Sugar Section 5 Quiz

During those three centuries, sugar was by far the most important of the overseas commodities that accounted for a third of Europe's entire economy. As technologies got more efficient and diversified, adding molasses and rum to the plantation byproducts, sugar barons from St. Kitts to Jamaica became enormously wealthy.

What is the meaning of commodities as it is used in the excerpt?

• luxuries

• food

• basic necessities

• goods

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What is the central idea of “How Sugar Changed the World”?

• Despite the hardships they faced, people who were enslaved played a key role in ushering in the Age of Freedom.

• For some sugar farmers, sugar farming represents the fulfillment of a dream and was a source of pride.

• There were and continue to be many hidden costs in the production of sugar.

• Sugar had a profound impact on shaping trade, politics, and borders from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which quote from the test best supports the idea that the central idea of "How Sugar Changed the World" is sugar had a profound impact on shaping trade, politics, and borders from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries?

• “Following the strand of sugar and slavery leads directly into the tumult of the Age of Revolutions.

• “White Gold, as British colonists called it, was the engine of the slave trade that brought millions of Africans to the Americas . . . The history of every nation in the Caribbean . . . and parts of the Southern United States was forever shaped by sugar cane plantations started as cash crops by European superpowers.”

• “[Sugar farming is] the only thing I’ve ever done. I grew up on a farm and it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

• “The consumption of sugar and its history gives a great insight into various interrelated issues, such as economics, human rights, slavery, environmental issues, health, consumerism issues and so on. We also see a hint at the “hidden costs” and impacts to society.”

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Think about the texts “How Sugar Changed the World” and Sugar Changed the World, then answer the question.

Which statement describes a purpose for writing that both Whipps and Aronson and Budhos share?

• To illuminate the fact that Britain’s desire to keep the sugar islands was a contributing factor in their loss of the American colonies.

• To persuade the reader that their theories about global trade were more correct than other popular theories.

• To explain the profound impact of the production and trade of sugar on global economies, governments, and societies.

• To trace the expansion of the sugar trade around the world, including the shifting regions of production over time.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

Think about the texts Sugar Changed the World and “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer,” then answer the question.

How do the interpretations of sugarcane farmers differ between the two authors?

• In “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer” sugarcane farming is presented as a profession with good and bad years for farmers; whereas, in Sugar Changed the World sugar is presented as a crop that was consistently profitable for plantation owners.

• In “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer” sugarcane farmers must work to conserve their soil for future generations through soil conservation programs; whereas, in Sugar Changed the World sugarcane farmers used crop rotation to preserve the soil.

• In “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer” sugarcane farming is presented as a difficult profession filled with manual labor and uncertainty; whereas, in Sugar Changed the World sugarcane farming is presented as physically easy and stable work.

• In “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer” sugarcane farming is presented as the fulfillment of a family dream and an important source of income; whereas, in Sugar Changed the World sugar plantations are portrayed negatively as exploiting workers for profit.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7