Question

read the passage. the stinky durian fruit the durian is an asian fruit that is known for its incredible stench. food writer richard sterling describes its odor as \turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.\ in 2012, a group of scientists analyzed an extract taken from thai durians to determine what causes the fruit to smell so bad. the researchers identified fifty different compounds, including some that are found in a variety of other substances and others that had never been identified before. individually, these chemicals have their own characteristic smells, such as onion, garlic, cheese, honey, yeast, metal, rubber, and skunk. no wonder the durian has such a unique, disgusting stink! what is the main, or central, idea of the passage? scientists found that a combination of different chemicals is responsible for the durians powerful odor scientists identified some chemicals in durians that had never been found anywhere else. scientists analyzed a sample taken from thai durians to find out why the fruit has such a powerful odor.

Explanation:

The passage starts by introducing the durian's stench. Then it details scientists' analysis of Thai durian extract. They found fifty compounds. Some are in other substances, others new. Individually, these chemicals have various smells. The key is that the combination of these different chemicals causes the durian's powerful odor. The other options are either details (like new - found chemicals or analyzing Thai durians) rather than the main idea.

Answer:

Scientists found that a combination of different chemicals is responsible for the durian's powerful odor.