Read the passage from The Railroad Builders by John Moody. Answer the question that follows. It was a simple matter to find fault with the railroad; it has always been its fate to arouse the opposition of the farmers. This hostility appeared early and was based largely upon grounds that have a familiar sound even today. The railroad, they said, was a natural monopoly; no private citizen could hope ever to own one; it was thus a kind of monster which, if encouraged, would override all popular rights. From this economic criticism the enemies of the railroad passed to details of construction: the rails would be washed out by rains; they could be destroyed by mischievous people; they would snap under the cold of winter or be buried under the snow for a considerable period, thus stopping all communication. To all these pleas the advocates of the railroad had one unassailable argument—its infinitely greater speed. After all, it took a towboat three or four days to go from Albany to Buffalo, and the time was not far distant, they argued, when a railroad would make the same trip in less than a day. What is the central idea of this passage? Across America, there was much excitement surrounding construction of the new railroad. It was a simple matter to find fault with the railroad; it has always been its fate to arouse the opposition of the farmers. There were troublemakers out to destroy the railroad by snapping the track or getting in the way of construction. Though farmers criticized the railroad for being dangerous and a threat to their natural rights, those in favor highlighted its speed compared to other modes of transportation.
Read the passage from The Railroad Builders by John Moody. Answer the question that follows. It was a simple matter to find fault with the railroad; it has always been its fate to arouse the opposition of the farmers. This hostility appeared early and was based largely upon grounds that have a familiar sound even today. The railroad, they said, was a natural monopoly; no private citizen could hope ever to own one; it was thus a kind of monster which, if encouraged, would override all popular rights. From this economic criticism the enemies of the railroad passed to details of construction: the rails would be washed out by rains; they could be destroyed by mischievous people; they would snap under the cold of winter or be buried under the snow for a considerable period, thus stopping all communication. To all these pleas the advocates of the railroad had one unassailable argument—its infinitely greater speed. After all, it took a towboat three or four days to go from Albany to Buffalo, and the time was not far distant, they argued, when a railroad would make the same trip in less than a day.
What is the central idea of this passage?
Across America, there was much excitement surrounding construction of the new railroad.
It was a simple matter to find fault with the railroad; it has always been its fate to arouse the opposition of the farmers.
There were troublemakers out to destroy the railroad by snapping the track or getting in the way of construction.
Though farmers criticized the railroad for being dangerous and a threat to their natural rights, those in favor highlighted its speed compared to other modes of transportation.
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