Question

Read this excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination.” The disease greatly affected the development of Western civilization. Which evidence from the passage best supports this claim about smallpox? Smallpox was introduced to Europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries. . . . The first stages of the decline of the Roman Empire (AD 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic. . . . The Arab expansion, the Crusades, and the discovery of the West Indies all contributed to the spread of the disease.  Unknown in the New World, smallpox was introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors

Answer 1

The answer is The first stages of the decline of the Roman Empire (AD 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic. . . .

Answer 2

The first stages of the decline of the Roman Empire (AD 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic  This is the correct option.

This statement provides evidence of the way in which small-pox affected the Western civilization . The Roman Empire was part of the Western civilization and it started to fall down at the same time a severe epidemy of chicken pox was spreading.

These options are not right:

- Smallpox was introduced to Europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries. . . ( This evidende refers to the time it was introduced in Europe , not to the development of the Western civilization.)

-The Arab expansion, the Crusades, and the discovery of the West Indies all contributed to the spread of the disease. ( This evidence talks about the factors that spread the  disease, not about the effect it had on the development of the Western civilization).

-Unknown in the New World, smallpox was introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors ( This refers to the first time chicken -pox had become known.)