IXL | Determine the main idea of a passage

Read the passage.

The First "Newspaper" War

The Crimean War was fought in the 1850s between Russia on one side and Britain, France, and Turkey on the other. Although it was a major conflict, it is perhaps best remembered as the first war in which journalists were present on the battlefield. News dispatches from William Howard Russell, a reporter for the Times of London, exposed military blunders and revealed the filthy conditions that existed in military hospitals and camps. Photographers such as James Robertson and Roger Fenton made hundreds of photographs of soldiers on the battlefield. These news reports and photographs provided an uncensored look at life on the frontlines. The Crimean War marked the first time in history that people back home were exposed to the horrors of war.

What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

The Crimean War was the first war to be documented for civilians.

The Crimean War was fought between the Russians and the British, French, and Turkish.

ref_doc_title.

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question

Read the passage.

AC vs. DC

In the 1880s, the War of the Currents began. Thomas Edison developed direct current, or DC, a type of electricity that flows in one direction. By 1887, DC was in use around the United States. It had some drawbacks, though. Converting it to lower or higher voltages was difficult; that is, the current's force couldn't be changed easily. Transmitted at the low voltage needed for use in homes and businesses, it lost power after traveling only a mile. Meanwhile, Nikola Tesla was working with alternating current, or AC. AC reverses direction many times per second and can be changed to different voltages. At high voltage, it can be transmitted efficiently, traveling hundreds of miles with little energy loss. Because of its advantages, AC triumphed by the end of the nineteenth century.

What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

AC has distinct advantages over DC, so AC won the War of the Currents.

AC reverses direction and can be converted to lower or higher voltage.

key idea

A main, or central, idea is the most important idea or claim that a text communicates. The details in a text support, prove, or illustrate the main idea.

solution

The main, or central, idea of the passage is AC has distinct advantages over DC, so AC won the War of the Currents.

Some details are about the early use of DC. Other details are about the benefits of AC. This suggests that the main idea involves the advantages of AC in the War of the Currents. The title also suggests this.

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