Question

read the passage.
publishing doctor zhivago
boris pasternak’s 1956 novel doctor zhivago tells the story of a russian doctor living at the time of the 1917 russian revolution, which led to the establishment of the soviet union. because the book dealt with hardships people faced after the revolution, publishers in the soviet union refused to release it, calling it anti - soviet. pasternak’s solution was to have the book smuggled out of the soviet union and published in europe. though soviet authorities tried to prevent it, the book was published in italy in 1957 and was immediately well received. in 1958, it was translated into english and went on to become one of the most popular novels of the 1950s.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
doctor zhivago showed the problems that russians faced following the russian revolution, so it was considered anti - soviet.
boris pasternak couldnt get his book doctor zhivago published in the soviet union, so he had the book smuggled out of the country.

Explanation:

The passage focuses on how Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago" was refused publication in the Soviet Union (due to its content about post - revolution hardships being seen as anti - Soviet), so he smuggled it out to be published in Europe, and then it became popular. The first option only focuses on why it was considered anti - Soviet, not the main action of publishing. The second option captures the main event of the book not being published in the USSR and the solution of smuggling it out.

Answer:

Boris Pasternak couldn't get his book Doctor Zhivago published in the Soviet Union, so he had the book smuggled out of the country.