Unit 9 ( All of Unit 9)
What is the central idea of a text? the feeling or emotion that a text provokes in the reader a conclusion based on evidence and background knowledge a series of ideas that support a main point the main point the author is trying to make
the main point the author is trying to make
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. The traders who came up from Italy offered items they had bought [from] Muslims, which were not available in Europe: fruits such as oranges, apricots, and figs; dyes such as cochineal, which produces a rich red; rare fabrics such as cotton and raw silk. Many of the fabrics that we know of today came to Europe via the Muslims, and their names still show their origins: damask from Damascus, muslin from Mosul, gauzes from Gaza. Which inference does this passage best support? Traders brought not only sugar but also other valuable items to Europe. The most popular items for traders to buy were various fruits and fabrics. Most types of cloth are named after where they are from instead of what they look like. After seeing cloth from other lands, Europeans worked to produce similar fabrics.
Traders brought not only sugar but also other valuable items to Europe.
Today, few people have heard of Jundi Shapur. But in its time, it was an exceptional university. Jundi Shapur was built in what is now Iran sometime between the 400s and mid-500s A.D. We can only guess the dates, but we do know more about the school. It was the meeting place of the world's great minds. In 529, Christians closed the school of Athens—the last link to the academies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur. Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions. Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India, to gather and translate the wisdom of the Hindus. The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world, a place where the sick were treated and young doctors learned their craft, as well as a fine observatory to track the heavens. At Jundi Shapur the best scholars west of China all gathered to think and study together. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos Which details from the text support the central idea of this passage? Check all that apply. "Today, few people have heard of Jundi Shapur." "Jundi Shapur was built in what is now Iran." "We can only guess the dates." "Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur." "Nestorians . . . had their own ancient and scholarly traditions." "The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world."
"Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur." "Nestorians . . . had their own ancient and scholarly traditions." "The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world."
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. With the rise of Islam, Egypt became the world's great sugar laboratory. The kind of sugar easiest to produce from cane is dark—the color comes from molasses, which also makes that form of sugar spicy and even bitter. What we call molasses is just a natural part of the first grinding of sugar cane into syrup. Sugar refiners drain out the dark molasses to use by itself and are left with relatively white sugar. The noble and wealthy, who could afford sugar, wanted it to be as pure, sweet, and white as possible. The Egyptians figured out how to meet that need. What evidence from the passage best supports the inference that white sugar was rarer and more valuable than brown sugar? Select two options. "Egypt became the world's great sugar laboratory" "The kind of sugar easiest to produce from cane is dark" "drain out the dark molasses to use by itself" "wanted it to be as pure, sweet, and white as possible" "Egyptians figured out how to meet that need"
"The kind of sugar easiest to produce from cane is dark" "wanted it to be as pure, sweet, and white as possible"
The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur. Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions. Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India, to gather and translate the wisdom of the Hindus. The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world, a place where the sick were treated and young doctors learned their craft, as well as a fine observatory to track the heavens. At Jundi Shapur the best scholars west of China all gathered to think and study together. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos What evidence from the passage supports the inference that scholars at Jundi Shapur were interested in various disciplines? "The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur." "Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India." "The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world . . . as well as a fine observatory." "Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions."
"The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world . . . as well as a fine observatory."
