Question

read the passage from sugar changed the world.
starting around 1800, sugar became the staple food that allowed the english factories - the most advanced economies in the world - to run. sugar supplied the energy, the hint of nutrition, the sweet taste to go with the warmth of tea that even the poorest factory worker could look forward to. sugar was a necessity.
why were the english the first to build factories to mill cloth? because of the wealth they gained, the trade connections they made, and the banking systems they developed in the slave and sugar trade. indeed, the cheap cloth from the factories was used to clothe the slaves. english factories, you might say, were built, run, and paid for by sugar.
in 1800, when the english were consuming their eighteen pounds of sugar a year, around 250,000 tons of sugar was produced worldwide - almost all sent to
how do the details in this passage support the authors purpose?
the authors include details about how much sugar americans consume to persuade readers that modern diets are unhealthy.
the authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat.
the authors include details about how much sugar people have eaten over time to entertain readers with surprising statistics.
the authors include details about american and british diets to persuade readers that eating habits now are healthier than they were in the past.

Explanation:

The passage discusses how sugar was crucial for the English factories (starting around 1800), its role in the economy (through slave and sugar trade leading to building of factories), and changes in sugar consumption over time (e.g., 18 pounds a year in 1800). The details about changes in diets (sugar's role in different eras - as a staple for factory workers, its role in factory building via trade) inform readers about sugar's transformation of what we eat.

• Option 1: The passage is not focused on modern diets being unhealthy. It's more about sugar's historical role.
• Option 3: The purpose is not to entertain with statistics. The details are used to inform about sugar's impact.
• Option 4: The passage doesn't compare past and present diets in terms of health. It's about sugar's historical significance.

Answer:

The authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat.