Which statement is true?

• A. In 1884, William Dunn and Alfred Bowers stamped the first metal airplane wing.
• B. In 1876, the Globe Company improved the cornice brake.
• C. World War I decreased the need for skilled workers in the sheet-metal trade.
• D. In colonial America, a master was required to provide food, lodging, clothing, and wages to the apprentice.

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how large historical events affect demand for skilled sheet-metal workers and how that fits into the apprenticeship era. World War I drove a big increase in production in war-related industries—ships, aircraft, artillery, and other metalworking needs—so shops and plants sought more skilled sheet-metal workers, not fewer. That means the claim that World War I decreased the need for skilled workers runs counter to the typical pattern of wartime manufacturing pulling in more skilled labor through training, hiring, and expanded production. In that sense, the statement about a decreased need isn’t consistent with how the trade generally responded to war-driven production boosts. The other statements involve specific historical claims whose accuracy is more dubious or context-dependent, while the broader takeaway is that wartime expansion usually raises demand for skilled metalworkers and apprenticeships.