Question 126·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
Many scholars attribute the resilience of medieval European cities in recovering from repeated fires to improvements in firefighting technology. However, analysis of municipal records indicates that the chief factor was actually changes in urban governance: ordinances mandating wider streets, stone construction, and communal water cisterns reduced both the frequency and severity of fires. Firefighting tools certainly played a role, but to regard them as the primary driver is to ignore the administrative reforms that made cities less flammable in the first place.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main-idea questions, first read the passage looking for the author’s overall claim, paying special attention to contrast words like “however,” “but,” and phrases like “the chief factor” or “the primary driver.” Summarize the author’s point in your own simple sentence, then test each answer against that summary: eliminate options that (1) contradict which side the author favors, (2) say the factors are equal when the passage picks a side, or (3) add new claims or causes not mentioned. Choose the answer that matches both the author’s conclusion and the relative importance of the ideas discussed.
Hints
Locate the author’s opinion
Focus on the sentence starting with “However” and the one that includes “to regard them as the primary driver.” What view is the author arguing for, and what view is the author pushing back against?
Compare importance of the two factors
Ask yourself: according to the passage, which mattered more for cities’ resilience—firefighting tools or changes in governance—or were they exactly equally important?
Watch out for new or twisted ideas
Eliminate any answer choice that introduces a cause-and-effect relationship or detail that the passage never mentions, even if it uses some of the same words (like “stone construction” or “wider streets”).
Check that the answer matches the whole passage
Make sure the option you choose fits both the beginning (what scholars think) and the end (what the author concludes), not just one part.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the passage is mostly about
Read the passage and ask: What topic is the author discussing overall?
Here, the whole passage is about why medieval European cities were able to recover from repeated fires. It compares two possible explanations:
- Improvements in firefighting technology
- Changes in urban governance (laws about streets, building materials, cisterns)
Find the author’s main claim
Look for contrast words like “However” and for any clear value judgments like “chief factor” or “primary driver.”
Key parts:
- “Many scholars attribute the resilience ... to improvements in firefighting technology. However, analysis ... indicates that the chief factor was actually changes in urban governance...”
- “Firefighting tools certainly played a role, but to regard them as the primary driver is to ignore the administrative reforms...”
These lines show that the author:
- Disagrees with the scholars who think technology was the main cause
- Argues that governance reforms were more important, while still admitting that technology helped somewhat.
Check which options match that main claim
Now compare each answer choice to the main idea you just found.
Ask of each choice:
- Does it show that both technology and governance mattered, but governance mattered more?
- Or does it say something different, like technology being most important, both being equal, or something not in the passage at all?
Eliminate any answer that:
- Contradicts the passage’s claim about which factor was more important
- Claims both factors were equal
- Introduces ideas the passage never mentions (like one factor causing the other)
Choose the answer that matches the author’s view
The correct choice must:
- Acknowledge that firefighting technology did help the cities
- Clearly state that reforms in urban governance (ordinances, administrative changes) were more decisive or the main factor.
Only Although new firefighting technology helped medieval European cities recover from fires, reforms in urban governance were the more decisive factor. accurately captures the passage’s main idea.