The following questions refer to the excerpt below.
"Looking around a Mexico dotted by Starbucks,Wal-Mart and Krispy Kreme outlets,it's hard to remember the country before the North American Free Trade Agreement,which has dramatically expanded consumer choice and trade since it took effect 20 years ago Jan.1.While it changed the country in some fundamentally ways,the treaty never met many of its sweeping promises to close Mexico's wage gap with the United States,boost job growth,fight poverty and protect the environment.Mexico's weak unions and competition from Asia and Central America kept wages down;the tightening of security along the U.S.border closed off Mexico's immigration 'escape valve,' and environmental provisions in the agreement proved less powerful than those protecting investors."
USA Today,December 31,2013
-The historical trends described in the excerpt reflect
A) intense debate over free trade agreements since 1980.
B) indecisiveness over how to reform the U.S. financial system.
C) conflict over climate change.
D) the increasing availability of information from the Internet.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The excerpt discusses the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect in 1994, and describes the impact it has had on Mexico over the past 20 years. The passage mentions that the agreement "dramatically expanded consumer choice and trade," but also notes that NAFTA fell short in meeting many of its promises, such as closing the wage gap with the US, boosting job growth and fighting poverty. The debate over free trade agreements has been intense since the 1980s and NAFTA is one of the most well-known examples of such agreements. Therefore, the historical trends described in the excerpt reflect the ongoing debate over free trade agreements rather than indecisiveness over financial reform or conflict over climate change, or the increasing availability of information from the Internet.

The Following Questions Refer to the Excerpt Below