In the text, you read this about the development of railroads: Although railroads caused certain problems, they also made possible the rapid growth of industry after 1865. Building rail lines created thousands of jobs. Steelworkers turned millions of tons of iron into steel for tracks and engines. Lumberjacks cut down whole forests to supply wood for railroad ties. Miners sweated in dusty mine shafts digging coal to fuel railroad engines. The railroad companies themselves employed thousands of workers. They laid tracks, built trestles across rivers, carved tunnels through mountains, and built countless railroad stations. The large railroads also pioneered new ways of managing business. Rail companies created special departments for shipping and accounting and for servicing equipment. Expert managers headed each department, while chains of command ensured that the organization ran smoothly. Other big businesses soon copied these management techniques. Use the passage to answer the question. Why would it be important for railroads to use strong management techniques?

Question

In the text, you read this about the development of railroads: Although railroads caused certain problems, they also made possible the rapid growth of industry after 1865. Building rail lines created thousands of jobs. Steelworkers turned millions of tons of iron into steel for tracks and engines. Lumberjacks cut down whole forests to supply wood for railroad ties. Miners sweated in dusty mine shafts digging coal to fuel railroad engines. The railroad companies themselves employed thousands of workers. They laid tracks, built trestles across rivers, carved tunnels through mountains, and built countless railroad stations. The large railroads also pioneered new ways of managing business. Rail companies created special departments for shipping and accounting and for servicing equipment. Expert managers headed each department, while chains of command ensured that the organization ran smoothly. Other big businesses soon copied these management techniques. Use the passage to answer the question. Why would it be important for railroads to use strong management techniques?
1. to ensure a complex business ran smoothly
2. to create more growth in other industries
3. to continue to employ thousands of people
4. to create more railways across the country

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most appropriate answer to the question "Why would it be important for railroads to use strong management techniques?" based on the passage is:

to ensure a complex business ran smoothly

This choice is supported by the passage mentioning that expert managers headed each department and chains of command ensured that the organization ran smoothly, indicating the importance of strong management in handling the complexities of the railroad business.