Question

read the paragraph. then, add the best topic sentence.
_______ treat was a scientist who studied plants and insects in the 1800s. she was one of very few women to earn a living in science at that time. treat wrote books and magazine articles that made science easy for anyone to understand. she introduced new people, including women, to the topics she studied. these women realized that they, too, could do research and observe the world.
mary treat showed women that they could work in science.
mary treat exchanged letters with famous scientists.
mary treat earned a living writing articles for magazines.
mary treat and alice boring were both female scientists.

Explanation:

The paragraph focuses on Mary Treat being a rare female scientist in the 1800s, her science writing, and how she inspired other women to pursue science. The correct topic sentence must encapsulate her role in opening science careers for women, which matches the first option. The other options either focus on irrelevant details (letter exchanges, magazine writing alone) or introduce an unrelated person (Alice Boring).

Answer:

Mary Treat showed women that they could work in science.