What might occur if humans reproduced through the process of mitosis?

The central idea of "The Incredible Talking Machine" can be determined by analyzing the given options and selecting the one that best captures the main concept discussed in the text. Let's explore each option and find the most suitable answer.

A) Edison was dependent on his assistants and backers to be successful.
B) Edison was never able to comprehend the full potential of his invention.
C) Edison was more gifted at promoting his inventions than designing them.
D) Edison was so impressed with his own invention that he ignored constructive criticism.

To determine the central idea, we need to look for statements in the text that consistently support a particular theme. After careful analysis, option C appears to be the best answer.

The statement "Edison was more gifted at promoting his inventions than designing them" aligns with the information provided in the text. Throughout the article, Edison's ability to market and promote his invention is emphasized. For example, in paragraph 7, it is mentioned that "Still, the editors were excited enough to publish an admiring bulletin about the device—a first shot that set off an avalanche of publicity." This demonstrates Edison's talent for generating publicity and creating a buzz around his invention, which supports option C.

Now let's move on to selecting pieces of evidence that best support the answer to Part A.

The two pieces of evidence that align with the central idea of the text, C, are as follows:

1) "From the first, they thought it would be used to reproduce the human voice, but they had no clear idea of its exact purpose." (paragraph 1)
This evidence highlights that Edison and his team lacked a clear understanding of the invention's purpose. It suggests that the focus was more on the concept of reproducing the human voice rather than fully comprehending the potential applications of the machine.

2) "At best, he thought, it might be an office machine allowing businessmen to dictate letters." (paragraph 5)
This piece of evidence demonstrates that Edison's initial vision for the invention was limited to being an office machine for dictating letters. It indicates a lack of foresight regarding the broader possibilities and potential of the invention.

By considering the information provided, it is evident that pieces of evidence A and C from the article best support the answer to Part A, which was option C.

It is important to carefully examine the given options and support the chosen answer with evidence from the text to ensure accuracy and comprehension of the central idea.