单选题 Why didn't silent reading become common before the nineteenth century?

A、 There were few places for people to have silent reading.
B、 Few people could read for themselves.
C、 Scholars disagreed with this kind of reading before the 19th century.
D、 People all thought that "reading" undoubtedly meant reading aloud.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 由文章第三段第一行中The last century saw a steady gradual increase in literacy可知应选B。