Question

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 where 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? \bigcirc the fairs had detailed, specific rules about what merchants could sell and how they could sell it. \bigcirc these fairs were the best in the world because of their detailed and specific rules for sellers. \bigcirc the careful organization of these fairs shows the intelligence of the people who planned them. \bigcirc traders from all over the world longed to sell their fabrics and furs at these well - organized fairs.

Explanation:

To determine the objective summary, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage says there were rules for weights/measures and selling order, but not detailed rules about "what" to sell (merchants sold various goods like cloth, furs, hides) and "how" (the "sergeants" managed order, not specific selling methods). So this is incorrect.
• Option 2: The passage doesn't claim these fairs were the "best in the world"—it describes their organization, not a comparative ranking. So this is incorrect.
• Option 3: The passage details the fairs' organization (covered galleries, large cellars, strict rules for weights/measures and selling order, "sergeants" managing order) which shows the planners' intelligence. This matches the passage's content.
• Option 4: The passage says traders from northern Europe brought woven cloth for the first twelve days, and later leather merchants (goods from Russia) came, but it doesn't say "travelers from all over the world" planned to sell fabrics and furs (the fairs had a schedule for different goods, not all travelers planning to sell those). So this is incorrect.

Answer:

The careful organization of these fairs shows the intelligence of the people who planned them.