Question

Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World.

Since sugar had to pass through many hands before it reached the fairs, it was expensive and hard to get. King Henry III of England, for example, liked sugar. Yet there was little he could do to satisfy his craving. He wrote to one official in 1226 asking if he could possibly obtain three pounds of the precious substance—at a cost of about 450 modern dollars. He later appealed to a mayor, hoping he might be able to get four more pounds of the rare grains. And finally, by 1243, he managed to buy three hundred pounds.

The fairs lasted until the 1300s, when Venice came to dominate European trade with the Muslim world. The Venetians greatly expanded the sugar trade, so much so that a hundred years after Henry III's reign, the English were able to buy thousands of pounds of the sweet stuff each year.

Which inference does this passage support?

Before Venice took over, England dominated European trade with the Muslim world.
King Henry III was unable to buy large amounts of sugar because he was a poor negotiator.
As sugar became increasingly available to the English, they wanted to acquire even more of it.
As sugar became more available to the Venetians, the demand for it started to decrease.

Answer 1

"As sugar became increasingly available to the English, they wanted to acquire even more of it."

Why: the passage shows Henry III repeatedly seeking larger amounts (three pounds, then four, then 300) and later says that a century after Venice expanded the trade the English could buy thousands of pounds a year—showing both increased availability and increasing demand. The other options are not supported by the text.