Question

Which evidence from the text "Lake Titicaca" by Miguel Ángel Asturias supports the inference that Lake Titicaca's waters must have special powers?
"Waves of gigantic, seamless mass from the Cretaceous that become, at the height of the American world, the fairest crown of water: Titicaca."

"Mineral water. Other American lakes have vegetable waters. The sun knows it. And it is not a heavenly body, but a foundry in the west."

"Water in which the armor of the Incan empire’s conquistadors has not rusted. And it has been entombed already for centuries in its profound vase."

"I saw, as the sun was setting, the conquistadors’ steel shadows sink in search of the city of gold, hidden by the waters of this Andean sweet-lake sea."

Answer 1

Answer: "Water in which the armour of the Incan empire’s conquistadors has not rusted. And it has been entombed already for centuries in its profound vase."

Asturias is describing Lake Titicaca, a body of water located between Peru and Bolivia. He claims that the armours of conquistadores can be found there, but that these have not rusted, even though they have been in the lake for centuries. This would be extremely unusual as metal normally rusts when in contact with water. If this claim were true, it would indicate that Lake Titicaca has special powers.

Answer 2

"Water in which the armor of the Incan empire’s conquistadors has not rusted", implies that the waters of Lake Titicaca have a special property. Metal rusts when exposed to normal water, yet the armor has been in the lake ("entombed[...] in its profound vase") for centuries, and has not rusted. The waters must have special powers.