Question

Studies continue to prove that if a girl stays in school she will strengthen her family, community, and nation. A long list of benefits of educating a girl in a developing country compiled by the World Health Organization includes later marriages, smaller families, better hygiene, greatly increased likelihood that further children will receive education, and my favorite – greater confidence. A bicycle is a simple, sustainable tool that eases long travel distances and encourages girls to stay in school.

—Foreword to Wheels of Change,
Leah Missbach Day

What is the central idea of this passage from the foreword?

Women who ride bicycles have better hygiene and smaller families.
Bicycles give women an outlet to avoid marriage.
Women who ride bicycles can change the world.
Bicycles provide independence for women by enabling their education.

Answer 1

Bicycles provide independence for women by enabling their education.

Explanation: The passage links girls staying in school to many social benefits and then states that bicycles help girls stay in school by easing long travel distances, so the central idea is that bicycles support girls' education and independence.