Question

Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World.

The arkatis (recruiters) who were hired by shipping companies were Indians themselves; they knew villagers would not want to cross the water. But they also knew where there were hungry, desperate people. So they fanned out to the countryside and began to look for strong men. Bharath, who was about to leave for Trinidad, later explained how that happened. His version of English is hard to understand, but it is how the Indians began to speak on the islands. "E no tell e I go chinedad you know . . . e no tell e no come back, e no greet mumma fadder again." ("He did not tell me I was going to Trinidad, you know. He didn't tell me I would never come back, or never see my mother and father again.")

Which goal does this passage best address?

the goal of entertaining readers with stories about Indians going to the islands
the goal of explaining to readers how Indians were taken advantage of
the goal of describing to readers how the sugar industry recruiters were hired
the goal of convincing readers that Indians willingly went to the islands to work

Answer 1

the goal of explaining to readers how Indians were taken advantage of

The passage emphasizes recruitment by Indian arkatis who found desperate people and deceived them (Bharath’s quote shows he wasn’t told the truth), so it illustrates exploitation rather than willingness or mere hiring details.