North Africa is dominated by Earth’s largest desert, the Sahara, nearly a quarter of which is blanketed by sand sheets and dunes. While desert conditions can be difficult for humans, this is not the case for the camels indigenous to desert areas throughout the world.

Question

Camels are able to chew and digest cacti—spikes and all. They can also survive several months without food and for over a week without water. Their long eyelashes, closable nostrils, and padded hooves protect them from heat and sand. These unique adaptations, as well as camels’ capacity for traveling long distances while carrying heavy loads, make them excellent pack animals.

Around 300 CE, the Berbers, a nomadic people of North Africa, domesticated the camel, revolutionizing travel and transport in the region. Thanks to this breakthrough, camel caravans could now transport goods across the Sahara, leading to the vast expansion of the trans-Saharan trade network.

With which statement would the author of this passage most likely agree?

A
The domestication of the camel was a positive development for Africa.

B
The Berbers’ cruelty to camels eventually backfired.

C
Camels are incredibly adaptable to almost any geographical area.

D
Ironically, trade contributed to the ultimate downfall of empires across Africa.

Answer 1

The statement the author of this passage would most likely agree with is:

A. The domestication of the camel was a positive development for Africa.

The passage highlights how the domestication of the camel by the Berbers revolutionized travel and transport across the Sahara, leading to the expansion of the trans-Saharan trade network, which implies a positive development for Africa.