No one could have predicted that a skinny 20-year-old baseball player with the Milwaukee Braves
would one day break Babe Ruth's career home run record, but that is exactly what Hank Aaron did.
Aaron was not a splashy or showy player, but he was a steady and reliable one. When he started out in
1954, Aaron had an unusual way of batting: although he was right-handed, he placed his right hand
below his left hand on the bat—the opposite of how most right-handed hitters grip the bat. That first
year, he hit only 13 home runs. But then he gained weight, increased his power, changed his grip, and
started to hit more home runs consistently each year. He did this for 23 years in the major leagues,
until finally in 1974, he managed to conquer the Mount Everest of baseball hitting records, which was
Babe Ruth's career total of 714 home runs. When Aaron surpassed this record, he acknowledged the
honor graciously and then returned to playing baseball and hitting more home runs. That was his way.
By hitting steadily season after season, Hank Aaron became at that time the all-time home run leader,
finishing his career with a total of 755.
3. Which of the following statements best
describes the main idea of this passage?
A. Only experts could have predicted
that Aaron would be great.
B. The key to Aaron's success was
playing well over a long period.
C. Like Aaron, Babe Ruth had just an
average first season in the majors.
D. Aaron played for several different
major league teams
I'll be glad to check your answer.
The best way to determine the main idea of this passage is to identify the central theme or message that the author is conveying. To do this, we can look for recurring ideas or information that is emphasized throughout the passage.
In this case, the recurring idea is Hank Aaron's career and his achievement of breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record. The passage emphasizes Aaron's consistent performance over a long period of time, his dedication to his craft, and his ultimate success in becoming the all-time home run leader.
Based on this information, the best statement that describes the main idea of this passage is:
B. The key to Aaron's success was playing well over a long period.