Read the passage about the history of steam powered vehicles and answer the question: "The first full scale, working steam powered tricycle was built by whom?"

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question focuses on careful extraction of factual information from a historical passage about the development of steam powered vehicles. The passage mentions several inventors and their contributions. You are asked specifically about the person who built the first full scale, working steam powered tricycle, which is an important step in automotive history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The passage mentions Ferdinand Verbiest designing a small steam powered model for the Chinese Emperor. - Nicolas Joseph Cugnot is described as building the first full scale, self propelled mechanical vehicle and also creating a steam powered tricycle. - Richard Trevithick built the "Puffing Devil" road locomotive. - Nicephore Niepce and his brother Claude created an early internal combustion engine called the Pyreolophore. - The question asks: "The first fullscale, working steam powered tricycle was built by:"

Concept / Approach:
For such factual questions, the correct approach is to locate the specific sentence in the passage that contains the key phrase. The relevant line states that Nicolas Joseph Cugnot is credited with building the first full scale, self propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile, and that he also created a steam powered tricycle. This clearly associates Cugnot, not the other inventors, with the first working steam tricycle.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify key words in the question: "first fullscale", "working", "steam powered tricycle". Step 2: Scan the passage for "steam powered tricycle". The sentence about Nicolas Joseph Cugnot mentions that he "also created a steam powered tricycle". Step 3: Note that this sentence appears in the context of describing Cugnot's work around 1769 on full scale, self propelled vehicles. Step 4: Confirm that none of the other inventors are linked to a steam powered tricycle in the passage. Verbiest made a small model vehicle, not a full scale tricycle. Trevithick built a road locomotive. Niepce worked on an internal combustion engine. Step 5: Therefore, the inventor of the first full scale, working steam powered tricycle mentioned is Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. Step 6: Match this to option B, "Cugnot".

Verification / Alternative check:
Re read the relevant part of the passage: it states that Cugnot is widely credited with building the first full scale, self propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile and that he also created a steam powered tricycle. The phrase "full scale" appears in direct connection with Cugnot, not with Verbiest, whose model was only 65 cm long and possibly never even built. This reinforces that Cugnot's work is the answer to the question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Verbiest (or Verbiest/Verbies) designed a small model steam vehicle which could not carry a driver or passenger; it was not a full scale tricycle. Trevithick built the "Puffing Devil" locomotive, which is a different type of steam vehicle. Niepce is mentioned in connection with the first internal combustion engine, not a steam engine or a tricycle. None of these inventors are described as building the first full scale, working steam powered tricycle, so their options are incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
Passage based questions with many names and inventions can cause confusion if you rely on memory alone instead of checking the text. A frequent mistake is to associate the "first" label with the first inventor mentioned (Verbiest) or with someone known for other firsts (Niepce and the internal combustion engine). To avoid such errors, always match the exact wording of the question with the specific phrase in the passage, especially when it includes qualifiers like "fullscale", "working", or "steam powered tricycle".

Final Answer:
Cugnot built the first full scale, working steam powered tricycle according to the passage.