16Hit1600
Information and IdeasMediumMain idea of a nuanced passage

Information and Ideas practice question

It is often said that the printing press caused the Reformation. The truth is more tangled. Presses spread Luther's pamphlets with unprecedented speed, but they spread the replies of his opponents just as fast, and many regions with early presses remained firmly Catholic. The press did not choose a side; it made every side louder.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

  1. A. The printing press amplified all sides of the religious dispute rather than determining its outcome.Correct
  2. B. The printing press was the single cause of the Reformation.
  3. C. Luther's opponents were unable to use the printing press effectively.
  4. D. Regions with early printing presses were the first to leave the Catholic Church.

Answer: A. The printing press amplified all sides of the religious dispute rather than determining its outcome.

The text opens with the common claim, calls the truth 'more tangled', shows the press served both sides, and ends with 'it made every side louder'. The main idea is that the press amplified rather than decided.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. The printing press was the single cause of the Reformation.
This is the claim the text sets out to complicate, not its conclusion.
C. Luther's opponents were unable to use the printing press effectively.
The text says the opponents' replies spread 'just as fast'.
D. Regions with early printing presses were the first to leave the Catholic Church.
The text says many regions with early presses 'remained firmly Catholic' — the reverse of this.

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