Question

Difficulty: EasySelecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions

In 1943, marine engineer Richard James was working in a Philadelphia shipyard, trying to develop a spring that could stabilize sensitive naval instruments during storms. While working, he accidentally knocked one of his experimental steel springs off a shelf. To his amazement, the spring did not merely fall; it gracefully stepped down a stack of books, onto a tabletop, and then coiled itself upright on the floor. James immediately realized that this walking spring could make a wonderful toy. He and his wife, Betty, spent the next two years developing the product, eventually naming it the 'Slinky.' In 1945, they demonstrated the toy at a local department store, and all 400 units sold out within ninety minutes.

The writer wants to add a concluding sentence that emphasizes the toy's widespread and lasting popularity. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    Today, the Slinky is recognized globally, millions of children still enjoy playing with the walking spring.
  2. B
    Betty James eventually took over the company, and she decided to keep the manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.
  3. Since its debut, the Slinky has sold hundreds of millions of units worldwide, cementing its place as a classic American toy.Answer
  4. D
    Conversely, other toys from the 1940s struggled to capture the public's attention in the same way.

Answer

Since its debut, the Slinky has sold hundreds of millions of units worldwide, cementing its place as a classic American toy.
The sentence focusing on the sale of hundreds of millions of units and the Slinky's status as a classic toy directly emphasizes its widespread and lasting success, perfectly satisfying the writer's goal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt's request.
The goal is to find a concluding sentence that emphasizes the toy's widespread and lasting popularity.
Understanding the specific rhetorical goal is necessary to filter out choices that do not address popularity and longevity.
2
Evaluate the choices for relevance to the goal.
The choice mentioning hundreds of millions of units sold and its status as a classic directly addresses both widespread sales and lasting popularity. The biographical choice about Betty James and the factory location does not. The contrast choice focuses on other toys.
This filters the options down to the most relevant content.
3
Check for grammatical correctness among the remaining choices.
The choice stating 'Today, the Slinky is recognized globally, millions of children still enjoy...' contains a comma splice, making it grammatically incorrect. The correct choice is grammatically sound.
ACT English questions require correct grammar in addition to meeting rhetorical goals.

Key Concept

Selecting an effective concluding sentence that aligns with a specified rhetorical goal and maintains grammatical correctness.
Estimated Time:45s
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