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Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

We owe the invention of paper to the Egyptian papyrus or the Egyptian paper. The Egyptians made paper from the papyrus plant (Cyperus papyrus) that was commonly found along the banks of river Nile. The pith of the plant was taken out and cut into long strips. These strips were placed diagonally over each other, and for better binding, were placed under a weight for a couple of days. The quality of papyrus paper is evident from the fact that they are still intact about 5000 years after they were written on.

Historical sources tell us that the ancient Egyptians were very secretive about the manufacturing technique of their papyrus. This was because papyrus was one of the main commodities that was exported by Egypt all over the region. Keeping its manufacturing process a secret enabled them to achieve monopoly in the market.