Question 93·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
Scientists investigating early childhood language development have long debated whether exposing infants to multiple languages confuses them or confers benefits. In a longitudinal study, researcher Emily Bialystok tracked children raised in bilingual households and found that, by kindergarten, those children outperformed their monolingual peers on tasks measuring attentional control and problem-switching. Her team concludes that early bilingual exposure can strengthen cognitive systems rather than impede them.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main idea questions, paraphrase the passage in one sentence, giving extra weight to the author’s conclusion (often in the final sentence). Then choose the option that captures the full scope and direction of the passage’s point, and eliminate choices that are either too general (topic only), too narrow (one study detail), or that conflict with the stated conclusion.
Hints
Locate the author’s conclusion
Focus on the last sentence of the passage. It contains the phrase "Her team concludes that..." What overall claim do they make there?
Connect the beginning and the end
The first sentence introduces a debate (confuses vs. benefits). How does the study and the final conclusion answer that debate?
Eliminate answers that are too narrow or off-topic
Ask for each choice: Does this cover the whole paragraph’s point, or just one detail (like a type of task), or something not actually discussed?
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify what the question is asking
The question asks for the main idea of the text. That means you should look for the overall point the author makes, not just an interesting detail or example.
Ask yourself: If you had to summarize the entire paragraph in one clear sentence, what would it be?
Summarize the passage in your own words
Go sentence by sentence:
- First sentence: Scientists debate whether multiple languages confuse infants or benefit them.
- Second sentence: A study by Emily Bialystok followed bilingual children and found they did better than monolingual children on attentional control and problem-switching tasks.
- Third sentence: Her team concludes that early bilingual exposure can strengthen cognitive systems rather than impede them.
So the passage moves from a debate, to evidence from a study, to a clear conclusion based on that evidence.
Identify where the main idea is stated most clearly
On SAT passages like this, the main idea is often expressed most directly in the final sentence, especially when it includes words like "concludes" or "shows." Here, the third sentence gives the researchers’ conclusion, which directly answers the initial debate about confusion vs. benefits.
That final conclusion—based on the study results—is what the whole paragraph is built to support, so it represents the main idea.
Match the main idea to the correct choice
Now compare each answer choice to the passage’s overall conclusion:
- The best choice must (1) address early bilingual exposure and (2) capture that it helps children’s cognitive systems rather than hurting them.
The choice that matches this is: Early bilingual exposure bolsters children’s cognitive control rather than hindering their development.