nutmeg

[leonseungmin]

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.

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.

I will post OA after I get 3 replies.

IMO, there is no proper answer for this question.

A. The British arrived in the islands before the Dutch.
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

This is what the article says. I can find that Britain certainly owned some part of the island before Dutch attact. However there still is possibility that Dutch traveled this island before they attacked.

B. Nutmeg was the only spice that grew on the islands
Locals harvested the aromatic nuts of the tree and sold them to traders.

We know they traded nutmeg, but no information regarding other spices are given.

C. Natives of the islands produced nutmeg from the nuts of the nutmeg tree.
Locals harvested the aromatic nuts of the tree and sold them to traders.

We know that natives harvested nutmeg, but not sure about who produced nutmeg.

D. The Banda Islands are still in the possession of the Dutch.

No information is available for this one.

E. The local economy of the islands depended completely on nutmeg.

No information is available for this one.

I want to find out the flaw in my logic. Why I cannot see the answer?

[tanviet]

IMO A

we infer that islandS, not one island, is owned by British before Dutch.

other choices, I see, is not mentioned.

[deepakdewani]

However, one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British

IMO A. The above statement in the passage supports the conclusion drawn out in A.

[sadullaevd]

I may be wrong, but my take is C

Reasoning:

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.

If you connect these boldfaced parts logically, it seems to me the answer is:

C. Natives of the islands produced nutmeg from the nuts of the nutmeg tree.

OA plz

cheers,

[vivecan2005]

I think if we pay attention to question it says "Passage Suggests" instead "can be assumed" so the fact that british were there before the dutch should NOT be a correct answer. Because this presence is not explicitly indicated in passage.

That's why "C" seems most appropriate answer as it clearly talks about the Banda Islands' native

BUT

If "passage suggests" is equal to "something said implicitly in passage" then "A" is most appropriate answer.

Please post the right answer.

[bln123]

imo A

because "one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British"

not C, because "nutmeg [is a ] common spice"..."Locals harvested the aromatic nuts...nuts, from which the spice is made" -> locals only harvest and don't make nutmeg