How can we determine the main idea in a piece of writing? What are some things to look for when determining the main idea?

Read the excerpt from “man listening to disc.” to tommy potter for taking the time to join us on this breezy afternoon with his most unwieldy bass and to the esteemed arthur taylor who is somehow managing to navigate this crowd with his cumbersome drums. and i bow deeply to thelonious monk for figuring out a way to motorize—or whatever—his huge piano so he could be with us today. which of the following additional features would best enhance the reader’s understanding of this excerpt? a diagram showing the narrator’s route through the city a visual simulation of the man walking down the street audio samples of music by the specified musicians textbook chapters on the history of jazz musicians

In this excerpt from "a modest proposal" by jonathan swift, which important issue does the writer deal with using a satirical tone? some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and i have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. but i am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. and as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. they cannot get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come. a. old, sickly people cannot be hired as laborers because they don't have the physical stamina required for the job. b. old, sickly people and young laborers are useless to the nation because they cannot be productive citizens. c. the economy of the nation is burdened by the poor, the old, and the sickly who survive on charity and handouts. d. the living conditions of the poor and their lack of employment opportunities are serious concerns for the nation. reset next

Read the excerpt from “take the tortillas out of your poetry.” i do not believe we should have to leave out the crucial elements of our language and culture to contribute to american literature, but, unfortunately, this is a conclusion i am forced to reach. i have been writing for a quarter century, and have been a published author for eighteen years. as a writer, i was part of the chicano movement which created a new literature in this country. which type of rhetoric is used most in the excerpt to convince readers that anaya’s conclusion is accurate? an appeal based on emotion an appeal based on logic an appeal based on the author’s character an appeal based on the author’s feelings