Long before the weather forecast appeared on the nightly local news, farmers had their own way of predicting the weather. This makes sense because, after all, their livelihood depended on it. While some people might discount their predictions as mere tall tales, there is indeed some truth in many of their sayings. For instance, there is an old saying: "Frogs croaking in the lagoon means rain will come real soon." Frogs are cold-blooded amphibians, so they require moist skin and relatively high temperatures to be active. Their croaking implies that the temperature and humidity are high-and these can often precede summer thunderstorms. Far from being a pest, this creature can actually give a farmer insight into approaching weather patterns. It's probably even be more accurate than a weather forecast on the nightly news!
What is the main idea of the passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The passage states that farmers had to be able to accurately predict the weather. The author supports that assertion with the example of the croaking frogs.
Frogs can alter their environments to some degree is incorrect. The passage states that environmental conditions elicit a certain behavior in frogs. The frogs are not altering their environment. 
Some animals can be hurt by heavy summer downpours is incorrect. The passage does not state or imply that frogs are hurt by summer rains. 
Farmers can use frogs to help get rid of pests is incorrect. Although frogs can help get rid of pests such as mosquitoes, the passage does not state or imply this to be true.

Long Before the Weather Forecast Appeared on the Nightly Local