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Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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Updated on: 20 Aug 2019, 01:00
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based on 768 sessions
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world development. For example, though most people today associate nutmeg with simple baked goods, this common spice once altered the course of political history. For centuries, the nutmeg tree grew only in the Banda Islands, a small chain in the southwest Pacific. Locals harvested the aromatic nuts of the tree and sold them to traders. Eventually these nuts, from which the spice is made, ended up as a luxury item in the European market, via Venetian spice merchants. Eager to establish a monopoly over this valuable spice, the Dutch attacked the Bandas, subjugating the native people in a mostly successful attempt to control the nutmeg trade.
However, one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British and was the object of much conflict between the Netherlands and England. After many battles, the British offered to cede control of the island in exchange for New Amsterdam, a Dutch outpost on the east coast of North America. At the time, the Dutch, inveterate traders, were more interested in the spice trade than in the mercantile value of New Amsterdam and so accepted the offer. In 1667, the Treaty of Breda gave the Dutch complete control of the Banda Islands, and thus of the nutmeg trade, and gave the British New Amsterdam, which they promptly renamed New York.
1. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the claim that New Amsterdam would have remained a Dutch possession if not for the conflict over nutmeg?
A. Attempts to cultivate nutmeg trees outside of the Banda Islands had failed. B. Few people lived in New Amsterdam before it was ceded to the British. C. The British controlled trade in other valuable spices, such as cloves. D. New Amsterdam served as a trading center for furs exported to Europe. E. The Netherlands controlled no North American territories other than New Amsterdam.
2. The second paragraph performs which of the following functions in the passage? A It offers specific information to complete the logic of the author's claims. B It summarizes and evaluates the evidence given thus far. C It presents the author's main point to explain a unique situation. D It cites a particular case to demonstrate the importance of historical change. E It discusses the necessary outcome of the author's assertions.
3. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in
A. tracing the history of a major city B. discussing the role of spices in world development C. offering a specific example to support a general claim D. arguing for continued research into political history E. presenting an innovative view of a commonplace item
Re: Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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07 Nov 2010, 01:55
8
Carcass,
This passage is about the prospects of business, some good business value product and how some countries wanted to possess business of nutmeg (a prospective business value product). So, the whole motivation was to get hold on anything which was a good business prospect.
"New Amsterdam served as a trading center for furs exported to Europe."
Now, if suppose Amsterdam were a trading center for furs. It would have commercial value(business prospect). So, Dutch would not have just given the island to British without showing any resilience. There would have wanted to keep Amsterdam for its commercial value.
Re: Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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12 Nov 2010, 20:12
6 minutes and i got this one wrong
In the passage, the author is primarily interested in
A. tracing the history of a major city B. discussing the role of spices in world development C. offering a specific example to support a general claim D. arguing for continued research into political history E. presenting an innovative view of a commonplace item
I thought it was E remembering the first line of the passage but It was C
Re: Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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15 Jun 2016, 12:37
1. D " At the time, the Dutch, inveterate traders, were more interested in the spice trade than in the mercantile value of New Amsterdam and so accepted the offer."
2. A "However, one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British and was the object of much conflict between the Netherlands and England."
3. C "However, one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British and was the object of much conflict between the Netherlands and England."
I was confused between A and D. I hope you eliminated other answers to arrive at D. Here is why D for Question 2 is wrong though- D It cites a particular case to demonstrate the importance of historical change.
Second paragraph cites (or continues) a particular case to support a generalisation "Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world development" on which complete passage is based. There s no importance of historical change discussed in the passage. Historical change is further illustrated by a case of Dutch and British, and this case is not evaluated for its importance, the case is just stated.
Re: Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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14 Mar 2019, 01:54
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Quote:
the British offered to cede control of the island in exchange for New Amsterdam, a Dutch outpost on the east coast of North America. At the time, the Dutch, inveterate traders, were more interested in the spice trade than in the mercantile value of New Amsterdam and so accepted the offer.
From this, you can conclude that once what is called NA was an important hub.
Moreover, you could use also POE: all the other answers choice are not mentioned in the passage. Pretty easy question.
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16 Sep 2019, 02:05
Hi
Between B and C, B is incorrect because it didn't judges the direction of the author, This is tricky answer choice because in majority of the passages the main idea lies somewhere in para 1, but exceptions are always there and the case is different in this passage.
In 1st paragraph the author provides example about topic of his/her interest. It is same when we write our research thesis, before writing about the variable being discuss in the research we first provide introduction or some basic information about the variable to to get people understand what we want them to. In this passage the author provides some basic information in form of an example in the first paragraph but that was not what author want to get notice to.
In the second paragraph the very first word "However" make us cautious that author has main thing to discuss yet. and then he/she provides what is the area of interest so that is the reason B is wrong.
Re: Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world
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16 Sep 2019, 13:19
In question 3, why is E wrong? and in option C. offering a specific example to support a general claim -- I suppose that "Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world development." is the general claim but how do we know that this is a general claim?
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