Reading Comprehension

Read the text and answer the question.

In medieval Europe, many towns relied on a shared building called a guildhall, where members of a particular trade gathered to set rules and prices. A guild of weavers, for example, decided how cloth should be measured and who could open a workshop. Membership was not easily granted: an apprentice trained for years under a master before being allowed to sell goods independently. While these rules protected quality and limited unfair competition, they also kept outsiders from entering the trade. Historians note that guilds shaped not only local economies but also the layout of towns themselves.