Question

questions 1 through 3 refer to the following.
“on the western side of the ocean, movements of people and ideas of culture spread east and connected... preceded the atlantic connection. great empires - in the valley of mexico, or the mississippi river... - had collapsed or declined in the centuries before 1492.
as columbus embarked on his first trans - atlantic voyage, the mexica, or aztecs, were consolidating their position in mexico; their city was a center of both trade and military might. tenochtitlan the aztec capital... held 200,000 people, a population greater than the largest city in contemporary europe.
... the mississippian culture spread east and west from its center, the city of cahokia, on the mississippi river near the site of modern st. louis. it was a successor to earlier cultures, evidence of which can be seen in the great ceremonial mounds they built. cahokia declined and was ultimately abandoned completely in the later thirteenth century.... throughout the southeast, smaller mound - building centers continued in the centuries after cahokias decline.”
which of the following most directly contributed to the advanced development of both pre - columbian american societies described in the excerpt?
a creation of military forces stronger than those of most rival societies
b access to waterways to transport goods and trade with other societies
c adaptation to and use of the natural environment for their own benefit
d transfer of newer

Explanation:

Pre - Columbian American societies' development was significantly aided by their ability to adapt to and utilize the natural environment for agriculture, shelter, and resource extraction. Military strength wasn't the most direct factor in the development described. While waterways were important, adaptation to the environment was more fundamental. There was no significant transfer of power as described in the context of the excerpt.

Answer:

C. Adaptation to and use of the natural environment for their own benefit