When cold season approaches, many people take precautions to avoid colds and flu. The flu shot is a first line of defense. Doctor's offices and pharmacies dispense shots. Many clinics, community groups, and public health departments offer free shots. Healthy eating, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting enough sleep are also important guards against winter illness.
The most important step of all, in order to stay well during cold season, is washing your hands frequently. Colds and flu are transmitted through your hands. The most common cold virus is the rhinovirus. You pick up and pass on flu and cold viruses whenever you touch surfaces contaminated by the other people. Doorknobs, handles, faucets, food-cart and basket handles, elevator buttons, public phones, tables, and trays, to name a few, can all carry viruses and bacteria. Touching your nose or rubbing your eyes after outing are the quickest way to pick up germs on your hands. So, pay attention and keep washing!
In three to five sentences, identify the main claim of the passage and explain some examples of supports for that claim. identify a sentence in a second paragraph that contains an irrelevant detail.
The main claim of the passage is that washing your hands frequently is the most important step to avoid getting colds and flu during the cold season. Some examples that support this claim are the fact that cold and flu viruses are transmitted through hands, and that various surfaces commonly touched by multiple people can carry viruses and bacteria. Additionally, the mention of touching the nose or rubbing the eyes after being in public places highlights the importance of hand hygiene.
A sentence in the second paragraph that contains an irrelevant detail is: "The most common cold virus is the rhinovirus." This detail about the specific virus causing the common cold is not necessary to support the main claim of handwashing being important for preventing cold and flu.