read the paragraph from the hot zone. she took up a scalpel and slit the monkeys abdomen, making a slow and gentle cut, keeping the blade well away from her gloved fingers. the spleen was puffed up and tough, leathery, like a globe of smoked salami. she did not see any bloody lesions inside this monkey. she had expected that the monkeys interior would be a lake of blood, but no, this monkey looked all right, it had not bled into itself. if the animal had died of ebola, this was not a clear case. she opened up the intestine. there was no blood inside it. the gut looked okay. then she examined the stomach. there she found a ring of bleeding spots at the junction between the stomach and the small intestine. this could be a sign of ebola, but it was not a clear sign. it could also be a sign of simian fever, not ebola. therefore, she could not confirm the presence of ebola virus in this animal based on a visual inspection of the internal organs which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph? it is difficult to identify ebola in dead specimens. performing a necropsy is a tedious procedure. signs of simian fever and ebola can be similar. ebola has unusual effects on infected monkeys.

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Accepted Answer

# Brief Explanations:
The paragraph describes a necropsy on a monkey to check for Ebola. The key points are that the signs found (like the bleeding spots) could be from either Ebola or simian fever, so it's hard to distinguish. Option A says identifying Ebola in dead specimens is hard, which matches because the visual inspection didn't give a clear confirmation (the signs were ambiguous between Ebola and simian fever). Option B is about the procedure being tedious, but the focus is on identification, not the procedure's tediousness. Option C says signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar, which is exactly what the paragraph shows (the bleeding spots could be either). Wait, let's re - evaluate. The paragraph's main idea: when examining the monkey, the signs (bleeding spots) could be Ebola or simian fever, so the central idea is that signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar? Wait, no. Wait, the last part says she could not confirm Ebola because the sign could be simian fever. So the central idea is that the signs of simian fever and Ebola are similar, so it's hard to identify Ebola (which is what option C says? Wait, let's check the options again. Option C: "Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar." Option A: "It is difficult to identify Ebola in dead specimens." Let's analyze the paragraph. She is trying to identify if the monkey has Ebola. The problem is that the signs (like the bleeding spots) could be from Ebola or simian fever. So the reason it's difficult to identify Ebola is because its signs are similar to simian fever. So option C is the cause of the difficulty in option A? Wait, the question is which statement best summarizes the central idea. Let's look at the paragraph structure. She does the necropsy, finds some signs, but those signs could be from Ebola or simian fever, so she can't confirm Ebola. So the central idea is that the signs of simian fever and Ebola are similar, making it hard to identify Ebola. Wait, but option C says "Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar" which is a fact that leads to the difficulty in identification (option A). But the paragraph's main idea is about the difficulty in identifying Ebola because the signs are similar? Or is the main idea that the signs are similar? Let's check the last sentence: "Therefore, she could not confirm the presence of Ebola virus in this animal based on a visual inspection of the internal organs" because the sign could be simian fever. So the reason is that the signs are similar. So option C is the correct summary because it states the key point that the signs of the two diseases are similar, which is why identification is hard. Wait, but let's check the options again. Option C: "Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar." The paragraph shows that the bleeding spots could be either, so this is the central idea. Option A: "It is difficult to identify Ebola in dead specimens" is a result of the similarity of signs. But the paragraph's main idea is about the similarity of signs, which causes the difficulty. So option C is the best summary. Wait, no, let's re - read the paragraph. The main action is the necropsy to identify Ebola, and the problem is that the signs are ambiguous (could be Ebola or simian fever). So the central idea is that the signs of simian fever and Ebola are similar, so it's hard to tell. So option C is correct. Wait, but let's check the options again. Option C: "Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar." Yes, that's what the paragraph shows (the bleeding spots could be either). Option A: "It is difficult to identify Ebola in dead specimens" is also true, but it's a conclusion from the similarity of signs. But the question is which statement best summarizes the central idea. The paragraph's focus is on the similarity of signs, which leads to the difficulty. So option C is the correct answer.
# Answer:
C. Signs of simian fever and Ebola can be similar.

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