Which of the following alternatives provides the most logical and effective conclusion for paragraph 4 <8>?

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

Industrial Revolution

[§1] The Industrial Revolution was essentially a rapid change in the method of production of material goods. <1> Products once made by hand were now able to be produced by machine or by chemical processes. The Industrial Revolution transformed Western society, creating an international capitalist economy, urbanization, labor reforms, a system to educate the public, <2> and labor specialization.

[§2] (1) In the first century of the Industrial Revolution, the country undergoing the most dramatic change was England. (2) After 1850, the Industrial Revolution spread rapidly <3> throughout Europe. (3) While the pace of change during the Industrial Revolution was indeed very rapid, the Industrial Revolution itself stretched over a rather long period of time C from the middle of the 18th century in the 1700s <4> through World War I (1914).

[§3] Several key discoveries and inventions enabled the Industrial Revolution to take place included <5> machines and tools like the cotton gin, the radio, the circular saw, the cylindrical press, and the steam engine. Cement, dynamite, and aluminum were invented, as were the bleaching and paper-making processes. At the same time, there was a tremendous growth in population and urbanization. In fact, the population growth in England was so dramatic that the country’s population doubled between 1750C1820. This meant a great demand for food, clothing, and shelter, demands that became the driving force behind

<6> the Industrial Revolution.

[§4] Mass production of goods was made possible in large part due to <7> the steam engine. The steam engine enabled factories to move from the countryside (where they were by bodies of water, their source of power) into cities and towns, which were becoming increasingly crowded.

<8>

<8>:

Which of the following alternatives provides the most logical and effective conclusion for paragraph 4 <8>?
A . Today, we are living in an Information Revolution.
B . In cities and towns, factories found a ready workforce and large consumer base for their products.
C . Railroads took goods out of the city back to the countryside.
D . Overcrowding was a major problem to be dealt with in the cities.

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

This ties in the issues in the paragraph: mass production, moving into cities and towns, and large populations. Choice A is irrelevant, and choices C and D are related, but off topic.