Question

Read the excerpt from the introduction to Wheels of Change .

When I was a kid, I took great pleasure in jumping on my bike and riding to the corner candy store about half a mile away. Although I had no knowledge of the part the bicycle had played as a vehicle of change for turn-of-the-20th-century women, I was acutely aware that it allowed this 1960s girl a unique measure of independence. On my bike, I could break free of the bonds that held me in my neighborhood to go buy Necco Wafers and candy necklaces and Atomic FireBalls. If I felt particularly adventurous, I could even ride a bit farther for a fresh ice-cream cone at Applegate Farm.

Which statement best characterizes this excerpt?

The author describes the long-term effects of having a bicycle as a child.
The author describes the long-term effects of women riding bicycles at the turn of the twentieth century.
The author describes the short-term effects of having a bicycle as a child.
The author describes the short-term effects of women riding bicycles at the turn of the twentieth century.

Answer 1

The author describes the short-term effects of having a bicycle as a child.

(She focuses on immediate freedoms—riding to the corner store or ice cream—rather than long-term effects or the historical impact on turn-of-the-century women.)