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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #38726 Stearin
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Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
The nineteenth century brought with it a burst of new discoveries and inventions that revolutionized the candle industry and made lighting available to all. In the early-to-mid-nineteenth century, a process was developed to refine tallow (fat from animals) with alkali and sulfuric acid. The result was a product called stearin. Stearin is harder and burns longer than unrefined tallow. This breakthrough meant that it was possible to make tallow candles that would not produce the usual smoke and rancid odor. Stearins were also derived from palm oils, so vegetable waxes as well as animal fats could be used to make candles.

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph about candles before the nineteenth century?

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Result:

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Option 4: "They contained sulfuric acid."

Explanation: The text describes the process of refining tallow with alkali and sulfuric acid to create stearin. This implies that the candles made from unrefined tallow before this process likely contained sulfuric acid as part of the refining process, making this option a valid inference.

Option 1: "They did not smoke when they were burned."

Explanation: The text indicates that the breakthrough with stearin candles was specifically to eliminate the usual smoke produced by unrefined tallow candles. Therefore, it can be inferred that prior to this development, candles did indeed produce smoke when burned.

Option 2: "They produced a pleasant odor as they burned."

Explanation: The text states that unrefined tallow candles produced a rancid odor, which implies that candles before the nineteenth century did not produce a pleasant odor. Thus, this option contradicts the information provided.

Option 3: "They were not available to all."

Explanation: The text mentions that the nineteenth century made lighting available to all, suggesting that before this time, candles may not have been as accessible. However, it does not explicitly state that they were unavailable to everyone, making this option an assumption rather than a direct inference.

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