The sealed box

Original non-fiction-style practice text.

At the school instrument sale, used clarinets lay on open tables. One new instrument remained in a sealed box. A customer assumed that this made it the best purchase. The music teacher, Adil, said its condition might be excellent, but the sealed packaging left two practical questions unanswered.

The buyer had small hands and had never tried this particular key layout. The box also contained no information about whether the local repairer could obtain parts for the model. Adil offered to arrange a trial with the supplier and contact the repairer before the buyer committed to it. The used clarinets had been checked and could be tried immediately.

He did not advise buying an older instrument merely because it was old. Nor did he claim the new one was faulty. He wanted the decision to include fit and future upkeep as well as appearance. A box could protect an instrument perfectly while keeping important information beyond the customer's reach.

Give two things Adil wants to establish before the customer buys the new clarinet.