Which of the following background facts persuaded Europeans to engage in the actions described in the passage?

(A) China had recently placed an embargo on exports of silk. (B) The price of Chinese tea had risen higher than European buyers found acceptable. (C) China refused to allow a meaningful volume of European goods to be sold there. (D) China’s emperor had repeatedly insulted the British ambassador.Explanation: (C) This question tests the same skills as the one related to it above, but also requires contextualization. Answers A and B are not true, and while British delegates had been treated high-handedly before the Opium Wars, this was not nearly as decisive as European frustration at their inability to sell goods in China, while China happily sold European nations tea, silk, and other products.