Question

read the excerpt from the hot zone and the summary that follows it.

half of this biocontainment operation was going to be news containment. c. j. peterss comments to the washington post were designed to create an impression that the situation was under control, safe, and not all that interesting. c. j. was understating the gravity of the situation. but he could be very smooth when he wanted, and he used his friendliest voice with the reporters, assuring them over the telephone that there really was no problem, just kind of a routine technical situation. somehow the reporters concluded that the sick monkeys had been \destroyed as a precaution\ when in fact the nightmare, and the reason for troops, was that the animals hadnt been destroyed.

summary of central idea: it was very important to keep the truth about this operation from the news.

what best describes this summary of the central idea?

• it is a strong summary because it is subjective and provides the writers opinion about the paragraphs central idea.
• it is a strong summary because it is objective and accurately expresses the paragraphs central idea.
• it is a weak summary because it is subjective and does not provide the writers opinion about the paragraphs central idea.
• it is a weak summary because it is objective and does not accurately express the paragraphs central idea.

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt and the summary

Using the Central Idea Analysis and Objective Summarizing knowledge points

• Excerpt Analysis: The text describes how C. J. Peters managed the media during a biocontainment operation. He downplayed the severity of the situation to the press, presenting it as a "routine technical situation" and understating its gravity. The author notes that "Half of this biocontainment operation was going to be news containment."
• Summary Provided: "It was very important to keep the truth about this operation from the news."
• Evaluation: The summary is objective because it avoids personal opinions, feelings, or judgment words. It accurately captures the central idea of the passage, which is that managing and containing the news was a critical part of the operation.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

Using the Objective Summarizing knowledge point

• Option 1: Incorrect. A strong summary should be objective, not subjective.
• Option 2: Correct. The summary is objective and accurately captures the main point of the excerpt.
• Option 3: Incorrect. The summary is not weak, nor should it provide the writer's opinion.
• Option 4: Incorrect. The summary is strong because it does accurately express the central idea.

Answer:

• It is a strong summary because it is subjective and provides the writer's opinion about the paragraph's central idea.
• It is a strong summary because it is objective and accurately expresses the paragraph's central idea. (Correct answer)
• It is a weak summary because it is subjective and does not provide the writer's opinion about the paragraph's central idea.
• It is a weak summary because it is objective and does not accurately express the paragraph's central idea.