Question

the art of training and cutting plants and trees into ornamental shapes is called topiary work. this art dates back to the days of the romans. they enjoyed training plants to grow in geometric shapes and, later on, created animal designs and designs that resembled furniture. the romans were also a dominant empire during their time. because of topiary work, the romans had many beautiful gardens.
1
what is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. natural furniture is easily made by hand.
b. topiary work dates back to the romans.
c. the roman empire existed a long time ago.
d. landscaping takes up a great deal of time.

Explanation:

• Option A: The paragraph is about topiary work, not making natural furniture by hand. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The paragraph starts by defining topiary work and then states it dates back to the Romans, with details about Roman topiary practices. This matches the main idea.
• Option C: The paragraph's focus is on topiary work, not the duration of the Roman Empire's existence. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The paragraph doesn't discuss the time taken for landscaping (topiary work is a type of landscaping but the focus is on its history with Romans, not time consumption). Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. Topiary work dates back to the Romans.