bears) is probably because of the wolverine's preferred
hunting style. Rather than chasing down or tricking its prey like most hunters, the wolverine
prefers to take its meals directly from other hunters. So while a polar bear or a lone wolf might
be enjoying a hard earned carcass, a hungry wolverine may try to take his lunch. As you might
imagine, this style of hunting get the wolverine in plenty of fights.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

3. Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was teaching gym at the YMCA
College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was raining, and Dr. Naismith was trying to keep his
students active. He wanted them playing a vigorous game that would keep them moving. He
rejected a few ideas that were too rough. Then Naismith had his breakthrough. He wrote out the
rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played
against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling
wasn't a part of the original game. Also it took a while to realize that the game would run more
smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed. But this game grew to be one of the most
popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one?
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

4. What's that humming sound? Could it be the hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward
flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds.
Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward
and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in
position. They can also fly upside down and move about very rapidly. Other birds have to push
off with their feet to begin flying and work their ways up to their top speeds. The hummingbird
can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. Once you've seen a
hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

5. Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to
making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your
cookie recipe thoroughly before baking. Make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients
before you continue. Next, use good tools and utensils. Sometimes, the craftsperson is only as
good as his or her tools. By using good tools you minimize mistakes and improve the quality of
your product. Last, use top quality ingredients. Unlike characters in fairytales, you can't turn lead
into gold. If you use poor quality materials, you'll create inferior products. So, to make perfect
cookies you should use the highest quality materials available. Bon appetite!

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

6. You might think that all automobile fuels are the same, but they aren't. Automobiles can run
on one of three types of fuel: gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel. All these fuels are burned inside of
the engine, which creates the heat and energy that is used to power the car. But there are
important differences between these fuels. Gasoline and diesel are more common than biodiesel.
But each burns differently. Diesel fuel is heavier and less flammable than gasoline, so it has to be
compressed before it will burn. Gasoline may be lighter than diesel, but both fuels are made from
crude oil. On the other hand, biodiesel fuel is made from vegetables. Both biodiesel and diesel
fuels must be burned in diesel engines, which only use diesel fuel. If gasoline is pumped into a
diesel engine, it will have to be pumped out. These fuels may look pretty similar at the gas
station, but remember that there are important differences between them or it may cost you.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

Main Idea with Robots
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. What do you get when you cross a robot and an astronaut? A Robonaut! Robonauts are robot
helpers designed to work side-by-side with astronauts. Work on the first Robonaut began in
1997, and by 2002 Robonaut B was revealed to the public. Robonaut B featured interchangeable
lower bodies, like four-wheel mode or hydraulic legs. Yet scientists and engineers continued to
improve Robonaut. In February of 2010, Robonaut 2 was released to the public. Robonaut 2
moved four times faster than the first Robonaut. An advanced version of Robonaut 2 was finally
tested in outer space in 2011. Robonaut 2 functioned exactly as designed.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words
automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good
thing. Clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at good prices and in large
supply because of automation. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation
there are over 700,000 robots in America that do jobs once performed by humans. The way of
automation may not be best for humanity, but it is the course we are taking.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

3. My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a
car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is rapidly released into a chamber
through a valve. As the fluid collects, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike,
but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism
channels the pressure and provides great power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, my
grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

4. Many people use the words cyborg and android interchangeably, but these words have
different meanings. Both refer to beings powered by robotics, but an android is powered entirely
by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by a living organism. They also look different.
Androids may be completely mechanical, but they are designed to look like humans. They may
have synthetic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way
that accents their robotic modifications. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red
light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. So you see, though the terms cyborg
and android seem similar, they refer to different things.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

5. It is a widely acknowledged fact that machines are stronger than people. Is it possible for
them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of
technological singularity. In a nutshell, the theory of technological singularity says that there will
be a moment when a computer can improve its own capabilities. This computer will go into an
infinite loop, getting progressively smarter. Inevitably this will lead to machines becoming
smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available intelligence might lead to
huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured and such. But it could also
lead to the total domination or replacement of mankind by robots, which would be bad. If the
latter were the case, I, for one, would welcome our new computer overlords.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

6. Fellow Members of the Springfield Robotics Club: we have a problem. It has come to my
attention that the workshop has been left an absolute mess on at least two separate occasions.
Remember, that this is a shared space, so we must clean up behind ourselves after every meeting.
It is in the spirit of keeping our club meeting space that we establish this rule: when you take a
tool off the rack, put it back. If everyone puts their tools back immediately after using them,
there will be minimal mess to clean up, and we won't get kicked out of the spot. So, if you like
having a meeting place, and being part of our club, put your tools back.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

Main Idea Worksheet 4
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, "What is the author doing in this paragraph?"
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. It's hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist.
During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to
trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you
were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all the things that you
wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your
rice. Isn't it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it?
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. Money is pretty old but nobody knows exactly how old it is. Perhaps the oldest evidence of
people using money is in the Code of Ur-Nammu. The Code of Ur-Nammu is a system of laws
written around 2050 BC. That's like 4,000 years ago! Many of Ur-Nammu's laws carry fines,
such as one stating that if a man is proven innocent of sorcery, his accuser must pay 3 shekels.
This ancient document shows me two things: Ur-Nammu didn't tolerate false witch-hunts, and
money is very old.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

