Question 44·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
A neighborhood public library recently launched a Seed Library. Patrons can check out packets of vegetable, herb, or flower seeds much like they would a book. The library offers brief instructions on planting and asks borrowers to collect some seeds from their mature plants and return them at the end of the growing season so others can borrow them in the future.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main-idea questions, first cover the answer choices and briefly summarize the passage in your own words in 5–10 seconds. Then scan each option and eliminate any that introduce new ideas, specific details (like money, age groups, or schedules) that the passage never mentions, or extreme claims (like replacing all books). From the remaining choices, pick the one that best captures what happens throughout the whole passage—not just one sentence—and especially what is repeated or emphasized, such as processes or purposes described from start to finish.
Hints
Think about the whole passage
Before looking at the choices, ask yourself: in one simple sentence, what is this text mainly describing?
Watch out for extra details
Be careful with answer choices that bring in ideas not mentioned in the text, such as money, age groups, or replacing other library services.
Focus on what happens with the seeds
Pay close attention to what the passage says people do with the seeds they borrow and what they are asked to do after the plants grow.
Check for community and continuity
Ask yourself: how does the passage show that the program benefits other people in the future, not just the original borrower?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the question
You are being asked for the main idea of the text, not a small detail. The main idea is what the whole passage is mostly about, in one clear sentence.
Summarize the passage in your own words
Put the passage into a simple summary: a public library has started a Seed Library where people can check out seed packets, get brief planting instructions, and are asked to collect seeds from the plants they grow and bring those seeds back for others to borrow in the future.
Identify key concepts
Notice the key points:
- It is a library program involving borrowing seeds.
- The library gives planting instructions.
- Borrowers are asked to return seeds from their mature plants.
- These returned seeds will be used by future borrowers. These ideas together emphasize a cycle of borrowing and returning seeds so the community can keep using them.
Eliminate options that add new or incorrect details
Check each answer choice against the passage:
- Does the passage say the library wants to replace books with seeds? No.
- Does it mention children or weekly classes? No.
- Does it say there is a fee before borrowing? No. Any choice that adds these ideas cannot be the main idea.
Match the choice that reflects sharing and ongoing seed use
Only one option focuses on the borrowing of seeds, the return of seeds from harvested plants, and the library’s role in supporting this ongoing sharing. That choice is: “The Seed Library encourages local gardeners to share and replenish seeds they have borrowed, turning the library into a hub for sustainable gardening.” This directly matches the description in the passage, so it is the best statement of the main idea.