Anticipating the Future through Texts: Visions — Cumulative exam
Question 24 • Hopkins FA American Literature (2026-2027)
Read this excerpt from the introduction to Wheels of Change by Sue Macy.“To men, the bicycle in the beginning was merely a new toy, another machine added to the long list of devices they knew in their work and play. To women, it was a steed upon which they rode into a new world.”—"Woman and the Wheel," Munsey’s Magazine, May 1896
Answer
A
It will highlight nineteenth-century toys and machines.
B
It will compare horses and bicycles, as they are used for transportation.
C
It will compare the speed of men and women on bicycles.
D
It will highlight the historical significance of bicycles for women.
Explanation
The excerpt contrasts how men viewed bicycles—as another machine or toy—with how women viewed them: as a way to enter “a new world.” This suggests bicycles had a broader historical significance for women, likely connected to new opportunities and independence. Choice D best matches that focus; the excerpt is not mainly about bicycle speed or comparing horses with bicycles.
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