3. One problem that the U.S. faced when rebelling against the British was currency. While under
British control, colonists mainly used British paper money and foreign coins. But after forming a
new nation, the Americans needed their own currency. They created Continental currency.
Congress issued over 240 million Continental Dollars during the Revolution. Unfortunately,
these dollars soon dropped in value. This gave rise to the popular expression, "not worth a
Continental." By the end of 1778, Continentals were worth 1/5th of their face value. By 1780,
they were worth 1/40th. In the 1790s, the U.S. bought back Continentals for 1% of their printed
value. One reason for this decline was economic warfare. During the war the British hired artists
to counterfeit Continental Dollars. Then they funneled large amounts of these counterfeit notes
into the American economy. The value of the Continental Dollar crashed. When people complain
about today's inflation rates, I tell them about Continentals.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

4. Hyperinflation refers to when the value of money drops rapidly. During World War I, Germany paid
for the war by borrowing. The German Mark steadily lost value as the war went on and German people
could buy less and less. After losing the war, Germany was required to make large payments to the Allies.
They paid all the debts that they could by printing more money. Soon the German Mark was worthless.
When the war had started, the U.S. Dollar was worth around four German Marks. By November of 1923,
one U.S. Dollar was worth 4,210,500,000,000 German Marks. At this point the money had more value as
a fuel than as a currency, and people burned it to stay warm.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

5. Counterfeiting is the act of making phony money that looks official. It is a very old crime but recent
advances in printing have made it possible for even amateurs to produce decent counterfeits. Fortunately,
there are some ways that you can detect counterfeits. The first and most telling inspection is to pay
attention to how the money feels. It is difficult to reproduce the texture of real money. If the money feels
suspect, look carefully at the microprinting on the bill. Many features along the portrait and border of a
genuine bill contain writing that is too small to reproduce in most printers. If you are still suspicious, hold
the bill up to the light and look for the strip that says the value of the bill. With a little diligence, you can
keep yourself from becoming a victim of this rising trend.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

6. Currencies have changed and developed over the course of history, but one of the newest forms of
payment doesn't even exist in the physical world. Bitcoin is an entirely digital currency. Users of Bitcoin
send payments to one another over computer networks. These payments are nonrefundable. In other
words, once the money is sent, you can't get it back. The value of a Bitcoin has risen rapidly since its
introduction in 2009, when each Bitcoin was worth around 30 cents. At the time of this writing, it would
cost you around 7400 U.S. Dollars to get one Bitcoin. That's quite a jump. On the downside, if the value
of Bitcoin ever crashes, you won't be able to heat your home by burning it.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

7. As young Americans mature into adults, they are tempted by the allure of easy credit. Credit card
companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away "free" headphones or sports towels in return
for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through
undisciplined spending. They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate
of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts. It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

Main Idea Worksheet 5
Directions: Read each passage and ask yourself, “What is the author doing in this paragraph?”
Write your answer in the summary box and then think of an appropriate title for the passage
based on the main idea of the passage.
1. Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he
noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always
fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s
center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth
through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton
formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

2. In the summer of 1939, a few months before World War II started, Albert Einstein and a group
of Hungarian scientists wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this letter they warned
Roosevelt that the Nazi’s were conducting atomic research and that the consequences would be
dire if the Nazis were to win the race to build an atom bomb. They recommended that U.S.
become involved in uranium research. As a result of this letter, the U.S. joined the atomic race
and poured billions of dollars into the development of weaponry. The U.S. won the race and
became the first country to build an atomic bomb. The bomb was then used in Japan, killing
hundreds of thousands of civilians. In 1954, a year before his death, Einstein would refer to the
moment that he signed the letter to President Roosevelt as the greatest mistake of his life.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

3. For most of human history, people thought that the Earth was the center of the universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus changed how people understood the universe when he theorized that it was
heliocentric, or sun-centered. Interestingly, Copernicus had most of this theory worked out some
time before 1514, and his work was fully articulated by 1532, yet publication of this text was not
completed until 1543 as he lay dying. Some scholars believe that Copernicus delayed publishing
this work because it contradicted the Catholic Church’s view that the Earth was at the center of
the universe. Copernicus’s may have been smart in doing so because the Church did not formally
accept his view of the universe until 1822, almost 300 years later.
Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

4. Galileo Galilei was an influential scientist and one of the early developers of the refracting
telescope. In 1632 Galileo published a book called Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World
Systems, in which he compared the Copernican view of a heliocentric universe, one where the
sun is at the center, with the geocentric view, one in which the Earth is at the center. The Church
took offense as to how Galileo portrayed the geocentric view using a character named Simplicio,
which has undertones of simpleton in the Italian language, and he was put on trial before the
Roman Inquisition. The Inquisition ordered Galileo to recant his ideas, his book was banned, he
was forbidden from publishing anything else, and he was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of
his life. I guess it’s not just what you say that’s important but how you say it.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

