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Information and IdeasVery hardCentral ideas and inferences

Information and Ideas practice question

The novelist rarely gave interviews, and when she did, she deflected questions about her personal life, steering every conversation back to the craft of sentence-making. Critics who wanted biography left frustrated; those who wanted to learn about writing left with pages of notes.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

  1. A. The novelist disliked all forms of publicity and avoided the press entirely.
  2. B. The novelist used interviews to discuss craft rather than her private life.Correct
  3. C. Critics generally found the novelist's interviews disappointing.
  4. D. The novelist believed biography was irrelevant to good writing.

Answer: B. The novelist used interviews to discuss craft rather than her private life.

The text shows she redirected interviews toward craft and away from her personal life — exactly B. A overstates ('entirely' — she did give interviews); C captures only half; D infers a belief the text doesn't state. Pick the idea the whole text supports.

Why the other answers are wrong

A. The novelist disliked all forms of publicity and avoided the press entirely.
The text says she rarely gave interviews, not that she avoided the press 'entirely' — she did give them, and used them to talk about craft.
C. Critics generally found the novelist's interviews disappointing.
Only the biography-seeking critics left frustrated; the ones interested in writing left with pages of notes, so this covers half the text.
D. The novelist believed biography was irrelevant to good writing.
The text reports what she *did* in interviews — redirect to sentence-making — but never states a belief that biography is irrelevant to good writing.

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