The description of the route Portuguese sailors took in the first paragraph most directly supports which of the following historical developments?

(A) Chinese merchants’ domination of East Asian trade (B) Competition between Dutch and Portuguese traders for markets in Japan (C) European participation in East Asian trade patterns (D) Jesuit missionary work in Japan and ChinaExplanation: Eliminate (A) because the passage does not state whether Chinese merchants dominated the East Asian trade networks. Eliminate (B) because the passage does not discuss the presence of Dutch ships in Japan. Finally, get rid of (D) because the passage does not discuss Jesuits. The first paragraph does relate to the idea of Europe’s participation in East Asian trade patterns, so (C) is the best answer.