Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumExplicit Detail and Information Retrieval

Passage:
Under the regulatory provisions codified in the tenth-century *Book of the Eparch*, Constantinople's silk trade was partitioned among distinct, non-overlapping guilds to maintain rigorous fiscal oversight and protect imperial prestige. Among these, the *metaxopratai* (raw silk merchants) were tasked exclusively with importing unprocessed silk from foreign traders at designated customs stations. While the *katartarioi* (silk dressers) and *serikarioi* (weavers) were authorized to purchase raw yarn from the *metaxopratai*, the regulations strictly prohibited the *metaxopratai* from engaging in the processing of fibers or the fabrication of finished textiles. Furthermore, to prevent the hoarding of precious raw materials and curb price manipulation within the capital, the prefectural edict barred individual raw silk dealers from purchasing incoming stock independently; instead, entire imported consignments were required to be acquired collectively through guild syndicates at statutory prices before being apportioned among members in accordance with their recorded operating capacities.

Based on the passage, determine whether the following statement is true or false: Individual raw silk merchants in Constantinople were prohibited from purchasing incoming consignments of unprocessed silk independently of their guild syndicate.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True, because the passage explicitly confirms that prefectural edicts prohibited individual dealers from buying incoming stock independently, mandating collective purchases through guild syndicates.
The passage directly asserts that individual raw silk dealers were prohibited by prefectural edict from purchasing incoming stock on an individual basis, requiring all consignments to be bought collectively through guild syndicates.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key terms in the statement to locate the corresponding segment of the text.
Targeted the operational rules governing 'individual raw silk dealers' and the purchase of 'incoming stock'.
Explicit detail questions require directly mapping the query's terms to the author's verbatim assertions.
2
Scan the passage for the explicit rule regarding individual procurement of unprocessed silk.
Located the final sentence: 'the prefectural edict barred individual raw silk dealers from purchasing incoming stock independently; instead, entire imported consignments were required to be acquired collectively through guild syndicates.'
Verifying the explicit condition ensures the claim is directly supported by the text without relying on external assumptions.
3
Compare the statement against the identified explicit passage detail.
The statement accurately paraphrases the exact restriction outlined in the text.
Direct semantic correspondence confirms the statement's truth value.

Key Concept

Direct textual retrieval of explicit regulatory prohibitions without extraneous inferences.
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Topics

Explicit Detail and Information Retrieval

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