20. Which one of the following passages best suggests an indirect cause?

A. Because the cold front arrived, it snowed.
B. Jack slew the giant because he sold the cow for magic beans.
C. If you mix pleasure and business, business suffers.
D. We've learned that Sally Jones had a child, but who was the father?

I answered B, because the word "he" refers back to Jack. Therefore, an indirect cause is suggested by Jack, when he slew the giant, since he sold the cow for magic beans. Thus, trading the cow for magic beans indirectly led to Jack killing the giant. Is my thinking skewed?

I agree.

thanks

You're welcome.

Your thinking is not skewed, and you have correctly identified passage B as suggesting an indirect cause. In this passage, the action of Jack slaying the giant is indirectly caused by his decision to sell the cow for magic beans. By making that decision, Jack sets in motion a chain of events that leads to him encountering the giant and ultimately defeating him. The use of the word "because" indicates a causal relationship, but the cause is not immediately obvious or direct. Instead, it is implied through the sequence of events. Well done!