Paper 1 · Comprehension
Passage
The sugar maple is a hard maple tree. It can grow as tall as 100 feet and as wide as four feet. The sugar maple is commercially valued for its sap, which is used in making maple syrup. The two north-eastern states, Vermont and New York, are major producers of maple syrup. In Canada, Quebec's annual syrup production surpasses 2.5 million gallons. To make pure maple syrup, holes are made in the trunk of the tree at the end of winter or in early spring. The water-like sap seeps through the holes and runs through a plastic spout that is put into the hole. Afterwards, the collected sap is transferred into tubes that are hooked up to a tank kept in the sugar house. Then, the sap goes through a boiling process. Boiling enhances the flavour and adds colour to the sap. Once the sugar content of the sap is about 65-66 per cent, the sap is ready to be strained and marketed. However, maple syrups found in supermarkets are usually not pure and have other additives. The colour of pure maple may range from golden honey to light brown. Between 35 to 50 gallons of sap is needed to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. Also popular for the strength and finish of its wood, the sugar maple tree has been put to use in furniture, interior woodwork, flooring, and crates.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
ATo examine the economic viability of making maple syrup
BTo list a number of major producers of maple syrup
CTo provide information on the preparation of maple syrup ✓ Correct
DTo discuss the use of maple wood in furniture and other products
Correct answer: (C) To provide information on the preparation of maple syrup — The passage's main purpose is to give information on how maple syrup is prepared, so that is the answer.
Explanation
★The passage's main purpose is to give information on how maple syrup is prepared, so that is the answer.
★Most of the passage traces the steps of making maple syrup, from tapping the tree to boiling and straining.
★So the writing is chiefly an account of the preparation technique.
★The economic viability of the process is not weighed anywhere in the passage.
★The producers and the uses of the wood are mentioned only briefly, not as the main aim.
★Since the bulk of the passage explains the making of the syrup, its main purpose is to inform about that preparation.
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