Question

though only simple tools, compasses have become almost synonymous with the very idea of exploration. their history stretches back over 2000 years to han dynasty china, where the earliest compasses were made with lodestone, a stone thats naturally magnetic. they likely worked by placing a magnetized needle in a dish of water and allowing it to align with the earths magnetic field. by the 11th century ce., china had developed compasses that were useful for navigation. these compasses had a magnetized needle attached to a card marked with the cardinal directions. compasses soon spread to europe, where they became an important part of many voyages. but why were compasses adopted across so many lands so quickly? well, prior to the invention of the compass, explorers relied on landmarks and the position of the sun, stars, and moon to navigate. however, celestial navigation was subject to the whims of the weather - when the sun and stars were hidden behind clouds or fog, navigation sometimes became impossible. this drastically restricted opportunities for sea voyages, due to the limited landmarks available on the open ocean. but with the invention and refinement of the compass, explorers could navigate regardless of the weather, opening up new possibilities for voyages across the sea. which quotation from the text best shows why compasses were quickly adopted in many places? choose 1 answer: “though only simple tools, compasses have become almost synonymous with the very idea of exploration. their history stretches back over 2000 years to han dynasty china.” “they likely worked by placing a magnetized needle in a dish of water and allowing it to align with the earths magnetic field.” “compasses soon spread to europe, where they became an important part of many voyages. but why were compasses adopted across so many lands so quickly?” “but with the invention and refinement of the compass, explorers could navigate regardless of the weather, opening up new possibilities for voyages across the sea.”

Explanation:

The question asks for the reason compasses were quickly adopted. The key is that compasses allowed explorers to navigate regardless of weather, which is stated in the last - mentioned quote. The other quotes focus on the history and working mechanism of compasses, not the reason for their quick adoption.

Answer:

D. "But with the invention and refinement of the compass, explorers could navigate regardless of the weather, opening up new possibilities for voyages across the sea."