Question

Select the correct answer.

Which topic sentence best fits the passage?
Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution With the rise of the Industrial Revolution during the Victorian era, people were often forced to work in unhygienic and dangerous places. Children were no exception to this. There were very few schools at the time. Most families were so poor that their children often had to go out and work. The children were pushed into difficult working environments, such as mines, where they worked from morning till evening. A few slices of bread with fat was all they could afford to eat. They were under the threat of being crushed by coal wagons and the stale air. The lack of sunlight within the mines would make them ill. Children stopped working in mines only after a law was passed against it in 1842. However, they continued to work in other dangerous places such as factories and mills.
Group of answer choices
Factories and mills forced children to work at low prices.
Children became ill because they were too poor to buy food.
Mining became a major task with the rise of the Industrial Revolution.
Child labor was a serious problem during the Industrial Revolution.
Adults and children suffered equally during the harsh times of the Industrial Revolution.

Answer 1

The correct topic sentence is "Child labor was a serious problem during the Industrial Revolution," which summarizes the description of harsh working conditions, the necessity of child labor for family survival, and societal responses including legislative reforms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The topic sentence that best fits the passage about Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution is "Child labor was a serious problem during the Industrial Revolution." This sentence encapsulates the main idea of the passage, which describes the dire conditions under which children worked, the economic necessity prompting such labor, and the eventual legislative actions taken to mitigate some aspects of this widespread problem.

The passage recounts how children were subjected to long hours in dangerous working conditions, such as mines and factories, with minimal sustenance and education. It details the health hazards and extreme poverty that forced children into labor, indicating a period of extensive exploitation that was ultimately challenged by society and legislation.

The plight of child laborers was widely recognized, as depicted in various historical accounts and literature of the era. Michael Sadler and John Thomas Hope provide contrasting perspectives on the issue, while progressive reformers and authors like Charles Dickens emphasized the urgent need for change. The description of child labor highlights societal problems that arose from the inequalities of the Industrial Revolution, leading to later reforms in workers' rights and safety.

Answer 2

The best fitting topic sentence for the passage on Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution is "Child labor was a serious problem during the Industrial Revolution," which encapsulates the overall issues described, including dangerous working conditions and insufficient legal protections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct topic sentence that best fits the passage about Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution is "Child labor was a serious problem during the Industrial Revolution." This passage provides a stark view of the harsh realities faced by working-class children during this period, highlighting their long hours in dangerous and unhygienic conditions, insufficient nutrition, and their eventual exclusion from the mines due to legislative changes. While the passage mentions their work in mines specifically, it also emphasizes the broader issue of child labor across various industries.

The historical context surrounding child labor during the Industrial Revolution shows a time of economic transformation where children, as part of the labor force, suffered immensely in factory and mine work. Reformers such as Michael Sadler and social critics like Charles Dickens highlighted these atrocities. The debate over child labor and the conditions of industrial work is depicted in Parliamentary speeches, reflecting the social and political struggle to protect the young and vulnerable.