DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Central Ideas and Details - Easy
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Central Ideas and Details – Easy
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Central Ideas and Details – Easy is part of Expression of Ideas : This section evaluates students’ ability to identify main ideas in a passage and the ability to make inferences about what the text implies, not just stating the obvious facts. Interpreting, evaluating, and combining different pieces of information from multiple sources is tested
Weightage : 26%
Subtopic: Information and ideas
Question
The following text is adapted from Johanna Spyri’s 1881 novel Heidi (translated by Elisabeth Stork in 1915). Eightyear- old Heidi and her friend’s grandmother are looking at some illustrated books.
Heidi had come and was looking with wondering eyes at the splendid pictures in the large books, that Grandmama was showing her. Suddenly she screamed aloud, for there on the picture she saw a peaceful flock grazing on a green pasture. In the middle a shepherd was standing, leaning on his crook. The setting sun was shedding a golden light over everything. With glowing eyes Heidi devoured the scene.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Heidi is upset until she sees a serene image of a pasture in one of Grandmama’s books.
B. Heidi is delighted and fascinated by an image she sees in one of Grandmama’s books.
C. Heidi is initially frightened by an image in one of Grandmama’s books but quickly comes to appreciate its beauty.
D. Heidi is inspecting an image in one of Grandmama’s books because she has never seen a shepherd with his sheep before.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. B
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most effectively states the main idea of the text, which is that Heidi is delighted and fascinated by an image she sees in one of Grandmama’s books. In the text, Heidi screams upon first seeing the picture of the green pasture. In another context, such a reaction might suggest fear, but here the reaction is followed by descriptions of an image that’s peaceful rather than scary. The text goes on to describe Heidi’s eyes as “glowing” and states that she “devoured the scene,” suggesting that the image delights and fascinates her so much that she wants to examine every detail. Together, these descriptions suggest that Heidi is thrilled and intrigued by the image in the book.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Heidi is upset before seeing the peaceful image of the green pasture. Before Heidi sees that image, the text describes her as “looking with wondering eyes at the splendid pictures” in the book, suggesting that Heidi is intrigued, not that she’s unhappy. Choice C is incorrect. Although Heidi screams upon first seeing the image, the text’s description of the image and Heidi’s other reactions to it suggest that she is screaming with delight, not fear. The text describes the images in the book as “splendid” and the particular image that causes her to scream as peaceful rather than frightening. It also describes Heidi’s eyes as “glowing” and states that she “devoured the scene,” suggesting that the image of the green pasture delights and fascinates her so much that she wants to examine every detail. Choice D is incorrect because it’s unclear from the text whether Heidi has ever seen a shepherd with his sheep before. The text merely suggests that she is delighted and fascinated by the image of the shepherd and his sheep.
Question
Scent is tightly interwoven with our daily lives, often evoking significant memories and important social events. This connection is of growing interest to archaeologists who hope to use it to better understand ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine. Although the speed at which odor molecules dissipate makes identifying ancient scents challenging, advancements in biomolecular technologies show promise in unlocking ancient aromas from preserved artifacts. Archaeological studies making use of these advancements may provide new insights into past societies.
According to the text, what is one reason some archaeologists are interested in recovering scents from ancient artifacts?
A. They are investigating whether people’s sense of smell has declined in recent centuries.
B. They believe the scents could illuminate important aspects of ancient life.
C. They think that ancient scents would be enjoyable to people today.
D. They hope to develop new medicines using ancient scent molecules.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. B
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text states that archaeologists are interested in using scents to better understand “ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine,” all of which are important aspects of ancient life.
Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t say anything about investigating if people’s sense of smell has declined in recent centuries. It says that scents fade over time—not that people have gotten worse at smelling scents. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that archaeologists are interested in using scents to better understand “ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine,” but it doesn’t say anything about ancient scents being enjoyable to people today. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t say anything about developing new medicines. Rather, it says that archaeologists are interested in using scents to better understand “ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine.”