medium · SAT Reading & Writing

Text 1 The development of the steam engine in the 18th century was the primary driver of the Industrial Revolution, enabling factories to move away from water sources and allowing for the rapid expansion of rail transport. Text 2 While the steam engine was undoubtedly important, its impact would have been far more limited without parallel advances in metallurgy. Without the ability to produce high-strength iron and steel, the high pressures required for efficient steam engines could not have been safely contained. Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim made in Text 1?

1. By agreeing that the steam engine was the only significant factor in the Industrial Revolution.
2. By noting that water-powered factories were actually more efficient than those using steam engines.
3. By claiming that rail transport would have expanded even without the invention of the steam engine.
4. By arguing that the steam engine's success depended on other simultaneous technological developments.

Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →