Question 142·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
Historian Lila Morales set out to learn what early railroad workers worried about most during the late 1800s. She examined over 200 personal diaries kept by conductors, engineers, and track laborers. Morales was surprised to find that references to train accidents were rare, while entries complaining of exhausting shifts appeared almost daily. On this basis, she concluded that the workers saw accidents as uncommon events; instead, their chief concern was the long hours they were required to work.
According to the passage, what did Morales determine was the primary concern of early railroad workers?
For “According to the passage” detail questions, first underline the key task words (here, “determine” and “primary concern”), then go back to the passage and find the sentence that directly states the conclusion or main point. Pay special attention to contrast words like “but,” “however,” and “instead,” because they often introduce the author’s main idea. Once you locate the exact phrase that answers the question, choose the option that closely paraphrases that wording and eliminate choices that introduce ideas not mentioned or that contradict the passage.
Hints
Find where Morales states her conclusion
Look for the sentence that begins with “On this basis, she concluded…”—that is where the author tells you Morales’s final judgment.
Use the contrast in the sentence
In that sentence, notice the word “instead.” What is the thing that comes after “instead,” and how does it relate to what workers were most worried about?
Focus on the phrase after “chief concern”
Identify the phrase that comes right after “their chief concern was…” and then look for the answer choice that best restates that idea.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks: According to the passage, what did Morales determine was the primary concern of early railroad workers?
This means you are looking for Morales’s conclusion about what workers worried about most, not just any detail from the passage.
Locate Morales’s conclusion in the passage
Scan the passage for where Morales draws a conclusion. That happens in the sentence starting with “On this basis, she concluded…”.
This sentence directly states what she inferred from the diaries about the workers’ main worry.
Pay attention to contrast words
In that key sentence, notice the contrast signaled by “instead”. Before it, she explains that accidents were rare in the diaries. After “instead,” she tells you what she believes was the workers’ chief concern.
Focus on the phrase following “their chief concern was…”—that phrase answers the question directly.
Match the conclusion to the answer choice
The passage says the workers’ chief concern was the long hours they were required to work. Among the choices, this matches choice A) The length of the shifts they were expected to work, so A is correct.