The durian is an Asian fruit that is known for its incredible stench. Food writer Richard Sterling describes its odor as "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock." In 2012, a group of scientists analyzed an extract taken from Thai durians to determine what causes the fruit to smell so bad. The researchers identified fifty different compounds, including some that are found in a variety of other substances and others that had never been identified before. Individually, these chemicals have their own characteristic smells, such as onion, garlic, cheese, honey, yeast, metal, rubber, and skunk. No wonder the durian has such a unique, disgusting stink!
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Scientists identified some chemicals in durians that had never been found anywhere else.
B. Scientists analyzed a sample taken from Thai durians to find out why the fruit has such a powerful odor. — my answer
C. Scientists found that a combination of different chemicals is responsible for the durian’s powerful odor.
The main idea of the passage is:
B. Scientists analyzed a sample taken from Thai durians to find out why the fruit has such a powerful odor.
The passage discusses how scientists analyzed an extract from Thai durians in order to determine the cause of the fruit's strong smell. The passage also mentions that the researchers identified fifty different compounds, including some that had never been identified before. Therefore, the main focus of the passage is on the scientific analysis of the durian's odor.