Question 74·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is adapted from Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 work Walden.
Most people, it seems to me, rush through their days, laboring to acquire possessions they scarcely have time to enjoy. Seeing little sense in such pursuits, I built a modest cabin on the quiet shore of Walden Pond. There I resolved to discover how little a person truly needs in order to live contentedly.
Which choice best states the central claim of the text?
For central-claim questions, first read the entire passage or paragraph and briefly restate its main point in your own words before looking at the choices. Then eliminate answers that (1) focus on a minor detail, (2) add extreme ideas not in the text, or (3) reverse the author’s attitude. Choose the option that best captures both the author’s overall opinion and any key action or decision they describe, without adding or twisting information.
Hints
Look at the whole passage, not just one sentence
Reread the entire passage and ask: What overall point is the author making about how most people live and what he chooses to do instead?
Focus on the author’s attitude
Pay attention to phrases like "rush through their days" and "seeing little sense in such pursuits." Do these sound approving or critical of how people usually live?
Connect the problem to the author’s solution
The first part of the passage describes a problem the author sees in society. The later sentences describe what he decides to do in response. Which answer choice includes both the problem and his response?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks for the central claim of the text. That means you need an answer that summarizes the main point of the whole passage, not just a small detail from one sentence.
Understand the first sentence
Look at the first sentence: "Most people, it seems to me, rush through their days, laboring to acquire possessions they scarcely have time to enjoy." This shows the author’s opinion that:
- Most people hurry through life.
- They work hard to get possessions.
- They hardly have time to enjoy those possessions.
The tone suggests a criticism of this way of living, not approval.
Understand the rest of the passage
Now read the next two sentences: "Seeing little sense in such pursuits, I built a modest cabin on the quiet shore of Walden Pond. There I resolved to discover how little a person truly needs in order to live contentedly."
From this, we learn that:
- The author rejects the usual pursuit of many possessions (he sees "little sense" in it).
- He chooses to build a simple, modest cabin in nature.
- His goal is to find out how little a person needs to be content.
So the second part of the passage describes his alternative to the lifestyle he criticizes in the first sentence.
Match the combined idea to the answer choices
The central claim must bring together both ideas:
- A negative view of people rushing to acquire possessions they don’t enjoy.
- The author’s decision to live simply in nature instead.
Choice C, "People often waste their lives pursuing material wealth, so the author decided to live simply in nature," is the only option that clearly captures both the criticism of materialism and the author’s contrasting choice at Walden Pond. Therefore, C is the correct answer.