Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.

        The steam engine reshaped industry and transport during the Industrial Revolution. Early designs converted boiling water into mechanical motion, powering mills and pumps in mines. (18) _______. Improved models increased power and reliability, enabling factories to run larger machines and to locate away from rivers. Building railways followed, allowing goods and people to move faster and farther. (19) _______. New production methods raised output, yet working conditions often remained dangerous and exhausting. Inventors and engineers responded with safety valves and stronger materials. (20) _______. Local governments sometimes subsidised rail links to connect ports and raw-material sources. As metallurgy and machining advanced, engines became smaller and more efficient. (21) _______. Today, the steam engine’s legacy lives on in modern turbines and in the idea of harnessing heat to produce motion. (22) _______.

(Adapted from National Geographic, “The Industrial Revolution and Technology”)

Question 18. A. These technological innovations proved essential for extracting groundwater from deep mining operations and powering early textile machinery

B. Such mechanical developments enabled both the drainage of flooded mines and the operation of manufacturing equipment across industrial regions

C. These engineering advances allowed mining operations to extend deeper while simultaneously powering textile production in multiple locations

D. Such inventions facilitated both the expansion of underground resource extraction and the mechanization of cloth manufacturing

Question 19. A. Only when investors provided capital for railway construction projects were manufacturing centers linked with markets and ports more effectively than previously

B. Only initially did numerous factory owners resist mechanization because adoption required substantial investment and altered traditional labor practices

C. Only after engineers encountered persistent difficulties laying track across diverse terrain did rail development stall repeatedly

D. Only despite railway availability did many merchants prefer established river transport and horse-drawn vehicles for moving goods 

Question 20. A. For example, engineers enhanced boiler construction, thereby reducing explosion risks and improving safety for factory workers and mining personnel

B. Similarly, technical specialists developed pressure-release mechanisms, thus preventing catastrophic failures in industrial steam applications

C. Likewise, safety innovations included strengthened materials, consequently withstanding higher temperatures and operational pressures

D. Correspondingly, designers implemented redundant systems, providing backup protection against mechanical failures during operation

Question 21. A. Smaller, more precise components manufactured in specialized workshops enabled builders to assemble engines with greater consistency and efficiency

B. Increasingly refined parts produced in dedicated machine shops allowed manufacturers to construct more reliable engines systematically

C. More accurate, miniaturized elements fabricated in technical facilities permitted engineers to build superior engines methodically

D. Progressively sophisticated components created in industrial workshops helped producers develop more dependable engines routinely

Question 22. A. Consequently, principles derived from steam technology significantly influenced subsequent developments in combustion engines and electrical power generation

B. Therefore, concepts originating from steam mechanics substantially shaped later innovations in internal combustion and electricity production

C. Thus, ideas emerging from steam engineering considerably affected future advances in motorized transport and power generation

D. Hence, theories developed through steam power notably impacted ongoing progress in mechanical propulsion and energy systems