Question

select the correct answer. read the following excerpt from eleanor roosevelt’s speech “what libraries mean to the nation.” i know one place in the northern part of the state where i camped for a while in the summer, and i went to the school and talked to the teachers. they are using school books which have been passed down from one child to another. they have practically no books outside of the textbooks. the children in the district are so poor and some of them so pathetic that i suppose the struggle to live has been so great you could not think much about what you fed the mind, but i came away feeling that right there, in one of the biggest and richest states in the county, we had a big area that needed books and needed libraries to help these schools in the education of the children, and, even more, to help the whole community to learn to live through their minds. we are doing a tremendous amount through the home economics colleges to help people to learn how to live in their homes, to better their standards of material living. we have got to think in exactly the same way about helping them to live mentally and to attain better standards, and we can do it only through the children. we can do ground work with the children, we must begin with them, but we have got to do a tremendous amount with the older people. what is one central idea of roosevelt’s writing? a. the need for efforts that are focused on teaching children to read b. the need to educate parents and children about the value of books c. the need for libraries in order to help improve people’s overall quality of life d. the need to prioritize learning over other material concerns

Explanation:

To determine the central idea, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The excerpt focuses on libraries and community improvement, not just teaching children to read. Eliminate A.
• Option B: There's no mention of educating parents about books. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The text talks about needing books/libraries to help schools educate children and improve the community (help people live mentally better, attain better standards), which aligns with improving overall quality of life.
• Option D: The excerpt doesn't prioritize learning over material concerns; it emphasizes learning to improve material and mental living. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. the need for libraries in order to help improve people’s overall quality of life