Question

Read the passage.

The Northmen came to Paris with 700 sailing ships.
This is not counting those of smaller size which are
commonly called barques. At one stretch the Seine was
lined with the vessels for more than two leagues. You
could ask in astonishment in what cavern the river had
been swallowed up. There were so many boats the
river could not to be seen.
-Adapted from "Wars of Count Odo with the Northmen"
by Abbo
What is the central idea of the passage?
O Parisians were caught asking what cavern had
swallowed up the river.
• Smaller boats sailing on the Seine were commonly
called barques.
• The Northmen filled the Seine with so many boats
that the river could not be seen.
The Northmen's sailing vessels lined up along the
Seine for more than two leagues.

Answer 1

The Northmen filled the Seine with so many boats that the river could not be seen.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage describes how the Northmen arrived in Paris with a large fleet of 700 sailing ships, not counting the smaller boats called barques. The Seine River was so filled with these boats that it lined the river for more than two leagues (a league is a unit of distance, approximately equivalent to three miles). The passage emphasizes the overwhelming presence of the Northmen's boats in the Seine River, to the extent that the river itself could not be seen due to the sheer number of vessels. This conveys the central idea that the Northmen's fleet was so extensive that it filled and obscured the Seine River, creating a striking image of their overwhelming presence in the area.