Question

Read the excerpt from The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England.

In such circumstances, storage of food is most important. The principal rule is to have separate places for different types of commodity: dry things can be kept in a pantry with bread and dry linen; wet things are normally stored in the buttery. Wine and meat must be kept apart, and cellars should be avoided on account of their dampness. Meat should be seethed in summer to keep it fresh, then kept in a cool cellar, soaked in vinegar with juniper seeds and salt. Most yeomen will have vats and presses for making cheeses—a valuable source of protein in the long winter season. Similarly, most livestock owners have troughs for salting meat or allowing it to steep in brine.

What is the author’s purpose in this excerpt?

(A) to explain how easy it was to store food properly during Elizabethan times
(B )to explain how the proper way to store food was taught to Elizabethan cooks
(C) to explain the complexities of proper food storage during Elizabethan times
(D) to explain the errors people made trying to store food properly during Elizabethan times

Answer 1

(C) to explain the complexities of proper food storage during Elizabethan times

The passage explains how the different types of food must be stored during Elizabethan times in order for the food to be safe and not spoil. There are many things to consider including how best to preserve meat, the dryness of the cellar and what types of tools are available for salting meat. Also, certain foods may not be stored near each other because of cross contamination issues.

Answer 2

The best answer for this question would be:
c.To explain the complexities of proper food storage during Elizabethan times.

The excerpt shows the readers on how they storage their food during the old century. This is for the food to kept fresh at all times, especially for the queen.