Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Industrialists were slow to adopt new technologies for several reasons:

1. High cost: New technology was expensive to purchase, install, and maintain, making merchants and industrialists cautious about investing in it.
2. Frequent breakdowns: Machines often broke down and repairs were costly, reducing their practical value.
3. Overstated effectiveness: Machines were often not as effective as their inventors and manufacturers claimed.

This is evident in the case of the steam engine — patented by Watt in 1781, yet by the early nineteenth century there were no more than 321 steam engines in all of England, used only in a few industries like cotton, wool, and mining.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 1.2 – The Pace of Industrial Change

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The examiner expects you to pull three specific reasons directly from the passage — expensive, breakdown-prone, and less effective than claimed — and support them with the steam engine statistic (321 engines) as evidence. Avoid generic statements about the Industrial Revolution; stick to what the passage says. Naming the chapter/section shows source-awareness, which can earn presentation marks.