Question

read the passage.

the iron mountain

when british explorer sir john ross encountered inuit greenlanders wielding iron tools in 1818, he was mystified; after all, they did not have the technology to extract iron from ore. they told ross that their iron source was a saviksoah—an \iron mountain\—but refused to disclose its location. scientists back in britain partially solved the puzzle by analyzing some of the tools and determining that they likely came from a meteorite. subsequently, several other explorers attempted, and failed, to confirm the sources existence. in 1894, however, american explorer robert peary had better luck. the inuits were now obtaining iron through trade; they no longer needed the iron mountain and were willing to reveal it. a guide led peary to three meteorites, which are currently housed in new yorks american museum of natural history. the most massive, called ahnighito, weighs thirty tons and is the largest meteorite in any museum.

what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

inuits in greenland described the source of their iron tools as an iron mountain.

the greenlanders mysterious iron mountain was eventually revealed to be three large meteorites.

in 1894, robert peary successfully located three massive meteorites in greenland.

Explanation:

The passage traces the mystery of the Inuit Greenlanders' iron source: starting with Ross's confusion, scientific clues pointing to meteorites, failed exploration attempts, and finally Peary discovering the source was three large meteorites. The first option is only a small detail, the third is a specific event, while the second captures the full arc of the mystery and its resolution.

Answer:

The Greenlanders' mysterious iron mountain was eventually revealed to be three large meteorites.