Question

1. PART A: Which statement expresses the central idea of the text?

A. Most African Americans have changed their surnames in order to reject any connections they might have to past slavery.
B. Discussing the origins of African Americans’ surnames is a good way to bring attention to America’s history of slavery.
C. Knowing the origins of people’s surnames in America can better help us understand the nation’s history.
D. African Americans have a complicated and, at times, painful history with their surnames which is not easy to discuss.
2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "And when a Harvard student recently inquired about my name, she was clear that she wanted to know about my surname." ( Paragraph 2)
B. "When I’m in the Boston region, people ask me if it’s French, and I think they are trying to determine if my heritage is Haitian." ( Paragraph 4)
C."‘I know some Norwoods and some Wakefields from western North Carolina,’ she piped up, almost instantly, with a giddy excitement." ( Paragraph 14)
D. "I felt the weariness of being pushed into an emotional space and frustrated from having to contemplate whether to delve deeper into a topic I didn’t expect during idle small talk." ( Paragraph 25)
3. How does paragraph 18 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?
A. It provides readers with information about the origins of the author's surnames
B. it helps readers understand the racist history of how African American got surnames
C. It shows readers why the author of the text decided to reject her family's surname
D. it proves that the author and the student's ancestors were connected through slavery.
4. What is the author's main purpose in the article?
A. to encourage people not to ask other people about the origins of their surname
B. to inform readers about the origins of people's surnames in America
C. to help readers understand her relationship with her surname as an African American
D. to explain to readers why she doesn't discuss her surface with people when they ask"

Answer 1

The central idea of the text is likely about understanding American history through the origins of African American surnames, supported by details related to the historical and emotional significance of these names. Paragraph 18 may clarify the historical contexts of how these surnames came to be. The author's main purpose could be sharing the personal and historical importance of surnames in the African American experience.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the central idea of the provided text, the statement that most accurately reflects the text may likely be that knowing the origins of people's surnames in America can better help us understand the nation's history, which aligns with the historical perspective that recognizing the origins and significance of African American surnames can provide deeper insight into American history and its complexities, including those related to slavery and its aftermath.

The detail from the text that best supports this central idea might be the one that explicitly talks about the history and implications of surnames for African Americans, potentially highlighting the often-painful connection to a history of slavery and how it's woven into family names. This could correspond with the weariness expressed by the speaker when confronted with questions about their surname, which ties personal identity to a collective history.

Paragraph 18 likely contributes to the development of ideas in the text by providing context or insight into the historical reasons behind how African Americans acquired their surnames, thus shedding light on the racist past of America and helping the readers understand broader historical narratives.

The author's main purpose in the article is likely to express and explain the personal and collective significance of surnames within the African American community. Through their personal perspective, the author could aim to elucidate the complexities of carrying a surname with ties to slavery and discrimination and at the same time, highlight how these names are a part of the broader tapestry of American history.