Question

Read this excerpt from a book that describes clothing in medieval Europe.

Nobles, including lords and ladies, often were dressed in rich-colored clothing, sometimes even with golden thread. Dyeing clothes was very expensive at the time; therefore, only the wealthy could afford to have clothing made with vibrant colors. Peasants wore un-dyed clothes in browns and grays mostly for two reasons: they were inexpensive, and because peasants worked the land, dirt was less predominant and the clothes were easier to clean.

On the basis of this excerpt, what can a reader conclude about noble women and peasant women?

Peasant women had no interest in fine clothing.
It was easy to distinguish between noble and peasant women at a glance.
Noble women were concerned only with their wealth and status.
It was unlikely that a peasant woman could ever become a noble woman.

Answer 1

Best choice: "It was easy to distinguish between noble and peasant women at a glance."

Why:
- The passage states nobles wore rich, brightly colored (sometimes gold-threaded) clothing while peasants wore undyed browns and grays for cost and practicality, so a visual difference is implied.

Why the others are not supported:
- "Peasant women had no interest in fine clothing." — The excerpt gives economic and practical reasons for their clothes, not their preferences.
- "Noble women were concerned only with their wealth and status." — The passage links wealthy people to expensive dyes but doesn't say nobles were motivated only by wealth/status.
- "It was unlikely that a peasant woman could ever become a noble woman." — The excerpt says nothing about social mobility.