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(1) In the late nineteenth century, librarians began noticing that many of the books in their care were breaking apart and crumbling.(2) Curiously, it was not the oldest books that were deteriorating, but the more recent volumes: those produced since the middle of the nineteenth century with sheets fabricated from a highly acidic wood-pulp mixture.(3) The transition to this lesser-grade stock began during the 1860s, when increasing demand for paper hastened the development of a cheaper process.(4) To improve strength and to prevent ink from being too readily absorbed by the pulp paper, chemicals, including aluminum sulfate (alum), were added to the mix.(5) The result was that documents exposed to humidity produced sulfuric acid, which weakened the molecular structure of the pulp's cellulose.The word "Curiously" in sentence 2 is meant to address which of the following assumptions?
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