Question

read the passage.
blooms in death valley
in march 2016, death valley national park in california experienced a rare occurrence: thousands of yellow wildflowers covered the region in a \super bloom.\ why was this unusual? death valley is the hottest and driest place in north america. the areas average yearly precipitation is just two inches, making it a challenging place for flowers to grow. however, in october 2015, the valley had received more than three inches of rain in some areas. as a result of the unusually wet season, wildflower seeds that had been lying dormant underground suddenly began to grow, producing an abundance of golden blooms.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
because of an unusual amount of rain, thousands of wildflowers grew in death valley in 2016.
because of the hot, dry conditions in death valley, it is difficult for flowers to grow there.

Explanation:

The passage focuses on the rare 2016 "super bloom" in Death Valley, explaining that the unusual event was caused by an unexpected heavy rain in 2015 that triggered dormant wildflower seeds to grow. The detail about Death Valley's dry, harsh conditions sets up why the bloom was rare, but the central idea is the cause and occurrence of the 2016 wildflower growth.

Answer:

Because of an unusual amount of rain, thousands of wildflowers grew in Death Valley in 2016.