Question

It says that El Niño winds would have allowed Magellan's ships to sail with prevailing winds, so fewer crew members would be needed. What does the word prevailing suggest to you about the way the wind was blowing?

Answer 1

Answer and explanation:

Let's be careful with this question, because we cannot simply interpret the adjective "prevailing" in its original sense. Prevailing, by itself, refers to something existing at a particular time, or something that is influential. However, when referring to winds, prevailing has a more specific meaning. A prevailing wind is a wind in a certain area or region of our planet that blows predominantly from a particular direction. This type of wind can be permanent in some places while, in others, it may take place during a certain period of the year. Therefore, the word prevailing in the excerpt suggests that the wind that allowed Magellan's ships to sail with fewer crew members was constantly blowing from a particular direction. That would probably have made sailing easier and faster than usual.