Reading Comprehension

Source: MGMAT

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.

Q1
Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the initial interest of the Netherlands in the Banda Islands?

A: Increased economic competition with Britain
B: Disappointment with the economic development of New Amsterdam
C: Frustration with the practices of Venetian spice merchants
D: Failure to cultivate nutmeg in other locations
E: Desire to restrict access to a commodity

OA: E

Q2
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.

OA: A

Q3
The passage suggests which of the following about the Banda Islands?

A, The British arrived in the islands before the Dutch.
B, Nutmeg was the only spice that grew on the islands.
C, Natives of the islands produced nutmeg 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 completely on nutmeg

OA: A

Q4
The author mentions Venetian spice merchants in order to

A: discuss the role of Venice in the history of the trade of luxury items
B: explain how nutmeg was introduced into Europe
C: establish that Venetian merchants obtained a monopoly on the importation of nutmeg into Europe
D: demonstrate the importance of spices in Italy
E: explain why nutmeg was considered a luxury item

OA: B

I got all the answer while re-working.

Question 1

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.

This points to choice E. Desire to restrict access to a commodity.

This is because if the Dutch wanted to monopolize and control nutmeg trade, it can be reasonably inferred that they wanted to restrict access to nutmegs.

Question 2

Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world development....this common spice once altered the course of political history.

This is the author's main point. The example of nutmegs and the Banda islands is provided as evidence of this point.

So the main purpose of the second para is to draw the connection between this evidence and the author's main point

This points to choice A. It offers specific info to complete the logic of the author's claims.

Without the second para, this connection is not valid.

D is a contender too, but it is slightly distorting the main point by referring to "importance of historical change". Also this is not a particular case, but a continuation of the example in the first para.