Question

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country."

What is the point of this splintered whole? What is the point of a nation in which Arab cabbies chauffeur Jewish passengers through the streets of New York—and in which Jewish cabbies chauffeur Arab passengers, too, and yet speak in theory of hatred, one for the other? What is the point of a nation in which one part seems to be always on the verge of fisticuffs with another, blacks and whites, gays and straights, left and right, Pole and Chinese and Puerto Rican and Slovenian? Other countries with such divisions have in fact divided into new nations with new names, but not this one, impossibly interwoven even in its hostilities.

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph?
1. America’s cultural differences have caused it to fracture.
2. America is a united country despite its cultural differences.
3. America’s cultural differences make it impossible to live peacefully.
4. America is always on the verge of civil unrest due to its multicultural citizens

THE ANSWER IS: 2. America is a united country despite its cultural differences.

Answer 1

yes it 2

Step-by-step explanation:

YESSIR

Answer 2

Hello. I know you've already provided the answer. I'd like to confirm it and offer further explanation.

Answer:

The statement that best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph is:

2. America is a united country despite its cultural differences.

Step-by-step explanation:

The paragraph we are analyzing here is an excerpt from the article "A Quilt of a Country", by author Anna Quindlen. Quindlen discusses how America is interestingly contradictory.

Just like a quilt, America is a result of dissimilar parts all patched together. All kinds of people, having to live in such close proximity, end up addressing one another with prejudice and even hatred. However, in spite of these differences and unlike other countries, America remains united. In the excerpt, the author mentions different groups and how they are frequently "on the verge of fisticuffs". Still, they are "impossibly interwoven". Therefore, the cultural differences may make things a bit more difficult, but they do not break this nation apart.