[1] In the late nineteenth century, cycling was a hazardous hobby dominated by the "penny-farthing," a bicycle with a massive front wheel and a tiny rear wheel. [2] Riders sat precariously high above the ground, making them prone to "headers"—dangerous forward falls over the handlebars. [3] Early bicycles did not have inflatable rubber tires, which were invented later by John Boyd Dunlop. [4] This structural hazard was resolved in 1885 when John Kemp Starley introduced the Rover Safety Bicycle. [5] Featuring two wheels of equal size and a chain drive, Starley’s design brought the rider closer to the ground, dramatically reducing injuries and initiating a global cycling boom.
The writer is considering deleting Sentence 3 from the passage. Should the writer make this deletion?
- Yes, because the sentence introduces an irrelevant detail about tire technology that interrupts the paragraph's focus on structural safety design.Answer
- BYes, because the sentence contradicts the claim in Sentence 5 that Starley's safety bicycle led to a global boom in cycling.
- CNo, because the sentence provides a crucial detail explaining why riders of early bicycles were prone to falling over the handlebars.
- DNo, because the sentence transitions the reader from the description of the penny-farthing's design to the introduction of Starley's design.