Question

reading quiz
question 7
instructions
read the question carefully and select the best answer
which of the following best expresses the central idea of paragraph 3?
if you read the old books of natural history, you will find they say that when the mongoose fights the snake and happens to get bitten, he runs off and eats some herb that cures him. that is not true. the victory is only a matter of quickness of eye and quickness of foot - snakes blow against mongooses jump - and as no eye can follow the motion of a snakes head when it strikes, this makes things much more wonderful than any magic herb. rikki - tikki knew he was a young mongoose, and it made him all the more pleased to think that he had managed to escape a blow from behind. it gave him confidence in himself, and when teddy came running down the path, rikki - tikki was ready to be petted.
a. when a mongoose fights a snake, it relies not on magic but on skill.
b. poisonous snakes are very dangerous in any terror situation.
c. people in india prize the mongoose for its skill in fighting snakes.
d. rikki is very lucky that he escaped getting struck from behind.

Explanation:

The paragraph discusses that when a mongoose fights a snake, its victory is due to quick - eyesight and quick - footedness rather than magic herbs as old natural history books claim.

Answer:

A. When a mongoose fights a snake, it relies not on magic but on skill.