Which statement gives two central ideas from the passage? A.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad was very challenging, and the transcontinental railroad was important to the growth of the United States.
B.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad was very dangerous, and the transcontinental railroad made the United States a more diverse nation.
C.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad took many years, and the transcontinental railroad helped the Union Army win the Civil War.
D.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad led to the invention of track ballast, and the transcontinental railroad helped Utah become a state.

Read the excerpt from "mother tongue." lately, i’ve been giving more thought to the kind of english my mother speaks. like others, i have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” english. but i wince when i say that. it has always bothered me that i can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. what best supports the inference that tan believes nonstandard english is no less valid than standard english? tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother’s “fractured” english. tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing. tan’s american education makes it difficult for her to understand her mother. tan winces when she describes her mother’s english as “broken.”