Question 55·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is adapted from a 2021 magazine article about urban community gardens.
When my neighbor Ms. Rivera invited me to visit the Maple Street Community Garden, I was expecting a few flowerpots. Instead I found a green maze of tomato vines, bean trellises, and bright marigolds. The gardeners welcomed me with baskets of cucumbers and stories about seedlings that had traveled across oceans. The sense of belonging I felt that afternoon stayed with me. A week later, I signed up for a plot, eager not just to grow my own vegetables but to be part of this generous circle of people.
According to the text, what motivated the author to join the Maple Street Community Garden?
For central idea and detail questions that ask what motivated someone, go straight to the part of the passage where a decision is made (often near the end) and underline the words that describe feelings, reasons, or goals. Paraphrase that sentence in your own words, then test each answer choice against the exact wording of the text, eliminating any option that introduces a new idea (like money, exercise, or special skills) that the passage never mentions. Always base your choice on explicit or clearly implied information, not on what might be true in real life.
Hints
Look at the end of the passage
Reread the final two sentences of the paragraph. That is where the narrator explains what led them to sign up for a garden plot.
Notice emotional words and phrases
Pay attention to phrases like “sense of belonging” and “eager not just to grow my own vegetables.” What feelings or goals do those words suggest?
Compare each choice with the text
Ask yourself: which option is directly supported by the narrator’s description of why they signed up, and which options add new reasons that are never mentioned in the passage?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate where the motivation is described
Focus on the end of the passage, especially the last two sentences: “The sense of belonging I felt that afternoon stayed with me. A week later, I signed up for a plot, eager not just to grow my own vegetables but to be part of this generous circle of people.” This is where the author directly explains why they decided to join.
Paraphrase the key idea in your own words
Put those sentences into simpler language: the narrator felt a strong sense of belonging with the gardeners, and when they signed up for their own plot, they were motivated not only by the chance to grow vegetables but by the desire to be with these kind, generous people.
Match that idea to the best answer choice
Now compare your paraphrase to each option. Eliminate choices that focus on things the passage does not mention as reasons (like saving money, exercising, or learning advanced skills). Keep the one that reflects joining because of the feeling of belonging and connection with the gardeners.
State the correct answer
The choice that best matches the narrator’s stated motivation—joining because of the feeling of belonging and wanting to be with a generous group of gardeners—is C) A wish to be part of a supportive community.