Question

which of the following best expresses the central idea of paragraph 33?
if you read the old books of natural history, you will find they say that when the mongoose fights the snake and happens to get bitten, he runs off and eats some herb that cures him. that is not true. the victory is only a matter of quickness of eye and quickness of foot—snakes blow against mongooses jump—and as no eye can follow the motion of a snakes head when it strikes, this makes things much more wonderful than any magic herb. rikki-tikki knew he was a young mongoose, and it made him all the more pleased to think that he had managed to escape a blow from behind. it gave him confidence in himself, and when teddy came running down the path, rikki-tikki was ready to be petted.
a. when a mongoose fights a snake, it relies not on magic but on skill.
b. poisonous snakes are very dangerous in any tense situation.
c. people in india prize the mongoose for its skill in fighting snakes.
d. rikki is very lucky that he escaped getting struck from behind.

Explanation:

The paragraph starts by refuting the old - book claim about a mongoose using a magic herb after a snake bite. Then it states that the victory is due to "quickness of eye and quickness of foot". Option A aligns with this central idea as it emphasizes that the mongoose relies on skill (quickness which is a form of skill) rather than magic (the herb). Option B is not about the central idea of the paragraph which is about the mongoose - snake fight mechanism. Option C is not mentioned in the paragraph. Option D is just a minor detail about Rikki - tikki's escape, not the central idea.

Answer:

A. When a mongoose fights a snake, it relies not on magic but on skill.