In this passage from a lecture Ralph Waldo Emerson gave in 1837, he focuses on the role of books in education from The American Scholar
It is remarkable, the character of the pleasure we derive from the best books. They impress us ever with the conviction that one nature
wrote and the same reads. We read the verses of one of the great English poets, of Chaucer, of Marvell, of Dryden, with the most modern joyz-with
a pleasure, I mean, which is in great part caused by the abstraction of all time from their verses. There is some awe mixed with the joy of our
surprise, when this poet, who lived in some past world, two or three hundred years ago, says that which lies close to my own soul, that which I also
had well-nigh thought and said,
(from "The American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the passage?
O 1. People enjoy rereading the work of well-known poets and authors.
2. Great literature addresses universal experiences and remains relevant over time.
3. Modern writers are inspired by the work of writers who lived hundreds of years ago.
4. The books that are most influential are those that have well-developed characters.

Read the excerpt from act 3 of a doll’s house. mrs. linde: you seemed to me to imply that with me you might have been quite another man. krogstad: i am certain of it. mrs. linde: is it too late now? krogstad: christine, are you saying this deliberately? yes, i am sure you are. i see it in your face. have you really the courage, then—? mrs. linde: i want to be a mother to someone, and your children need a mother. we two need each other. nils, i have faith in your real character—i can dare anything together with you. krogstad [grasps her hands]. , , christine! now i shall find a way to clear myself in the eyes of the world. ah, but i forgot— how does the conflict in this passage develop a theme? mrs. linde creates a conflict by promising something she cannot give to krogstad, which develops the theme that empty promises can destroy relationships. krogstad continues the conflict by choosing clearing his name over having a life with mrs. linde, which develops the theme that you must often choose yourself over others. krogstad creates a conflict by deceiving mrs. linde about his intentions, which develops the theme that, in love, actions speak louder than words. mrs. linde resolves the conflict by committing to a new life with krogstad, which develops the theme that new beginnings are always possible.