PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text? A. Historical witch hunts occurred a long time ago and are unlikely to repeat in the modern day. B. To this day, the Salem witch trials are considered the most extreme example of violent hysteria targeted at a specific group of people. C. The unreasonable fear that drove the events of Salem makes it a unique and distinct example, contrasting other witch hunts in history. D. While witch hunts may feel like a rare occurrence, such incidents are not uncommon in history, especially when people are fearful or frustrated.

D. While witch hunts may feel like a rare occurrence, such incidents are not uncommon in history, especially when people are fearful or frustrated.

This is the best answer to the question. The central idea of a text is what the whole text is about. The first clue that option D is the best answer is the title of the text "The Salem (and Other) Witch Hunts". This title shows the reader that the article will be about many different witch hunts. This eliminates option A. The other two options suggest that there were other witch hunts, but that the Salem witch trials were particularly rare or unique. However, this is not what the article states. In fact it says that "The Salem episode was a historic landmark but by no means a rare example of behavior that can afflict frightened, angry, or frustrated people" (Paragraph 13). This supports the central idea that witch hunts aren't actually that rare especially when people are afraid.