SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
The following text is from a 1906 novel by Harriet Caldwell. Mrs. Pell is hosting a dinner party.
Mrs. Pell had arranged everything with care: the roses in the low silver bowl, the candles lit a quarter hour before the guests arrived, the seating chart revised four times. Yet as the soup was served, she scarcely tasted it. Her eyes moved from face to face along the table, measuring each smile and each pause in the conversation, as if the evening were an examination she might still fail.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Mrs. Pell is anxious about how her carefully prepared dinner is being received.
Mrs. Pell is disappointed with the quality of the soup.
Mrs. Pell regrets having invited so many guests.
Mrs. Pell is bored by the conversation at the table.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The text lists her careful preparations and then shows her ignoring her food while studying every guest's reaction. The comparison to an examination "she might still fail" makes her anxiety clear. Choice A states the main idea.
Choice B misreads "she scarcely tasted it," which shows that she is too preoccupied to eat, not that the soup is bad.
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