Question

read the excerpt from \a genetics of justice\ by julia alvarez. my mother must have been intrigued. she knew nothing of the horrid crimes of the dictatorship, for her parents were afraid to say anything—even to their own children—against the regime. so, as a young girl, my mother must have thought of el jefe as a kind of movie star. she must have wanted to meet the great man. what is the central idea in this paragraph? her mothers image of the great man did not match reality. her mother loved movie stars when she was a young girl. her mother and her family kept secrets from one another. her family talked about the horrid crimes of the dictatorship.

Explanation:

The text says the mother knew nothing of the dictator's crimes (because parents were afraid to say anything) and thought of him as a movie - star. This implies her image of him (as a great man/movie - star) was different from the reality (a dictator with horrid crimes). The other options:

• "Her mother loved movie stars when she was a young girl" is too narrow as it ignores the contrast with the dictator's reality.
• "Her mother and her family kept secrets from one another" is not the main focus. The focus is on the mother's perception of the dictator.
• "Her family talked about the horrid crimes of the dictatorship" is the opposite of what the text says (parents were afraid to say anything).

Answer:

Her mother's image of the great man did not match reality.