Question

Earth's crust is made up of relatively rigid plates that ride atop Earth's hot, semiliquid mantle. (2) The plates are called tectonic because they're in constant motion. (3) They can move because Earth's mantle is a very hot and semiliquid fluid called magma. (4) Volcanoes are a result of magma rising up or erupting through a plate, particularly where plate boundaries are moving against each other. (5) Also, when plates slide against each other, causing friction along adjacent plate boundaries, earthquakes frequently occur. (6) Therefore, we often find volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. (7) Plates may also collide. (8) When that happens, mountain ranges are formed. (9) For example, the collision of the plate carrying the Indian subcontinent created the Himalayan Mountains when it collided with the Asian plate.
What is the topic sentence for this passage?

A. Sentence 4
B. Sentence 2
C. Sentence 1
D. There is no single topic sentence.

Answer 1

I think that C. Sentence 1 is the topic sentence.

Earth's crust is made up of relatively rigid plates that ride atop Earth's hot, semi-liquid mantle.

It is the topic sentence because it summarizes the idea of what the paragraph is all about. The following sentences are supporting ideas about the first sentence, usually the topic sentence, in the paragraph.