Question 122·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
The following passage is from Under the Ice, a 1978 memoir by polar researcher Dr. Lena Morgan.
The days at South Cape Station blurred together in a rhythm of small, repetitive actions: calibrating thermometers, logging wind speeds, checking holes in the generator fence. Most visitors assumed such chores must have felt trivial against the grandeur of the glaciers, but in truth they were the only way we learned anything at all. The data that later filled conference halls began as penciled numbers on frost-crisp pages, recorded by a half-frozen graduate student at 4:00 a.m. There was a quiet dignity in that monotony, a reminder that discovery is less a sudden spark than a slow, steady burn.
©1978, 1983 by Lena Morgan
Which choice best states the main idea of the passage?
For main idea questions, first read the whole passage or paragraph, then briefly restate its point in your own words without looking at the choices. Next, eliminate any options that focus on minor details, introduce new information (like motives or technology not mentioned), or contradict the passage’s tone. The correct answer should match your own summary of the author’s overall message, not just a single phrase or example.
Hints
Look at how the author describes the daily work
Reread the first two sentences. How does the author describe the chores—are they dismissed as unimportant, or are they connected to something bigger?
Pay attention to contrast words
Notice the phrase "but in truth" in the second sentence. What misunderstanding does this contrast correct, and what does that tell you about the author’s main point?
Use the last sentence as a clue
The final line compares discovery to "a slow, steady burn" rather than "a sudden spark." How does this image relate to the description of the work earlier in the passage?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task
The question asks for the main idea of the passage, so you need a choice that captures the overall message of the entire paragraph, not just one detail. Focus on what the author most wants you to understand about life and work at South Cape Station.
Summarize the passage in your own words
Look at the key lines:
- "The days ... blurred together in a rhythm of small, repetitive actions" shows the work is repetitive and routine.
- "Most visitors assumed such chores must have felt trivial ... but in truth they were the only way we learned anything at all" shows that these chores are essential for learning.
- "The data that later filled conference halls" connects the boring data collection to later, important scientific presentations.
- "There was a quiet dignity in that monotony" and "discovery is less a sudden spark than a slow, steady burn" show the author respects this slow, repetitive process. Put together, the author’s main point is that big discoveries depend on this kind of steady, monotonous work.
Eliminate choices that add ideas not in the passage
Now compare that overall message to the answer choices.
- Choice A says researchers were "frequently distracted by the dramatic landscape." The passage never says they were distracted; it says visitors made assumptions about the chores, and the author focuses on the work, not distraction. Eliminate A.
- Choice B says graduate students "exaggerate the hardships ... to impress others." The passage mentions a "half-frozen graduate student at 4:00 a.m.," but there is no suggestion of exaggeration or trying to impress anyone. Eliminate B.
- Choice C says "modern equipment has eliminated much of the monotonous labor." The passage is about 1978 and actually emphasizes that the work is monotonous; it doesn’t say anything about modern equipment removing that work. Eliminate C. Only one choice matches the idea that the repetitive tasks, though boring, are crucial to scientific discovery.
Match the remaining choice to the main idea
The remaining option is D) Scientific breakthroughs at polar stations are the result of tedious yet essential daily tasks. This exactly fits the passage: the "small, repetitive actions" and "monotony" (tedious) are "the only way we learned anything at all" and produce "the data that later filled conference halls" (scientific breakthroughs). So D correctly states the main idea.