What factors led to the weakening of the catholic church and the beginning of the refomation

What is the main idea of this paragraph

Read the passage from sugar changed the world. but there is another story as well. information about sugar spread as human knowledge expanded, as great civilizations and cultures exchanged ideas. in fact, while sugar was the direct cause of the expansion of slavery, the global connections that sugar brought about also fostered the most powerful ideas of human freedom. how do the details in this passage support the authors’ purpose? the details about the expansion of sugar inform readers about how widespread the use of sugar was. the details about human knowledge inform readers about how humans learned about sugar. the details about ideas and global connections persuade readers that sugar’s story has multiple consequences. the details about the spread of information about sugar entertain readers with stories of travel.

What is the meaning of each underlined word in these excerpts from "a modest proposal" by jonathan swift? i think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation. some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and i have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. the word prodigious means . the word desponding means .