Question

Read the excerpt from Early Victorian Tea Set.

Desire for the drink increased in the eighteenth century, but government taxes kept the price high, so a vigorous smuggling trade developed to avoid the excise duty.

The phrase “
” acts as a synonym context clue to help the reader understand “excise duty.”

Answer 1

The phrase "government taxes." It restates "excise duty" by naming the same concept (a tax imposed by the government).