A Corking Row
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A. Some drinkers may still think that the term “corded wine” refers to the bits of cork in a bottle where the stopper has crumbled or fallen into the wine. But more and more now know that it actually refers to mustiness or cheesiness in the wine, with overtones of vegetable rot or old socks, caused by a taint which can be raced to 2, 4, 6-trichloroanisole. This contaminant, known as TCA, is so powerful that, according to one expert, half a tablespoon of pure TCA could “destroy all the wine produced in the United States”. And even if the wine is not actually mouldy, TCA can flatten the taste, removing flavours the wine maker has laboured long and hard to provide.
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B. The increased awareness is largely due to the battle now waging between defenders of the traditional cork stopper and its opponents, who believe that an unacceptable percentage of wine is affected by “corkiness”. Unfortunately, the battle has developed into a dialogue of the deaf. No one knows exactly how to evaluate the positive contribution made by cork to the quality of a wine, which some claim has to do with its porosity, which allows a desirably slow oxidation — though this is controversial. To complicate matters estimates of the "corkiness” due to defective corks rather than to the wine or to bad storage vary between less than 1% and 8%.
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C. In Britain, cork’s defenders have unleashed a ferociously negative (and largely counterproductive) public-relations campaign. They have attacked plastic substitutes as imparting their own impurities and claimed that their use would destroy the cork-oak forests of Spain and Portugal, together with their dozens of rare species of birds. This has merely alerted the majority of wine drinkers who had previously attributed the nastiness of any particular bottle to their own inadequate palates — for the top 5% of palates are 200 times more perceptive to the faults in a wine than the bottom 5%.
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D. The public battle started when a number of big British supermarket groups stated flatly that any systematic fault was as unacceptable in wine as it was in any other product They were joined by American and Australian producers more aware of profit margins than more traditional wine makers and less inclined to accept the idea of cork contamination as an inescapable act of God. The battle has, belatedly, forced the cork industry into action. For years, the price of cork had been increasing and the quality declining as the cork oaks were stripped of their precious bark too frequently. The processes remained primitive and continued to rely on the use of chlorine washes which increased the likelihood of contamination. Today washes have been changed, quality control tightened and more care, generally, is taken that the corks are not exposed to moisture which encourages the development of TCA during the manufacturing process. Today corks can be treated in a process called INOS designed to use its inherent sponginess as a way of squeezing out possible contaminants. Amorim, the biggest producer, not only uses INOS but has also introduced a new cork “twin top” based on those used in champagne — where the cork’s centre is made of agglomerated cork (cork granules stuck together) topped and tailed with slivers of pure cork.
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E. But even Amorim and other quality-conscious producers such as Sabate are going to have to accept that plastic corks — and the screw caps used in many cheaper wines in the United States and by the Swiss for even their finest bevvies — are going to take an increasing share of the market This is not because they are cheaper. They aren’t, and they create their own problems: the perfection of the seal they provide means that the air in the bottle has to be expensively removed before the stopper is inserted, and they are harder to extract than their natural competitors, although they do provide the expected satisfying plop when the bottle is opened.
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F. One obvious winner is the Supreme Corq from America, devised after its inventor had seen plastic bungs being used to seal the casks in some of the classiest estatds in France. It is made from a recyclable, inert thermoplastic polymer used to store medicines — a field where cork was abandoned 80 years ago — thus answering many of the accusations hurled at plastic closures.
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G. How likely is the wine-stopper war to end in open hostilities? The fact of the matter is that demand for wine in bottles (as opposed to wine in bags) is growing faster than the supply of properly prepared cork, so there is actually plenty of room in the market for different types of stopper. At the top end of the market, that does not necessarily favour plastic. For nobody can yet tell whether plastic stoppers will remain sound for the 20 or more years during which the greatest wines mature before they are drunk. On the other hand, “the top end" accounts for a very small amount of the total wine drunk, and plastic's chances look correspondingly better. As over 90% of all wine is consumed within a year of being bottled (and within 24 hours of being purchased) for most drinkers the argument about the long-term effects of plastic will seem fairly theoretical. In the end, all the participants in the row ought to be able to agree with Supreme Corq’s marketing director, Brooke Hilton, who says: “We are only in existence to get a better bottle of wine to the drinker.”
