Question

Which of these are the best places to find clues to the central idea of a passage?

(a) the date of publication
(b) the spelling of the author’s name
(c) the headings and subheadings
(d) the glossary
(f) the title

Answer 1

(c) and (f).

The title often signals the main topic or central idea, and headings/subheadings outline the main points and structure of the passage. The date or spelling of the author’s name are not helpful for the central idea; a glossary only defines terms, which may help but doesn’t directly state the central idea.