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Difficulty: MediumDetermining Paragraph-Level Main Ideas

The following paragraph is from an essay about nineteenth-century urban planning:

During the late nineteenth century, the growth of municipal sewage systems in European cities did more than just improve public health; it radically transformed urban geography. Prior to these subterranean networks, waste disposal was localized, often relying on cesspools or night-soil collectors whose routes dictated the physical layout of neighborhoods and restricted expansion. The installation of unified underground drainage pipes allowed cities to grow outward without the constant constraint of proximity to waste disposal sites. Consequently, previously uninhabitable lowlands were reclaimed for housing, and the spatial division between affluent and working-class districts began to shift as municipal infrastructure standardized living conditions across municipal boundaries.

Which of the following best states the main idea of this paragraph?

  1. The development of subterranean sewage networks enabled cities to expand geographically by removing traditional constraints on waste disposal.Answer
  2. B
    The broad modernization of nineteenth-century European cities was driven by technological innovations that redefined civic administration and public health.
  3. C
    The routes of night-soil collectors and the location of cesspools strictly dictated the layout of early urban neighborhoods.
  4. D
    The installation of underground pipes reinforced the traditional spatial divides between affluent and working-class districts.

Answer

The development of subterranean sewage networks enabled cities to expand geographically by removing traditional constraints on waste disposal.
The correct answer correctly summarizes the paragraph's core message. The paragraph emphasizes that sewage networks changed urban geography and allowed cities to grow outward by removing the need to be close to waste disposal sites.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the paragraph structure and locate the topic sentence.
The opening sentence introduces the central topic: municipal sewage systems in European cities did more than improve public health; they radically transformed urban geography.
Identifying the topic sentence helps pin down the author's primary focus.
2
Differentiate between supporting details and the main argument.
References to cesspools, night-soil collectors, and lowlands illustrate the specific geographical changes and constraints, but are not the overarching main idea themselves.
Distinguishing between details and the core point prevents selecting options that are too narrow.
3
Synthesize the main point and match it to the options.
The core message is that sewage systems allowed physical expansion by removing constraints, which matches the option describing how subterranean networks enabled geographic growth.
Formulating the main idea in your own words helps you recognize the correct paraphrase among the choices.

Key Concept

Determining Paragraph-Level Main Ideas
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Topics

Determining Paragraph-Level Main Ideas

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