SAT Reading & Writing · Central Ideas and Details
An archivist comparing drafts of a speech finds that the speaker repeatedly replaced absolute claims such as “this policy will eliminate…
An archivist comparing drafts of a speech finds that the speaker repeatedly replaced absolute claims such as “this policy will eliminate the problem” with narrower formulations such as “this policy can reduce the problem under these conditions.” The revisions did not weaken the speaker’s support for the policy; instead, they made the stated conclusions correspond more closely to the evidence cited in the speech.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Answer and explanation
Answer: C: The speaker revised the speech to make its claims more precisely match the limits of the evidence.
The passage emphasizes that the speaker retained the same policy position while narrowing claims to fit the evidence. C captures that purpose without overgeneralizing.
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