D. Several factors led to the beginning of World War I.
The topic sentence from the passage shows us that it follows a cause and effect pattern. It sets the reader up to understand that the rest of the passage will be about several factors that caused World War I. The rest of the options are the different factors that led to World War I. They do not use key words that would indicate a cause and effect patterns like the words "Several" and "led" do in the first sentence.
A paragraph structured this way would contain the following: Topic sentence – the first sentence in a body paragraph that tells the reader what the main idea or claim of the paragraph will be. Explanation – Explain what you mean in greater detail. Evidence – Provide evidence to support your idea or claim.
External conflict: The swan was stuck in thorns. Evidence for this is: Nevertheless, he was able to release it from the thorns.
To prevent more work later
To ensure a proper works cited
To prevent any accusations of plagiarism
To ensure that all sources are always accessible
Answer:
d. Main idea
Explanation:
The main idea of a paragraph refers to the point or idea that the author intends to convey. Thus, it communicates the aim, purpose and topic of the text. Therefore, the rest of the sentences in the paragraph act as the supporting details, since they develop, explain and exemplify the main idea, which is usually stated in the topic sentence.