In the last half of the nineteenth century,the Second Industrial Revolution

A) became the gateway for the Third Industrial Revolution.
B) finished the "job" of the First Industrial Revolution.
C) brought about an era in which industrial output helped improve the everyday life of most Europeans.
D) allowed southern Europe to catch up with the north in industrial output.
E) was responsible for the First World War.

The Second Industrial Revolution, which began in the second half of the 19th century, brought about major advances in technology, especially in steel production, electricity, and communications. This led to an increase in industrial output, which helped raise the standard of living for many Europeans. However, it did not directly lead to the Third Industrial Revolution (which began in the 1960s) and was not the cause of the First World War. It also did not finish the job of the First Industrial Revolution but rather built upon it with new technologies and innovations. While southern Europe did lag behind the north in industrial output, the Second Industrial Revolution did not necessarily enable southern Europe to catch up.