Question

Which sentence from "Ellis Island" is a major supporting detail?

Most arriving immigrants were there for only a short three to
five hours. (paragraph 1)
The minority who were detained on Ellis Island can be
divided into three categories. (paragraph 2)
The doctors at Ellis Island were skilled at conducting "six-
second physicals" during which they could diagnose various
conditions with just a glance. (paragraph 1)
The diseases that examining doctors looked for were cholera.
scalp and nail fungus, tuberculosis, insanity, epilepsy, mental
impairments, and trachoma, a highly contagious eye infection
that could lead to blindness and death. (paragraph 2)

Answer 1

The sentence "The doctors at Ellis Island were skilled at conducting "six-second physicals" during which they could diagnose various conditions with just a glance." (paragraph 1) is a major supporting detail. It provides specific information about the process of examining immigrants upon their arrival at Ellis Island, which helps to paint a picture of the conditions at the time. This detail supports the overall idea that the process of immigrating to the United States through Ellis Island was a thorough and rigorous one.