During a trolley ride in a freezing New York City winter, Mary Anderson observed the driver repeatedly opening the front window pane to brush away falling sleet, exposing passengers to the biting cold. Determined to find a solution, she sketched a device featuring a hand-operated lever inside the vehicle linked to a rubber blade on the outside. Although she secured a patent for her mechanical sweeper in 1903, manufacturing companies rejected her design, viewing it as a dangerous distraction for drivers.
The writer wants to add a sentence at the end of the paragraph that contrasts the initial commercial failure of Mary Anderson's invention with its eventual universal adoption. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
- By the time her patent expired in 1920, windshield wipers had become standard equipment on most consumer vehicles, including the Ford Model T.Answer
- BDecades later, another inventor, Robert Kearns, patented the intermittent windshield wiper, which allowed drivers to adjust the speed of the blades during lighter rain.
- CToday, Mary Anderson is celebrated in the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a museum that honors individuals who hold U.S. patents for significant technologies.
- DShe never profited from the invention herself, the automotive industry eventually adopted her design as standard equipment on all passenger cars.
Answer
By the time her patent expired in 1920, windshield wipers had become standard equipment on most consumer vehicles, including the Ford Model T.
The correct option is the one stating that by the time her patent expired in 1920, windshield wipers had become standard equipment. This choice successfully contrasts the initial rejection of Mary Anderson's design in 1903 with its eventual integration as standard equipment on most consumer vehicles.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals