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Set 7: Text Structure (Intermediate)

Explanation

Answer: B

PASSAGE

The railway boom of the 19th century transformed commerce. Before trains, transporting goods inland was slow and costly. Afterward, markets opened up across the continent, fueling the Industrial Revolution.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

A. It lists the goods that were traded.
B. It establishes the context of the problem that the railway solved.✓ Correct
C. It describes the disadvantages of the railway system.
D. It explains the physics of steam engines.

Detailed Answer Explanation

This question tests your understanding of how the text is organized. Sentence 2 ('Before trains...') describes the problem (slow/costly transport). The railway solved this. Authors structure their writing purposefully to guide readers through their ideas. Identify the organizational pattern (cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution) and how each part contributes to the whole. Authors choose organizational patterns deliberately to enhance their message. Recognizing whether a text uses chronological order, cause-effect, compare-contrast, or problem-solution helps you understand the author's purpose and follow the logic.

Key Evidence:

• "Before trains"

• "slow and costly"

Why others are wrong: D (No physics.), A (No specific goods.), C (Describes pre-railway.).

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