Question

Half of this biocontainment operation was going to be news containment. C. J. Peters's comments to The Washington Post were designed to create an impression that the situation was under control, safe, and not all that interesting. C. J. was understating the gravity of the situation. But he could be very smooth when he wanted, and he used his friendliest voice with the reporters, assuring them over the telephone that there really was no problem, just kind of a routine technical situation. Somehow the reporters concluded that the sick monkeys had been "destroyed as a precaution" when in fact the nightmare, and the reason for troops, was that the animals hadn't been destroyed.

–The Hot Zone,
Richard Preston

Read the excerpt from The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, then use the drop-down menus to answer the questions.

What is the topic of the passage?



What is the central idea of the passage?



Which detail supports the central idea?

Answer 1

What is the topic of the passage?
- News containment during a biocontainment operation (C. J. Peters's comments to reporters)

What is the central idea of the passage?
- C. J. Peters deliberately downplayed the seriousness of the situation to the press to create the impression it was under control, even though the situation was actually dangerous because the infected monkeys had not been destroyed.

Which detail supports the central idea?
- "Somehow the reporters concluded that the sick monkeys had been 'destroyed as a precaution' when in fact ... the animals hadn't been destroyed."