Question

read the passage.

human activity and earthquakes
when americans think of earthquakes, they tend to think of california, a state known for its frequent seismic activity. in recent years, however, people in arkansas, colorado, kansas, new mexico, oklahoma, and texas have been feeling the ground shake more often. an increase in oil and gas drilling in these states has led to \human - induced\ earthquakes—those resulting from human activity. when wastewater is disposed of during gas and oil drilling, the water is forced deep underground. the resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines (cracks in the earth’s crust) to shift. according to mark petersen, head of the u.s. geological survey’s earthquake hazard mapping project, \in the past five years, the usgs has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes.\
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
an increase in oil and gas drilling has caused a corresponding increase in earthquakes in six states.
residents of six u.s. states have experienced an increase in earthquake activity in recent years.

Explanation:

To find the main idea, we analyze the passage. The passage explains that an increase in oil and gas drilling (human activity) has led to "human - induced" earthquakes in states like Arkansas, Colorado, etc. The first option connects the cause (oil and gas drilling increase) to the effect (increase in earthquakes in six states). The second option only states the increase in earthquake activity without the cause, which is a key part of the passage's message.

Answer:

An increase in oil and gas drilling has caused a corresponding increase in earthquakes in six states.