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.
D.
Lincoln's speech had surprised the crowd.
A. It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day.
A. It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day.
To choose the best transition between paragraphs 2 and 3, we need to look for a sentence that helps connect the main idea of Lincoln's speech with the topic of the oldest copies of the speech.
Option A, "It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day," does not provide a smooth transition as it introduces a new idea without directly connecting it to the previous paragraph.
Option B, "The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today," also does not directly connect the main idea of Lincoln's speech with the topic of the oldest copies of the speech.
Option C, "Lincoln was certain about his vision for the course of the nation," does not provide a clear transition between the two paragraphs as it focuses on Lincoln's certainty rather than connecting Lincoln's speech with the oldest copies of the speech.
Option D, "Lincoln's speech had surprised the crowd," is the best choice for transition as it suggests that the significance and impact of Lincoln's speech may have affected the creation and preservation of the oldest copies. It helps establish a connection between the main idea of Lincoln's speech and the topic of the oldest copies of the speech.