The correct answer is A. In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary were rare imports from faraway places.
Explanation
The excerpt talks about traders who traded in black pepper grown in southwestern India, which meant too long a journey to bring these products to Europe. In the first place they had to be transported to Arabia, and from there to Syria where European merchants acquired it to take it to the different kingdoms of Europe as the author mentions when saying that "From India the pepper was shipped across to Arabia, where camel caravans would carry it all the way to Syria. The Italians could purchase enough pepper in Syria to carry with them to the next Champagne fair". According to the above, the correct answer is A. In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary were rare imports from faraway places.
This isn't neccessarily true. Your introduction can still make sense without the hook, and the information inside the introduction part should really not directly depend on the hook to explain them, they should either be self explanatory, or you should explain them there.
Hopefully this helps!
1. I bet the weather forecast is on in a minute.
The weather forecast may be on in a minute.
2. It's likely that we'll have a very hot summer this year.
We might have a very hot summer this year.
3. I'm sure Tom didn't drive to work, because his car is in the drive, covered with snow.
Tom mustn't have driven to work, because his car is in the drive, covered with snow.
