Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World . In the 1400s, Spain and Portugal were competing to explore down the coast of Africa and find a sea route to Asia. That way, they could have the prized Asian spices they wanted without having to pay high prices to Venetian and Muslim middlemen. Spanish and Portuguese sailors searching for that sea route conquered the Canary Islands and the Azores. Soon they began building Muslim-style sugar plantations on the islands, some of them staffed by slaves purchased from nearby Africa. One sailor came to know these islands particularly well because he traded in "white gold"—sugar. And then, as he set off on his second voyage across the sea to what he thought was Asia, he carried sugar cane plants from Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, with him on his ship. His name was Christopher Columbus. How do the details in the passage most support the central idea?
Answer
A
The details describe how Spanish and Portuguese explorations helped expand the sugar trade.
B
The details compare Spanish and Portuguese sugar plantations to those of Muslim farmers.
C
The details explain how Venetian and Muslim middlemen were able to control the sugar trade.
D
The details emphasize Christopher Columbus’s role in spreading sugar to the New World.
Explanation
The passage connects Spanish and Portuguese exploration with the growth of sugar production: sailors conquered Atlantic islands, built sugar plantations there, and used enslaved workers. It then explains that Columbus carried sugar cane plants from Gomera on his voyage across the ocean. Together, these details show how exploration helped expand the sugar trade, making D the best answer. The passage mentions middlemen and Muslim-style plantations, but does not focus on how middlemen controlled sugar or compare plantation systems.
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