SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
The following text is from a 1914 novel by Ida Merriwether. Arthur, a boy, is learning to play the violin.
For three months Arthur had practiced every evening, and for three months the violin had answered him with squeaks and groans that sent the cat from the room. His sister said he should give it up. His father said nothing, which was worse. But one evening in late spring, as he drew the bow slowly across the strings, a single clear note rose and held, and Arthur stood very still, afraid that if he moved he would lose it.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Arthur decides to stop practicing because his family disapproves.
Arthur's father is proud of how quickly his son has improved.
Arthur finds that he practices better in spring than in winter.
After months of frustrating practice, Arthur produces a moment of success that he is anxious to hold on to.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The passage describes three months of bad sounds and discouragement, then a turn ("But one evening") when Arthur plays a clear note and freezes so as not to lose it. Choice D captures both the struggle and the moment of success.
Choice B misreads the father's silence, which the text calls "worse" than the sister's criticism, so it is not a sign of pride.
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