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Main idea of a short academic text (SAT)

11th grade (Year 12 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: RI.11-12.2, RL.11-12.2 · England: SAT Reading and Writing (Central Ideas and Details), ACT Reading

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Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 1

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. AI will soon replace all artists.
    • B. Only trained artists should make images.
    • C. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • D. Photography destroyed painting.

  1. Question 2

    Many people believe that the 'five-second rule' protects food dropped on the floor. In an experiment, scientists dropped foods onto surfaces contaminated with bacteria and measured how much transferred. Bacteria reached wet foods like watermelon in under a second, though dry foods such as sweets picked up fewer bacteria over time. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.
    • B. Watermelon is healthier than sweets.
    • C. Scientists enjoy dropping food.
    • D. Floors are always clean enough to eat from.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 3

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • B. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • C. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • D. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.

  1. Question 4

    Before the printing press, books were copied by hand, which could take months. Printing made books far cheaper and faster to produce, helping ideas spread across Europe. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Copying by hand was a popular hobby.
    • B. Books took months to read.
    • C. Europe had few books.
    • D. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 5

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • B. AI will soon replace all artists.
    • C. Only trained artists should make images.
    • D. Photography destroyed painting.

  1. Question 6

    Many people believe that the 'five-second rule' protects food dropped on the floor. In an experiment, scientists dropped foods onto surfaces contaminated with bacteria and measured how much transferred. Bacteria reached wet foods like watermelon in under a second, though dry foods such as sweets picked up fewer bacteria over time. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Watermelon is healthier than sweets.
    • B. Scientists enjoy dropping food.
    • C. Floors are always clean enough to eat from.
    • D. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 7

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • B. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • C. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • D. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  1. Question 8

    Before the printing press, books were copied by hand, which could take months. Printing made books far cheaper and faster to produce, helping ideas spread across Europe. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.
    • B. Books took months to read.
    • C. Copying by hand was a popular hobby.
    • D. Europe had few books.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 9

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • B. Photography destroyed painting.
    • C. Only trained artists should make images.
    • D. AI will soon replace all artists.

  1. Question 10

    Many people believe that the 'five-second rule' protects food dropped on the floor. In an experiment, scientists dropped foods onto surfaces contaminated with bacteria and measured how much transferred. Bacteria reached wet foods like watermelon in under a second, though dry foods such as sweets picked up fewer bacteria over time. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Scientists enjoy dropping food.
    • B. Watermelon is healthier than sweets.
    • C. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.
    • D. Floors are always clean enough to eat from.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 11

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.
    • B. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • C. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • D. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  1. Question 12

    Before the printing press, books were copied by hand, which could take months. Printing made books far cheaper and faster to produce, helping ideas spread across Europe. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Copying by hand was a popular hobby.
    • B. Books took months to read.
    • C. Europe had few books.
    • D. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.

Two Views on AI and Art

Text 1. When photography was invented, some painters declared that art was dead. Instead, painting changed: freed from the need to record reality, artists explored colour, emotion and abstraction. Image-generating AI may play a similar role. Used as a tool, it can help people sketch ideas quickly, test compositions and bring visual thinking to those who never trained as artists. The question is not whether AI will end art, but what new kinds of art people will make with it. Text 2. Comparisons with photography are tempting but misleading. A camera records the world; many AI image tools are trained on millions of existing artworks, often without their creators' permission or payment. Until artists can choose whether their work is used, and are fairly credited, it is hard to call this simply a new tool. The problem is not the technology itself but the way it has been built.

  1. Question 13

    Read "Two Views on AI and Art". Which choice best states the main idea of Text 1?

    • A. Only trained artists should make images.
    • B. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.
    • C. Photography destroyed painting.
    • D. AI will soon replace all artists.

  1. Question 14

    In many cities, the hottest neighbourhoods are those with the fewest trees and the most paved surfaces. Researchers in several countries have found that planting street trees and adding green roofs can lower local summer temperatures by several degrees, reducing health risks during heatwaves. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.
    • B. Paved surfaces are cheaper than trees.
    • C. Heatwaves only happen in large cities.
    • D. Green roofs are difficult to build.

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 15

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • B. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • C. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • D. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.

  1. Question 16

    The composer Florence Price became the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra, in 1933. Her music blended European classical forms with African American spirituals. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Florence Price was a groundbreaking composer who combined different musical traditions.
    • B. Orchestras only played European music.
    • C. Symphonies are very long.
    • D. Florence Price was a famous singer.

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Answer key: Main idea of a short academic text (SAT)

  1. 1. C. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

  2. 2. A. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.

  3. 3. A. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  4. 4. D. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.

  5. 5. A. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

  6. 6. D. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.

  7. 7. D. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  8. 8. A. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.

  9. 9. A. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

  10. 10. C. An experiment shows bacteria can transfer to dropped food almost instantly, especially to wet foods.

  11. 11. D. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  12. 12. D. The printing press made books cheaper and helped ideas spread.

  13. 13. B. Like photography, AI may change art rather than end it, acting as a new creative tool.

  14. 14. A. Adding greenery to cities can cool hot neighbourhoods and reduce heat-related risks.

  15. 15. B. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  16. 16. A. Florence Price was a groundbreaking composer who combined different musical traditions.