Question

Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World.

Sugar is different from honey. It offers a stronger sweet flavor, and like steel or plastic, it had to be invented. In the Age of Sugar, Europeans bought a product made thousands of miles away that was less expensive than the honey from down the road. That was possible only because sugar set people in motion all across the world—millions of them as slaves, in chains; a few in search of their fortunes. A perfect taste made possible by the most brutal labor: That is the dark story of sugar.

How do the details in this passage support the authors’ purpose?

The comparison of honey to sugar production helps persuade readers that honey is better than sugar.
The details about sugar’s dependency on slavery help inform readers about why sugar was inexpensive.
The details about the sugar’s strong flavor entertain the reader with stories of how people invented sugar.
The comparison of the invention of sugar to steel helps persuade readers that sugar is easier to make than steel.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: "The details about sugar’s dependency on slavery help inform readers about why sugar was inexpensive."

Explanation: The passage links sugar’s low cost and wide availability to the forced movement and brutal labor of millions of enslaved people, showing why Europeans could buy cheaper sugar than local honey.