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Difficulty: HardEstablishing Introductions and Thesis Statements

The following is a draft of an essay about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.

[1] __________________________________________________ [2] When her husband, Washington Roebling, became bedridden with decompression sickness in 1872, Emily stepped in as the unofficial chief engineer. She spent the next eleven years managing day-to-day operations, liaising with city officials, and mastering advanced mathematics and engineering concepts. Her tireless dedication ensured the completion of what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world.

[3] Beyond her administrative and technical contributions, Emily's leadership challenged nineteenth-century gender norms in professional engineering. She was the first person to cross the completed bridge by carriage, carrying a rooster as a symbol of victory. Today, a plaque on the bridge honors her, recognizing that the monumental structure is a testament to her intellect and determination.

Which of the following introductory sentences best establishes the main topic and thesis of the passage?

  1. A
    The Brooklyn Bridge remains an iconic landmark, it was the first suspension bridge to use steel wire.
  2. Although the Brooklyn Bridge is celebrated as an engineering marvel, its completion was largely due to the unsung leadership of Emily Warren Roebling.Answer
  3. C
    Because Emily Warren Roebling spent over a decade supervising the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge while her husband was ill.
  4. D
    The structural challenges of building the bridge, including the installation of massive caissons, is resolved by Emily's intellect.

Answer

Although the Brooklyn Bridge is celebrated as an engineering marvel, its completion was largely due to the unsung leadership of Emily Warren Roebling.
The correct choice must successfully introduce the central thesis of the passage—Emily Warren Roebling's critical role in the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge. The sentence starting with 'Although the Brooklyn Bridge is celebrated' provides the necessary context about the bridge while immediately focusing the reader's attention on Emily Roebling's contribution, which is the subject of both paragraphs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Read the passage to determine its main focus and thesis.
The passage describes how Emily Warren Roebling took over the day-to-day operations and management of the Brooklyn Bridge construction and challenged 19th-century gender norms.
An effective introductory sentence must set up this specific focus.
2
Analyze the grammatical correctness of each choice.
Three of the options contain grammatical errors: a comma splice, a fragment, and a subject-verb agreement error.
Eliminating grammatically incorrect sentences narrows down the viable choices.
3
Evaluate the remaining grammatically correct option for topic alignment.
The sentence starting with 'Although the Brooklyn Bridge' is grammatically correct and successfully introduces Emily Roebling as the central figure of the passage's thesis.
A thesis statement must be both grammatically sound and rhetorically aligned with the passage.

Key Concept

Establishing Introductions and Thesis Statements
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Establishing Introductions and Thesis Statements

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