Final answer:
The central idea of the text is that Supreme Court justices hold significant power due to their lifetime appointment and their role in ruling on essential cases, supported by the rarity and importance of Supreme Court vacancies. The word 'concurring' means sharing an opinion, as indicated by a justice who agrees with the majority for different reasons.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer the student's questions:
PART A is B.) Supreme Court justices are incredibly powerful since they are appointed for life and rule on the country's most important cases. This identifies the central idea of the text, highlighting the importance and power of the Supreme Court justices.
PART B, which supports the answer to Part A, is C.) “Still, many vacancies do occur during a president’s term of office, and the rarest and most important of these are the seats on the Supreme Court.”
For PART A regarding paragraph 18, the word “concurring” most closely means A.) sharing an opinion.
PART B, supporting the answer to Part A about “concurring,” is D.) “A justice who agrees with the majority decision but for different reasons.”