Question

read the passage.

the iron mountain

when british explorer sir john ross encountered inuit greenlanders wielding iron tools in 1818, he was mystified; after all, they did not have the technology to extract iron from ore. they told ross that their iron source was a saviksoah—an \iron mountain\—but refused to disclose its location. scientists back in britain partially solved the puzzle by analyzing some of the tools and determining that they likely came from a meteorite. subsequently, several other explorers attempted, and failed, to confirm the source’s existence. in 1894, however, american explorer robert peary had better luck. the inuits were now obtaining iron through trade; they no longer needed the iron mountain and were willing to reveal it. a guide led peary to three meteorites, which are currently housed in new york’s american museum of natural history. the most massive, called ahnighito, weighs thirty tons and is the largest meteorite in any museum.

what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

inuits in greenland described the source of their iron tools as an iron mountain.

the greenlanders’ mysterious iron mountain was eventually revealed to be three large meteorites.

in 1894, robert peary successfully located three massive meteorites in greenland.

Explanation:

To find the central idea, we analyze each option:

• The first option only mentions the Inuits' description of the iron source, not the resolution of the mystery, so it's not the main idea.
• The second option covers the mystery of the "iron mountain" and its eventual revelation as three meteorites, which aligns with the passage's narrative (explorers' attempts, Peary's success in finding the source as meteorites).
• The third option focuses on Peary's location of meteorites but doesn't highlight the mystery of the "iron mountain" and its resolution, so it's too narrow.

Answer:

The Greenlanders' mysterious iron mountain was eventually revealed to be three large meteorites.