Question

read the passage. then answer the questions that follow.
make a stink about something
have you ever heard the phrase \make a stink\? it usually refers to someone who is upset about something or who points out a rule thats unfair. for example, a person who didnt like the service received at a store might make a stink about it and complain on social media. this phrase, \make a stink,\ actually comes from something that happened in london, england, in 1858.
london was founded on the river thames by the roman army in 43 ce. over the next seventeen centuries, london became a major city with a large population. and throughout those centuries, most of the waste from humans and animals in the city went into the river. with the start of the industrial revolution in the 1780s, factories and other businesses began disposing of industrial waste and chemicals into the already polluted river. flush toilets were invented, and the waste was flushed right into the thames. by the 1800s, the water of the thames was terribly filthy. even so, most londoners drinking water came from the thames, either directly or through old wooden water pipes without a filter.
during the first half of the nineteenth century, many people expressed concern over the condition of the thames. in 1828, scientist and landscape artist john martin
this question has two parts. first, answer part a. then, answer part b.
part a
what is the central idea of the passage?
(a) joseph bazalgette created a plan that vastly improved the river thames.
(b) people who \make a stink\ point out something unfair but rarely see change.
(c) industrial waste is a big contributor to pollution in rivers and lakes.
(d) the phrase \make a stink\ is about people speaking up to eventually cause a change.

Explanation:

The passage starts by explaining the phrase "make a stink" and then traces its origin to the situation of the River Thames in London. It describes how the river got polluted over time and how people's concerns (making a stink) led to potential changes (as seen from the start of the story about the phrase's origin related to speaking up about issues). Option A only focuses on one person's plan for the Thames, which is too narrow. Option B says people rarely see change but the passage implies that speaking up (making a stink) can lead to change (as it's explaining the origin of a phrase that is about speaking up which likely caused some change). Option C is about industrial waste in general rivers, not the main focus of the passage which is about the phrase "make a stink". Option D aligns with the overall idea of the passage - explaining the phrase which is about people speaking up (as in the examples given like complaining on social media) and its origin related to a situation where speaking up (about the Thames) would lead to change (as the story is setting up the origin of the phrase which is about that concept).

Answer:

D. The phrase "make a stink" is about people speaking up to eventually cause a change.