Question

Read the paragraph from The Hot Zone and the summary that follows it.

Once the cells in a biological machine stop working, it can never be started again. It goes into a cascade of decay, falling toward disorder and randomness. Except in the case of viruses. They can turn off and go dead. Then, if they come in contact with a living system, they switch on and multiply. The only thing that "lived" inside this monkey was the unknown agent, and it was dead, for the time being. It was not multiplying or doing anything, since the monkey's cells were dead. But if the agent touched living cells, Nancy's cells, it would come alive and begin to amplify itself. In theory, it could amplify itself around the world in the human species.
Summary of central idea: It is petrifying that even if viruses are dead, they have the potential to "come alive.”

Which changes should be made to improve this summary of the paragraph’s central idea? Select two options.

Remove the phrase “It is petrifying” because it expresses a personal feeling.
Include the detail that there was a dead virus living inside the monkey.
Remove the detail that viruses can come alive even if they are dead.
Add the phrase “and spread throughout the human species” to the end of the statement to more fully express the central idea.
Add a personal opinion about what may happen if the virus does “come alive

Answer 1

Select these two options:

- Remove the phrase “It is petrifying” because it expresses a personal feeling.
- Add the phrase “and spread throughout the human species” to the end of the statement to more fully express the central idea.

Rationale: removing the emotional wording makes the summary objective, and adding the spread detail captures the paragraph’s warning that a dormant virus could reactivate and amplify through humans.