Question

the hidden history of secret passages
terri roberts
1for thousands of years, people have used
secret passages and hidden rooms to
protect precious belongings and save
lives. these secret structures have played
important roles throughout history by
protecting royalty, hiding valuables, and
fooling thieves.
2the ancient egyptians were one of the
first groups of people to use secret
passages. the great pyramids were built to honor the rulers of this
ancient civilization. when egyptian leaders died, their people would
place them in crypts, or tombs, deep inside the pyramids. these
tombs were often filled with priceless treasures—items that the
egyptians believed their leaders would take with them to the next
world. in order to prevent robbers from stealing these treasures, the
egyptians built secret passageways that led to the tombs. the
designers also constructed fake tombs and deadly traps that would
fool any would - be robbers.
3secret passages have often shaped important historic events.
during the 1300s, a secret passage helped free an english king who
was taken captive by his enemies. in the 1330s, roger de mortimer
which statement could the author use to support the main idea of
paragraph 5?
a levi coffin, a quaker from indiana, used a secret
room in his home to help more than 2,000 slaves
escape to freedom.
b secret passages were often constructed in
palaces so that royalty could escape from deadly
attacks.
c today, secret passages and secret rooms are
usually constructed to amuse homeowners.
d slavery was eventually outlawed in the united
states by the thirteenth amendment.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the main idea of paragraph 5 (though not fully shown, we infer from the passage's theme about secret passages' historical roles). The passage focuses on how secret passages were used historically for protection/saving lives. Option A shows a historical use (helping slaves escape) which supports the main idea. Option B is about royalty, but the passage's earlier examples (Egyptians, then maybe later about helping others) – but wait, the key is the main idea of paragraph 5. Wait, the passage's overall theme is secret passages in history for protecting/helping. Option A is a specific historical example of saving lives (slaves) with a secret room, which aligns. Option B is about royalty escaping, but if paragraph 5 is about different historical uses, but the question is which statement supports its main idea. Alternatively, maybe the main idea of paragraph 5 (not fully visible, but from the options, A is a strong example of secret passages saving lives (helping slaves escape), which matches the passage's opening about saving lives. D is about slavery being outlawed, not about secret passages. C is about modern use, which is not the passage's focus (passage is about history). So A is the best.

Answer:

A. Levi Coffin, a Quaker from Indiana, used a secret room in his home to help more than 2,000 slaves escape to freedom.