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Main idea - what corked wine really is and what causes it
Why this is correct: This paragraph explains what corked wine actually means and clearly identifies TCA as the cause. The focus is explanation, not debate or solutions.
Passage Reference: Some drinkers may still think that the term 'corded wine' refers to the bits of cork in a bottle where the stopper has crumbled or fallen into the wine. But more and more now know that it actually refers to mustiness or cheesiness in the wine, with overtones of vegetable rot or old socks, caused by a taint which can be raced to 2, 4, 6-trichloroanisole. This contaminant, known as TCA, is so powerful that, according to one expert, half a tablespoon of pure TCA could 'destroy all the wine produced in the United States'. And even if the wine is not actually mouldy, TCA can flatten the taste, removing flavours the wine maker has laboured long and hard to provide.
Tips: When a paragraph defines a problem and explains its cause, choose a heading about explanation, not solutions.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: The war between the two camps is not discussed here. There is no argument yet, just explanation. This is a wrong section trap.
- D: The INOS process is not mentioned. This heading jumps to solutions that appear later. This is a context shift trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- taint = contamination
- flatten the taste = remove flavour
Question Focus: Main idea - disagreement between cork supporters and opponents
Passage Reference: The increased awareness is largely due to the battle now waging between defenders of the traditional cork stopper and its opponents, who believe that an unacceptable percentage of wine is affected by 'corkiness'. Unfortunately, the battle has developed into a dialogue of the deaf. No one knows exactly how to evaluate the positive contribution made by cork to the quality of a wine, which some claim has to do with its porosity, which allows a desirably slow oxidation - though this is controversial. To complicate matters estimates of the "corkiness' due to defective corks rather than to the wine or to bad storage vary between less than 1% and 8%.
Why this is correct: The paragraph is about the ongoing conflict and disagreement over cork stoppers. It does not support one side, it describes the fight itself.
Tips: Words like battle, defenders, opponents usually signal a conflict-focused heading.
Why the other options are wrong:
- C: The damaging effect of the campaign appears later in Britain. This paragraph talks about the argument, not its consequences. This is a wrong section trap.
- F: This is not about corked wine causes. That was the previous paragraph. This is a reverse order trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- porosity = tiny holes
- controversial = argued about
Question Focus: Main idea - negative results of the cork defenders' PR campaign
Passage Reference: In Britain, cork's defenders have unleashed a ferociously negative (and largely counterproductive) public-relations campaign. They have attacked plastic substitutes as imparting their own impurities and claimed that their use would destroy the cork-oak forests of Spain and Portugal, together with their dozens of rare species of birds. This has merely alerted the majority of wine drinkers who had previously attributed the nastiness of any particular bottle to their own inadequate palates - for the top 5% of palates are 200 times more perceptive to the faults in a wine than the bottom 5%.
Why this is correct: The paragraph shows that the campaign backfired and made more drinkers aware of wine faults. That damage is the main point.
Tips: If a paragraph shows negative results of an action, look for headings about consequences or damage.
Why the other options are wrong:
- E: This is not a general war discussion but a specific PR campaign in Britain. This is an example-as-main-idea trap.
- I: Problems of plastic corks are mentioned only as accusations, not as facts. This is a partial truth trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- counterproductive = having the opposite effect
- palates = sense of taste
Question Focus: Main idea - industry changes and improvements forced by the conflict
Passage Reference: The public battle started when a number of big British supermarket groups stated flatly that any systematic fault was as unacceptable in wine as it was in any other product They were joined by American and Australian producers more aware of profit margins than more traditional wine makers and less inclined to accept the idea of cork contamination as an inescapable act of God. The battle has, belatedly, forced the cork industry into action. For years, the price of cork had been increasing and the quality declining as the cork oaks were stripped of their precious bark too frequently. The processes remained primitive and continued to rely on the use of chlorine washes which increased the likelihood of contamination. Today washes have been changed, quality control tightened and more care, generally, is taken that the corks are not exposed to moisture which encourages the development of TCA during the manufacturing process. Today corks can be treated in a process called INOS designed to use its inherent sponginess as a way of squeezing out possible contaminants. Amorim, the biggest producer, not only uses INOS but has also introduced a new cork 'twin top' based on those used in champagne - where the cork's centre is made of agglomerated cork (cork granules stuck together) topped and tailed with slivers of pure cork.
