Question

Why does the author include information about the dry climate?

Answer 1

Answer:

C) To explain why people in the region have to feed their animals fish

Explanation:

The given question refers to an excerpt from The Travels of Marco Polo:

And let me tell you something else. They have sheep here that have no ears, nor even ear-holes; but in the place where ears ought to be they have little horns. They are small creatures and very pretty. And here is something else that may strike you as marvelous: their domestic animals—sheep, oxen, camels, and little ponies—are fed on fish. They are reduced to this diet because in all this country and in all the surrounding regions there is no grass; but it is the driest place in the world.

The options you were given are the following:

A) to explain why sheep have horns but no ears

B) to explain why sheep in the region are so small

C) to explain why people in the region have to feed their animals fish

D) why there are such large quantities of fish available

The correct answer is C. Sheep feed on grass. The climate of the described region is so dry that there is no more grass, so sheep no longer have anything to eat. Instead of letting them die, the people began feeding them fish. The rest of the options are not consequences of the dry climate.