Question

read the passage and study the image from sugar changed the world. cutting cane was hard work, but it was nothing like what came next: piles of freshly cut cane had to be fed into the ever - turning mill wheels, until they were completely crushed. the owners insisted that during the work hours the grinding never stop, no matter what. the mills were most often tended by women who were doing dangerous work while getting almost no rest. that was a very bad combination. an ax was often propped up near the rollers so if a slave closed her eyes for a second while pushing the cane, her arm could be hacked off before she was pulled through the merciless grinders. guests at sugar plantations often remarked on how many one - armed people they saw. day after day, week after week, month after month, the cane was cut, hauled to the mill, and fed through how does the illustration help the reader understand the text? the illustration shows that grinding sugar with mechanical equipment is inefficient. the illustration emphasizes why grinding sugar cane into white sugar is necessary. the illustration depicts enslaved sugar mill workers as completely exhausted. the illustration depicts the people, equipment, and oxen required to manufacture sugar.

Explanation:

The passage describes the process of sugar - cane grinding, including the workers (women who were enslaved in many cases), the equipment (mill wheels, rollers), and the arduous nature of the work. An illustration that shows the people (enslaved workers), equipment (mill machinery), and perhaps oxen (if they were part of the sugar - making process as draft animals) would visually represent what the text is describing.

• The first option is incorrect. The text does not focus on inefficiency of mechanical equipment but on the harsh working conditions.
• The second option is incorrect. The text is more about the grinding process and working conditions rather than emphasizing the necessity of making white sugar.
• The third option is too narrow. While exhaustion is part of the working conditions, the text also mentions the equipment and the overall process.

Answer:

The illustration depicts the people, equipment, and oxen required to manufacture sugar.