Close reading1 of 1
"The old library on Maple Street survived two floods and a fire. Each time, neighbors carried books to dry attics and returned them when the shelves were rebuilt." What is the main idea of this passage?
The answer
Answer: B. The main idea is the point that the whole passage supports. Both sentences describe neighbors saving and returning books after disasters, so the passage is about community effort keeping the library going. The floods and fire are details that set up the neighbors' response, and the passage says nothing about the size of the collection.
Source: GED RLA — Reading: main idea