Question 9·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
Alexander von Humboldt is frequently celebrated as the first thinker to articulate the modern idea of an interconnected “web of life,” a claim repeated in countless environmental histories. Yet a survey of Humboldt’s notebooks and published works indicates that he employed web imagery only sporadically, chiefly when rebutting contemporaries who insisted that plants could be classified without regard to climate or soil. The grand, system-spanning ecological vision now associated with him arose decades after his death, when early twentieth-century conservationists—seeking an intellectual ancestor whose prestige could legitimize their nascent discipline—canonized Humboldt as ecology’s founding prophet.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main-idea questions, first read the entire passage (or paragraph) and then briefly summarize it in your own words, paying special attention to the beginning and the end, where the author usually sets up and resolves the main point. Look for contrast words like "yet," "but," or "however" that show how the author challenges a common belief or shifts direction. Once you have a one-sentence summary in mind, eliminate answer choices that (1) only mention part of that summary, (2) focus on a minor detail, or (3) introduce strong claims or new information not in the passage. Choose the option that best captures the full argument without exaggeration.
Hints
Locate the contrast in the passage
Notice the word "Yet" starting the second sentence. What is the common belief stated in the first sentence, and how does the rest of the paragraph challenge or complicate that belief?
Restate the author’s claim
Try to say in one sentence what the author is arguing about Humboldt’s connection to the "web of life" idea. Think about what the evidence from his notebooks and the description of early 20th-century conservationists suggest.
Check for completeness, not just accuracy
When you look at the answer choices, ask: Does this choice cover both how Humboldt is seen today and what the passage says actually happened over time? Avoid answers that only mention one side or that introduce ideas the passage never discusses.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks for the main idea of the text. That means you need the overall point the author is making about Humboldt and the "web of life," not a minor detail or an extreme claim.
Summarize the passage in your own words
Break the paragraph into parts:
- Sentence 1: Humboldt is frequently celebrated as the first person to express the modern "web of life" idea, and this claim appears in many environmental histories.
- Sentence 2: But a review of his actual writings shows he used web imagery only occasionally, and mainly in a narrow context (arguing against botanists who ignored climate and soil).
- Sentence 3: The big, sweeping ecological vision we now link to him only appeared decades after his death, when early 20th-century conservationists, wanting a respected "intellectual ancestor" to legitimize their new field, canonized him as ecology’s founding prophet.
Put simply: Today people credit Humboldt with a big "web of life" idea, but the evidence shows he didn’t really develop it; instead, later conservationists built that reputation for their own purposes.
Match that summary to the kind of answer you need
The correct main-idea answer must:
- Acknowledge that Humboldt is widely celebrated or hailed for the web-of-life concept (modern perception).
- Explain that his writings only used this imagery in a limited way (he didn’t fully develop the modern vision).
- Emphasize that later conservationists constructed or amplified his reputation to serve their needs.
Keep these three elements in mind as you test each choice.
Eliminate choices that are too narrow or add unsupported claims
Now compare each option to the summary:
- Choice A focuses on Humboldt’s limited use of web imagery and says he never fully developed the concept. That matches part of the passage (sentences 1–2) but says nothing about the crucial role of later conservationists in building his reputation, so it misses the main point.
- Choice C focuses heavily on early 20th-century conservationists and claims their actions "ultimately distorted ecological science," which the passage never states. That last idea is an unsupported extra.
- Choice D says modern histories wrongly credit Humboldt with coining the phrase "web of life" and that they overlook earlier thinkers. The passage never mentions who coined the phrase or any earlier thinkers, so this is off-topic.
Only one choice includes both the widespread modern credit and the idea that this reputation was largely constructed later by conservationists seeking a prestigious ancestor. That choice is B) Although Humboldt is widely hailed as the originator of the web-of-life concept, his reputation for that idea was chiefly manufactured by later conservationists who needed a venerable forebear.