Question

the mormon trail, oregon trail, pony express, and california trails likely overlap because they all
a followed the same rivers westward.
b were traveled by people of the same faith.
c helped communications between east and west.
d followed the route of the railroad lines leading out of st. louis.

Explanation:

The trails overlapped because they followed major westward rivers (like the Missouri River) for access to water, a critical resource for travel. Option B is wrong: only the Mormon Trail was for a specific religious group. Option C is incorrect: most of these trails were for migration, not communication (only the Pony Express was for communication). Option D is wrong: these trails existed before transcontinental railroads were built.

Answer:

A. followed the same rivers westward.