Read the Passage and Then Answer the Questions That Follow

Read the passage and then answer the questions that follow.
Nail polish dates back to about 3000 B.C. In China, it was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. In ancient Egypt, the cosmetic was made from henna, a reddish-brown dye from the leaves of a henna tree or shrub. In both societies, fingernail colors depended upon one's social and economic class. A royal woman was allowed to wear gold and silver polish. ____________, a lower-ranking woman could wear only pale tones. If she wore royal colors, she was punished with death.
What synonym refers to the subject of this passage?

A) cosmetic
B) class
C) woman