SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
The following text is from an 1887 novel by Clara Bellweather. Daniel, a young clerk, has just been promoted.
Daniel had imagined this moment for three years, and in his imagination it had always come with a rush of joy. Now that Mr. Graves had shaken his hand and named the new salary, Daniel felt only a mild surprise, as though he had been told the hour. He walked home by his usual route, past the usual shops, and found that the promotion had changed nothing he could see.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Daniel is angry that his promotion came three years later than he had hoped.
Daniel decides to celebrate his promotion by visiting new shops.
Daniel finds that reaching a long-awaited goal feels less significant than he had expected.
Daniel is unsure whether he has actually been promoted.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Daniel had pictured the promotion bringing "a rush of joy," but he feels only "mild surprise," and the world around him seems unchanged. The contrast between expectation and reality is the main idea, choice C.
Choice A misreads "three years," which tells how long Daniel imagined the moment, not that the promotion was late.
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