Central Ideas and Details

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 2/5

The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799 by French soldiers in Egypt, bore the same decree in three scripts: hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek. Because Greek was already understood, scholars could use the parallel texts to begin decoding hieroglyphics — a script that had been unreadable for over a thousand years. Jean-François Champollion's 1822 breakthrough opened the door to modern Egyptology.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

  • A

    The Rosetta Stone made it possible to decode hieroglyphics, transforming the study of ancient Egypt.

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  • B

    Champollion was the founder of Egyptology.

  • C

    The Rosetta Stone was discovered by French soldiers.

  • D

    Hieroglyphics were difficult to read.

Explanation

The passage's main idea is the stone's role in enabling decipherment and modern Egyptology — C. A, B, and D are supporting details.

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