Question

text 1
at the beginning of the civil war, congress suggested presenting medals to the bravest members of the navy. congress later realized that they should reward brave soldiers in the army, too. abraham lincoln, the president at the time, agreed and signed a bill establishing an award for navy and army soldiers. this award became known as the medal of honor, and it was given to the most fearless fighters during the civil war.

text 2
the medal of honor is the highest military award that can be presented to an american. the medal recognizes those who have demonstrated an unexpected level of bravery in battle. many of those who earned the medal of honor risked their lives to save others. people who are recognized with a medal of honor are given the award at a special ceremony. they are also sometimes given other benefits, such as increased retirement pay and invitations to special ceremonies.

which sentence best combines the main, or central, ideas of both texts?
the u.s. started awarding the medal of honor during the civil war, and it remains a great honor to receive this award.
recipients of the medal of honor enjoy many perks, including higher retirement pay and invitations to special ceremonies.

Explanation:

Text 1 focuses on the origin of the Medal of Honor as an award created during the U.S. Civil War for Navy and Army soldiers. Text 2 covers that it is the highest U.S. military award for bravery, plus the benefits recipients get. The first option combines the origin (Civil War start) and the status of the award as a great honor, which covers the core ideas of both texts. The second option only addresses the benefits from Text 2, missing the origin context from Text 1.

Answer:

The U.S. started awarding the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and it remains a great honor to receive this award.