[2026] PTE Academic Reading - Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

The industrial revolution marked a fundamental shift from agrarian, handicraft economies to those dominated by machine-based manufacturing.Beginning in the 18th century, the invention of the steam engine was the primary driver of this transformation, allowing for unprecedented increases in production efficiency.Factories sprang up in urban centers, leading to massive demographic shifts as populations moved from rural villages to cities in search of work.While this period generated immense economic growth and technological progress, it also created significant social challenges.Labor conditions were often hazardous, and the lack of environmental regulation resulted in severe urban pollution, necessitating the birth of modern labor movements and public health policies.