[The tape] was used for all sorts of mending and attaching jobs, . . . and the notorious stubbornness with which it hid its end and tore diagonally off the roll were accepted by users as just the way the tape was. . . . But inventors and tinkerers like Drew saw each shortcoming as a challenge for improvement. . . . Difficulties in getting Scotch tape off the roll, for example, prompted the development of a dispenser with a built-in serrated edge to cut off a piece squarely and leave a neat edge handy for the next use.

Question

—The Evolution of Useful Things,
Henry Petroski

What drove improvements to Scotch® tape in the passage?

Customers finally complained about the problems.
Inventors wanted to fix the tape’s shortcomings.
The manufacturer wanted to make a cheaper product.
The manufacturer had to use up its supply of new dispensers.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: Inventors wanted to fix the tape’s shortcomings.

The passage discusses how inventors and tinkerers, like Drew, view the challenges presented by the tape as opportunities for improvement, particularly mentioning the difficulties with getting Scotch tape off the roll.