Question 12 • HS BCS Literature and Composition I 25-26
Read the excerpt from Loom and Spindle.But in a short time the prejudice against factory labor wore away, and the Lowell mills became filled with blooming and energetic New England women. . . . They soon began to associate with those who formed the community in which they had come to live, and were invited to their houses. They went to the same church, and sometimes married into some of the best families. Or if they returned to their secluded homes again, instead of being looked down upon as "factory girls" by the squire's or the lawyer's family, they were more often welcomed as coming from the metropolis, bringing new fashions, new books, and new ideas with them.
Answer
A
The changing workforce transformed society’s rules.
B
Factories improved local economies with new products.
C
Women with factory experience found other jobs easily.
D
Married women preferred factory work to homemaking.
Explanation
The excerpt describes factory women gaining acceptance in their communities: they were invited into homes, attended the same church, and sometimes married into prominent families. When they returned home, people welcomed them rather than looking down on them. This shows that the growing presence of women factory workers changed social attitudes and expectations, making A, “The changing workforce transformed society’s rules,” the best answer.
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