The following text is from Edith Nesbit's 1902 novel Five Children and It. Five young siblings have just moved with...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is from Edith Nesbit's 1902 novel Five Children and It. Five young siblings have just moved with their parents from London to a house in the countryside that they call the White House.
It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite ordinary, and mother thought it was rather inconvenient, and was quite annoyed at there being no shelves, to speak of, and hardly a cupboard in the place. Father used to say that the ironwork on the roof and coping was like an architect's nightmare. But the house was deep in the country, with no other house in sight, and the children had been in London for two years, without so much as once going to the seaside even for a day by an excursion train, and so the White House seemed to them a sort of Fairy Palace set down in an Earthly Paradise.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite ordinary, and mother thought it was rather inconvenient, and was quite annoyed at there being no shelves, to speak of, and hardly a cupboard in the place." |
|
| "Father used to say that the ironwork on the roof and coping was like an architect's nightmare." |
|
| "But the house was deep in the country, with no other house in sight, and the children had been in London for two years, without so much as once going to the seaside even for a day by an excursion train," |
|
| "and so the White House seemed to them a sort of Fairy Palace set down in an Earthly Paradise." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While the parents find the house ordinary and problematic, the children see it as magical because they've been deprived of nature during their city life.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a clear contrast structure. First, we get the parents' practical, negative assessment of the house's flaws. Then the word "But" signals a shift to explain why the children have a completely different perspective—their two years of urban confinement make this countryside house seem enchanted to them.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main idea of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures the central message or primary focus
Any limiting keywords? "Main idea" tells us we need the overarching point, not a detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer must capture the central contrast between two different perspectives on the same house
- It should acknowledge that the parents see problems and drawbacks, while the children have a completely opposite, positive reaction
- The answer should reflect that this difference comes from their different circumstances and needs—the parents are practical while the children are just happy to escape city life
- Matches our passage analysis perfectly—parents complained about practical issues, kids saw magic
- Uses "although" to show the contrast structure we identified
- Passage clearly shows children love the house more than parents do
- Contradicts the "Fairy Palace" description from the children's perspective
- Passage doesn't show family members appreciating different features—it shows parents disliking it while children love it overall
- Says children miss London, but passage shows they're thrilled to escape city life
- Contradicts the basic facts presented in the text