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Difficulty: EasyCentral Ideas

Elephants are known for their complex social structures and deep family bonds, which require constant communication over long distances. While they make many sounds that are audible to humans, such as trumpets and rumbles, they also utilize infrasound—low-frequency vibrations that travel through the ground and air. These signals, which are below the range of human hearing, can travel for several miles, allowing separated herds to coordinate their movements and avoid potential dangers. By monitoring these vibrations through their sensitive feet and ears, elephants maintain a cohesive network even when they are out of sight.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

  1. A
    Animals rely on various forms of communication to survive in challenging environments.
  2. Elephants use low-frequency sounds called infrasound to communicate and coordinate with one another over long distances.Answer
  3. C
    Elephants prefer using audible sounds like trumpets rather than infrasound when they are separated from their herds.
  4. D
    Human activities frequently disrupt elephant communication by interfering with low-frequency vibrations in the ground.

Answer

Elephants use low-frequency sounds called infrasound to communicate and coordinate with one another over long distances.
The correct answer accurately captures the main idea of the passage by stating that elephants utilize infrasound—low-frequency vibrations below human hearing—to communicate and coordinate their movements across large distances.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary topic of the passage.
The passage discusses how elephants communicate over long distances using both audible sounds and low-frequency vibrations (infrasound).
Determining the subject matter is the first step in finding the central idea.
2
Analyze what the author asserts about the topic throughout the entire passage.
The author explains that elephants use infrasound specifically to coordinate movements and maintain a network when separated and out of sight.
The central idea must capture the overall point the author makes about the topic, rather than a minor detail.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that best summarizes this main focus without overgeneralizing or speculating.
The statement about elephants using low-frequency sounds to communicate and coordinate over long distances matches the author's primary assertion.
This choice accurately and comprehensively reflects the passage's main thesis.

Key Concept

Identifying the central idea of a passage requires summarizing its main focus without selecting details that are too narrow, too broad, or speculative.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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