Question

The Transcontinental Railroad

Building the transcontinental railroad across the United States required vast amounts of manpower, resources, and planning. It is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in U.S. history. Its construction could be compared to the digging of the Panama Canal and the landing of men on the Moon. This railroad allowed the U.S. to grow more easily, in size and population, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. grew quickly during the middle of the 19th century. Much of this growth was east of the Mississippi River. Many politicians and businessmen from the U.S. wanted to push west and connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. At the time, the steam locomotive was the best choice for this task. However, laying railroad tracks was a time-consuming effort. The process included preparing the track ballast, or trackbed. This was a layer of crushed stone where the railroad ties and rails sat. The crushed stone allowed for better water drainage. It also prevented vegetation from growing around the track. The ties were wooden planks that rested on the trackbed. The rails were made of metal and were connected to each tie with metal spikes. This process made the transcontinental railroad a difficult operation.
Construction began in 1863, during the Civil War. Two companies built the railroad. The Union Pacific Railroad Company began building west from Omaha, Nebraska, on relatively flat ground. This allowed Union Pacific to lay tracks at a faster rate. Union Pacific's competitor was the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Working east from Sacramento, California, Central Pacific had to construct a railway through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This became a great obstacle. Thousands of laborers worked each day at a slow pace through, around, and over the difficult mountainous landscape. As the years went by, more and more workers were hired to build the railroad as quickly as possible. In fact, many different immigrants contributed to building the railroad, including Chinese, Irish, and German workers.
The two companies intended to connect their rails about halfway between the starting points. However, the U.S. Government promised benefits to the company that laid the most railway. This prompted fierce competition between the two companies. This competition became dangerous when the companies drew closer to one another in the late 1860s. Each company began to sabotage the other's work. They did this using dynamite and other methods to prevent the rival company from laying more rails.
In the end, the two companies connected their rails. Meeting in 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, the final "Golden Spike" was hammered into the linked railroad. The completed transcontinental railroad allowed people and goods to travel across the U.S. in only a matter of days.

2
Which statement gives two central ideas from the passage?
A.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad was very dangerous, and the transcontinental railroad made the United States a more diverse nation.
B.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad was very challenging, and the transcontinental railroad was important to the growth of the United States.
C.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad led to the invention of track ballast, and the transcontinental railroad helped Utah become a state.
D.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad took many years, and the transcontinental railroad helped the Union Army win the Civil War.

Answer 1

B. Construction of the transcontinental railroad was very challenging, and the transcontinental railroad was important to the growth of the United States.

The passage emphasizes the difficulties of building the railroad (mountainous terrain, slow work, need for many laborers and resources) and explains how the completed railroad helped the U.S. grow by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and allowing people and goods to cross the country quickly.