Items that seem unremarkable today might once have altered the course of 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, a spice made from these nuts became a luxury item in the European market, via Venetian merchants. Seeking a monopoly over this valuable spice, the Dutch attacked the Banda Islands, subjugating the native people in a mostly successful attempt to control the 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. Inveterate traders, the Dutch were more interested in the spice trade than in the small outpost of New Amsterdam. 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. Today, nutmeg trees can be found in many countries and no one company or country has a monopoly on the trade.

1. For what purpose does the author include the second paragraph?

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

OA A

2. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in

A. tracing the history of a major city
B. discussing the role of commonplace items 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

OA C

3.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 lucrative trading center for spices exportable to Europe
E. The Netherlands controlled no North American territories other than New Amsterdam

OA D

4. The passage suggests which of the following about the Banda Islands?

A. Some of the disputed territory on the islands was previously annexed by the British
B. Nutmeg was the only spice that grew on the islands
C. Natives of the islands produced the nutmeg spice from the nuts of the nutmeg tree
D. The Banda Islands are still in the possession of the Dutch
E. The local economy of the islands depended on nutmeg

OA A