Question

Where should the reader pause when reading this sentence?
So far, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world are speeding past the United States with their 200mph trains, but the United States won’t want to finish last with this one, especially with current concerns about how cars and planes contribute to pollution.
a.
before Europe, before Asia, after Asia, after trains, before especially
c.
before Asia, before but, after one, after planes
b.
after Europe, after Asia, after trains, after one, after especially
d.
none of these

Answer 1

To determine where the reader should pause in the sentence for clarity, we need to look for natural breaks or points where the information shifts.

Here’s the original sentence for reference:
"So far, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world are speeding past the United States with their 200mph trains, but the United States won’t want to finish last with this one, especially with current concerns about how cars and planes contribute to pollution."

The best points to pause for clarity would be:
- after "Europe" (to separate items in a list)
- after "Asia" (to separate items in a list)
- after "trains" (to create a break before the contrasting statement)
- after "one" (to emphasize the concluding thought)
- after "especially" (to indicate the following elaboration)

Looking at the options:
- Option **b** suggests pausing after "Europe," "Asia," "trains," "one," and "especially," which aligns with the natural reading breaks.

Thus, the correct choice is:
**b. after Europe, after Asia, after trains, after one, after especially**