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. On a plantation there were large groups of workers—between fifty and several hundred. The mill was right next to the crop, so that growing and grinding took place in the same spot. And all the work was governed by extremely tight, rigid discipline. The Muslims began to put together the rules for this new kind of farming. Both they and the Christians experimented with using their slaves to run the plantations. At first many of the slaves working sugar plantations in the Mediterranean were Russians, or anyone captured in war. But even all this careful organization did not solve the second problem with sugar. What evidence from the passage best supports the inference that making sugar was difficult? Select two options. "growing and grinding took place in the same spot" "the work was governed by extremely tight, rigid discipline" "Muslims began to put together the rules for this new kind of farming" "experimented with using their slaves to run the plantations" "many of the slaves working sugar plantations in the Mediterranean were Russians" "careful organization did not solve the second problem with sugar"
"the work was governed by extremely tight, rigid discipline" "careful organization did not solve the second problem with sugar"
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. But it is in India, where it was used as an offering in religious and magical ceremonies, that we have the first written record of sugar. Long before the first pyramids were built in Egypt, the ancient Sumerians traded with the people of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, who lived along the Indus River. Unfortunately, we are still not able to read the writings left behind from those ancient cities. So the first documents telling us about life in that region come from a much later period. These Hindu sacred teachings were probably first gathered together sometime between 1500 and 900 B.C., and were carefully memorized. Only hundreds of years later were they finally written down. The Hindu writings tell us of a religion in which fire was extremely important. People believed that the gods gave fire to human beings. Yet fire was also a way for humans to reach the gods. By placing offerings in a special fire, a priest could turn them into smoke and send them on to the gods. Five ingredients were selected for this special burning: milk, cheese, butter, honey, and sugar cane. Which details would best fit in a summary of this passage? Select two options. "in India . . . it was used as an offering in religious and magical ceremonies" "the first written record of sugar" "Long before the first pyramids were built in Egypt" "gods gave fire to human beings" "a priest could turn them into smoke and send them on to the gods"
"in India . . . it was used as an offering in religious and magical ceremonies" "the first written record of sugar"
The Italian merchants sometimes sailed across the Mediterranean Sea to Syria, where they could buy black pepper that had been grown on the southwest coast of India. The tiny dried black peppercorns were the perfect item to trade, because the small ships of the time could carry enough to make a nice profit. From India the pepper was shipped across to Arabia, where camel caravans would carry it all the way to Syria. The Italians could purchase enough pepper in Syria to carry with them to the next Champagne fair. Every count whose cook added the bite of costly black pepper to his food knew he was getting a taste of far distant lands. As late as 1300, Jean de Joieville, a French writer who had actually lived in the Muslim world, still believed that these spices came from the outer edges of the Garden of Eden, located somewhere along the river Nile. There, people "cast their nets outspread into the river, at night; and when morning comes, they find in their nets such goods as . . . ginger, rhubarb, wood of aloes, and cinnamon." -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos Which details from the text support the central idea of this passage? Check all that apply. "sailed across the Mediterranean Sea to Syria" "grown on the southwest coast of India" "tiny dried black peppercorns were the perfect item to trade" "From India the pepper was shipped across to Arabia" "Jean de Joieville, a French writer . . . actually lived in the Muslim world"
"sailed across the Mediterranean Sea to Syria" "grown on the southwest coast of India" "From India the pepper was shipped across to Arabia"
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. In the 1100s, the richest Europeans slowly began to add more flavor to their food—because of a series of fairs and wars. A smart count in the Champagne region of France guaranteed the safety of any merchant coming to sell or trade at the markets in the lord's lands. Soon word spread, and the fairs flourished. Starting around 1150, the six Champagne fairs became the one place where Europeans could buy and sell products from the surrounding world—a first step in connecting them to the riches and tastes beyond. Fortress Europe was slowly opening up. What evidence from the passage best supports the inference that Europe was dangerous for merchants to travel to before the 1100s? "because of a series of fairs and wars" "guaranteed the safety of any merchant" "the one place where Europeans could buy and sell products" "a first step in connecting them to the riches and tastes beyond"
"the one place where Europeans could buy and sell products"
Order the events in the history of sugar chronologically. Use 1 for the first event. Sugar cane was cultivated in New Guinea. Columbus brought sugar to Hispaniola. Europeans acquired sugar. Persians introduced sugar to the Middle East. Sugar was used in the Middle East.
1 5 4 2 3
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. The year is 326 B.C. Alexander the Great stands at the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. For a decade he and his Greek soldiers have been battling their way across the known world, defeating even the mighty Persians, rulers of Asia. Alexander's string of victories only feeds his hunger to conquer all, to know all. But his men balk. Tired of fighting, homesick, they refuse to go on. Alexander realizes he cannot continue to conquer Asia, but he is too curious to stop exploring. He has already built a fleet of eight hundred ships, appointed his close friend Nearchus captain, and sent them to investigate the coast of lndia by sea. Which statement best summarizes this passage? Nearchus was the captain of a fleet of ships that Alexander the Great had built. Alexander the Great was victorious over formidable opponents in his conquests. Alexander the Great worked only with friends he trusted, such as Nearchus. Alexander the Great continued exploring even though his Greek soldiers quit.
