A main idea question about a study tests whether you can name what the researchers learned about the topic. Start by naming what the text is about, then separate what the researcher did from what the study found. Ask how the opening background helps explain the result. Predict the finding in one sentence that covers the whole text. Then check how much each choice claims, because a main idea shouldn't be stronger than the evidence.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at the two sentences about Ruiz. Separate what she compared from what she found.
- Hint 2
Check the strength of Ruiz's finding: how often did the snowfall pattern occur, and what reason does she give for it?
Step-by-step
Find what the study learned
Step 1Find the finding
The opening explains lake-effect snow: cold air over unfrozen lakes picks up heat and moisture. What does Ruiz's study add? Comparing the records is her method, or what she did. A main idea needs the finding, or what she learned, so let's follow She found that.
- Step 2
Connect the finding to its cause
How does ice cover relate to snowfall? Ruiz found that in years when less ice covered the lakes, nearby communities often received heavier lake-effect snow. More open water was exposed to cold air, so the air could take up more heat and moisture, as the opening describes. Let's predict the point: exposing more lake water can increase snow on nearby shores.
- Step 3
Check how strong the claim can be
How strong should the answer's claim be? Ruiz's word often means the pattern happened in many cases, without saying it happened every time. The choice with can contribute allows for years without heavier snow while naming the link between reduced ice and early-winter snowfall. Choice B.