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Difficulty: EasyTranslating Literal Statements to Paraphrases

Before Elisha Otis's invention of the safety elevator in 1852, buildings rarely exceeded five stories. While hoists had existed for centuries to transport goods, they relied on simple hemp ropes that frequently snapped under heavy loads, making passenger travel perilously unsafe. Otis designed a revolutionary safety brake: if the hoisting rope broke, a heavy spring would release, forcing metal teeth on the elevator car to lock into guide rails along the shaft. This automatic mechanism stopped the cabin's fall immediately. By demonstrating this system publicly at the 1854 New York World's Fair, Otis eliminated the widespread fear of falling elevator cabins. Consequently, his safety elevator cleared the path for the construction of modern skyscrapers, permanently transforming the urban landscape.

According to the passage, Otis's safety brake functioned by:

  1. clamping metal teeth onto the shaft's guide rails if the hoisting rope snapped.Answer
  2. B
    using a spring to prevent the hoisting ropes from breaking under heavy loads.
  3. C
    raising elevator cabins above five stories through automated metal rails.
  4. D
    relying on hemp ropes to automatically lock the cabin in place during a fall.

Answer

The safety brake worked by engaging metal teeth on the elevator car with the guide rails in the shaft when the main rope snapped.
The passage states that if the rope broke, a spring would force metal teeth on the elevator car to lock into guide rails. The correct option directly paraphrases this by stating that the brake functioned by clamping metal teeth onto the guide rails when the rope snapped.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the description of the safety brake's function in the passage.
The passage states that if the hoisting rope broke, a spring would force metal teeth on the elevator car to lock into guide rails along the shaft.
Finding the specific sentence that explains the operation of the safety brake is the first step in translating the detail.
2
Identify the option that correctly translates this statement into a paraphrase without changing the literal meaning.
The option stating that the brake clamped metal teeth onto the guide rails if the rope snapped correctly translates the literal details of the mechanism.
Translating the key details (rope breaking -> rope snapping, locking into guide rails -> clamping onto guide rails) demonstrates literal comprehension.

Key Concept

Identifying an accurate paraphrase of a literal detail stated in the text.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Translating Literal Statements to Paraphrases

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