Alexander the Great continued exploring even though his Greek soldiers quit.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. Since sugar had to pass through many hands before it reached the fairs, it was expensive and hard to get. King Henry III of England, for example, liked sugar. Yet there was little he could do to satisfy his craving. He wrote to one official in 1226 asking if he could possibly obtain three pounds of the precious substance—at a cost of about 450 modern dollars. He later appealed to a mayor, hoping he might be able to get four more pounds of the rare grains. And finally, by 1243, he managed to buy three hundred pounds. The fairs lasted until the 1300s, when Venice came to dominate European trade with the Muslim world. The Venetians greatly expanded the sugar trade, so much so that a hundred years after Henry III's reign, the English were able to buy thousands of pounds of the sweet stuff each year. Which inference does this passage support? Before Venice took over, England dominated European trade with the Muslim world. King Henry III was unable to buy large amounts of sugar because he was a poor negotiator. As sugar became increasingly available to the English, they wanted to acquire even more of it. As sugar became more available to the Venetians, the demand for it started to decrease.
As sugar became increasingly available to the English, they wanted to acquire even more of it.
After the Egyptians crushed cut cane and captured the juice, they boiled and strained the liquid, let it settle, then strained it again. The cane juice was now poured into molds with holes in the bottom, so that all the liquid could drain out, leaving only a powder. That powder was then mixed with milk and boiled again. After one round of these steps, the process was repeated all over again. As a result of all this effort and care, Egypt was known for the "whitest and purest" sugar. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos What is the central idea of the passage? Egyptians boiled and strained liquid to form sugar. Egyptians had a special process for refining white sugar. Egyptians were hard workers who overcame many challenges. Egyptians crushed sugar cane and used the juice as a sweetener.
Egyptians had a special process for refining white sugar.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. One of these early Hindu writings, the Atharva Veda, speaks of an archer's bow made of sugar cane. It tells of growing a circle of sugar cane as a kind of sweet protection for a lover, and it includes specific instructions on how to use sugar cane. Which inference does this passage support? Hindus who lived in ancient times used sugar the same way we use it today. Hindus who lived in ancient times believed that sugar had powerful properties. Most Hindus in ancient times had very few specific uses for sugar cane. Most Hindus in ancient times searched for new ways to use sugar cane.
Hindus who lived in ancient times believed that sugar had powerful properties.
The Italian merchants sometimes sailed across the Mediterranean Sea to Syria, where they could buy black pepper that had been grown on the southwest coast of India. The tiny dried black peppercorns were the perfect item to trade, because the small ships of the time could carry enough to make a nice profit. From India the pepper was shipped across to Arabia, where camel caravans would carry it all the way to Syria. The Italians could purchase enough pepper in Syria to carry with them to the next Champagne fair. Every count whose cook added the bite of costly black pepper to his food knew he was getting a taste of far distant lands. As late as 1300, Jean de Joieville, a French writer who had actually lived in the Muslim world, still believed that these spices came from the outer edges of the Garden of Eden, located somewhere along the river Nile. There, people "cast their nets outspread into the river, at night; and when morning comes, they find in their nets such goods as . . . ginger, rhubarb, wood of aloes, and cinnamon." -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos What is the central idea of the passage? In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary were rare imports from faraway places. The spices at the Champagne fair were from the Middle East, where they were used in cooking. Pepper was highly regarded in Europe, so merchants demanded more and more of it. The Champagne fairs relied on a vast trade network that drove up the prices of new and rare goods.
In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary were rare imports from faraway places.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. When the prophet Muhammad began preaching in A.D. 610, he attracted only a few disciples. Yet by the time he died in 632, his faith had spread throughout Arabia. By 642, the armies of Muslim conquerors, along with the arguments of the Muslim faithful, took the religion all across Syria, Iraq, parts of Iran, and Egypt. From there, Islam spread through North Africa along the Mediterranean, across to the Iberian Peninsula, and over to France. Islam's march into Europe ended in 732, when the French defeated the Muslim armies at the battle of Poitiers. But that was not all. Muslim rulers took Alexander's old lands in Afghanistan and then, from there, swept through to conquer northern India. The pagan tribes of Central Asia chose Islam. By conversion or conquest, Islam, the religion of Muhammad, won over nearly all the lands of the ancient world: Egypt, Persia, India, and the Christian Mediterranean. Which statement best summarizes this passage? The prophet Muhammed only had a few followers. Islam spread widely through invading armies and voluntary conversion. The spread of Islam into Europe ended in 732. French armies defeated Muslim armies at the battle of Poitiers.
