Which sentence contains the main idea of the paragraph? referees at sporting events are more likely to suffer hearing loss than their peers. that's because noises louder than 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing damage. referees' whistles can be as loud as 106 decibels. according to a survey published in the journal of occupational and environmental hygiene, almost half of the sporting officials surveyed claimed their ears were ringing after a game. this symptom could be caused by damage to their inner ears.

Referees at sporting events are more likely to suffer hearing loss than their peers.

Explanation:

The main idea is expressed in the topic sentence, which is typically the first sentence and provides the main points developed in the the paragraph. Thus, the sentences that follow give evidence and illustrate the idea stated in the topic sentence.

answer: inference

explanation:

an inference can be understood as a conclusion to which a person is able to get based on reasoning. it is the same as a deduction, a guess, an assumption.   in the sentence presented, the conjunction "but" gives the readers an idea of contrast, and, therefore, allows them to induce that despite the opponent's characteristics, andrea had something different that made her win.