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
A. It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day.
To choose the best transition between paragraphs 2 and 3, let's look at the information provided in the paragraphs. In paragraph 2, the focus is on Lincoln's speech at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Pennsylvania and its significance given the context of the Battle of Gettysburg. In paragraph 3, it shifts to discussing the different copies of Lincoln's speech and their variations.
Option A ("It is not exactly certain which words Lincoln spoke that day.") is not the best transition because it introduces uncertainty about the content of Lincoln's speech, which is not directly relevant to the shift in focus between the paragraphs.
Option B ("The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today.") is a relevant transition statement. It connects the significance of Lincoln's speech in paragraph 2 to the fact that the copies and variations of his speech are still remembered and studied today in paragraph 3.
Option C ("Lincoln was certain about his vision for the course of the nation.") is not the best transition because it introduces a statement about Lincoln's certainty that is not directly connected to the topic of variations in the copies of his speech.
Option D ("Lincoln's speech had surprised the crowd.") is not the best transition because it introduces information about the crowd's reaction to Lincoln's speech, which is not directly relevant to the shift in focus between the paragraphs.
Therefore, the best transition between paragraphs 2 and 3 is:
B. "The spirit of Lincoln's speech is remembered well today."