Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the five questions that follow:-
Who among us has not enjoyed the transient pleasures of a little sugar? A bite of biscuit, a slice of cake, even the simple act of stirring sugar into a cup of something warm—all these constitute a deeply individual moment, a tiny space of solitude in the hectic race of humanity. Worldwide, people enjoy a sugar rush, which they hope ,will pass. The global consumption of sugar crossed 178 million metric tons in 2024—but, in fact, the impact of sugar and its sibling, chocolate, stays with us forever.
Sugar’s planetary history is remarkable. From being a locally grown product, it has expanded to 65 million acres worldwide; a dozen countries use more than 25% of their arable land to grow it. Alongside cattle ranching, 80% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down for growing sugarcane. Once planted, it takes 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of cane sugar—that’s a mind-boggling 34 liters per teaspoon. Meanwhile, the global chocolate market has caused the deforestation of vast stretches worldwide; cocoa decimated 2.3 million hectares just between 2001 and 2015. These industries further emit greenhouse gases, warming air and releasing chemicals into land and water, harming ecology and species.
Alongside, sugar and chocolate have bitter social histories. Both stem from pasts of enslavement; their global boom shows colonialism gleaming in shiny wrappers of business. These transplanted entire families—in a bitter-sweet twist, the ancestors of V.S. Naipaul, the Indian-origin writer, were taken as indentured labour from Uttar Pradesh to Trinidad to grow sugar. Helpless child labourers still work in cocoa farms, spraying pesticides and carrying sacks of goodies. Ironically, commodities which harm earth and vulnerable communities ultimately catch up with everybody—many of the world’s deadliest diseases, diabetes to cardiovascular illness, come from these.
The 'global boom' in the sugar and chocolate market is evident as:---
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → the land under sugarcane production is increasing at a rapid rate.
A "global boom" is a fast, worldwide rise in a market. The passage shows it through the spread of sugar farming: "From being a locally grown product, it has expanded to 65 million acres worldwide", and a dozen countries use more than 25% of their arable land to grow it. This growth of the land under sugarcane is the evidence of the boom.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: it provides bits of solitude in an otherwise hectic life. — Incorrect. Wrong link: this is the personal pleasure of eating sugar ("a tiny space of solitude"), not growth of the market.
Option 3: it has a bitter social history. — Incorrect. Wrong link: this is about the past (enslavement, indentured labour), not proof of the present boom.
Option 4: the goodies come packed in shiny wrappers. — Incorrect. Misread: it takes a figure of speech literally; "colonialism gleaming in shiny wrappers of business" means that the boom hides old colonial exploitation behind attractive business, not that sweets come in shiny packets.