Question

Difficulty: EasyIdentification of Main Idea and Supporting Details

Read the passage below carefully:

Across semi-arid regions of West Africa, solar-powered drip irrigation systems are fundamentally transforming smallholder agriculture. Traditionally, farmers relied heavily on seasonal rainfall or laborious manual watering using buckets from shallow wells, which severely restricted crop yields and limited cultivation to a few months each year. By delivering precise amounts of water directly to plant roots, solar micro-pumping allows farmers to cultivate high-value vegetables year-round with significantly less water waste. In addition, year-round harvesting stabilizes local food supplies and increases rural household incomes. Although the initial capital investment for photovoltaic panels and drip tubing remains relatively high, local agricultural cooperatives are increasingly bridging this financial gap through affordable micro-financing schemes. Consequently, solar drip irrigation is rapidly emerging as the primary driver of agricultural resilience in drought-prone rural communities.

Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. Solar-powered drip irrigation is vital in boosting agricultural resilience and year-round farming in drought-prone communities.Answer
  2. B
    Agricultural cooperatives provide micro-financing schemes to help farmers purchase photovoltaic panels and drip tubing.
  3. C
    Traditional bucket watering from shallow wells remains the most efficient method for cultivating high-value vegetables.
  4. D
    Solar-powered drip irrigation has completely eliminated all financial challenges for smallholder farmers across Africa.

Answer

Solar-powered drip irrigation is vital in boosting agricultural resilience and year-round farming in drought-prone communities.
The passage opens by asserting that solar-powered drip irrigation is transforming smallholder agriculture and concludes by reinforcing that it is the primary driver of agricultural resilience in drought-prone areas. The statement highlighting its role in boosting resilience and year-round farming captures this central theme concisely.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary topic and focus of the passage.
The passage discusses solar-powered drip irrigation systems and their overall impact on smallholder farming in semi-arid West Africa.
Establishing the core topic helps separate the central thesis from supporting arguments.
2
Distinguish between the main thesis and specific supporting evidence.
Details like traditional watering limitations, cooperative micro-financing, and crop types serve as supporting points that build toward the final conclusion: solar drip irrigation is the primary driver of agricultural resilience.
Supporting details explain how or why the main idea is achieved.
3
Select the choice that encompasses the entire passage's primary argument.
The statement emphasizing solar-powered drip irrigation as vital for agricultural resilience and year-round farming best summarizes the passage as a whole.
The correct main idea statement synthesizes the essential focus without being overly narrow or unjustifiably broad.

Key Concept

Identifying the central argument (main idea) versus supporting details in a comprehension passage.
Estimated Time:50s
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