Question

Most Americans are familiar with the mushrooms they eat on a pizza or in a salad. But most people do not know that more than 3,000 different types of mushrooms are grown around the world. Some mushrooms are less than an inch high, while others are more than 15 inches tall. They have strange names like shiitake, Portobello and Black Trumpet. Until World War II, most mushrooms were grown in Asia, where they were used in soups and vegetable dishes. But today, the United States is the world’s largest supplier of mushrooms. From 1986 to 1999, worldwide mushroom production grew from 470 million pounds to 860 million pounds.

What role does the underlined sentence play in this paragraph?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The underlined sentence provides a historical context by stating that until World War II, most mushrooms were grown in Asia, where they were used in soups and vegetable dishes.

Answer 2

[AI-generated answer — Step-by-Step Bot]

The underlined sentence provides additional information about the history and usage of mushrooms, specifically highlighting that until World War II, Asia was the primary region where mushrooms were grown and used in culinary dishes. This sentence helps to frame the context of mushroom cultivation before mentioning the current status of the United States as the largest supplier of mushrooms.