Islam spread widely through invading armies and voluntary conversion.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. THE WORLD'S FIRST TRUE UNIVERSITY Today, few people have heard of Jundi Shapur. But in its time, it was an exceptional university. Jundi Shapur was built in what is now Iran sometime between the 400s and mid-500s A.D. We can only guess the dates, but we do know more about the school. It was the meeting place of the world's great minds. In 529, Christians closed the school of Athens—the last link to the academies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur. Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions. Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India, to gather and translate the wisdom of the Hindus. The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world, a place where the sick were treated and young doctors learned their craft, as well as a fine observatory to track the heavens. At Jundi Shapur the best scholars west of China all gathered to think and study together. By the 600s, the doctors at the school were writing about a medicine from India named sharkara or, as the Persians called it, shaker—sugar. Indeed, scholars at Jundi Shapur invented new and better ways to refine cane into sugar. Since the school had links with many of the great civilizations of Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe, word of sugar and the experience of tasting its special sweetness began to spread. How does the heading help the reader understand the central idea of this passage? It convinces the reader that other universities are inferior. It informs the reader that the text will focus on a specific school. It reveals how this section of text is related to sugar. It implies that the passage will describe types of universities.
It informs the reader that the text will focus on a specific school.
But the Crusades were more than battles; they were also an information exchange. As a result of their contact with Muslims, the Europeans began to break out of their sealed-off world. They learned mathematics and, according to some scholars, how to build windmills. Windmills were a great power source that allowed Europeans to drain swamps and make use of lands that had previously gone to waste. With more land, they could grow more food. This knowledge that Muslims had helped Europe to get on its feet. And wars against the Muslims brought Europeans to sugar. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos How does the underlined sentence develop the central idea that the Crusades had both negative and positive results? It relays the importance of wind energy during the Crusades. It demonstrates that Muslims were the only group of people with good inventions. It shows that a Muslim invention benefited European society. It illustrates that Europeans were good at inventing new things.
It shows that a Muslim invention benefited European society.
How does the map develop the central idea of the passage? It provides a visual representation of lands conquered by Muslims. It shows the regions that benefited from Muslims' knowledge of sugar. It illustrates how the growth and refining of sugar led to Muslim conquests. It demonstrates that Muslims grew sugar outside of the Mediterranean.
It shows the regions that benefited from Muslims' knowledge of sugar.
Today, few people have heard of Jundi Shapur. But in its time, it was an exceptional university. Jundi Shapur was built in what is now Iran sometime between the 400s and mid-500s A.D. We can only guess the dates, but we do know more about the school. It was the meeting place of the world's great minds. In 529, Christians closed the school of Athens—the last link to the academies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur. Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions. Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India, to gather and translate the wisdom of the Hindus. The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world, a place where the sick were treated and young doctors learned their craft, as well as a fine observatory to track the heavens. At Jundi Shapur the best scholars west of China all gathered to think and study together. -Sugar Changed the World, Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos What is the central idea of the passage? Jundi Shapur was most famous for its teaching hospital and observatory. Jundi Shapur allowed teachers and students from different cultures to share ideas. Jundi Shapur included the ideas of scholars such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Jundi Shapur is barely known today, but it was an important place in the Middle East.
Jundi Shapur allowed teachers and students from different cultures to share ideas.
Sort the statements by whether they are objective or subjective.
OBJECTIVE Jerry left his notebook at home. Emus are in the ratite family. Soccer in popular in Latin American. SUBJECTIVE Rainy days are the worst. Bran muffins are delicious. Dogs are the best pets for children.
Even though one book after another repeats this myth, the popularity of spices had nothing to do with disguising the taste of meat or fish that had gone bad. Any lord who could afford spices (which were expensive) could easily get fresh meat or fish (which were readily available); and when a cook happened to be stuck with rancid food, the spices he had available could not hide the awful smell or taste. Whenever they could, people used the spices that were so popular, they became an expensive necessity: pepper, ginger, sugar, sometimes saffron. Only the very rich could afford the luxuries—such as ambergris (which is coughed up by whales and offers a strange, perfumy taste of the sea). -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos The central idea in this passage is that spices were popular because they were flavorful, not because they helped people eat spoiled food. Which ideas are key details supporting this? Check all that apply. Spices could not disguise bad meat. Ambergris has a briny, sealike taste. Fresh meat and fish were easy to find. Only the very rich could afford luxuries. A myth is often repeated in books.
Spices could not disguise bad meat. Fresh meat and fish were easy to find. Only the very rich could afford luxuries.