Why this is correct: The paragraph focuses on how the industry improved its processes because of pressure. It lists several concrete improvements.
Tips: If a heading matches only one sentence but not the whole paragraph, it is usually wrong.
Why the other options are wrong:
- D: The INOS process is mentioned, but only as one example. The paragraph is broader than that. This is an example-as-main-idea trap.
- E: This paragraph is not about market loss to plastic yet. That comes later. This is a wrong section trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- belatedly = later than expected
- agglomerated = stuck together
Question Focus: Main idea - plastic and screw caps gaining market share
Passage Reference: But even Amorim and other quality-conscious producers such as Sabate are going to have to accept that plastic corks - and the screw caps used in many cheaper wines in the United States and by the Swiss for even their finest bevvies - are going to take an increasing share of the market This is not because they are cheaper. They aren't, and they create their own problems: the perfection of the seal they provide means that the air in the bottle has to be expensively removed before the stopper is inserted, and they are harder to extract than their natural competitors, although they do provide the expected satisfying plop when the bottle is opened.
Why this is correct: The key message is that plastic corks and screw caps are gaining market share, even if they have drawbacks.
Tips: Decide whether problems are the main focus or just supporting details.
Why the other options are wrong:
- I: Problems of plastic corks are mentioned, but they are secondary. This is a detail-as-main-idea trap.
- G: This paragraph is not about long-term wine quality. This is a context shift trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- market share = portion of sales
- competitors = rivals
Question Focus: Main idea - one successful plastic cork solution
Passage Reference: One obvious winner is the Supreme Corq from America, devised after its inventor had seen plastic bungs being used to seal the casks in some of the classiest estatds in France. It is made from a recyclable, inert thermoplastic polymer used to store medicines - a field where cork was abandoned 80 years ago - thus answering many of the accusations hurled at plastic closures.
Why this is correct: The paragraph clearly presents Supreme Corq as a success story, solving many criticisms of plastic corks.
Tips: Phrases like one obvious winner strongly signal a heading about success.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: This is not about overall market trends but one product. This is an overgeneralisation trap.
- I: The paragraph argues against problems, not for them. This is a contradiction trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- inert = does not react
- recyclable = can be reused
Question Focus: Main idea - balanced conclusion about the future of wine stoppers
Passage Reference: How likely is the wine-stopper war to end in open hostilities? The fact of the matter is that demand for wine in bottles (as opposed to wine in bags) is growing faster than the supply of properly prepared cork, so there is actually plenty of room in the market for different types of stopper. At the top end of the market, that does not necessarily favour plastic. For nobody can yet tell whether plastic stoppers will remain sound for the 20 or more years during which the greatest wines mature before they are drunk. On the other hand, 'the top end" accounts for a very small amount of the total wine drunk, and plastic's chances look correspondingly better. As over 90% of all wine is consumed within a year of being bottled (and within 24 hours of being purchased) for most drinkers the argument about the long-term effects of plastic will seem fairly theoretical. In the end, all the participants in the row ought to be able to agree with Supreme Corq's marketing director, Brooke Hilton, who says: 'We are only in existence to get a better bottle of wine to the drinker
Why this is correct: The paragraph looks forward and concludes that different stoppers can coexist to improve wine quality for drinkers.
Tips: Conclusion paragraphs often focus on balance, future outlook, or overall benefits.
Why the other options are wrong:
- E: This is not about current conflict but future balance. This is a time/tense trap.
- A: Plastic success is discussed, but not as the only outcome. This is a partial truth trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- mature = age
- theoretical = not practical
General Tips:
- Read all headings first and underline 2 or 3 key words in each.
- Match headings to the MAIN IDEA, not a single interesting detail.
- Paragraphs follow order, so use the previous answer to help locate the next.
- If a heading fits only one sentence, it is probably a trap.
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