Read the passage, then answer: Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
Long ago, messengers carry important news by horseback. Later, telegraphs send short messages using wires and coded taps. Still, many people dream of sending a human voice across long distances. It seems impossible, because voices fade quickly and cannot travel far through open air.
Alexander Graham Bell studies sound and how vibrations move. He believes that if a device can turn a voice into an electrical signal, the signal could travel through a wire and be changed back into sound at the other end. Bell and his assistant, Thomas Watson, build and rebuild their equipment, trying different materials and shapes.
One day, Bell speaks into the device, and Watson hears the words clearly from another room. The message is simple, but the moment is powerful: a voice has traveled through a wire. Soon, inventors improve the design, and telephone networks begin to grow.
The telephone changes daily life. Families can share news quickly, businesses can place orders faster, and emergencies can be reported without delay. Over time, the idea of instant communication becomes normal.
This invention begins with careful experiments and a belief that sound can be carried in a new form.
- The First Voice Travels by Telephone (correct answer)
- How to Train Messenger Horses
- A Complete History of Electricity
- Why People Stopped Talking to Each Other
Explanation: This question tests SSAT middle-level skills in choosing the best title for a passage, focusing on understanding themes and main ideas. A good title captures the essence of the passage, summarizing its main idea or theme concisely. It's important to distinguish between major themes and minor details. In this passage, the central theme revolves around Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone, as illustrated by the first successful voice transmission to Thomas Watson. Choice A is correct because it succinctly encapsulates the passage's focus on the first voice traveling by telephone and its impact, providing an accurate summary. Choice B is incorrect because it focuses on training messenger horses, a minor detail not central to the passage's main idea. To help students: Encourage them to identify key themes before considering title options. Practice summarizing passages in a single sentence to refine title selection skills. Teach them to avoid choosing titles based on interesting details that don't capture the main theme.