Question

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?

Answer 1

The evidence indicating that Europe was dangerous for merchants before the 1100s includes the Champagne count's guarantee of their safety and the establishment of secure trade fairs, as well as historical accounts of perilous trading conditions with robbers and costly tariffs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from Sugar Changed the World suggests that Europe was dangerous for merchants to travel to before the 1100s. The evidence supporting this inference includes the count in the Champagne region of France guaranteeing the safety of merchants, which implies that merchants' safety was not previously assured. Additionally, the passage mentions that the six Champagne fairs starting around 1150 became a hub for trade, indicating that there was a new and secure opportunity for merchants that might not have been available before. Furthermore, the historical context reveals that prior to these developments, merchants faced perilous conditions such as robbers ambushing caravans and high expenses due to middlemen and tariffs, which made overland trade routes like the Silk Road costly and dangerous.

Answer 2

The passage suggests that Europe was dangerous for merchants to travel to before the 1100s due to the hazards of the overland trading route known as the Silk Road.

Step-by-step explanation:

The evidence from the passage that best supports the inference that Europe was dangerous for merchants to travel to before the 1100s is the mention of the costliness and dangers of the overland trading route known as the Silk Road. The passage states that goods traveled slowly on camelback across Central Asia, where there were risks of robbers, interference from officials, inclement weather, and the changing of seasons. Additionally, the passage mentions that with the end of the Pax Mongolica in the fourteenth century, the risks and costs associated with the caravan trade rose dramatically.