Question

Read the excerpt from Chapter 3 of Wheels of Change .

Taken together, these floor-length petticoats and the dress that covered them could weigh 25 pounds—even more when the unfortunate woman got caught in a rainstorm. Plus they were unsanitary. During a casual stroll, an unsuspecting fashion plate could pick up cigar ends, cigarette butts, discarded food, tiny insects, and animal droppings as her clothing swept the ground.

Which best characterizes the effect of the floor-length petticoats?

Short-term effect: They helped women move more easily.
Long-term effect: They became popular as athletic wear.
Short-term effect: They picked up debris on the street.
Long-term effect: They easily became dirty in daily life.

Answer 1

Short-term effect: They picked up debris on the street.
Long-term effect: They easily became dirty in daily life.

The passage describes petticoats sweeping the ground, collecting trash and animal droppings, and becoming unsanitary—so the second choice matches.