A student is writing a report and wants to edit it to make better transitions among the paragraphs. Read the students report and answer the question that follows.
President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863 at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. The first speaker at the dedication, Edward Everett, orated for more than two hours. President Lincoln spoke after him, and his speech lasted little more than two minutes. Afterward, Everett told Lincoln that he wished he could express in two hours what Lincoln had said in two minutes.
Lincoln had delivered one of the most memorable speeches in history. This was fitting, as over 50,000 soldiers had died at the Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the Civil War. Lincoln's speech focused on a "new birth of freedom" in the United States, as he invoked the Declaration of Independence and its principles of liberty and equality. He stated clearly the need for the nation to be both united and free.
The oldest copies of the speech are different from one another. The Library of Congress has two copies, and the others were recorded by Lincoln well after the speech. One copy was made for Everett, but "Bancroft" and "Bliss" versions also exist. The "Bliss" version is carved into a wall of the Lincoln Memorial in our nation's capital.
Choose the sentence that provides the BEST transition between paragraphs 2 and 3.
A.
It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day.
B.
The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today.
C.
Lincoln was certain about his vision for the course of the nation.
B. The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today.
B. The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today.
To choose the sentence that provides the best transition between paragraphs 2 and 3, we need to look for a sentence that connects the ideas from the previous paragraph to the new information introduced in the following paragraph.
Let's review the content of the paragraphs:
- Paragraph 2 discusses the significance of Lincoln's speech at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery and its focus on the "new birth of freedom."
- Paragraph 3 introduces the variation in copies of the speech and mentions versions like the ones in the Library of Congress and the "Bliss" version at the Lincoln Memorial.
The best transition between these paragraphs would be one that introduces the topic of variations in copies of the speech discussed in paragraph 3.
Option A, "It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day," does not provide a smooth transition as it does not directly relate to the variations in copies of the speech.
Option B, "The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today," does not establish a clear connection to the variations in copies of the speech mentioned in the following paragraph.
Option C, "Lincoln was certain about his vision for the course of the nation," is the best choice as it introduces the idea that despite the variations in copies of the speech, Lincoln had a definite vision for the nation. This sets up the discussion in paragraph 3 about the different versions of the speech and their existence.
Therefore, the sentence that provides the best transition between paragraphs 2 and 3 is option C: "Lincoln was certain about his vision for the course of the nation."