5. Nikola Tesla was an inventor and physicist who is best remembered for his contributions to the
AC power system and radio, but he may have also built a death ray. At a 1937 luncheon in his
honor, Tesla claimed to have created a weapon that could shoot a concentrated beam of energy
capable of bringing down fleets of airplanes. He further claimed to have built, demonstrated, and
used this weapon. When Tesla entered negotiations with the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the
Soviet Union to sell his device, Tesla claimed that one of these parties had sent people to break
into his room and steal his invention, but that this theft was impossible since the blueprint for the
weapon was entirely in his mind. Unfortunately, Tesla died with the blueprint in his mind before
anyone could get one. On second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

6. Marie Curie not only the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize, she is also the only person to
win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. Most notably, however, Marie Curie discovered
radiation. She was also the first person to use radiation to treat tumors. Curie experimented
extensively with radioactivity during her scientific career. Unfortunately the damaging effects of
radiation were not known then. Her exposure to radiation most likely was the cause of her
blindness and early death. Still today her scientific papers are considered too dangerous to handle
without protective equipment. These documents are stored in lead-lined boxes. Even her
cookbook is radioactive. She must have made some really hot food in her lifetime.

Summarize this paragraph in one sentence. Be specific and clearly explain the main idea.

An appropriate title: _____________________________________________________________

Valentine’s Day Main Idea and Text Structure Review
Directions: Read each passage and on a separate sheet of paper…
1. Write a sentence explaining the main idea of the text
2. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea.
3. Put information from the passage into a graphic organizer representing the text structure.
Structures: cause and effect, chronological, compare and contrast, sequence / process writing,
problem and solution, or spatial /descriptive writing.
1. There are many thoughtful ways to express your love for another person without spending money: you
could write a song or cook a meal, but perhaps the best way to express yourself is to create a card.
Creating a card is easy if you have the proper materials. Get yourself some nice, thick resume paper or
cardstock and fold it in half. Draw some imagery of love on the front of the card; if you're not good at
drawing, you can clip out pictures. If you decide to use markers, be careful not to let them bleed through
the paper and ruin the other side. Lastly, write a poem or heartfelt statement on the inside to your beloved
and you're done. Now isn't that a much better way to express your love than a rose from the gas station?

2. Some people think that some holidays celebrating love are nothing but clever ploys by marketers to get
consumers to buy candy, flowers, and stuffed animals, but who cares? In America, we celebrate two love
themed holidays: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the winter, while
Sweetest Day is celebrated in the fall. Valentine's Day is more focused on bringing lovers together, while
Sweetest Day is for all of the friends, relatives, and associates whose kindness we've enjoyed. Both
occasions, however, are great times to remember what's most important: the people about whom we care.

3. Money moves most things in our world. For example the National Confectioners Association, a
collection of over seventy major candy manufacturers, wanted to sell more candy. Apparently, when
people buy candy, they make money. Anyway, they wanted to make more money; so in 1921 they
created a "holiday" called Sweetest Day. They've since spent millions of dollars trying to convince
consumers that this holiday exists and that consumers should celebrate this very real and meaningful
occasion by purchasing candy. Card dealer Hallmark has also heavily promoted this specter of
commercial interest, prompting the notion that Sweetest Day is a "Hallmark Holiday." That reminds me:
have you ever heard of Give Me a Dollar Day?

4. Every Valentine's Day millions of school children slip each other cards: some sloppily assembled for
classmates and friends, others more heartfelt and carefully composed, but most students have no idea how
far back this practice dates. The earliest Valentine's Day card dates back to the 1400s. When postage
rates dropped in the early 1800s, mailing them grew in popularity. Then, in the 1840s, the first Valentine's
cards were mass produced. Today, the Valentine's Day card continues to evolve. In 2010, an estimated
15 million e-valentines were sent. But some things never change: Will you be mine? Click "Y" or "N."

5. Some people have a hard time remembering to get their loved ones appropriate gifts on Valentine's
Day. This can lead to painfully long talks about "where the relationship stands." Perhaps the best way to
avoid these talks is by taking the moral highroad. Instead of forgetting these holidays, choose not to
celebrate them. Inform your loved one that you don't want to buy into the materialism and
commercialism of these manufactured holidays. Tell that person that you want to have a relationship with
them, not the marketers, and that you want to celebrate your love everyday, not just one day a year. It's a
tough pitch, but if you can make the sale then you'll be in the clear for life.

6. Jimmy didn't have any money, but he wanted to show Jane that she meant a lot to him, so he decided
to make her a Valentine's Day card. He got some nice, thick cardstock paper and folded it in half. He cut
it into the shape of a heart and drew a cherub on the front of it. Then, he wrote a thoughtful message on
the inside. When he gave it to Jane, she was so touched that she cried and her tears stained the front of
the card. Thinking the card ruined, Jimmy was so offended that he broke up with her calling her a
"crybaby" as he left. The moral of the story is that young people shouldn't date.