Question 26·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is from an 1874 letter written by botanist Clara Rutherford to her colleague Mr. Boyd while she was conducting field research in the Scottish Highlands.
You speak of the Highlands as if they were a lonely wilderness, but I have found them teeming with conversation. The heather talks in purple sentences, the larks deliver morning speeches, and even the stones seem to counsel patience. If one walks with an attentive ear, one has no chance to feel abandoned; the landscape insists upon being heard.
What is Rutherford’s central claim about the Highlands in this passage?
For central idea or central claim questions, first read the passage (or excerpt) straight through, then ask yourself in your own words: “What is the author mainly saying about the topic?” Pay close attention to contrast words like “but,” “however,” or “yet,” since they often introduce the author’s real viewpoint. Then, scan the answer choices and eliminate any that (1) bring in ideas not mentioned in the text, (2) contradict key lines, or (3) focus on minor details instead of the overall message. Finally, pick the choice that best matches your own quick paraphrase of the author’s main point.
Hints
Check who is being answered or corrected
Look closely at the first sentence: Rutherford says, “You speak of the Highlands as if they were a lonely wilderness, but…” Is she agreeing with that description, or is she pushing back against it?
Pay attention to key descriptive phrases
Reread the phrases “teeming with conversation” and “no chance to feel abandoned.” Ask yourself: Do these phrases make the Highlands sound positive or negative? Empty or full?
Use the overall mood to eliminate choices
Think about the mood created by images like “larks deliver morning speeches” and “stones seem to counsel patience.” Then remove any answer choices that describe the Highlands in a way that clashes with that mood.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks for Rutherford’s central claim about the Highlands in this short passage. That means you need to identify her main point or overall message, not a small detail. Read the whole passage, but pay special attention to the opening sentence and any clear contrasts she makes.
Focus on the contrast in the first sentence
Look at the first sentence: “You speak of the Highlands as if they were a lonely wilderness, but I have found them teeming with conversation.”
- She reports how Mr. Boyd talks about the Highlands: “a lonely wilderness.”
- Then she uses the word “but” to introduce her own different view: she finds them “teeming with conversation.” This shows she is challenging the idea that the Highlands are lonely or empty.
Interpret her descriptions of the landscape
Rutherford uses personification to describe the Highlands:
- “The heather talks in purple sentences”
- “the larks deliver morning speeches”
- “even the stones seem to counsel patience”
- “If one walks with an attentive ear, one has no chance to feel abandoned; the landscape insists upon being heard.” These images make the place seem alive, comforting, and full of presence, not silent, harsh, or frightening. Keep that overall feeling in mind when you look at the answer choices.
Match the overall idea to the answer choices
Now compare each option to Rutherford’s main message:
- (A) talks about harsh climate and not being able to study, which is never mentioned.
- (B) says the wildlife is aggressive, but she describes nature as speaking and counseling, not attacking.
- (D) says isolation causes profound sadness, but she says there is “no chance to feel abandoned.” The only option that matches her view that the Highlands are not actually lonely or empty, but full of life and presence is (C) The region is far less desolate than commonly believed.