What is the main idea of the passage?
When printing with movable type spread through Europe in the late fifteenth century, books became cheaper and more numerous. Historians disagree about how far the press itself changed society. Some argue that it made the Reformation possible, since pamphlets spread Luther's ideas faster than any authority could suppress them. Others point out that earlier reformers had also written widely and failed, and they credit political circumstances, such as the protection of German princes, with Luther's survival. A cautious view is that printing created conditions in which new ideas could travel, but did not by itself decide which ideas would prevail.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Historians disagree about how much printing changed society
- Step 1: The passage gives two positions and a cautious one. Step 2. The option 'Historians disagree about how much printing changed society' summarises the debate. Answer: historians disagree, and a cautious view sees printing as a condition. Why not the others: these overstate or contradict the passage.
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