Question

read the excerpt from \tools of the spymaster.\

general clinton, concerned about what general howe was planning and doing, made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to general burgoyne.

before writing the letter, clinton had placed an hourglass-shaped mask on a piece of paper and then had formed the secret message within that shape.

the unmasked letter had enough false information in it to fool any american who happened to see it. but when burgoyne viewed the letter with the mask, he read clintons view of the real situation: howe has made a bad move; i dont have enough men to do anything about it.

which word from this excerpt is most useful in determining the central idea?

mask
hourglass-shaped
burgoyne
american

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt's main topic

The excerpt describes how General Clinton used a physical "mask" to write and read a hidden, secret message within a letter. This tool allowed him to communicate the real situation secretly.

Identify the central idea

Using the Central Idea knowledge point:
The central idea of this passage focuses on the specific tool and method (a mask) used by a spymaster to hide secret messages.

Evaluate the given options

• "mask": This word is central because the entire passage explains how the "mask" is used to create, hide, and reveal the secret message.
• "hourglass-shaped": This only describes the specific shape of the mask, which is a minor detail.
• "Burgoyne": This is a proper noun of a person involved, not the central concept of the spy tool.
• "American": This refers to the people who might be fooled, which is a secondary detail.

Therefore, "mask" is the most useful word for determining the central idea.

Answer:

• mask (Correct answer)
• hourglass-shaped
• Burgoyne
• American