Question 85·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel The Secret Garden. Mary Lennox has just slipped through a hidden door into an abandoned garden.
Mary had imagined the place would be dark and dreary, smothered by briars. Instead, the wall she leaned against was warm with sunlight, and golden patches fell across crooked, grass-grown paths. The stillness smelled of fresh earth and something sweet she could not yet name. Though the branches were twisted and the flower beds were in ruin, Mary felt her heart beat faster with delight, as if the sleeping garden had been waiting all this time for her alone.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main idea questions, first read the entire passage and ask yourself in your own words: "What is happening overall, and how does the narrator or main character feel about it?" Underline key description and emotion words, then quickly summarize the paragraph in one simple sentence. Next, eliminate any choices that (1) contradict the tone (positive vs. negative), (2) focus on a minor detail instead of the whole passage, or (3) introduce people, events, or motives not mentioned in the text. The remaining choice that best matches your summary and the passage’s tone is usually correct.
Hints
Look for contrast
Underline the sentence where Mary imagines what the garden will be like, and then the description of what she actually finds. How are those different?
Pay attention to emotion words
Find the words or phrases that show how Mary feels in this moment (for example, any mentions of her heart or her mood). Are those feelings positive or negative?
Watch out for extra information
Check each answer choice for ideas or people that never appear in the paragraph. Any choice that brings in outside information cannot be the main idea.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what “main idea” means
The question asks for the main idea of the text, which means the overall point or most important message of the entire paragraph—not a small detail. For a short passage like this, the main idea is usually captured by how the situation is described plus how the character feels about it.
Track Mary’s expectations vs. reality
First, notice what Mary expected: the garden would be "dark and dreary, smothered by briars." That’s a negative image. Then look at what she actually finds: "warm with sunlight," "golden patches," "fresh earth," and "something sweet she could not yet name." This contrast shows that the reality of the garden is different from what she imagined.
Identify Mary’s feelings about the garden
Focus on the words that describe Mary’s emotions: "Mary felt her heart beat faster with delight," and it was "as if the sleeping garden had been waiting all this time for her alone." These phrases show that she feels excited, happy, and specially connected to the garden, even though it is neglected ("branches were twisted" and "flower beds were in ruin"). Her reaction is clearly positive and hopeful.
Match the main idea to the best answer choice
Now compare each option to what you found:
- One option says she is disappointed and sees only a tangle of weeds, which conflicts with "delight" and the warm, sweet description.
- Another says she is uneasy about trespassing and wishes she had stayed outside, but the passage never mentions fear, guilt, or wanting to leave.
- A third says she remembers lessons from her uncle, but no uncle or lessons appear in the text.
- The remaining choice describes Mary being surprised and thrilled by the unexpected beauty and promise she finds in the neglected garden, which fits both the contrast between her expectations and reality and her delighted, hopeful reaction. That is the best statement of the main idea.