Starting around 1800, sugar became the staple food that allowed the English factories—the most advanced economies in the world—to run. Sugar supplied the energy, the hint of nutrition, the sweet taste to go with the warmth of tea that even the poorest factory worker could look forward to. Sugar was a necessity.
Why were the English the first to build factories to mill cloth? Because of the wealth they gained, the trade connections they made, and the banking systems they developed in the slave and sugar trade. Indeed, the cheap cloth from the factories was used to clothe the slaves. English factories, you might say, were built, run, and paid for by sugar.
In 1800, when the English were consuming their eighteen pounds of sugar a year, around 250,000 tons of sugar was produced worldwide—almost all sent to Europe. A century later, in 1900, when sugar was used in jams, cakes, syrups, and tea, and every modern country was filled with factories, world production of sugar reached six million tons. By that time, the average person in England ate ninety pounds of sugar a year—and in the early twentieth century, that number kept rising. (Americans today eat only about 40 pounds of cane sugar a year, but that is because other forms of sweeteners, such as corn syrup, are now cheaper than cane sugar. If you consider all forms of sweetener, Americans eat an average of 140 pounds every year.)
How do the details in this passage support the authors’ purpose?
The authors include details about how much sugar Americans consume to persuade readers that modern diets are unhealthy.
The authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat.
The authors include details about how much sugar people have eaten over time to entertain readers with surprising statistics.
The authors include details about American and British diets to persuade readers that eating habits now are healthier than they were in the past.
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The correct answer is: The authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat.
This option accurately reflects the passage's focus on the historical context of sugar consumption and its impact on diets and economies. The authors highlight the significant increase in sugar production and consumption from 1800 to 1900 to illustrate how sugar has played a pivotal role in shaping dietary habits and the industrial economy.
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