Write 2 to 3 sentences summarizing the passage you just read. Be sure to restate the central idea in your own words, include key details, and use objective language.
Sugar had three primary uses in ancient India. It was used in religious rituals, consumed as a snack, and considered a type of medicine.
After the Egyptians crushed cut cane and captured the juice, they boiled and strained the liquid, let it settle, then strained it again. The cane juice was now poured into molds with holes in the bottom, so that all the liquid could drain out, leaving only a powder. That powder was then mixed with milk and boiled again. After one round of these steps, the process was repeated all over again. As a result of all this effort and care, Egypt was known for the "whitest and purest" sugar. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos How do the details in the passage support the central idea? The details compare the Egyptian process of refining sugar to processes used by other people. The details explain how Egyptians created the process to refine white sugar. The details clarify the simplistic approach that Egyptians used to refine white sugar. The details describe the extensive and repetitive process necessary to create white sugar.
The details describe the extensive and repetitive process necessary to create white sugar.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. The fairs were very well organized. They featured covered galleries so that merchants could buy and sell even if rain came drumming down; cellars were so large, they resembled underground cities. At the fairs, merchants could trust the weights and measures, and a strict order prevailed for how things were to be sold. For the first twelve days one could sell only woven cloth—which is what the traders from northern Europe brought. Then the "sergeants" of the fair would walk through the streets crying, "Pack up, pack up" and all the cloth must be put away. Now the leather traders, who came from as far as Spain, and the fur merchants, whose goods might come from Russia, filled the tables with piles of hides and pelts. Which statement is an objective summary of the passage? The fairs had detailed, specific rules about what merchants could sell and how they could sell it. These fairs were the best in the world because of their detailed and specific rules for sellers. The careful organization of these fairs shows the intelligence of the people who planned them. Travelers from all over the world longed to sell their fabrics and furs at these well-organized fairs.
The fairs had detailed, specific rules about what merchants could sell and how they could sell it.
How does the map develop the central idea that scholars at Jundi Shapur spread the knowledge of sugar? The map illustrates the spread of sugar from New Guinea to Persia. The map shows that sugar was being refined primarily in the north rather than the south. The map illustrates the spread of knowledge about refined sugar processing to Egypt. The map illustrates that people in China knew how to refine sugar and shared this knowledge.
The map illustrates the spread of knowledge about refined sugar processing to Egypt.
The remaining Greek scholars moved to Jundi Shapur. Jews joined them, as did a group of Christians called Nestorians, who had their own ancient and scholarly traditions. Persians added their voices, and one of their learned doctors set off for what is now India, to gather and translate the wisdom of the Hindus. The school created the very first teaching hospital in the world, a place where the sick were treated and young doctors learned their craft, as well as a fine observatory to track the heavens. At Jundi Shapur the best scholars west of China all gathered to think and study together. -Sugar Changed the World,Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos What inference can be made from the passage? Jundi Shapur was a refuge for academics who had been persecuted. The scholars at Jundi Shapur were interested in various disciplines. Both men and women were scholars at Jundi Shapur. Greeks, Christians, Jews, and Persians gathered at Jundi Shapur.
The scholars at Jundi Shapur were interested in various disciplines.
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. When the prophet Muhammad began preaching in A.D. 610, he attracted only a few disciples. Yet by the time he died in 632, his faith had spread throughout Arabia. By 642, the armies of Muslim conquerors, along with the arguments of the Muslim faithful, took the religion all across Syria, Iraq, parts of Iran, and Egypt. From there, Islam spread through North Africa along the Mediterranean, across to the Iberian Peninsula, and over to France. Islam's march into Europe ended in 732, when the French defeated the Muslim armies at the battle of Poitiers. But that was not all. Muslim rulers took Alexander's old lands in Afghanistan and then, from there, swept through to conquer northern India. The pagan tribes of Central Asia chose Islam. By conversion or conquest, Islam, the religion of Muhammad, won over nearly all the lands of the ancient world: Egypt, Persia, India, and the Christian Mediterranean. Which text features would be most helpful to support the central idea of the passage? Select two options. a timeline showing when Alexander the Great's power came to an end a map showing the spread of Islam through much of the ancient world a timeline showing when Muslim conquerors took over each part of Europe a map showing how Alexander the Great spread Islam throughout the world a timeline showing the spread of Muhammad's teachings
a map showing the spread of Islam through much of the ancient world a timeline showing the spread of Muhammad's teachings
