easy · GMAT Verbal

Passage: In the mid-nineteenth century, the development of the Bessemer process revolutionized the steel industry by allowing for the mass production of high-quality steel at a low cost. Prior to this, steel was produced in small batches and was too expensive for large-scale construction. This innovation directly enabled the growth of the railroad industry and the construction of the first skyscrapers. Consequently, the Bessemer process is considered a primary driver of the Second Industrial Revolution. The passage suggests that before the mid-nineteenth century, skyscrapers were not common primarily because:

1. There was no public demand for tall buildings in urban areas.
2. Cities had not yet grown large enough to require buildings of significant height.
3. The primary material required for their construction was prohibitively expensive.
4. Architects lacked the mathematical knowledge to design buildings of that height.
5. The Bessemer process had not yet been used to build railroads.

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