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Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentification of Main Idea and Theme in Unseen Prose

Read the prose extract below carefully:

"The village square of Abule-Ile, once vibrant with the rhythmic thrum of talking drums during moonlit evening storytelling, now stood eerily quiet under the glare of modern street lamps. Elderly Pa Orimolade sat on his porch, watching the younger generation hunched over glowing plastic rectangular devices in their palms. None of them raised their eyes to observe the weaverbirds nesting in the ancient baobab tree or to ask about the sacred ancestral songs. As neon billboards flickered in the distance, Pa Orimolade let out a soft, heavy sigh, realizing that the living pulse of their community's heritage was silently dissolving into digital silence."

What is the central theme expressed in the passage?

  1. The gradual erosion of traditional cultural heritage due to modern technological influence.Answer
  2. B
    The inevitable and total collapse of rural human civilizations across the world.
  3. C
    The physical health risks posed to youth by looking at glowing electronic screens.
  4. D
    The personal frustration of an elderly musician whose career was ruined by modern instruments.

Answer

The gradual erosion of traditional cultural heritage due to modern technological influence.
The correct answer accurately reflects the main idea of the passage. The narrative explicitly contrasts traditional customs—such as talking drums, storytelling, and ancestral songs—with the modern youth's absorption in electronic devices, emphasizing how communal cultural heritage is fading.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast presented in the text
The narrative contrasts past communal traditions (talking drums, storytelling, ancestral songs) with present behaviors (youth engrossed in digital devices).
Themes in prose extracts are often revealed through central contrasts and shifts in setting or behavior.
2
Analyze the perspective and emotional tone of the narrator/character
Pa Orimolade sighs as he observes heritage 'silently dissolving into digital silence.'
The conclusion of the passage explicitly summarizes the main idea regarding the loss of cultural heritage.
3
Synthesize the central theme and eliminate incorrect choices
The core theme is the erosion of traditional culture brought on by modern technology.
Broad generalizations or narrow health assumptions stray from the actual thematic focus of the text.

Key Concept

Identification of Main Idea and Theme in Unseen Prose
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Identification of Main Idea and Theme in Unseen Prose

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